Essay “The image of the “Little Man” in the story by N. V.

We often encounter the image of the “little man” in Russian and foreign literature. fiction. To us, Russian readers, brought up on examples of Russian literature, the image of the “little man” is painfully familiar. The first meeting with him happens in Gogol’s story “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol.

And what is “ little man"? The answer is simple: this is a person of low social status and low origin, unremarkable and inconspicuous, not distinguished by outstanding abilities, weak-willed, humble and harmless.

This is exactly how we meet the main character of the story “The Overcoat,” the poor titular adviser Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin. It is interesting to note that Nikolai Vasilyevich very skillfully approached the choice of his name literary hero: The word “Akaky” translated from Greek means “doing no evil.”

The author compares his hero to a fly to show how petty this man is. Akaki Akakievich has both positive and negative qualities. On the one hand, Bashmachkin is a person without interests and hobbies, without family and friends, which speaks of his certain isolation and self-restraint from the world around him. On the other hand, he is devoted to his work, performs it reverently and carefully, he is hardworking, patient and modest, does not pay attention to the insults of his colleagues, and does not start quarrels. For a person like Akaki Akakievich, the most insignificant thing can become the asset of his whole life.

The treasure of Bashmachkin’s life was a new overcoat, sewn for a holiday bonus. With the advent of a new thing, Bashmachkin’s character and the attitude of his colleagues towards him change. Their approval and admiration elevate Akaki Akakievich above himself, he becomes bolder, happier, more confident. But soon his happy mood changes, as his most expensive item, his overcoat, is stolen. This was a real tragedy for the poor titular councilor, who eventually fell ill and died. But even after death he cannot find peace, so he appears as a ghost on the Kalinkin Bridge and scares passers-by.

Thinking over the character of Akaki Akakievich, Gogol wanted to show readers that against the background romantic heroes, bright, strong, contradictory personalities, there are realistic personalities: weak-willed, timid and even to some extent pitiful, but, of course, deserving of human attention and empathy.

Essay Theme of the little man in Gogol's story The Overcoat

In the “St. Petersburg” story “The Overcoat,” written in 1842, Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol raises the theme of the “little man.” This theme is constantly present in Russian fiction. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was the first author to address this issue; other authors continue this tradition.

Gogol considers the problem of a society in which a small person must exist. The author sharply criticizes the society of titular advisers who cannot accept Akaki Akakievich. The character’s phrase: “Don’t touch me, why are you offending me?” is a rhetorical question to the reader. The author draws attention to the fact that “little people” also have the right to a decent life and respect from people.

The day when Bashmachkin puts on his overcoat is the culmination of the work. At this moment he ceases to feel like a “little man”. His behavior and daily routine change completely. By this N. Gogol shows that Akaki Akakievich is the same person as others. He is no different, he experiences the same feelings, aspirations and grievances. He is no better or worse than others.

The conflict between the little man and the world does not arise immediately, but only at the moment when Akaki Akakievich is left without his overcoat. The overcoat has long become more than clothing. It was a big part of the character himself. Having lost her, he begins to fight with society. And having not achieved victory during his lifetime, he continues it like a ghost.

The mystical side of the story is important for ending the conflict. Having received what he wanted, that is, an overcoat. This is a kind of justice, which is only possible in a fantasy world and is a utopia. On the other hand, in the finale, Gogol says that the immortal soul continues to desire revenge, and is only able to do it on its own.

Essay The image of a little man in Gogol's story The Overcoat

“The Little Man” is one of the archetypes of Russian literature. The gallery of “little people” opens with a portrait of Samson Vyrin in the story of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin (the cycle “Belkin’s Tale”), continues with the image of Evgeniy from his own poem “The Bronze Horseman” and is firmly established in the tradition of realism inherited by Pushkin and his contemporaries.

Within the framework of the direction of realism, it is traditional to consider Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol’s story “The Overcoat”, and the portrait of the main character of this work - Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin - is included in the gallery of “little people” opened by Pushkin. This point of view is completely fair and is easily confirmed by the text.

What is characteristic of a “little man”? Low position in society, closeness (hiddenness) from the world, stinginess of feelings (but at the same time - the presence of an object of love and care), suffering during life (usually a single act that influences future fate hero), and, most likely, death (often from life’s suffering).

All this can be seen in “The Overcoat”. Bashmachkin is a petty official, a copyist of papers, who lives poorly and ascetically. He has no friends - he only has colleagues who become interested in him only with the acquisition of an overcoat (but not before and not on his own). Bashmachkin also has something that he loves and cherishes. Unlike his daughter - in the case of Vyrin - and Parasha, his beloved girl - in the case of Evgeniy - for Akaki Akakievich it is letters in documents and an overcoat, the dream of which he lives.

As in other cases, the suffering of the “little man” is in one way or another connected with the object of his affection. So, Vyrin loses his daughter, Evgeniy hurries to Parasha and is afraid that the flood will harm her. In a dark alley, two people steal Bashmachkin’s favorite overcoat - literally the next day after the purchase. Suffering and experience (after a certain period of time) is followed by the death of the main character.

It is worth noting that very often the status of the “little man” is emphasized by his position in the hierarchy of power; To “reveal” this position of his, the author places the hero in a situation where he is opposed to someone who is superior to him in his power. Let's consider, again, Vyrin and Evgeniy - the first finds himself on the threshold of his daughter's house, but entry there is closed to him, as a poor, ignorant and uninvited guest; the second turns out to be directly opposed to Emperor Peter (and, although he shakes his fist at him, he understands all his powerlessness and insignificance).

Bashmachkin is faced with a hierarchy of positions when his attempts to gain the attention of an official who could help his trouble fail.

It is also interesting to note that in one fundamental point Gogol departs from the previous tradition. The ending of the story of his hero becomes a certain triumph and superiority - the spirit of Bashmachkin tears off the warm overcoats of officials and terrifies those who encounter him. It is clear that this cannot be called the triumph of the “little man” in in every sense words; but, of course, this feels, if not a denial of Pushkin’s point of view, then at least a polemic with him and the prevailing understanding of the “little man.”

We all have one homeland and it is different for everyone. In principle, each person puts his own meaning into the concept of Motherland. For some, the Motherland is his family, his city and the street on which he spent his childhood

This is not a rule, but in life it often happens that cruel and heartless people who insult and humiliate the dignity of others end up looking weaker and more insignificant than their victims. Democritus once said that “he who commits injustice is more unhappy than the one who suffers unjustly.” The same impression of spiritual meagerness and frailty from the offenders of the petty official Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin remains with us after reading Gogol’s story “The Overcoat,” from which, in Dostoevsky’s figurative expression, came all Russian literature. “No, I don’t have the strength to endure anymore!” What are they doing to me!.. They don’t understand, don’t see, don’t listen to me...” Many of the great writers responded to this plea of ​​the hero of Gogol’s story, in their own way comprehended and developed the image of the “little man” in their work.

This image, discovered by Pushkin, after the appearance of “The Overcoat” became one of the central ones in the literature of the 40s. The topic opened the way for the depiction of Akaki Akakievich’s “followers” ​​in the works of Saltykov-Shchedrin, Nekrasov, Ostrovsky, Tolstoy, Bunin, Chekhov, Andreev. Many of them tried to see in the “little man” their little hero, “their brother” with his inherent feelings of kindness, gratitude and nobility. What is a “little man”?

In what sense is “small”? This person is small precisely in social terms, since he occupies one of the lower steps of the hierarchical ladder. His place in society is little or not noticeable. This person is also “small” because the world of his spiritual life and human aspirations is also extremely narrowed, impoverished, surrounded by all kinds of prohibitions and taboos. For him, for example, there are no historical and philosophical problems. He lives in a narrow and closed circle of his life interests. Gogol characterizes the main character of his story as a poor, ordinary, insignificant and unnoticed person.

In life, he was assigned an insignificant role as a copyist of departmental documents. Brought up in an atmosphere of unquestioning submission and execution of orders from his superiors, Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin was not used to reflecting on the content and meaning of his work. That is why, when he is offered tasks that require the manifestation of elementary intelligence, he begins to worry, worry, and ultimately comes to the conclusion: “No, better let me rewrite something.” Bashmachkin’s spiritual life is in tune with his inner aspirations.

Collecting money to purchase an overcoat becomes for him the goal and meaning of life, filling it with happiness in anticipation of the fulfillment of his cherished desire. The theft of an overcoat, acquired through such great hardships and suffering, becomes truly a disaster for him. Those around him only laughed at his misfortune, but no one helped him. The “significant person” shouted at him so much that the poor fellow lost consciousness. Almost no one noticed the death of Akaki Akakievich, which followed shortly after his illness.

Despite the “uniqueness” of the image of Bashmachkin created by Gogol, he does not look lonely in the reader’s mind, and we imagine that there were a great many of the same small, humiliated people sharing the lot of Akaki Akakievich. This generalization of the image of the “little man” reflected the genius of the writer, who satirically presented society itself, which gives rise to arbitrariness and violence. In this environment, the cruelty and indifference of people to each other is increasing more and more. Gogol was one of the first who spoke openly and loudly about the tragedy of the “little man,” respect for whom depended not on his spiritual qualities, not on his education and intelligence, but on his position in society. The writer with compassion showed the injustice and despotism of society towards the “little man” and for the first time called on him to pay attention to these inconspicuous, pitiful and funny people, as it seemed at first glance.

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1. Loading... THE IMAGE OF THE “LITTLE MAN” IN N. V. GOGOL’S STORY “THE OVERCOAT” This is not true, but in life it often happens that cruel and heartless people who insult and humiliate the dignity of others look like the ultimate...


2. Loading... We all came out of Gogol's “The Overcoat”. F. Dostoevsky Russian literature with its humanistic orientation could not ignore the problems and destinies of the common man. Conventionally in literary criticism...


3. Loading... Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol's story “The Overcoat” played a big role in the development of Russian literature. She tells the reader about the fate of the so-called “little man”. This topic is being revealed...


4. Loading... Gogol's story "The Overcoat" belongs to a cycle of works called "Petersburg Tales". This cycle is a new step in the development of Russian realism. Continuing the “little man” theme...


5. Loading... It often happens in life that cruel and heartless people who insult and humiliate the dignity of others end up looking weaker and more insignificant than them...

The image of the “little man” in N. V. Gogol’s story “The Overcoat”. In his works, N.V. Gogol often refers to the theme of the “little man.” As you know, anyone who is confident in himself, is something of himself, as a rule, is in plain sight. He presents mysteries to those around him, whether he is a notorious scoundrel or, conversely, a noble person, since he openly declares himself through his actions. Another thing is the so-called “little people”, who themselves admit their insignificance, and therefore try once again not to catch the attention of others. They live quietly with their little worries and aspirations, but it is all the more interesting to find out what is in the soul of such a person, how he lives, and why he hid in his shell and does not allow anyone to come to him. Probably, Gogol asked the same questions when creating his work. He tries to figure out what makes the main character lead such a joyless existence, tries to consider some noble impulses and dreams in his soul.

Bashmachkin Akakiy Akakievich from “Shineli” occupied the lowest bureaucratic position in one of the departments. This man was so invisible that even his colleagues did not remember “when and at what time he entered the department and who identified him.” Over time, he even turned into a kind of relic of this institution: “No matter how many directors and various bosses changed, everyone saw him in the same place, in the same position, in the same position, as the same official for writing, so Then they were convinced that he was visible, and so he was born into the world completely ready, in a uniform and with a bald spot on his head.” This man was completely harmless and did not even try to defend his rights to anyone. Feeling like a victim in many ways, and acting in a similar way, Akaki Akakievich, to some extent, was himself to blame for the especially despotic attitude of his superiors towards his person, and for the ridicule of young officials towards him.

His defenselessness and dependability amazingly awakened in those around him, even the most educated and sophisticated, terrible inhumanity and “ferocious rudeness.” The only thing the poor official could manage when there were particularly painful jokes directed at him was the phrase: “Leave me alone, why are you offending me?” However, he said it in such a penetrating voice that even one of the officials later remembered the poor fellow for a long time and was imbued with sympathy and pity for him. The young man suddenly felt ashamed of his ridicule of Akaki Akakievich, suddenly realizing that even such pitiful creatures have a soul that can hurt, like everyone else. Bashmachkin’s appearance also set the people around him, if not against him, then to treat him with a certain amount of disgust and contempt: “... short in stature, somewhat pockmarked, somewhat reddish, somewhat blind even in appearance, with a small bald spot on his forehead, with wrinkles on both sides cheeks and complexion, which is called hemorrhoidal...” The official did not take care of his own dress: “...his uniform was not green, but some kind of reddish flour color,” in addition, something was constantly sticking to it, either a thread or a piece of hay. It seemed that this man was simply a magnet for minor troubles. So, for example, he always found himself under the windows at the very moment when something was thrown out of them. Of course, this gave his appearance a certain sloppy appearance.

The official had absolutely no friends or lover. In the evenings, he came to his lonely apartment, ate his cabbage soup and beef with onions, and then copied the work he had taken home. If there was nothing to rewrite, then I went to bed. This man had absolutely no entertainment, and there couldn’t have been any, since any entertainment requires certain funds. The salary of an official did not exceed four hundred rubles a year. Nevertheless, despite his unenviable position, this man was happy in his own way. He loved his work, once turning ordinary copying into a varied and pleasant world: “... he had some favorites, which if he got to, he was not himself: he laughed, and winked, and helped with his lips, so that in his face It seemed that it was possible to read every letter that his pen wrote.” Perhaps, with such zeal, main character was capable of more, but lack of confidence in his own abilities greatly hindered Bashmachkin’s development. So one of the bosses decided to entrust Akaki Akakievich with a more difficult task, but one that even a high school student could handle. The official, sweating from effort and excitement, refused. Since then, he has not been assigned anything else other than rewriting. Perhaps this man would have lived to a ripe old age, content with little, if his overcoat had not fallen into such disrepair that there was no place to put patches on it. Bashmachkin approached the tailor several times, but he never agreed to repair the old dress. Finally, the official decided to order a new overcoat.

He already had half the amount, but the other half needed to be taken somewhere. Akakiy Akakievich decided to further cut his meager expenses. He gave up evening tea, not lighting candles in the evenings, walking down the street as carefully as possible in order to prolong the life of the soles on his boots, putting things in the wash less often, and therefore in the evenings throwing them off completely and walking only in an old robe. Of course, such sacrifices made the purchase of an overcoat something special. Winter clothes acquired a completely different meaning for Bashmachkin: “From then on, it was as if his very existence became somehow fuller, as if he had gotten married, as if some other person was present with him, as if he were not alone, but “A pleasant friend in life agreed to walk the path of life together with him.” Every week the official came to the tailor to talk about his future overcoat. This man had a goal that could completely change Akaki Akakievich. The expression on his face became firmer and more lively, fire sometimes even appeared in his eyes, and some daring and courageous thoughts came to his mind. All this said that no matter how a person is overwhelmed by need and circumstances, with a strong desire he can influence his own life. Due to his loneliness, the official chose not a living person, but a thing, as the target of worship, but this forced him to wake up from sleep and perform some actions, although his actions were no longer directed outward, but inward, further aggravating his unenviable position. It took several months to collect the necessary amount. After that, Bashmachkin, together with a tailor, chose the fabric and the cat for the collar.

Two weeks later the overcoat was ready and it fit just right. The official immediately put it on at the department: “He felt every moment that he had a new overcoat on his shoulders, and several times he even grinned with inner pleasure.” The new thing seemed to transform Akaki Akakievich, and all his colleagues noticed this. They poured into the Swiss and began to praise the new thing, completely confusing its happy owner.

At the same time, Bashmachkin was pleased. He himself suddenly felt a little different and even agreed to the invitation, and then allowed himself to drink a few glasses of champagne while visiting. Returning from visiting, he even began to think about women, something he had never observed before. At first he looked at the picture with beautiful girl, then “he even suddenly ran up, no one knows why, after some lady who passed by like lightning...”. Akaki Akakievich was in the most wonderful mood, one might say, at the peak of happiness, when two robbers took his overcoat.

The official was completely at a loss, since he had lost more than his overcoat during the night. He lost his girlfriend, his brainchild, suffered and expected for many months. The desire to return the overcoat was so strong that Bashmachkin showed his character for the first time in his life, breaking through to an appointment with a private, significant person.

Having encountered indifference and a lecture from a significant person about rioting against superiors and superiors, Akaki Akakievich could not bear it. Somehow reaching home, he fell ill and died. Of course, Akaki Akakievich himself is largely to blame for everything that is happening. He allowed an ordinary thing to take over all his feelings and desires so much that its loss led to the death of the hero. On the other hand, the author treats his hero with a certain degree of sympathy, since the environment in which Bashmachkin had to survive and the people around him, who treated the problems of the “little man” with a fair amount of contempt, played a significant role in the tragedy.

Perhaps that is why the ghost of the main character appeared in the story, tearing off the overcoats of officials and once teaching the same thing significant person.

"Overcoat".

The main idea of ​​"The Overcoat" is very sublime. It's safe to say that this small piece, in terms of the depth of the idea, stands above everything written by Gogol. In “The Overcoat” he does not incriminate anyone. Gogol speaks here with an evangelical sermon of love for one's neighbors; In the image of a hero, he depicts a “poor in spirit”, a “small” person, “insignificant”, inconspicuous, and claims that this creature is worthy of human love and even respect. It was difficult to put forward such a “bold” idea at a time when the average public was still under the influence of the spectacular heroes of Marlinsky and his imitators, and all the more honor to Gogol that he decided to say his word in defense of the “humiliated and insulted” hero, without even being afraid put him on a pedestal.

The little man from “The Overcoat” - Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, a low-ranking official, offended by fate and people, not endowed with any abilities except the ability to beautifully rewrite papers (see his description in the text of the work), is represented by Gogol as a person who is not only conscientious, but even with love he goes about his business. This business, rewriting papers, is the whole meaning and only joy of his lonely, half-starved life; he dreams of nothing else, strives for nothing and is incapable of anything else. When the hero of “The Overcoat” was given independent work in the form of a promotion, he was unable to complete it and asked to be left in the correspondence. This awareness of his spiritual impotence captivates the viewer and puts him in favor of the modest Bashmachkin.

Gogol "The Overcoat". Illustration by P. Fedorov

But Gogol in his story demands respect for this man, who, in the words of the Gospel parable, was given “one talent,” and this “talent” was not buried by him. Bashmachkin, according to Gogol, stands above gifted officials who occupy prominent positions but neglect their duties.

But not only respect for Bashmachkin, as a modest and honest worker, is what Gogol demands in his story, he demands love for him as a “person.” This is the high moral idea of ​​“The Overcoat”.

Without hoping that modern readers will be able to understand this work themselves and understand its “idea”, Gogol himself reveals it, depicting the state of mind of one sensitive young man who, thanks to his meeting with the “little man” Bashmachkin, understood the great feeling of Christian love for his neighbors. Selfish and frivolous youth, in official uniforms, loved to make fun of the funny and unrequited old man. The hero of “The Overcoat” meekly endured everything, only occasionally repeating in a pitiful voice: “Leave me alone! Why are you offending me? And Gogol continues:

“And there was something strange in the words and the voice with which they were spoken. There was something in him that inclined to pity, that one young man, who, following the example of others, had allowed himself to laugh at him, suddenly stopped, as if pierced, and from then on, everything seemed to change before him and appeared in a different form. Some unnatural force pushed him away from the comrades with whom he met, mistaking them for decent, secular people. And for a long time later, in the midst of the most cheerful moments, a low official, with a bald spot on his forehead, appeared to him with his penetrating words: “Leave me alone! Why are you offending me?” And in these penetrating words other words rang: “I am your brother!” And the poor young man covered himself with his hand, and many times later he shuddered throughout his life, seeing how much inhumanity there is in man, how much ferocious rudeness is hidden in refined, educated secularism and, God! even in that person whom the world recognizes as noble and honest!

The little man Bashmachkin lived unnoticed and died just as unknown, forgotten... His life was not rich in impressions. That is why the biggest events in her were his horrified consciousness that he needed to buy a new overcoat, joyful dreams about this overcoat, his delight when the overcoat was on his shoulders, and, finally, his torment when this overcoat was stolen from him and when it turned out to be impossible to find her... All these various feelings associated with the overcoat burst into his existence like a hurricane and crushed him in a short time. The hero of “The Overcoat” died from the same insignificant reason as Gogol’s old-world landowners, and this happened for the same reason: his life was too meaningless, and therefore every accident grew to gigantic proportions in this empty life. What for another person living life to the fullest would be an unpleasant, but collateral circumstance, then for Bashmachkin it became the only content of life.

It is impossible not to note the fact that Gogol’s “The Overcoat” is organically connected with the Russian novel of the 18th and early XIX centuries. Gogol had predecessors in Russian literature who also depicted little people. Among Chulkov’s works there is the story “Bitter Fate”, in which an official is depicted - the prototype of Bashmachkin. The same insignificant petty existence of the hero, the same sympathetic, humane treatment to him by the author. And sentimentalism brought with it the preaching of love for a little person, and Karamzin made a great discovery in his “Poor Liza”: “even peasant women know how to feel.” Following his “Flor Silin, the virtuous peasant,” images of various little people, in whose hearts the authors revealed high feelings of love for people, for their homeland, and for their duty, have become favorites in our literature. Pushkin in Masha Mironova and her parents revealed in the hearts of the simple-minded Russian people the whole world sublime feelings. In a word, this humane, noble attention to those little people whom the crowd passes by indifferently has become a tradition of Russian literature, and therefore Gogol’s “The Overcoat” is organically connected with all previous Russian fiction. Gogol said in “The Overcoat” a “new word” only in the sense that he found the sublime in the “funny”, “pathetic” and managed to embody his idea as artistically as his predecessor in the 18th century, Chulkov, failed.

Gogol "The Overcoat". Audiobook

Gogol's story is of great importance for subsequent Russian literature. “We all came out of Gogol’s “The Overcoat!” - said Dostoevsky and, indeed, many of his stories, stories that are the most humane in mood, echo the influence of Gogol. All of Dostoevsky’s first works (“Poor People”, “Humiliated and Insulted”), all are the development of Gogol’s humane ideas embodied in his “The Overcoat”. Foreign criticism notes that one of the most characteristic features Russian literature must recognize the tendency to preach compassion for a fallen brother, or in general for the unfortunate, offended by fate and people. This is, indeed, our literary tradition, and in the history of the strengthening and development of love for the “little man,” Gogol’s touching “The Overcoat” occupies the most prominent place.

Gogol's story "The Overcoat" belongs to a cycle of works called "Petersburg Tales". This cycle is a new step in the development of Russian realism. Continuing the theme of the “little man” raised by Pushkin in “ Stationmaster", Gogol describes tragic fate poor, downtrodden people. At the same time, he finds a lot of poetry in their lives.
The stories of the St. Petersburg cycle are permeated with humanism, the writer’s living sympathy for small, offended people. The fate of each of them is either a funny, albeit sad, comedy, or a heavy drama. Laughter and bitter tears are so fused in the stories that the reader gets an exciting impression of the tragedy of the life of the “little man”, crushed by the bureaucratic system of the feudal state.
The story “The Overcoat” is the most significant work of the St. Petersburg cycle. The plot of the story arose from a clerical anecdote about an official who lost a gun while hunting, acquired through tireless labor and hardship.
Gogol tells the story of the fate of Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, a small official in one of the St. Petersburg departments. Akakiy Akakievich’s whole life is a subject of constant humiliation and ridicule. The need to pull a meaningless clerical burden deprived him of the opportunity for development, he did not know any attachments or entertainment, and when he came home from work, he only thought that “God will send him to rewrite tomorrow.” Even his appearance in Gogol’s depiction is somehow insignificant, unnoticeable: “short in stature, somewhat pockmarked, somewhat reddish, somewhat blind in appearance, with a small bald spot on his forehead, with wrinkles on both sides of his cheeks.” In the department where he works, they look at him like an empty place: “as if a simple fly had flown through the reception area.” He timidly endures all the insults and ridicule of his colleagues, because he himself feels ridiculous and unworthy of respect. Akaki Akakievich is doomed to rewrite boring papers, because he can’t do anything else. He goes to work every day in the same old overcoat, so old and shabby that it can no longer be repaired. With this overcoat, continuous troubles begin in Bashmachkin’s life. The tailor advised Akakiy Akakievich to sew a new overcoat, but he needed money for it. In the hero’s joyless life, a goal appears - to raise money to buy a new overcoat. Bashmachkin begins to save. He doesn’t drink tea in the evenings, doesn’t light candles, even his gait changes: now he walks “almost on tiptoes” so as not to “wear out his soles” ahead of time, almost stops washing his clothes, and gives them to the laundress less often. Gogol does not condemn his hero for this; on the contrary, he feels sorry for him. “At first it was somewhat difficult for him to get used to such restrictions, but then he somehow got used to it and things got better; even he had become completely accustomed to fasting in the evenings; but on the other hand, he fed spiritually, carrying in his thoughts his eternal idea of ​​the future overcoat.”
However, Akaki Akakievich, depicted by Gogol, is not at all an insignificant creature in moral terms. His humanity is manifested in his friendly disposition towards people, in his diligence, and in his sense of duty. It is not his fault that his work is fruitless, but the bureaucratic machine of that time. Gogol does not laugh at his hero, but evokes compassion for him as a disadvantaged and humiliated person. This is the meaning of the image of a young man imbued with pity for Bashmachkin: “And for a long time later, among the most cheerful moments, a short official with a bald spot on his forehead appeared to him, with his penetrating words: “Leave me alone, why are you offending me?” - and in these penetrating words other words rang: “I am your brother.”
The overcoat is sewn. From this moment on, fantasy and reality, fiction and reality are intertwined in the story, and a tragic moment comes in Bashmachkin’s life. Returning home at night, Akaki Akakievich was attacked by robbers who took off his overcoat. “The next day he appeared all pale and in his old hood, which became even more deplorable.” Bashmachkin, in search of the truth, goes to all authorities: to the police, to a “significant person,” but no one cares about the tragedy of the lonely “little man.” The hero's grief is so great that he dies. But the service didn’t even notice this. “A creature disappeared and hid, not protected by anyone, not dear to anyone, not interesting to anyone... but for whom nevertheless, although just before the end of his life, a bright guest flashed in the form of an overcoat, reviving his poor life for a moment.”
But in the life of the town, with the death of Bashmachkin, something strange began to happen: at night a ghost appears on the streets and takes off the residents’ greatcoats. One day this ghost tore off the overcoat from a “significant person,” thereby frightening him so much that he “even began to fear about some painful attack.” After this incident, the “significant person” began to treat people better.
Gogol's "The Overcoat" shows negative traits serfdom, the bureaucratic red tape of that time, where there is no place for an ordinary person. Gogol created the genre of Russian social story, with its characteristic depiction of social contrasts. The author emphasized and sharpened the essential features of life in the most ordinary. Belinsky declared Gogol the most prominent representative of the realistic trend in Russian literature, which does not invent life, does not idealize it, but reproduces it as it is.