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Nikolay Gogol Николай Гоголь. 1809-1852. The Grotesque. Hyperbole non sequiturs illogical, non-linear progression of narrative. absurdities random switching from one image or event to another without apparent motivation
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Nikolay GogolНиколай Гоголь 1809-1852
The Grotesque • Hyperbole • non sequiturs • illogical, non-linear progression of narrative. • absurdities • random switching from one image or event to another without apparent motivation • characters’ conversations are at cross purposes, full of misunderstandings
“The Overcoat”Шинель 1842
A Denunciation • Vissarion Belinsky, socialist critic, saw in the tale the denunciation of the tsarist system. • Plight of the “little man” crushed by the system • Interpretation becomes the standard one in Soviet interpretations: beginning of “critical realism” – the forerunner of Socialist Realism • Is it realistic?
Who or what is the “hero”? • St Petersburg? • Akaky Akakievich? • Petrovich? • The Important person? • The Overcoat?
St Petersburg • Its weather, its lack of comfort. • It symbolic role as the bureaucratic machine. • The ranking of individuals according to their position in society. • The topography of the city: bridges and squares. • The gap between the pretensions and the squalid reality.
The “Humans” • Vices, pleasures and foibles. • Vanity. • Alcohol. • Gossip. • Sex. • Snuff.
Akaky Akakievich • Who is he? • What are his circumstances? • What changes does he go through?
Petrovich the tailor • His description. • His origins • His vices • The significant detail
The Important Person • His recent promotion • His interpretation of his function • His family circumstances • His “punishment”
The Important Person • His recent promotion. • His interpretation of his function. • His family circumstances. • His “punishment.”
The Important Person • His recent promotion. • His interpretation of his function. • His family circumstances. • His “punishment.”
Another hero… • The Overcoat as hero. • Pushes out the old overcoat.
The Important Person • His recent promotion. • His interpretation of his function. • His family circumstances. • His “punishment.”
Another hero… • The Overcoat as hero. • Pushes out the old overcoat.
“How the Overcoat is made” • The overcoat as a metaphor for the work itself. • “metapoetic.” – describes itself. • cf Nos / Son (Dream). • The details of the making of the overcoat reflect the details of the making of the story: lovingly sown together out of bits and pieces. • The old overcoat and the new as metaphors or masks.
The Important Person • His recent promotion. • His interpretation of his function. • His family circumstances. • His “punishment.”
Another hero… • The Overcoat as hero. • Pushes out the old overcoat.
“How the Overcoat is made” • The overcoat as a metaphor for the work itself. • “metapoetic.” – describes itself. • cf Nos / Son (Dream). • The details of the making of the overcoat reflect the details of the making of the story: lovingly sown together out of bits and pieces. • The old overcoat and the new as metaphors or masks.
The narrator • Ironical self-portrait of the author. • Constant self-references. Authors • “lies” (врёт): his fantasies.
Queen of Spades and Overcoat • What points of resemblance do we see? - Plot? - Theme? • Hero? • Love theme? • Style: realist or fantastic? • Literature as topic?