Overcoat Short Story Part III

What a wonderful life John has. He went to the bar with his friends every day, and the dinners are usually on him. All his friends respect him so much. He is not the poor John any more, he is a rich and generous man. 

"Fantastic night again, right?" John was drunk, said to his friends loudly.

"Of course. Thank you John, you are the best friends we have, you bring the happiness to us. No matter what happens, we will be always on your side." He so-called friends responded flatteringly.

"Oh, nice." He laughed," Hey how much totally? Here is the card." John showed his golden card as usual, looked at and asked the waiter scornfully. Yes, he is a rich man, being arrogant is the way he should act.

"Your card is invalid, sorry, sir, do you have other method to pay?" the waiter asked politely, he knew John is a rich man. Being polite and respectful to these guests is the way he should act.

"What? Say it again?" He could not believe it, "Try it again."

"It is invalid, I am pretty sure, sir." The waiter continued to act as politely as before. "Sir, do you have cash?"

Maybe the true owner of the card froze the card, maybe he spent all the money. No one knew. But what we knew was that all his so-called inseparable friends left him and  he used his nice clothes, expensive watch and the sliver ring replaced the cost on that night. Less and less people visited him, John become the poor John again.

(The End, Part 3)

Overcoat Short Story Part II

It was a cold winter day, the poor John could only wear a old and working suit against the freezing weather. That is his dream to have a warm and nice fur overcoat, but the cruel reality, poverty, totally ruined his dream. He squat down, sitting on the side of the busy road, looking at the colorful cars, feeling like the city prosperity had nothing to do with him. He moved his hands to the pants pocket to get a little bit warmth. Suddenly, he seemed to recall something. "Yes, the golden bank card, why wouldn't I try that? There is must be tons of money there!" He stand up, trying to find a clothes store, leaving all the hope on that shining card.

"I want overcoat, size 44," he stand by a clothes hanger, staring at these nice overcoats, and did not know which one choose to buy."How much is that," he can't move his eyes from a rabbit fur coat, that is the nicest coat he has ever seen. 

"Oh, this one?" the waiter looked at him up and down. All he could see was a pair of broken boots, old working pants, and a out fashioned coat with some construction materials on that. "I do not think you can afford, this is the best clothing store in the city, only the VIPs come," the waiter said impatiently, looking at John disdainfully.

"I got a card, may I try it?" John showed his shiny golden bank card, and said confidently.

"Let me see," the waiter was just going to serve other guests, but he turned around and said curiously. "How could he have that?" The waiter was shocked after he saw that, and spoke softly to himself.

"Oh, yes you can, I don't know you are the bank's Golden VIP. Sorry, I thought...Just try the clothes on, I think it fits you very well. Look at the wonderful color and design. I can't believe, it is just made for you. It matches your handsome appearance." The waiter's face changed so quickly, and became so respectful to John.

"wow, that is such a useful card!" John took the overcoat and paid as he thought.

"See you next time" the waiter bowed to John as John left the store.

John bought all the things he wanted with the card. His social position rocketed up just in the following several day. Many his friends' friends came to visit and flatter at him after they knew John was such a rich people. John's life changed tremendously, just with the accident gain, the shiny golden bank card

(Closing Part 2)

Overcoat Short Story Part I

"Wow, what is that?" John, a tall, tan man in a sweaty uniform and work boots, screamed when he saw something shiny under the sun light. He walked there curiously, bent his back, and picked up the little flashing thing. "Oh my goodness," he was so surprised that his mouth even became a big "O." "That is a golden debit card, whose is this?" John whispered to himself while he still not believe what he saw was true. John looked around sneakingly, checking out if someone else saw this gorgeous free gift. "No one is around me," John said softly and a undetected smile appeared on his face. as he carefully putting the card into his old working pants pocket, with a secret plan starting in his brain.

John is a construction worker, who works until late at night to get a meager salary. The poor birth makes him grow up in a inferior family. He has no wife and child, since he can not even support himself well. He is just a marginalized poor man, wandering the unnoticed corners in the industrial city. His friends probably are similar to him, drinking and smoking are the most interesting things for them to do.

It was a common day, but John's life gradually changed with this small shiny golden band card...

(Closing, Part 1)

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.