Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. Nose Tale of the nose brief analysis

Year of writing: 1835 Genre: story

Heroes: Platon Kuzmich Kovalev - collegiate assessor, Ivan Yakovlevich - barber, drunkard, Nose - escaped from the owner

Plot: The story introduces us to the extraordinary episode that happened to Kovalev. One day while having breakfast, the hairdresser finds a nose in a loaf of bread that belonged to the major. He tries in every possible way to free himself from this unnecessary object, but for a long time he does not succeed. Finally he throws his nose into the river. And Kovalev, having discovered that his nose is missing, suffers greatly. And when he returns to the owner, we see how the collegiate assessor calms down, and life seems so sad to him.

The author tries to expose all the vices of the St. Petersburg environment, showing the example of the main character Kovalev. After all, at first he appears to the readers as an arrogant person with his own habits, but this loss exposes us to the major with all his negative qualities. Making people feel the vulgarity surrounding them is the main goal of the writer.

One day, a certain Ivan Yakovlevich found a nose belonging to Major Kovalev in bread. The barber wants to throw away an unusual thing, but those around him do not allow him to do this. Finally, he throws him into the water from the bridge, but the police chief reprimands him. In parallel with the events taking place, we see how the collegiate assessor, waking up, does not see the nose on his face. He gets hysterical. How so? How will he live next? Now he won’t be able to appear in decent families, and he won’t be able to hit on women either. And some beauties of St. Petersburg already know him well. But he was used to walking around the city in a neat uniform and always being a well-groomed man. What will they think when they see the gentleman in such an indecent form?

Covering himself with a handkerchief, Kovalev leaves the house and goes straight to the chief of police. On the way, he enters a drinking establishment and wants to look in the mirror. What if he imagined everything that happened? But instead of such an important organ there is only emptiness. Following further, he notices that his own nose, all dressed up, is coming out of the entrance of the neighboring house and is heading importantly towards the carriage. The major quickly rushes after him. And unexpectedly for him, the nose arrives at the temple for service. Kovalev, at first timidly and timidly tried to talk to him about returning to the owner, and at first he could not even speak, but his gaze turned to the beauty in a chic headdress. And he forgot why he was here. The major wanted to flirt with the ladies, but remembering what position he was in, he wanted to continue the conversation with his nose, but there was no trace of him.

Waking up from extraneous thoughts, he hurries to the chief of police. While hurrying on business, he meets many people he knows on the avenue, but Kovalev could not show himself to any of them or even say hello. He had to ride in a carriage. Having arrived at the desired point, he cannot talk to the chief of police. He's missing. Then Kovalev decides to go to the editorial office, where he asks the employees to place a missing person notice. Entering the room, he saw that there were many visitors there, and the smell was unbearable. He had to wait a long time and explain to everyone about his disappearance. The newspaper employees were surprised by such an unusual request. How will they print such text? After such an act, they will simply appear in a stupid guise before the residents of St. Petersburg.

The upset assessor rushes home, but at the same time wants to visit the bailiff. But the head of the family was about to rest, and therefore met his visitor with a displeased look. Finding no support, the major returns home tired and sad. He goes to the mirror to make sure that all this actually happened to him. And then he thinks for a long time about who did such a nasty thing to him. A few minutes later the thought flashed through his mind that the loss was connected with the name Podtochina. She decided to take revenge because she failed to marry her daughter to Kovalev. And he was already thinking about a plan of action on how to call her to account for such an act, when at that time a policeman came in and announced that the major’s nose had been found. The official said that the barber, who had long been suspected of fraud, was probably to blame for the whole incident. Having handed the nose to the owner and received the appropriate reward, the policeman left, and Kovalev began to attach the nose, but, alas, nothing worked. Calling a servant, he sends him for a doctor. But the doctor who arrived only threw up his hands in his helplessness and suggested that the major put his nose in an alcohol-containing solution, or better yet, sell it at a profit.

After seeing the doctor off, the confused Kovalev writes an angry letter to Alexandra Grigorievna Podtochina, where he urgently asks to return his nose to its place. The lady's reply letter makes the major ascertain the honesty and nobility of the headquarters officer. In the meantime, Kovalev is in a dejected state, in St. Petersburg they began to talk about the adventures of the major’s nose. Either he was seen walking along the avenue, or as if he was making purchases in a store. And naturally, a crowd of people gathers in those places to admire such a spectacle.

And maybe everything would have continued indefinitely, and the major would have been lying at home upset. But, one April day, waking up from sleep, Kovalev finds his nose in place. How happy Kovalev was about this event. He asks several times to see if the barber who came to shave him has a pimple. Having put himself in order, the major decided to take a walk, as he usually did. He meets Podtochina with his daughter, against whom he no longer held a grudge and greeted her respectfully, slightly flirting, visited his friend, and went to the office where he was looking for a profitable place of employment. This is what happened in St. Petersburg. And no one knows whether this actually happened, or whether people made it up. But one thing is known: when rereading the pages, everyone should think about their own character.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is known to readers for such famous works as “The Inspector General,” “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka,” and “Taras Bulba.” All of them were written during different periods of the writer’s creative work. One of these moments is his life in St. Petersburg. From his first days there, Nikolai Vasilyevich wrote down everything that surrounded him. This is how “Petersburg Tales” appeared, which included one of the most interesting creations - “The Nose”.

Nikita in a huge four-story wooden house. He is very closely tied to living nature. There is no better place in the world for a boy than the area near the river, his own garden and all the other corners of nature surrounding the house

The described incident, according to the narrator, happened in St. Petersburg on March 25th. The barber Ivan Yakovlevich, biting off fresh bread in the morning baked by his wife Praskovya Osipovna, finds his nose in it. Puzzled by this impossible incident, having recognized the nose of the collegiate assessor Kovalev, he searches in vain for a way to get rid of his find. Finally, he throws him off the St. Isaac's Bridge and, against all expectations, is detained by a quarterly guard with large sideburns. The collegiate assessor Kovalev (who preferred to be called a major), waking up that same morning with the intention of examining the pimple that had popped up on his nose earlier, did not even discover the nose itself. Major Kovalev, who needs a decent appearance, because the purpose of his visit to the capital is to find a place in some prominent department and, possibly, to get married (on occasion of which he knows ladies in many houses: Chekhtyreva, state councilor, Pelageya Grigorievna Podtochina, headquarters officer), - goes to the chief police chief, but on the way he meets his own nose (clad, however, in a gold-embroidered uniform and a hat with a plume, revealing him to be a state councilor). Nose gets into the carriage and goes to the Kazan Cathedral, where he prays with an air of greatest piety.

Major Kovalev, timid at first and then directly calling his nose by its proper name, does not succeed in his intentions and, distracted by a lady in a hat as light as a cake, loses his unyielding interlocutor. Not finding the Chief of Police at home, Kovalev goes on a newspaper expedition, wanting to advertise the loss, but the gray-haired official refuses him (“The newspaper may lose its reputation”) and, full of compassion, offers to sniff tobacco, which completely upsets Major Kovalev. He goes to a private bailiff, but finds him in the mood to sleep after lunch and listens to irritated remarks about “all sorts of majors” who hang around God knows where, and about the fact that a decent person’s nose won’t be torn off. Arriving home, the saddened Kovalev ponders the reasons for the strange disappearance and decides that the culprit is the staff officer Podtochina, whose daughter he was in no hurry to marry, and she, probably out of revenge, hired some witches. The sudden appearance of a police official, who brought his nose wrapped in paper and announced that he had been intercepted on the way to Riga with a false passport, plunges Kovalev into joyful unconsciousness.

However, his joy is premature: his nose does not stick to its original place. The summoned doctor does not undertake to put his nose on it, assuring that it will be even worse, and encourages Kovalev to place his nose in a jar of alcohol and sell it for decent money. Unhappy Kovalev writes to headquarters officer Podtochina, reproaching, threatening and demanding that the nose be immediately returned to its place. The headquarters officer's answer exposes her complete innocence, for it reveals a degree of misunderstanding that cannot be imagined on purpose.

Meanwhile, rumors spread throughout the capital and acquire many details: they say that at exactly three o’clock the nose of the collegiate assessor Kovalev is walking along Nevsky, then that he is in Juncker’s store, then in the Tauride Garden; Many people flock to all these places, and enterprising speculators build benches for ease of observation. One way or another, on April 7th the nose was back in its place. The barber Ivan Yakovlevich appears to the happy Kovalev and shaves him with the greatest care and embarrassment. One day, Major Kovalev manages to go everywhere: to the confectionery shop, to the department where he was looking for a position, and to his friend, also a collegiate assessor or major, and on the way he meets the staff officer Podtochina and her daughter, in a conversation with whom he thoroughly sniffs tobacco.

The description of his happy mood is interrupted by the sudden recognition of the writer that there is a lot of implausibility in this story and what is especially surprising is that there are authors who take similar plots. After some reflection, the writer nevertheless states that such incidents are rare, but still happen.

This interesting adventure took place on March 25 in the city of St. Petersburg. As before, Praskovya Osipovna, the barber’s wife, had already managed to bake a loaf of soft bread for breakfast. When her husband Ivan Yakovlevich takes a bite, he sees his nose in the bread. A little embarrassed, he finds that according to signs this is the nose of his collegiate assessor.

Thinking about where to put this nose, he tries to throw it from the bridge, but is detained by the neighborhood guard. Kovalev, waking up in the morning, wants to look at his nose because of a pimple that has popped up on it, but with horror he notices in the mirror that there is no nose. The work of the collegiate assessor Kovalev obliges him to always be of decent appearance, especially since the purpose of his visit to the capital is to find a place in the department or on the occasion of his marriage.

Among his acquaintances are ladies, civilian adviser Chekhtyreva and staff officer Podtochina. Going to the Chief of Police, on the way he meets his nose, dressed in a uniform and a hat. Nose, getting into the carriage, leaves for the Kazan Cathedral to pray. Major Kovalev, timid, calls the nose by the owner's name, but when he sees a lady in a hat, he loses sight of his interlocutor.

The Chief of Police was not at home, so he went on a newspaper expedition to advertise the loss. The gray-haired official, after listening to his detailed speech, refuses him and, with complete compassion, offers him a sniff of tobacco. Major Kovalev, completely upset, goes to a private bailiff, where he, having listened to Major Kovalev’s irritated remark, tries to explain that decent people do not go to unnecessary places and do not have their noses torn off.

Already at home, he reflects on the reason for the missing nose and blames the headquarters officer Podtochina, whose daughter he did not want to marry. A police official appears at the house with a nose wrapped in paper, announcing that he was discovered and taken on the way to Riga with a false passport. Kovalev began to put his nose back in its original place, but nothing happened. The doctor convinced Kovalev to place his nose in a jar of alcohol and sell it for good money. The tortured Kovalev writes to headquarters officer Podtochina asking her to return her nose to its place.

Various rumors with details spread throughout the capital. At exactly three o'clock, Kovalev's nose seemed to be walking along Nevsky, then he was in the store, then in the Tauride Garden. Maybe it was so, but on April 7th the nose was in its place. The barber Ivan Yakovlevich shaves the happy Kovalev carefully and in embarrassment. All at once, in one day, Major Kovalev manages to go everywhere: to the confectionery shop, to the department, and to his friend, meeting headquarters officer Podtochina and her daughter on the way and talking with them. Having already calmed down, he sniffs tobacco.

The described incident, according to the narrator, happened in St. Petersburg on March 25th. The barber Ivan Yakovlevich, biting off fresh bread in the morning baked by his wife Praskovya Osipovna, finds his nose in it. Puzzled by this impossible incident, having recognized the nose of the collegiate assessor Kovalev, he searches in vain for a way to get rid of his find. Finally, he throws him off the St. Isaac's Bridge and, against all expectations, is detained by a quarterly guard with large sideburns.

The collegiate assessor Kovalev (who preferred to be called a major), waking up that same morning with the intention of examining the pimple that had popped up on his nose earlier, did not even discover the nose itself. Major Kovalev, who needs a decent appearance, because the purpose of his visit to the capital is to find a place in some prominent department and, possibly, to get married (on occasion of which he knows ladies in many houses: Chekhtyreva, state councilor, Pelageya Grigorievna Podtochina, headquarters officer), - goes to the chief police chief, but on the way he meets his own nose (clad, however, in a gold-embroidered uniform and a hat with a plume, revealing him to be a state councilor). Nose gets into the carriage and goes to the Kazan Cathedral, where he prays with an air of greatest piety.

Major Kovalev, timid at first and then directly calling his nose by its proper name, does not succeed in his intentions and, distracted by a lady in a hat as light as a cake, loses his unyielding interlocutor. Not finding the Chief of Police at home, Kovalev goes on a newspaper expedition, wanting to advertise the loss, but the gray-haired official refuses him (“The newspaper may lose its reputation”) and, full of compassion, offers to sniff tobacco, which completely upsets Major Kovalev. He goes to a private bailiff, but finds him in the mood to sleep after lunch and listens to irritated remarks about “all sorts of majors” who hang around God knows where, and about the fact that a decent person’s nose won’t be torn off. Arriving home, the saddened Kovalev ponders the reasons for the strange disappearance and decides that the culprit is the staff officer Podtochina, whose daughter he was in no hurry to marry, and she, probably out of revenge, hired some witches. The sudden appearance of a police official, who brought his nose wrapped in paper and announced that he had been intercepted on the way to Riga with a false passport, plunges Kovalev into joyful unconsciousness.

However, his joy is premature: his nose does not stick to its original place. The summoned doctor does not undertake to put his nose on it, assuring that it will be even worse, and encourages Kovalev to place his nose in a jar of alcohol and sell it for decent money. Unhappy Kovalev writes to headquarters officer Podtochina, reproaching, threatening and demanding that the nose be immediately returned to its place. The headquarters officer's answer exposes her complete innocence, for it reveals a degree of misunderstanding that cannot be imagined on purpose.

Meanwhile, rumors spread throughout the capital and acquire many details: they say that at exactly three the nose of the collegiate assessor Kovalev is walking along Nevsky, then that he is in Juncker’s store, then in the Tauride Garden; Many people flock to all these places, and enterprising speculators build benches for ease of observation. One way or another, on April 7th the nose was back in its place. The barber Ivan Yakovlevich appears to the happy Kovalev and shaves him with the greatest care and embarrassment. One day, Major Kovalev manages to go everywhere: to the confectionery shop, to the department where he was looking for a position, and to his friend, also a collegiate assessor or major, and on the way he meets the staff officer Podtochina and her daughter, in a conversation with whom he thoroughly sniffs tobacco.

The description of his happy mood is interrupted by the sudden recognition of the writer that there is a lot of implausibility in this story and what is especially surprising is that there are authors who take similar plots. After some reflection, the writer nevertheless states that such incidents are rare, but still happen.

Retold

The story “The Nose” was written by N.V. Gogol in 1836. Gogol himself considered it an ordinary joke and for a long time did not agree to publish it. Humor is the main part of the content of The Nose, although it is far from the only one. In Gogol's story, laughter is subtly intertwined with apt sketches of everyday life of that time. In presenting the summary of “The Nose,” we will, if possible, try to convey both of these characteristic features of it – and humor in the first place.

Gogol. Nose. Feature Film

St. Petersburg barber Ivan Yakovlevich, waking up in the morning, smells the hot bread that his grumpy wife Praskovya Osipovna is baking. Sitting down at the table, he begins to cut the bread - and suddenly discovers something white and dense inside. Running his fingers, Ivan Yakovlevich takes out a human nose from the edge.

“Where are you, beast and drunkard, who cut off your nose? - his wife shouts to him. “Robber, I’ve already heard from three people that when you shave, you pull your noses so hard that you can barely hold on!”

Ivan Yakovlevich recognizes the nose: it belongs to Major Kovalev, whom he shaves twice a week. The barber does not understand anything: “the incident is unrealistic, because bread is baked, but the nose is not at all like that.” Gogol describes how Ivan Yakovlevich, in terrible anxiety, wraps his nose in a rag and takes it out into the street to throw it away somewhere. After several unsuccessful attempts, the barber goes out onto the bridge over the Neva and, pretending to examine the running fish, quietly throws the rag with its nose into the water. Breathing a sigh of relief, he is about to go to the tavern for a glass of punch, but at this time the quarter guard standing at a distance calls him and asks what he was doing standing on the bridge...

At the same time, in one of the St. Petersburg apartments, the collegiate assessor Kovalev, a minor civil official, who, nevertheless, likes to call himself a military major, wakes up. Looking in the mirror to check whether the pimple that appeared on his nose yesterday has disappeared, he discovers that there is no nose: instead, only a smooth spot is visible. The situation is scandalous! Kovalev loves to walk along Nevsky Prospekt and is going to look for a vice-governor's position. He is not averse to getting married if the bride ends up with two hundred thousand in capital. But how can we do all this now without a nose?!!

Gogol. Nose. Audiobook

Covering his face with a handkerchief, Kovalev runs out of the house to go straight to the chief of police. But unfortunately there is not a single cab driver. Standing on the street, Kovalev suddenly sees an inexplicable phenomenon: his own nose comes out of the carriage in the uniform of a state councilor and hides in the entrance of a house. Two minutes later the nose comes back out and, shouting to the coachman: “Bring it on!”, he drives away.

Kovalev runs after the carriage. She stops in front of the Kazan Cathedral. Kovalev runs into the cathedral and sees his nose, hiding his face in a high standing collar, praying with an expression of the greatest piety. Coming closer, Kovalev coughs for a minute, but then still decides to speak directly to the nose, although he, judging by his uniform, is much higher in official rank than him.

Illustration by Kukryniksy for “The Nose” by Gogol

“What do you want?” - asks the nose. Kovalev explains that the nose “should know its place, and not stand in the church.” “I am a major who knows many ladies, and it is indecent for me to walk around without a nose... But you are my own nose.” “You are mistaken, my dear sir,” the nose answers irritably.

Kovalev’s attention is distracted for a moment by the sight of a pretty young lady entering the cathedral. The major looks at her fresh chin with pleasure, but at that moment he remembers that he has no nose. With tears in his eyes, he turns to his nose to call him a cheat and a scoundrel. However, he is no longer there: he probably went to visit someone.

In desperation, the major catches a cab and goes to the chief of police. That one is not at home. Kovalev is considering whether to file a complaint with the Deanery Office, because his nose is clearly a person for whom nothing is sacred. But, on reflection, he decides to first make a publication about the shamelessly snuck nose in the newspaper.

The newspaper expedition where Kovalev arrives is a small room with many visitors who have come to give advertisements. They are received by a gray-haired official in a tailcoat and glasses sitting at a table. Kovalev reports that his nose ran away from him, deceptively dressed up in the uniform of a state councilor, and he himself, as a major, cannot be without such a noticeable part of the body: it is not “the little toe on the foot, which no one will see in a boot.”

A confused official in a tailcoat refuses to accept Kovalev’s advertisement, saying that if the newspaper writes about the missing nose, it may lose its reputation. He talks about a similar case: one citizen, having paid 2 rubles 73 kopecks, advertised in the newspaper about the disappearance of a black poodle, and this poodle later turned out to be the treasurer of a certain establishment. To convince the gray-haired gentleman, Kovalev removes the rag from his face. The official confirms that instead of a nose he sees “a place that is completely smooth, as if it were a freshly baked pancake,” but still does not want to take the ad. He advises the major to contact one of the literary magazines, where a skillful pen will describe “this rare work of nature” in such a way that, at least, there will be useful edification for youth.

Trying to calm down a completely upset Kovalev, the gray-haired official kindly invites him to sniff some tobacco. Kovalev takes this as a mockery: what can he smell when he doesn’t have a nose? With an exclamation: “The devil take your tobacco,” he goes to a familiar private bailiff, in whose house the entire front room is filled with sugar loaves brought from neighboring merchants. The bailiff loves offerings and, of all types, prefers state banknotes most of all: “there is nothing better than this thing: it doesn’t ask for food, it takes up little space, it will always fit in your pocket, if you drop it, it won’t hurt you.” But the bailiff, who was just about to take a nap after dinner, received the major rudely, declaring that “they won’t tear off a decent man’s nose.”

Exhausted, Kovalev returns home, where his lackey Ivan, lying on a stained sofa, spits at the ceiling and quite successfully ends up in the same place. Once in his room, the major sadly complains: “a man without a nose is the devil knows what: a bird is not a bird, a citizen is not a citizen.” He pinches himself to make sure he is not drunk, and again examines his “livilous appearance” in the mirror.

Thinking about the reasons for the loss of his nose, Kovalev suggests: the culprit could have been staff officer Podtochina, who wanted him to marry her daughter. The major himself loved to drag himself after this daughter, but avoided the “final cutting.” And so the staff officer, probably out of revenge, decided to spoil him and hired some witch women for this.

At this moment, a quarterly police official enters Kovalev’s apartment and says that the missing major’s nose has been found: he was caught red-handed when he boarded a stagecoach to go to Riga using a fake passport issued in someone else’s name. A rogue barber is also involved in this case.

Kvartalny hands Kovalev his nose wrapped in a rag, loudly complaining about the growing high cost, which, given his large family, is very difficult. Taking the hint, Kovalev thrusts a red note into his hands. After the warden leaves, the major examines the package he brought and joyfully realizes: the nose is really his; on the left side of it you can see the pimple that popped up yesterday. But the momentary triumph gives way to anxiety: Kovalev does not know how to make his nose stick to its original place.

With trembling hands, he brings his nose to his face, but it does not stick even after the major warms him with his breath and persuades him: “Well, climb up, fool!” Kovalev then sends the lackey Ivan to his neighbor’s doctor. Soon a prominent man with beautiful resinous sideburns enters and, saying “Hm!” several times, begins to examine Kovalev. Taking him by the chin, the doctor gives a click to the place where the nose used to be - this causes Kovalev to throw his head back so much that he hits the back of his head against the wall. Taking him away from the wall, the doctor gives a second click, shakes his head and persuades the major to remain as he is now, because the nose can be easily fixed, but “it will only get worse.”

Kovalev begs the doctor to put his nose in so that he can hold on somehow. The major even agrees to “support his nose with his hand in dangerous cases” - otherwise it will be impossible for him to make visits to good houses. But the doctor only advises him to wash the area of ​​his nose with cold water - and “I assure you that, without a nose, you will be as healthy as if you had one.” The doctor offers Kovalev to preserve his nose in alcohol and sell it for decent money. “It’s better to let him disappear!” – the major shouts in despair.

After the doctor leaves, Kovalev sits down to write a letter to headquarters officer Podtochina. In it, he makes it clear to her that her participation in the story with her nose disguised as an official is not a secret to him. If the nose is not in its place today, the major threatens to “resort to the protection and patronage of the laws.” Soon a response comes from Podtochina. She assures that she never hosted any disguised official and that she never thought of leaving Kovalev in the cold, that is, refusing him in the event of a possible matchmaking with her daughter. Podtochina, on the contrary, is ready to satisfy the major at this very moment, “for this has always been the object of her deepest desire.” Kovalev comes to the conclusion that Podtochina, apparently, is really not to blame.

Meanwhile, rumors about his runaway nose are spreading throughout St. Petersburg - and with the most colorful additions. Crowds of curious people flock to Nevsky Prospekt to check out the stories that the nose goes for a walk every day at exactly three o’clock. One speculator makes strong wooden benches from which it is convenient to look out for the nose, and allows those who wish to stand on them for a fee of 80 kopecks. True, trustworthy people are unhappy with this hype...

About two weeks after the incident, Kovalev woke up in the morning and suddenly noticed that his nose, as if nothing had happened, was on his face. The presence of a nose is also confirmed by the footman Ivan. Beside himself with joy, Kovalev first of all goes to the barber Ivan Yakovlevich to shave. At first he greets him timidly, but when he sees his nose in place, he calms down. Shaving is made very difficult for Ivan Yakovlevich because he tries not to touch his nose with his hands. Happy Kovalev, no longer covering his face, goes out into the street and makes visits. Having accidentally met staff officer Podtochina and her daughter, he carries on a long and cheerful conversation with them, taking out his snuff box and generously stuffing his nose “from both entrances.”

This is what happened in the northern capital of our vast state! - Gogol concludes his short story. – Although no one still knows how the nose was separated and then appeared in different places under the guise of a state councilor - such incidents (Gogol smiles) happen in the world - rarely, but they do happen.

Written in the same year as “The Inspector General,” Gogol’s “joke,” which is exactly what A. S. Pushkin called the story “The Nose” when publishing it in Sovremennik, turned out to be a real mystery for researchers. And no matter how one of the most famous critics of the 19th century, Apollo Grigoriev, urged to abandon its interpretation, the researchers were unable to ignore this “temptation”.

Everything in the story requires interpretation, and above all, the plot, which is very simple and fantastic at the same time. The main character of the story, Major Kovalev, woke up one morning, did not find his nose and, in a wild panic, rushed to look for it. As events unfolded, a lot of unpleasant and even “undignified” things happened to the hero, but after 2 weeks his nose, as if nothing had happened, again found itself “between Major Kovalev’s two cheeks.” An absolutely incredible event, as incredible as the fact that the nose turned out to have a higher rank than the hero himself. In general, in the story the author piles up absurdity after absurdity, but at the same time he himself constantly insists that this is “an unusually strange incident,” “complete nonsense,” “there is no credibility at all.” Gogol seems to insist: in St. Petersburg, where the events are unfolding, everything is implausible! And the fantasy technique that the writer resorts to in this story is designed to help the reader penetrate into the essence of the most ordinary things.

Why are events developing in such a strange way? Here Major Kovalev, following his own nose and trying to return it to its place, suddenly reveals his powerlessness, and all because the nose “was in a uniform embroidered with gold... was considered to be in the rank of state councilor.” It turns out that the nose is three (!) ranks older than Major Kovalev, so his owner can’t do anything with him. In a city where the uniform and rank have replaced the person, this is completely normal and natural. If the residents of St. Petersburg have no faces (remember the “Overcoat”), but only ranks and uniforms, then why shouldn’t the nose really make visits, serve in the academic department, and pray in the Kazan Cathedral. And the absurdity, the absurdity of the current situation - the writer emphasizes this - is not that the nose wears a uniform or rides in a carriage, and not even that it has become invulnerable to the owner, but that the rank has become more important than the person. There is no man in this world at all, he has disappeared, disappeared into the hierarchy of ranks.

It is interesting that the heroes are not at all surprised by the current situation; they are accustomed to measuring everything by the framework of rank and do not react to anything other than rank. In a world where rank rules the roost, anything can happen. You can publish advertisements for the sale of a stroller and the sale of a coachman, a nineteen-year-old girl and a durable droshky without one spring. You can live in a city where sideburns and mustaches are common (Gogol depicts them in the story “Nevsky Prospekt”). And the author, whipping up such absurdities, trying to present the story as “really true,” seems to be trying to prove: in this world, the disappearance of a nose from the face of its owner is no more fantastic than, for example, an announcement about a black-haired poodle who turned out to be the treasurer of some establishment . Thus, in “The Nose” what was in life itself, what was its essence, was brought to the point of absurdity.