The opening paragraphs in the journal The Overcoat challenge the thoughts of the reader. It takes one from the start to the end and back to the beginning of the story. There is an application of an authorial tone in the first paragraphs, which is consistent right from the first line through to the last lines. Furthermore, in the authorial tone, the opening paragraphs provide an opportunity that Gogol uses to express the different feelings and thoughts he has about the Russian Bureaucracy. The sound also has a consistency of satire which Gogol uses to represent the various illness and challenges that are encountered in the Russian culture (Miller, 2010). It is in the opening paragraphs that Gogol makes much use of the character name Akaky. The reason for constant use of the name is through the thought that the name, Akaky would connect with the readers and surprise them as a rare name which is strange. Consequently, another reason why it was out of the question to give Akaky another name is that it has a comedic tone in the journal and represents roles that everyman in the social encounters.
Akaky was challenged in handling different concepts at the workplace such that when he is asked to make changes in a document without necessarily having to copy and paste the material, Akaky finds it a challenge. It is at these complaints that Gogol shares the same feelings with the young man. Gogol thinks that when Akaky makes the complaints, he needs help because he considers every member as a brother who should help each individual to complete their tasks without facing challenges in organizational environments. Analysis indicates that Gogol has sympathy to the young man suggesting that people should be their brother's keeper while on earth. Each individual will have to be answerable to their actions or mistakes that they do to their brothers (Gogolʹ, 1923). Akaky had an exciting life before his coat wore off. Initially, Akaky is pictured as poor and old. Further, Akaky fails to even come up with enough courage that he can use in finishing up conversation sentences he had with other people. The coat gave him status, but still, the community members perceived him as a low ranking individual in the official duties (Miller, 2010). As a low ranking employee, Akaky received little or no respect even though he was hardworking and dedicated his time towards working hard in his job duties. Therefore, Akaky developed the purpose of saving money in order to purchase a new coat that would give him respect among the peers as well as motivate him to live beyond his behaviors of copying.
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Gogol makes Petrovich an unsavory character to help with the theme connection about poverty and character development. Analyzing the role of Petrovich, it is evident that Petrovich exhibits the character of a heavy drinker while working as a tailor and because of the drinking habits, Petrovich makes a coat for Akaky at the lowest price possible. Gogol portrays Petrovich as a definite link in Akaky's life as he takes pride in working on Akaky's coat. Gogol uses Petrovich as a character to communicate to the audience that they should not discriminate people in society, and each person has a purpose in life. When Akaky gets a new overcoat, he resurfaces and becomes alive. In the reading, an excerpt indicates "His heart, generally so quiet, began to beat" (Gogolʹ, 1923). From such explanations, it is evident to state that Akaky was dead without the coat, but once he acquires a new one, he becomes happy and alive. It is a vast transformation that is brought about by the fresh coat. Akaky starts caring about fashion and taking any available opportunity to showcase his new jacket. Further, Akaky's life is changed by the new coat as he starts partying with other people while wearing the coat.
Akaky has a low self-esteem attitude which is evident by the behavior he shows at the party. When he was invited to a party by the superiors, Akaky was embarrassed, which shows that he does not believe in himself to fit in the party requirements. The fear of being among the affluent members is what gave Akaky the low self-esteem attitude. Akaky seems to believe in Person of Consequence as he sees help and regularly consults Person of Consequence. The narrator notes that the story unexpectedly comes to an end (Miller, 2010). However, the ending is characterized as fantastic. The advantage of such mechanisms is that it creates suspense and critical evaluation of the story by the audiences. It helps the narrator to challenge the thoughts of the audience and make them yearn for more information from the story. Further, these mechanisms allowed Gogol to create a rapport between the story and the readers (Gogolʹ, 1923). The fictional nature of the story allows for self-reflection on the reader's lives and how they are supposed to interact with other members in the community. In Gogol analysis, the flaws that can be evident in the reading are the style in narration whereby there are a mixture of how events took place. For example, the analysis begins with death and ends in birth. Often, the typical sequence of events is that there should be birth before death occurs. Furthermore, in portraying the protagonist, healthy, successful works and genius mastery are limited. Bias is also evident in his actions as the main focus is on the Ukrainian folk culture and folklore traditions. There is no balance regarding stories about the local color.
References
Gogolʹ, N. V. (1923). The Overcoat: And Other Stories . AA Knopf.
Miller, A. (2010). Book of a Lifetime: The Overcoat, By Nikolai Gogol. Retrieved from; https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/book-of-a-lifetime-the- overcoat-by-nikolai-gogol-2171917.html
