The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol. It provides a thorough exploration of the short story’s plot, characters and main themes, including bureaucracy, poverty and social criticism. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 52-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of Nikolai Gogol
• Presentation of The Overcoat
• Summary of The Overcoat
• Character study
  • Akakii Akakievich
  • Petrovich
  • The superintendent
  • The “prominent personage”
• Analysis of The Overcoat
  • The setting: Russian bureaucracy
  • An unequal society
  • The line between reality and fantasy
  • The essential role of the narrator

About The Overcoat

The Overcoat is a short story which was originally published in Russian in 1843. It tells the story of Akakii Akakievich, a lowly, nondescript Russian bureaucrat whose mundane life is transformed by his obsession with purchasing a new coat, and then thrown into chaos when that coat is stolen. Through his interactions with high-ranking civil servants as he tries to figure out the proper procedure for getting his coat back, the author criticizes the ineffectiveness and heartlessness of both Russian bureaucracy and society as a whole.

About Nikolai Gogol

Nikolai Gogol was a Russian dramatist who was born in modern-day Ukraine. He was born in 1809 and died in 1852. His works fall under many genres, including realism, romanticism, surrealism and even the grotesque. Some of his later works also targeted the Russian Empire. He is one of the most famous Russian writers, and more than 135 films have been based on his writings.