To prove that Akaki Akakievich is a small person. Essay “The Image of the “Little Man” in N.V. Gogol’s story The Overcoat. Perhaps this will interest you

"Overcoat".

The main idea of ​​"The Overcoat" is very sublime. It's safe to say that this small piece, in terms of the depth of the idea, stands above everything written by Gogol. In “The Overcoat” he does not incriminate anyone. Gogol speaks here with an evangelical sermon of love for one's neighbors; In the image of a hero, he depicts a “poor in spirit,” a “small” person, “insignificant,” unnoticeable, and claims that this creature is worthy of human love and even respect. It was difficult to put forward such a “bold” idea at a time when the average public was still under the influence of the spectacular heroes of Marlinsky and his imitators, and all the more honor to Gogol that he decided to say his word in defense of the “humiliated and insulted” hero, without even being afraid put him on a pedestal.

The little man from “The Overcoat” - Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, a low-ranking official, offended by fate and people, not endowed with any abilities except the ability to beautifully rewrite papers (see his description in the text of the work), is represented by Gogol as a person who is not only conscientious, but even with love he goes about his business. This business, rewriting papers, is the whole meaning and only joy of his lonely, half-starved life; he dreams of nothing else, strives for nothing and is incapable of anything else. When the hero of "The Overcoat" was given a promotion independent work, he was unable to fulfill it and asked to leave it during the correspondence. This awareness of his spiritual impotence captivates the viewer and puts him in favor of the modest Bashmachkin.

Gogol "The Overcoat". Illustration by P. Fedorov

But Gogol in his story demands respect for this man, who, in the words of the Gospel parable, was given “one talent,” and this “talent” was not buried by him. Bashmachkin, according to Gogol, stands above gifted officials who occupy prominent positions but neglect their duties.

But not only respect for Bashmachkin, as a modest and honest worker, is what Gogol demands in his story, he demands love for him as a “person.” This is the high moral idea of ​​“The Overcoat”.

Without hoping that modern readers will be able to understand this work themselves and understand its “idea,” Gogol himself reveals it, depicting the state of mind of one sensitive young man who, thanks to his meeting with the “little man” Bashmachkin, understood the great feeling of Christian love for neighbors. Selfish and frivolous youth, in official uniforms, loved to make fun of the funny and unrequited old man. The hero of “The Overcoat” meekly endured everything, only occasionally repeating in a pitiful voice: “Leave me alone! Why are you offending me? And Gogol continues:

“And there was something strange in the words and the voice with which they were spoken. There was something in him that inclined to pity, that one young man, who, following the example of others, had allowed himself to laugh at him, suddenly stopped, as if pierced, and from then on, everything seemed to change before him and appeared in a different form. Some unnatural force pushed him away from the comrades with whom he met, mistaking them for decent, secular people. And for a long time later, in the midst of the most cheerful moments, a low official, with a bald spot on his forehead, appeared to him with his penetrating words: “Leave me alone! Why are you offending me?” And in these penetrating words other words rang: “I am your brother!” And the poor young man covered himself with his hand, and many times later he shuddered throughout his life, seeing how much inhumanity there is in man, how much ferocious rudeness is hidden in refined, educated secularism and, God! even in that person whom the world recognizes as noble and honest!

The little man Bashmachkin lived unnoticed and died just as unknown, forgotten... His life was not rich in impressions. That is why the biggest events in her were his horrified consciousness that he needed to buy a new overcoat, joyful dreams about this overcoat, his delight when the overcoat was on his shoulders, and, finally, his torment when this overcoat was stolen from him and when it turned out to be impossible to find her... All these various feelings associated with the overcoat burst into his existence like a hurricane and crushed him in a short time. The hero of “The Overcoat” died from the same insignificant reason as Gogol’s old-world landowners, and this happened for the same reason: his life was too meaningless, and therefore every accident grew to gigantic proportions in this empty life. What for another person living a full life would be an unpleasant, but secondary circumstance, for Bashmachkin it became the only content of life.

It is impossible not to note the fact that Gogol’s “The Overcoat” is organically connected with the Russian novel of the 18th and early XIX centuries. Gogol had predecessors in Russian literature who also depicted little people. Among Chulkov’s works there is the story “Bitter Fate”, in which an official is depicted - the prototype of Bashmachkin. The same insignificant petty existence of the hero, the same sympathetic, humane attitude of the author towards him. And sentimentalism brought with it the preaching of love for a little person, and Karamzin made a great discovery in his “Poor Liza”: “even peasant women know how to feel.” Following his “Flor Silin, the virtuous peasant,” images of various little people, in whose hearts the authors revealed high feelings of love for people, for their homeland, and for their duty, have become favorites in our literature. Pushkin, in Masha Mironova and her parents, revealed a whole world of sublime feelings in the hearts of simple-minded Russian people. In a word, this humane, noble attention to those little people whom the crowd passes by indifferently has become a tradition of Russian literature, and therefore Gogol’s “The Overcoat” is organically connected with all previous Russian fiction. Gogol said in “The Overcoat” a “new word” only in the sense that he found the sublime in the “funny”, “pathetic” and managed to embody his idea as artistically as his predecessor in the 18th century, Chulkov, failed.

Gogol "The Overcoat". Audiobook

Gogol's story is of great importance for subsequent Russian literature. “We all came out of Gogol’s “The Overcoat!” - said Dostoevsky and, indeed, many of his stories, stories that are the most humane in mood, echo the influence of Gogol. All of Dostoevsky’s first works (“Poor People”, “Humiliated and Insulted”), all are the development of Gogol’s humane ideas embodied in his “The Overcoat”. Foreign criticism notes that one of the most characteristic features Russian literature must recognize the tendency to preach compassion for a fallen brother, or in general for the unfortunate, offended by fate and people. This is, indeed, our literary tradition, and in the history of the strengthening and development of love for the “little man,” Gogol’s touching “The Overcoat” occupies the most prominent place.

Each work by N.V. Gogol is a real storehouse of wisdom. His novels and stories will serve as a clear example of how to look at the world for many years to come. So the story about a man, whose description speaks of his insignificance, also reveals some unsightly pictures of reality. This topic is brilliantly covered in the story “The Overcoat”. And the fate of the little man in it is depicted so clearly, as if he were a contemporary of the reader, no matter what century he lived in.

Akaki Bashmachkin does not stand out in any way by his name, appearance, or position. He is a minor official, a clerk in a department where he is surrounded by young and promising handsome men. They laugh at him, humiliating him and putting him in an unsightly light. And his very appearance speaks treacherously about him. He is wrinkled, short, blind and red-haired. There is nothing that would attract about him. His life and way of life is not just modest, but also more than unpretentious.

What is the purpose of this person's life? The author, who entrusted the main character to talk about himself, speaks about it himself. All Akaki Akakievich lives for is to rewrite. But even in this occupation, they will easily find a replacement for him as soon as he is gone. Indifference to this person has permeated society; it despises and humiliates him. And I think this is very sad, because the same quality is inherent in the modern world.

1. Addressing the theme of the “little man.”
2. Cherished dream of Akaki Akakievich.
3. Tragedy in the hero’s life.

In his works, N.V. Gogol often refers to the theme of the “little man.” As you know, anyone who is confident in himself, is something of himself, as a rule, is in plain sight. He does not pose a mystery to those around him, whether he is a notorious scoundrel or, conversely, a noble person, since he openly declares himself through his actions. Another thing is the so-called “little people”, who themselves admit their insignificance, and therefore try once again not to catch the attention of others. They live quietly with their little worries and aspirations, but it is all the more interesting to find out what is in the soul of such a person, how he lives, and why he hid in his shell and does not let anyone in to him. Probably, Gogol asked the same questions when creating his work. He tries to figure out what makes the main character lead such a joyless existence, tries to consider some noble impulses and dreams in his soul.

Bashmachkin Akakiy Akakievich from “Shineli” occupied the lowest bureaucratic position in one of the departments. This man was so invisible that even his colleagues did not remember “when and at what time he entered the department and who identified him.” Over time, he even turned into a kind of relic of this institution: “No matter how many directors and various bosses changed, everyone saw him in the same place, in the same position, in the same position, as the same official for writing, so Then they were convinced that he was visible, and so he was born into the world completely ready, in a uniform and with a bald spot on his head.” This man was completely harmless and did not even try to defend his rights to anyone. Feeling like a victim in many ways, and acting in a similar way, Akaki Akakievich, to some extent, was himself to blame for the especially despotic attitude of his superiors towards his person, and for the ridicule of young officials towards him.

His defenselessness and dependability amazingly awakened in those around him, even the most educated and sophisticated, terrible inhumanity and “ferocious rudeness.” The only thing the poor official could manage when there were particularly painful jokes directed at him was the phrase: “Leave me alone, why are you offending me?” However, he said it in such a penetrating voice that even one of the officials later remembered the poor fellow for a long time and was imbued with sympathy and pity for him. The young man suddenly felt ashamed of his ridicule of Akaki Akakievich, suddenly realizing that even such pitiful creatures have a soul that can hurt, like everyone else. Bashmachkin’s appearance also set the people around him, if not against him, then to treat him with a certain amount of disgust and contempt: “... short, somewhat pockmarked, somewhat reddish, somewhat blind in appearance, with a small bald spot on the forehead, with wrinkles along the both sides of the cheeks and complexion, which is called hemorrhoidal...” The official did not take care of his own dress: “...his uniform was not green, but some kind of reddish flour color,” in addition, something was constantly sticking to it, either a thread, or a piece of hay. It seemed that this man was simply a magnet for minor troubles. So, for example, he always found himself under the windows at the very moment when something was thrown out of them. Of course, this gave his appearance a certain sloppy appearance. The official had absolutely no friends or lover. In the evenings, he came to his lonely apartment, ate his cabbage soup and beef with onions, and then copied the work he had taken home. If there was nothing to rewrite, then I went to bed. This man had absolutely no entertainment, and there couldn’t have been any, since any entertainment requires certain funds. The salary of an official did not exceed four hundred rubles a year. Nevertheless, despite his unenviable position, this man was happy in his own way. He loved his job, once turning a routine rewrite into a varied and nice world: “...he had some favorite letters, which if he got to, he was not himself: he laughed, and winked, and helped with his lips, so that in his face, it seemed, one could read every letter that was written his pen." Perhaps, having such zeal, the main character was capable of more, but lack of confidence in his own abilities greatly hindered Bashmachkin’s development. So one of the bosses decided to entrust Akaki Akakievich with a more difficult task, but one that even a high school student could handle. The official, sweating from effort and excitement, refused. Since then, he has not been assigned anything else other than rewriting. Perhaps this man would have lived to a ripe old age, content with little, if his overcoat had not fallen into such disrepair that there was no place to put patches on it. Bashmachkin approached the tailor several times, but he never agreed to repair the old dress. Finally, the official decided to order a new overcoat.

He already had half the amount, but the other half needed to be taken somewhere. Akakiy Akakievich decided to further cut his meager expenses. He gave up evening tea, not lighting candles in the evenings, walking down the street as carefully as possible in order to prolong the life of the soles on his boots, putting things in the wash less often, and therefore in the evenings throwing them off completely and walking only in an old robe. Of course, such sacrifices made the purchase of an overcoat something special. Winter clothes acquired a completely different meaning for Bashmachkin: “From then on, it was as if his very existence became somehow fuller, as if he had gotten married, as if some other person was present with him, as if he were not alone, but “A pleasant friend in life agreed to walk the path of life together with him.” Every week the official came to the tailor to talk about his future overcoat. This man had a goal that could completely change Akaki Akakievich. The expression on his face became firmer and more lively, fire sometimes even appeared in his eyes, and some daring and courageous thoughts came into his head. All this said that no matter how overwhelmed a person is by need and circumstances, with a strong desire he can influence his own life. Due to his loneliness, the official chose not a living person, but a thing, as the target of worship, but this forced him to wake up from sleep and perform some actions, although his actions were no longer directed outward, but inward, further aggravating his unenviable position. It took several months to collect the necessary amount. After that, Bashmachkin, together with a tailor, chose the fabric and the cat for the collar.

Two weeks later the overcoat was ready and it fit just right. The official immediately put it on at the department: “He felt every moment that he had a new overcoat on his shoulders, and several times he even grinned with inner pleasure.” The new thing seemed to transform Akaki Akakievich, and all his colleagues noticed this. They poured into the Swiss and began to praise the new thing, completely confusing its happy owner.

At the same time, Bashmachkin was pleased. He himself suddenly felt a little different and even agreed to the invitation, and then allowed himself to drink a few glasses of champagne while visiting. Returning from visiting, he even began to think about women, something he had never seen before. At first he stared at the picture with a beautiful girl, then “he even suddenly ran up, for some unknown reason, after some lady who passed by like lightning...”. Akaki Akakievich was in the most wonderful mood, one might say, at the peak of happiness, when two robbers took his overcoat.

The official was completely at a loss, since he had lost more than his overcoat during the night. He lost his girlfriend, his brainchild, suffered and expected for many months. The desire to return the overcoat was so strong that Bashmachkin showed his character for the first time in his life, breaking through to an appointment with a private, significant person.

Having encountered indifference and a lecture from a significant person about rioting against superiors and superiors, Akaki Akakievich could not bear it. Somehow reaching home, he fell ill and died. Of course, Akaki Akakievich himself is largely to blame for everything that is happening. He allowed an ordinary thing to take over all his feelings and desires so much that its loss led to the death of the hero. On the other hand, the author treats his hero with a certain degree of sympathy, since the environment in which Bashmachkin had to survive and the people around him, who treated the problems of the “little man” with a fair amount of contempt, played a significant role in the tragedy.

Perhaps that is why the ghost of the protagonist appeared in the story, tearing off the overcoats of officials and once teaching that most significant person a lesson.

The problems that Gogol raised in his works are topical. I believe they are all still relevant today. The writer could not come to terms with the injustice that was characteristic of the society of his time. Strong, powerful, heartless people, without a shadow of a doubt, could offend and insult people who were much weaker than them. It is this problem that Gogol reveals in the story “The Overcoat”.

It must be said that this was not the first time that such a hero and such a problem were addressed, but this topic sounded so relevant only now.

What is a “little man”, and how should such a phenomenon be perceived in society?

Yes, of course, you don't need to understand this expression literally. Here we are talking about a person who is small in social terms, because he is not rich, has no voice in society, and is unremarkable. He is just a minor official.

But this person is also “small” because he inner world limited and meaningless. Gogol's hero is poor, in many ways insignificant and unnoticeable. Akakiy Akakievich Bashmachkin is very efficient, but at the same time he doesn’t even think about what he’s doing. That is why the hero begins to get very worried when he needs to show at least a little intelligence. But the most interesting thing is that Bashmachkin doesn’t even try to change, improve, but repeats again and again: “No, better let me rewrite something.”

In my opinion, this person does not strive for true values. His life is so meaningless that perhaps he himself does not know why he lives. The only meaning of his life becomes collecting money to buy an overcoat. He is incredibly happy at the mere thought of fulfilling this desire.

It is not surprising that later the theft of the wonderful overcoat, acquired with such difficulty, became a real tragedy for Bashmachkin. The people around Akaki Akakievich just laughed at his misfortune. No one even tried to understand this man, much less help him. The worst thing, in my opinion, is that no one noticed Bashmachkin’s death, no one remembered him.

After reading this work, you come to a sad conclusion: there are a great many people like Akaki Akakievich. This means that there are many who are just as humiliated and invisible. "Little Man" is a generalized image. Gogol managed to very plausibly and, at the same time, satirically show the main character, a society where such injustice flourishes. The author calls to pay attention to the “little man” and remember his existence.

But all life is subject only to external gloss and brilliance. Hence the veneration of rank, admiration for superiors and disdain for others: “There cannot be any close relations between us. Judging by the buttons of your uniform, you must serve in another department.” Only appearance is the main criterion by which people are divided into those who need to be noticed and those who do not.

It cannot be said that people do not see that they are causing pain and suffering to others. All this is well understood. And Gogol knew this. Some of Akaki Akakievich’s offenders even sometimes experienced pangs of conscience because of their actions. Suffice it to recall the young employee who made fun of the main character. This man suddenly realized “how much inhumanity there is in man, how much hidden ferocious rudeness…”

The episode of the resurrection of Akaki Akakievich, who is now wandering around St. Petersburg and tearing off greatcoats and fur coats from passers-by, is fantastic. Such is Bashmachkin’s revenge. He calms down only when he tears off the overcoat from a “significant person” who greatly influenced the fate of the hero.

I think that this moment can be considered the culminating moment, because only now justice has triumphed to some extent. Only now Akakiy Akakievich Bashmachkin is growing up in his own eyes. According to Gogol, even in the life of the most insignificant person there are moments when he can become a strong person who knows how to stand up for himself.

The genius of this work lies in the fact that, while reading the story, you involuntarily think about how you yourself relate to the people around you, and whether among them there are people like Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin.

The role of hyperbole in the depiction of Bashmachkin in the story by N.V. Gogol "The Overcoat"

The story “The Overcoat” by N.V. Gogol is part of the “Petersburg Tales” cycle. In it, the writer depicts the life and customs of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg, draws their psychology. The story "The Overcoat" is considered Gogol's outstanding work. Its ideological and artistic features were appreciated by many Russian and foreign writers. "The Overcoat" is considered an example of a Russian realistic story. It is not for nothing that writers of subsequent generations believed that “they all came out of Gogol’s “The Overcoat.”

At the center of the story is the fate of an official of the lowest rank, Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin. Gogol describes to us the life and death of a “little” man. To reveal the image of Bashmachkin more deeply and fully, Gogol uses such an artistic device as hyperbole. We can say that realism, hyperbole and fantasy are intertwined in the image of Akaki Akakievich. Hyperbolic notes are visible everywhere, starting from the description of the hero’s baptism. They suffered for a long time, choosing the name of the baby, but did not find anything better than the name Akaki: “Well, I already see that, apparently, this is his fate. If so, it would be better for him to be called like his father. The father was Akaki, and let the son be Akaki.” Thus, the inevitability of the hero’s fate is emphasized. His ancestors were minor officials, and he himself cannot jump above his head. Bashmachkin’s speech looks hyperbolic. He speaks only in prepositions, adverbs and particles, and cannot finish a sentence. This emphasizes the hero’s extreme timidity, downtroddenness, and uncertainty.

The hyperbole intensifies when the description of Akaki Akakievich’s service in the department begins. A man who did not shine with intelligence and did not have any interests other than official ones, Akaki Akakievich lived with his papers: “It is unlikely that anywhere one could find a person who would live like that in his position... he served with love.” Indeed, in simply copying papers he found his “varied and pleasant world.” Only no one noticed his official zeal; he received the smallest salary in the department, but he didn’t care: “Outside of this rewriting, it seemed that nothing existed for him.” We can say that Bashmachkin was happy in his own way. But the peaceful course of his life was disrupted by an emergency: Akaki Akakievich urgently needed to sew a new overcoat. For this, he had to cut himself down in everything: not to light a candle again, not to have dinner in the evenings, to walk the streets on tiptoe so as not to chafe his shoes, not to wear underwear, and so on. He more than replaced all these deprivations with the thought of his future overcoat. This thought became a friend for him, brightening up his lonely, miserable life: “He somehow became more lively, even stronger in character, like a man who had already defined and set a goal for himself.” Providence itself helped Akaki Akakievich, and soon he collected the coveted eighty rubles. Together with the tailor Petrovich, they chose all the best, and finally the overcoat was ready.

We can say that the overcoat brought Bashmachkin back to life. For the first time in several years, he went out onto the evening streets of St. Petersburg, drew attention to the huge changes that had taken place in the city, admired the woman’s leg depicted in a store window, and grinned ironically (!) when he saw the hairstyle of some dandy.

But Akaki Akakievich’s transformation did not last long. He never spent a day in his new clothes. The next day in the evening it was stolen. This was a terrible shock for Bashmachkin. He decided to do something unprecedented for him - to fight for his overcoat. But the bureaucratic machine did not give him any chance. Bashmachkin even got to the “significant person” and dared to contradict him. A “significant person” accused Bashmachkin of freethinking. After this, “Akaki Akakievich froze, staggered, shook with his whole body and could not stand... he would have flopped to the floor; they carried him out almost without moving.” After this, Bashmachkin fell ill and died. This also manifests hyperbole: the overcoat has become for the hero the goal, meaning, and support of his whole life. He could no longer exist without her.

But the story doesn't end there. Next, hyperbole develops into fantasy. A ghost in the form of an official appeared in St. Petersburg. He was looking for the missing overcoat and, under this pretext, tore off the overcoats from all passers-by, regardless of rank. They recognized Akaki Akakievich in this walking dead man. In the end, the “significant person” also suffered from the “hands” of the ghost, who also lost his overcoat: “It’s your overcoat that I need!” You didn’t bother about mine, and even scolded me - now give me yours!”

So, after the death of Bashmachkin, justice is restored. In addition, in fantastic scenes Gogol’s thought about the equality of all people is heard. Their only difference is in their overcoats, but they all have the same human essence. We can say that in these scenes he stands up for the little man, “humiliated and insulted.” A man who has lost his essence and become a faceless cog in the huge machine of St. Petersburg.

Thus, when creating the image of Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, the main artistic device is hyperbole, which develops into fantasy. The entire image of Bashmachkin is filled with exaggeration. Sometimes it's very difficult to separate where real facts from the life of a poor official, and where hyperbole is already used. It seems to me that the author uses precisely this artistic technique to show the horror of the situation of a little man in a big city. Such an existence depends not only on superior people who have power, but also on the smallest person allowing himself to exist, like a plant.

The theme of the “little man” in the story “The Overcoat”

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol's story “The Overcoat” played a big role in the development of Russian literature. She tells the reader about the fate of the so-called “little man”. This theme is revealed at the beginning of the work. Even the name of Akaki Akakievich itself can be perceived as the result of rewriting. They took the father’s name: Akakiy - they rewrote it, it turned out: Akakiy Akakievich.

The story in “The Overcoat” is told in the first person. Main character The story is Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, a small official from the department - a powerless and humiliated person. Gogol describes the appearance of the main character of the story as follows: “short, somewhat pockmarked, somewhat reddish, somewhat blind in appearance, with a small bald spot on his forehead with wrinkles on both sides of his cheeks.” Akaki Akakievich is a small, wrinkled man, an official of the lowest rank - a clerk, who worked in the department all his life. He was an insignificant, unrequited personality, which is why he was subjected to a lot of ridicule. He doesn’t even have words to express himself: the hero usually speaks with prepositions and particles that have no meaning. The purpose of Akaki Akakievich’s existence is rewriting. Even when he comes home and hastily eaten cabbage soup, he sits down and rewrites the papers he brought. Bashmachkin is surrounded by young officials who make fun of him. His co-workers treat him without respect. Even the guards at the department look at him as if he were an empty place, “as if a simple fly had flown through the reception area.” In response to insults, he answers only one thing: “Leave me, why are you offending me?” There is something arousing pity in his words.

I think that Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin is turning from a comic hero into a dramatic one. It should not be that an overcoat replaces a person’s life. Emphasizing the typicality of the “little man,” Gogol says that his death did not change anything in the department, his place was simply taken by another official.

Thus, Gogol was one of the first to draw attention to the fate of the “little man.” He clearly showed that contemporary society is indifferent to those of its members who do not belong to the upper class. And yet, the writer showed in the denouement that even the “little man,” driven to despair, is capable of resisting cruelty and injustice powerful of the world this. And although the person is pitiful, insignificant, with a narrow outlook, I still feel sorry for him.