The Nose - Nikolai Gogol

Summary

Major Kovalyov, a Collegiate Assessor in St. Petersburg, awakens one morning to discover his nose is missing. Simultaneously, his barber, Ivan Yakovlevich, finds a human nose in his freshly baked bread and desperately tries to dispose of it. Kovalyov sets out to find his lost appendage and is astonished to encounter his own nose parading through the city streets, dressed in the uniform of a high-ranking State Councillor. He attempts to confront his nose, but it rebuffs him, asserting its independence. Kovalyov's efforts to place an advertisement for its disappearance are unsuccessful. Eventually, the nose is recovered by a police officer and returned to Kovalyov, but he is unable to reattach it. After a period of public speculation and Kovalyov's despair, the nose inexplicably reappears on his face one morning, returning him to his normal life as if nothing had ever happened.

Book Sections

Section 1

Ivan Yakovlevich, a barber in St. Petersburg, wakes up and his wife, Praskovya Osipovna, has just baked fresh bread. While cutting the bread for breakfast, Ivan is horrified to find a human nose inside. His wife is furious, scolding him and demanding he get rid of it immediately. Terrified of the potential scandal, Ivan wraps the nose in a cloth and tries to dispose of it by throwing it into the Neva River. However, he is spotted by a police officer, making him feel even more anxious. Meanwhile, Collegiate Assessor (Major) Kovalyov wakes up in his own apartment and discovers that his nose is gone. He is utterly horrified and frantically checks his reflection, confirming the absence of his nose. Desperate, he decides he must immediately report the incident to the chief of police.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Ivan Yakovlevich	A barber in St. Petersburg, unkempt, often drunk.	To avoid trouble with his wife and the police, to continue his simple, unremarkable life.
Praskovya Osipovna	Ivan Yakovlevich's wife. Strict, nagging, concerned with appearances and avoiding scandal.	To maintain her household's respectability, avoid scandal, and ensure her husband doesn't cause trouble.
Major Kovalyov	A Collegiate Assessor, vain, ambitious, concerned with his appearance and social standing.	To regain his nose and his social standing, to climb the social ladder, to find a wealthy wife.

Section 2

Major Kovalyov, trying to conceal his noseless face with a handkerchief, makes his way through the streets. He tries to visit the chief of police, but is told he is not at home. As he walks along Nevsky Prospekt, he witnesses an astonishing sight: his own nose, dressed in the magnificent gold-embroidered uniform of a State Councillor, alighting from a carriage and entering Kazan Cathedral. Kovalyov, trembling, follows it inside. He approaches his nose, attempting to address it politely but firmly, reminding it that it belongs on his face. The nose, however, dismisses him with an air of superiority, stating that they are quite separate and that they have nothing in common. Distraught and humiliated, Kovalyov leaves the cathedral. He then attempts to place an advertisement for his missing nose at the newspaper office, but the clerk there refuses, fearing that such a bizarre ad would make the newspaper look ridiculous and destroy its reputation. Kovalyov returns home, utterly despondent and bewildered by the irrationality of his situation.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
The Nose (as a State Councillor)	Major Kovalyov's nose, detached and personified as a high-ranking official. Arrogant, independent, concerned with maintaining its elevated status.	To assert its independence, to maintain its perceived high social and official standing.
Newspaper Office Clerk	A diligent but unimaginative clerk, strictly adhering to rules and regulations.	To adhere to publication rules, avoid controversy or ridicule for the newspaper.

Section 3

Back in his apartment, Kovalyov falls into deep despair, contemplating the ruin of his social and professional life without his nose. Suddenly, a police officer enters, holding Kovalyov's nose, which is wrapped in a piece of paper. The officer explains that he intercepted the nose attempting to escape the city, disguised and carrying a fake passport. Overjoyed, Kovalyov takes his nose back, but his relief quickly turns to dismay when he finds he cannot reattach it. He tries various methods, even consulting a mirror, but to no avail. He then sends for a doctor. The doctor examines the detached nose and Kovalyov's face, concluding that reattachment is impossible and advising Kovalyov to simply leave it as it is. Kovalyov is furious, refusing to accept this. He begins to suspect that the entire incident is the result of a hex placed upon him by Madame Podtochina, a staff-officer's wife whose daughter he had flirted with but never proposed to. He writes her an indignant letter, demanding she lift the supposed curse, but her reply is nonsensical and full of misunderstandings.

Meanwhile, rumors of the walking nose spread like wildfire throughout St. Petersburg. People flock to the house where Kovalyov lives, hoping to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon or the nose itself. Then, on April 7th, as mysteriously as it had vanished, the nose suddenly reappears on Kovalyov's face, exactly where it belonged, as if nothing had ever happened. Kovalyov wakes up, ecstatic, and resumes his normal life. He gets shaved by Ivan Yakovlevich, who is also surprised by the nose's reappearance, and goes about his daily routine. The story concludes with the narrator marveling at the utter strangeness and illogical nature of the event.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Police Officer	Diligent, follows protocol, somewhat bewildered by the unusual circumstances.	To uphold the law, perform his duties, and address bizarre occurrences as best he can.
The Doctor	Professional, pragmatic, dismissive of the miraculous or supernatural.	To provide medical advice based on his understanding, to adhere to scientific principles.
Madame Podtochina	A staff-officer's wife, slightly pushy, prone to misinterpretation.	To see her daughter married well (possibly to Kovalyov), to clear her name if falsely accused.
The Daughter	Implied love interest of Kovalyov, does not appear directly.	Unknown, presumably to marry.

Literary Genre

Satire, Absurdist Fiction, Surrealism, Fantasy, Grotesque.

Author Facts

• Nikolai Gogol (1809–1852) was a Ukrainian-born Russian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer.
• He is widely regarded as one of the seminal figures of Russian literature, often considered a founder of Russian realism, despite his works frequently incorporating elements of the grotesque and the fantastic.
• Many of his stories, including 'The Nose,' satirize the bureaucracy, social hierarchy, and pretensions prevalent in Imperial Russia.
• Gogol was known for his eccentric personality, and his later life was marked by increasing religious mysticism and severe mental health struggles.
• His most famous works include the novel 'Dead Souls,' the plays 'The Inspector General' and 'Marriage,' and short stories such as 'The Overcoat' and 'Diary of a Madman.'

Morale

'The Nose' primarily functions as a satirical critique of the obsessive preoccupation with social status, rank, and appearance in 19th-century Russia. The absurd detachment and personification of a nose, which then attains a higher social rank than its owner, highlights the superficiality and irrationality of a society where outward symbols of status often outweigh intrinsic worth. The story also delves into themes of identity and alienation, as Kovalyov's loss of his nose strips him of a crucial part of his self-perception and ability to function within society. Ultimately, it serves as a commentary on the illogical and inexplicable nature of existence, where bizarre events can occur without rational explanation or neat resolution.

Curiosities

• 'The Nose' was first published in 1836 in the literary journal 'Sovremennik' (The Contemporary) after significant difficulties with censorship, as its absurd premise was initially deemed inappropriate and potentially subversive.
• The story is considered a pioneering work of absurdist literature, influencing many later writers and predating the formal movement by decades.
• St. Petersburg, with its grand, ordered architecture and rigid social structure, serves as a stark and ironic backdrop for the utterly chaotic and illogical events of the story.
• The fact that the detached nose achieves a higher rank (State Councillor) than its owner (Collegiate Assessor) is a direct mockery of the Russian Table of Ranks, a formal system of hierarchy for civil and military service in Imperial Russia.
• 'The Nose' has been adapted into various forms, most notably into an opera by Dmitri Shostakovich, which premiered in 1930 and is known for its avant-garde and satirical style.