The nose short story analysis PDF

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Analysis of the Nose by Nikolai Gogol ...

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Fara Viljoen - VLJFAR001 Tutor: Katherine Harris 21 March 2020 Assignment 1 Short story: The nose by Nikolai Gogol

The true meaning behind The Nose The story, “The Nose”, is a satirical representation of Gogol’s focus on surrealism and absurdism throughout his career. This essay serves to interpret several different analysis’s which I have discerned from the story including its take on social ranking, fate, and karma. It will elaborate especially on the protagonist’s involvement with social ranking, the concept of destiny within the story finally the portrayal of karma therein. The examination of social status within the story is incredibly prominent. It was written during a socially transformative stage in Russia in which Peter the Great introduced a table of ranks which allowed the public to increase in status by committing their services to the government. This was during a time when social status almost directly determined the way in which one would live. This is portrayed in the story through the protagonist, Kovalyov, who is a collegiate assessor but insists on referring to himself as major. He was the unfortunate fellow who had been mysteriously stripped of his nose. When describing his character, the narrator mentions the tidiness of his appearance ranging from his attire to his moustache[ CITATION Nik36 \l 7177 ], this could be per the archaic notion that one is to always look well-kempt in the eyes of the public in order to be deserving of respect. It is worth noting that he is dressed similarly to those who provide important and honourable services to the public such as surgeons and those associated with the police. Kovalyov did not take his ranking lightly and felt as though it provided him with somewhat of an advantage in general superiority over his neighbours. This is further proved when he enters a coffee shop and upon noticing several waiters he exclaims, “Well, thank God there’s no one about”[ CITATION Nik36 \l 7177 ], as though their ordinary status entirely excludes them as people and wholly devalues the opinions they may have. The concept of social ranking is also portrayed to the opposite degree when he sees his nose exiting a carriage but is hesitant in approaching it for the simple reason that the uniform it is wearing suggests that it holds a title higher than his own. After summoning the courage, he 1

says to his nose that it would be okay for a woman who sells peeled oranges underneath the bridge to go without a nose but that it would be preposterous for someone of his ranking to do so[ CITATION Nik36 \l 7177 ], thus implying once more that he is more important than the general public. In an ironic twist of events, his nose justifies being a “person in his own right”[ CITATION Nik36 \l 7177 ] and his refusal to return to Kovalyov’s face by stating that he is from an entirely different governmental division and therefore could not possibly belong to Kovalyov. The above-mentioned interaction occurs in a church which could be Gogol’s method of pointing us toward the idea of spirituality, or more concisely, destiny. When it comes to reliability, the story implies that fate holds the upper hand when its only opposition is the public. The first display of this is when his nose disappears entirely without explanation. It can be taken for granted that this is not something that generally occurs. There is no trace of its disappearance and no scarring to suggest that it’s been cut off or somehow removed from him in any wrongful act. There is also nothing in its place to imply that perhaps it simply appears different from what he is used to on account that he’s never paid much attention to it before. If anything is indubitably certain, his nose is gone and there is absolutely no explanation for it except that it is something that on the wheel of fortune or in this case, misfortune. Each character introduced in the story is relatively useless to Kovalyov. When he attempted to have his loss advertised in the local newspaper the clerk had refused despite being thoroughly convinced that his nose had indeed been stripped from him and was rather sympathetic toward the whole ordeal. His refusal was based on the grounds that the newspaper had a status to uphold and could not afford to publish a piece as implausible as this. The irony, however, was lost on an angered Kovalyov. Other characters of little to no use to him included: Madame Podtrochina who had refuted his accusation that she had resorted to witchery out of vengeance given the fact that he had refused to marry her daughter, the officer who had returned his nose to him but had failed in providing a method of reattachment, the doctor who had failed in the same way as the officer and finally, his very own nose, a character on its own who had refused to return to him, leaving him disfigured and incomplete. The only entity that proved to be of any use to him was the one which had mysteriously returned his nose to his face, as though it had never left to begin with. The only explanation for this miraculous occurrence is that it was simply meant to return to him. These further compliments my statement that the story seems to be of the view that one would be 2

better off when placing their dependence on the unknown rather than on people, whatever their role may be. The final analysis of the story that this essay will discuss is the philosophy of karma. While Kovalyov is seemingly pleasant from the outset and is always smiling or engaging in lighthearted conversation, it quickly becomes clear that he is rather pretentious and quite snobbish as well. Perhaps without realizing it, he scrutinizes each character within moments of encountering them and the level of respect in the way he chooses to engage with them is directly determined by their profession or social status. For example, in almost the same breath that he abruptly shoves through a group of vagrant women, he humbly approaches his ‘state counsellor’ nose and is sure to address it as “Sir”[ CITATION Nik36 \l 7177 ]. Surely, he would not have upheld this level of reverence had his nose suddenly appeared as a beggar or perhaps a salesman. In what seems to be a direct display of karma, he is harshly treated by his nose and turned away empty-handed. Perhaps the moral here succumbs to the age-old saying that you should treat others as you would wish to be treated. Another portrayal of karma in the story is elicited by Kovalyov’s promiscuity. Gogol may have been insinuating this interpretation in the name of the story; “The nose”, which translates to “Hoc Nos”, Russian dialect for penis. He announces that he does not wish to be married before the age of 42, claiming that he was still a young man with a lot to offer in courtship[ CITATION Nik36 \l 7177 ]. It may be entirely unrelated, but it is worth noting that Nikolai Gogol died of starvation at the age of 42 after participating in a weeklong fast. Kovalyov often uses his exaggerated title as a tool to impress women and very rarely passes up a chance to try and entice a female he finds attractive. It is narrated that he often invites saleswoman whom he encounters in the street to his home which could be considered suspiciously inappropriate and disrespectful and could be classed as an act which alludes to his licentiousness behaviour. He does this with without any regard for morals. Assuming that karma is concrete and ever-present, would all this not inevitably provoke its wrath? Could the loss of his penis not be karma directly punishing him for his immoralities? In conclusion, “The Nose”, can be placed on a broad spectrum when one chooses to read it from a metaphorical standpoint. While fictitious, it focuses on extremely prevalent issues in society and is narrated as such. Three things should be clear after reading this essay. Firstly, social ranking was not a foreign concept in Russia during the 19th century and the story largely portrays this. Secondly, Gogol does not appear to hold people in very high regard

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when it comes to solving problems that are not their own and finally, karma is a strong force not to be treated lightly.

Bibliography Gogol, Nikolai. The nose. St. Petersburg: The Contemporary, 1836. —. The Nose. St. Petersberg : The Contempory , 1836.

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