The Nose (Gogol short story)

"The Nose"

The Nose illustrated by Gennadij Spirin
Author Nikolai Gogol
Original title "Нос"
Country Russia
Language Russian
Genre(s) Short story
Publisher The Contemporary
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) & Audio book
Publication date 1836

"The Nose" (Russian: Нос) is a satirical short story by Nikolai Gogol written during his time living in St. Petersburg. During this time, Gogol's works were primarily focused on surrealism and the grotesque, with a romantic twist.[1] Written between 1835 and 1836, "The Nose" tells the story of a St. Petersburg official whose nose leaves his face and develops a life of its own. "The Nose" was originally published in The Contemporary, a literary journal owned by Alexander Pushkin.[2] The use of a nose as the main source of conflict in the story could have been due to Gogol's own experience with an oddly shaped nose, which was often the subject of self-deprecating jokes in letters.[2] The use of iconic landmarks in the story, as well as the sheer absurdity of the story, has made "The Nose" an important part of St. Petersburg's literary tradition.

"The Nose" is divided into three parts and tells the story of a Collegiate Assessor who wakes up without his nose. He later finds out that his nose has developed a life of its own, and has even surpassed the Collegiate Assessor in social rank. The short story showcases the obsession with social rank that plagued Russia after Peter the Great introduced the table of ranks.[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. This opportunity, however, also gave way to large bureaucracies, in which many of Gogol's characters worked.

Plot

The story is divided into in three parts:

Part one

On the 25th of March, the barber Ivan Yakovlevich finds out that his wife has made bread. During breakfast, he cuts a loaf in half and finds a nose in his bread. With horror, he recognizes this nose as that of one of his regular customers, Collegiate Assessor Kovalyov (known as 'Major Kovalyov'). Ivan's wife demands that Ivan remove the nose from her home, so he wraps it up in cloth and attempts to throw it off a bridge. He tries to get rid of the nose by throwing it into the Neva River, but he is caught by a police officer. Ivan attempts to bribe the police officer, but the officer refuses.

Part two

Major Kovalyov awakens to discover that his nose is missing. He grabs a mirror to see his face, and there is only a smooth, flat patch of skin in its place. He leaves his home to report the incident to the chief of police. On his way to the chief of police, Major Kovalyov sees his nose dressed in the uniform of a high-ranking official. His nose is already pretending to be a human being. He chases his nose to Kazan Cathedral, but the nose refuses to return to his face. Kovalyov becomes distracted by a pretty girl that arrives at the Cathedral, and while he is not watching, the nose escapes. Kovalyov attempts to contact the chief of police, but he is not home, so he visits the newspaper office to place an ad about the loss of his nose, but is refused. He then speaks to a police inspector who also refuses to help. Finally, Kovalyov returns home. Kovalyov returns to his flat, where the police officer who caught Ivan finds him and returns the nose (which he caught at a coach station, trying to flee the city). Kovalyov's joy is cut short when he finds out that he is unable to re-attach the nose, even with the help of a doctor. The next day, Kovalyov writes a letter to Madam Podtochina Grigorievna, a woman who wants him to marry her daughter, and accuses her of stealing his nose; he believes that she has placed a curse on him for his fickleness toward her daughter. He writes to ask her to undo the spell, but she misinterprets the letter as a proposal to her daughter. Her reply convinces him that she is innocent. In the city, rumours of the nose's activities have spread, and crowds gather in search of it.

Part three

On the 7th of April, Kovalyov wakes up with his nose reattached. He is carefully shaved by the barber and returns to his old habits of shopping and flirting with girls.

Characters

Themes

Olfactory perception

Some reviewers analyze the story literally instead of searching for symbolic significance. 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.[4] This interpretation is consistent with Gogol's belief that the nose is the most important part of a person's anatomy.[5] Major Kovalyov obsesses over his appearance, cleanliness, and rank. His behavior reflects the influence of vision-oriented Western culture that emphasizes deodorization and hygiene.[4] And yet, he is deeply upset when he loses his nose, which shows that olfactory sensation is still important despite Western influence.

Society and class

Society and class played a very important role in determining one's life during the time of Gogol.[6] With the introduction of the Table of Ranks by Peter the Great, a whole new portion of the population was able to move up socially if they worked hard enough. In a society that was obsessed with status, people had to always look their best and prioritize their outside appearance. When Major Kovalyov sees his own nose dressed in the uniform of a higher-ranking official than himself, he is momentarily embarrassed and unable to approach the nose. Even within the context of a ridiculous scenario, feelings of inferiority and jealousy still manage to creep into Major Kovalyov's mind.[6]

Identity

The theme of identity is highlighted by how the nose is both easy to identify and hard to identify at various points in the story.[3] The barber notices the owner of the nose very quickly when he sees it. However, the nose is able to slip away from Kovalyov by disguising itself as a doctor. This back and forth between the identity of the nose emphasizes how Gogol's Petersburg valued outward appearance much more than one's true identity. Major Kovalyov is a minor official who acts like he is much higher ranking than he actually is. He refers to women as prostitutes and asks them to come to his apartment. His main objectives in life are to climb the table of ranks and marry well, but without his nose, he can do neither.[7]

The supernatural

The supernatural also comes into play in this story. The nose is able to transform its size depending on what is needed to further the plot.[6] Sometimes, it is portrayed as the size of a common nose, while other times, it is portrayed as the same size as a human. This strange ability plays into the absurdity of the story and adds to its comedic tone.

Style

Critics note that the story's title in Russian (Нос, "Nos") is the reverse of the Russian word for "dream" (Сон, "Son").[8] As the unreliable narrator himself notes, the story "contains much that is highly implausible", while an earlier version of the story ended with Kovalyov waking and realizing that the story was indeed a dream.[2] Without the awakening, however, the story becomes a precursor of magical realism, as an unreal element is woven into a realistic narration.[1]

Major Kovalyov is a person with many inconsistencies and contradictions.[9] Gogol uses this to highlight the "fractured identity of the main character."[10] There is a significant imbalance on how Kovalyov views himself, and how the outside world perceives him. Rather than focusing on his inner appearance, all of his energy and thought goes towards maintaining his outward appearance. "The collegiate assessor’s private and public faces seem almost unrelated."[11] This kind of portrayal of an average citizen of Saint Petersburg reflects Gogol's position as a transplant to the city, who views the social hierarchy of the city from an outside perspective.[2]

At the end the story, it appears that Gogol is talking directly to the reader. It is never explained why the Nose fell off in the first place, why it could talk, nor why it found itself reattached. By doing this, Gogol was playing on the assumptions of readers, who may happily seek absurd stories, but at the same time, still be wanting for a normal explanation.[2]

Symbolism

Some critics have interpreted the story as referring to a castration complex: the removal of Kovalyov's nose (and its developing a mind of its own) threaten both his chances of acquiring a position of power and of being a success with women.[12] In Russia, a version has appeared which substituted "..." for the word "nos" (нос) so that the reader would be inclined to interpret it as "khui" (хуй), the Russian taboo word for penis.[8] It can be said that Kovalyov equates the loss of his nose with castration, emasculation, and impotence to a certain degree.[12]

His nose serves as a symbol of his own snobbery and pretentious attitude.[13] Once he loses his nose, his entire demeanor towards the world changes.[14] His nose acts as the source of his own pride, and is what allows him to look down on everyone else. The loss of his nose represents a loss of his identity. Since his identity is primarily defined by his outward appearance, the loss of that appearance devastates him.

Inspiration and reception

As a literary theme, the nose had been treated by Russian authors at least ever since the translation, completed in 1807, of Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy, in which the subject of noses is elaborately dealt with, especially in 'Slawkenbergius's Tale'. Noses, and even heads, which run about on their own, which disappear and then return, which are even baked in bread (as in Part I of Gogol"s story), are to be found in Russian literature of the 1820s and 1830s.[1] Out of these works, Gogol's is the most famous because it presents an absurd tale that not only serves as social commentary, but also as a comedic tale for all ages.

In A History of Russian Literature, the critic D.S. Mirsky writes: "The Nose is a piece of sheer play, almost sheer nonsense. In it more than anywhere else Gogol displays his extraordinary magic power of making great comic art out of nothing."[15]

Ever since it was published, "The Nose" has intrigued critics with its absurd story and social commentary.[2] The absurdity of the story creates a certain distance between the author and the reader, which provides an opportunity for readers to enjoy the comedic aspects of the story, but closer analysis allows readers to see that the story is a critique of their everyday lives.

Saint Petersburg landmarks

As a Petersburg tale, "The Nose" has many references to the city of Saint Petersburg, where the action of the story takes place.

Kazan Cathedral, where the nose was praying.

Adaptations

Dmitri Shostakovich's opera The Nose, first performed in 1930, is based on this story.

A short film based on the story was made by Alexandre Alexeieff and Claire Parker in 1963 and used pinscreen animation.

Another animated short film, made in 1966, directed by Mordicai Gerstein and narrated by Brother Theodore, shifted the story to Pittsburgh and changed the names (the barber is named "Theodore Schneider" and the nose-loser is named "Nathan Nasspigel").[16]

Rolan Bykov directed a TV film adapted from the story in 1977.[17]

A monument to the Nose of Major Kovalyov

Andrei Amalrik's opera "Nose! Nose? No-se!", like Gogol's short story, features a Major Kovalyov who wanders around St. Petersburg in search of his nose. The Kovalyov in Amalrik's play lives in a Marxist totalitarian society and is excessively concerned about his middle-class status.

A play for radio based on the story was written by UK author Avanti Kumar and first produced and broadcast in Ireland by RTÉ in 1995.

In April 2002, the BBC Radio 4 comedy series Three Ivans, Two Aunts and an Overcoat broadcast an adaptation of the story starring Stephen Moore.[18]

An album in Romanian, based on the story, was released by Ada Milea and Bogdan Burlăcianu in 2007.

A play based on the short story was written by Tom Swift and produced by The Performance Corporation in 2008.

The Fat Git Theatre Company performed their adaptation of the short story in 2011.

WMSE (91.7 FM in Milwaukee, WI) broadcast an adaptation by Wisconsin Hybrid Theater (Radio WHT) in 2011.

The Moscow Museum of Erotic Art put on an adaptation based on Vladimir Putin losing his genitalia to coincide with the 2012 presidential election.[19]

Due to the popularity of Gogol's works in Russia and beyond, many cultural monuments to his works, including The Nose have been created.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hardy, James (2016). "Magical Realism in the Tales of Nikolai Gogol" (PDF). LSU.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sicher, Efraim (1990). "Dialogization and Laughter in the Dark, or How Gogol's Nose Was Made: Parody and Literary Evolution in Bachtin's Theory of the Novel". Elsevier.
  3. 1 2 Bowman, Herbert (2016-02-06). "The Nose". The Slavic and East European Journal. JSTOR 4204413.
  4. 1 2 Klymentiev, Maksym (2009). "The Dark Side of 'The Nose': The Paradigms of Olfactory Perception in Gogol's 'The Nose'". Canadian Slavonic Papers. Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 51 (2): 223–241. JSTOR 40871408.
  5. ↑ Davydov, Sergei (2006). "Gogol's Petersburg". New England Review. Middlebury College Publications. 27 (1). JSTOR 40244791.
  6. 1 2 3 Blair, Clifford (2016-02-06). "Elements of Fantasy and Semiotic Code for Fractured Identity in Gogol's "The Nose"" (PDF). Perspectives Student Journal.
  7. ↑ Yasmeen, Shareefa (2014). "Nikolai Gogol's The Nose: An Abstract Satire" (PDF). SUST Journal of Social Sciences.
  8. 1 2 Bocharov, Sergey (2008). Гоголь в русской критике: антология. p. 357.
  9. ↑ Friedman, Paul (1951). "The Nose: Some Psychological Reflections". American Imago.
  10. ↑ Kelly, Michael (2009). "Restoring the Disfigured Human Image: A Gogolian Slap in the Face and Moral Responsibility". The Russian Review.
  11. ↑ Spycher, Peter (1963). "The Nose": A Satirical Comic Fantasy Born of an Impotence Complex". The Slavic and East European Journal. JSTOR 305434.
  12. 1 2 Lauren Lydic (2010). “Noseological” Parody, Gender Discourse, and Yugoslav Feminisms: Following Gogol'’s “Nose” to Ugrešić’s “Hot Dog on a Warm Bun”. Comparative Literature, 62(2). University of Oregon. doi:10.1215/00104124-2010-004
  13. ↑ Seifrid, Thomas (1993). "Suspicison toward Narrative: The Nose and the Problem of Autonomy in Gogol's 'Nos'". The Russian Review.
  14. ↑ Bocharov, Sergei (1992). "Around The Nose". Essays on Gogol: Logos and the Russian Word.
  15. ↑ Mirsky, D. S. (1858). Francis J. Whitfield, ed. A History of Russian Literature. Alfred A. Knopff. p. 152.
  16. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1505105/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
  17. ↑ Rollberg, Peter (2008). Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-0810860728.
  18. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nsnhd
  19. ↑ http://web.thedailyherald.com/people/18-entertainment/25833-russian-poll-satire-takes-putins-manhood-away-.html
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