The Narrative Style

D.S. Mirsky characterized Gogol's universe as "one of the most marvellous, unexpected — in the strictest sense, original — worlds ever created by an artist of words". From my personal perspective, this quotation exactly describes Gogol's wring style. In The Overcoat, you will never guess at the ending when you first time read the story. If I write the book, I will definitely stops at the death of Akaky. However, Gogol ends the story in a totally different way. He makes Akaky become the ghost, wandering around the city, and taking others's overcoats. This ending is more unexpected and meaningful than the usual one. The other main characteristic of Gogol's writing is his impressionist vision of reality and people. He always starts the story by describing the Russian normal life and depicting the characters in detail. Here is a short description of Akaky "not a very high one, it must be allowed -- short of stature, somewhat pock-marked, red-haired, and short-sighted, with a bald forehead, wrinkled cheeks, and a complexion of the kind known as sanguine." With some piece of short and strict phrases, Akaky shows the character vividly in front of you. 

That's it :) Have a nice break, and happy Thanksgiving.

Grotesque in The Nose

From the dictionary, Grotesque means a very ugly or comically distorted figure, creature, or image. In The Nose, Gogol used this way to narrate that satirical story. It is crazy that the main character Kovalyov loses his nose, and the nose becomes a real person with higher social position and  wearing the nice uniform when Kovalyov sees it walking on the street. I found it ridiculous and weird when I first time read the story. Additionally, when Kovalyov asks the nose to reattach to his face, the nose even refuses him because of the high political level it has. To Kovalyov, the nose is more important than anything, since he feels depressed and could not face the whole world without the nose. In my opinion, the nose means more than just a nose. As my previous blog said, it could also be seen as a figure of vanity. I think that is what a nose really means, and that is why the story is so attractive to me although it is so crazy and weird.

The Nose

The Nose is a satirical short story written by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol, one of the most famous writer in Russia.  It tells of a St. Petersburg whose nose leaves his face and develops a life story of its own.

From my personal perspective, the nose in the story means more than just a nose. As we know, the nose will easily change the appearance of a person. It is obviously that people feel better with good looking. That is why the nose is so important to the Major Kovalyov especially after he loses it.Additionally, the nose represents the Kovalyov's vanity. After losing the nose, he feels self-esteem, timid, fearful and can not face the world. However, does he really could not survive without a nose? Gogol burst the illusion of people, make us see the most embarrassing naked soul, as if shocked exposure to stomach worms under the surgical lights. Must have such vanity officials aside Gogol. So that he just made a mischief, and let them know, all they pride is only a nose---a mask.

First Love: Vladimir and Zinaida's Characteristics

Vladimir Petrovich: 

A 16 year-old boy, who falls in love with Zinaida, a 21-year old girl from a downfall noble family. Since he is so young, he actually knows nothing about love and he could not control his feeling to this beautiful and attractive girl Zinaida. He will be happy when Zinaida gives him a smile; he will be despondent when Zinaida flirts with other suitor. The pure and native Vladimir has his whole feeling of love totally controlled by Zinaida, and that is one of the reasons I consider that he does not get the real love from Zinaida. 

Zinaida Alexandrovna Zasyekina: 

She is another protagonist of the story, the object of Vladimir’s affections. She is capricious and inconsistent in her affections towards her suitors. However, she shows the most affection to Vladimir, but that is the affection of sister to brother rather than between lovers. At the end of the story, Zinaida finds out her true love, Vladimir’s father Pytor Petrovich. But this true love does not give the happiness and warmth she really wants, instead, it brings her with pain and crush her heart.