The Nose (Gogol short story)

"The Nose" (Russian: Нос, romanized: Nos) is an 1836 satirical short story by Nikolai Gogol written during his time living in St. Petersburg.

During this time, Gogol's works were primarily focused on the grotesque and absurd, with a romantic[clarification needed] twist.

[2] The use of iconic landmarks in the story, as well as its sheer absurdity, has made "The Nose" an important part of St. Petersburg's literary tradition.

He later finds out that his nose has developed a life of its own and has apparently surpassed him by attaining the rank of State Councillor.

[3] By allowing commoners to gain hereditary nobility through service to the state, a huge population was given the chance to move up in social status.

The story is divided into three parts: On 25 March, the barber Ivan Yakovlevich finds out that his wife has made bread.

Ivan's wife demands that he remove the nose from her home, so he wraps it up in cloth and attempts to throw it off a bridge into the Neva River.

He writes to ask her to undo the spell, but she is confused by his letter and reiterates her desire to have him marry her daughter.

A literal interpretation suggests that Gogol's story is about the importance of olfactory perception, which is obscured in Western society by a focus on vision and appearance.

[5] Major Kovalyov obsesses over his appearance, cleanliness, and rank, behavior that reflects the influence of a vision-oriented Western culture that emphasizes deodorization and hygiene.

[4] At the same time, he is deeply upset when he loses his nose, which shows that olfactory sensation is still important despite Western influence.

[6] With the introduction of the Table of Ranks by Peter the Great, a wholly new portion of the population was able to move up socially if it worked hard enough.

Even within the context of a ridiculous scenario, feelings of inferiority and jealousy still manage to creep into Major Kovalyov's mind.

[2] Without the awakening, however, the story becomes a precursor of magical realism, as an unreal element is woven into a realistic narration.

By doing this, Gogol plays on the assumptions of readers, who may happily seek absurd stories but at the same time still want an explanation.

[2] In Russia, the nose has been host to a variety of proverbs that range from "torn off" (if it is too curious) to "lifted up" (if you have a high opinion of yourself) to "hung up" (with obvious defeat and failure).

[11] Some critics have equated the garbled language between Kovalyov's nose and the other characters in the story to mythological consciousness.

Noses, and even heads, that run about on their own, disappear and then return, or are baked in bread (as in Part I of Gogol's story) are to be found in Russian literature of the 1820s and 1830s.