Morales 2341 Spring 2015 Class TTH discussion
Race, Class, and Culture
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Appearance and Social Class- The Overcoat
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Apr 17, 2015 07:00AM
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By Eric De LeonNikolai Gogol’s short story tells the tale of a man and two coats. The protagonist Akaky, wears his old coat out to the point of irreparable damage. While he has this coat, he doesn’t appear to stand out in any significant way in his life. At work, Akaky’s coat is made fun of by his co-workers who refer to his coat as “the peignoir.” Due to (quite literally) sheer necessity, he replaces this coat with a newer one which has an impact in his interpersonal relationships. I actually found it a little jarring that merely changing his overcoat had such a dramatic and immediate positive impact in how people treated him. As soon as Akaky walked into work, “They began to congratulate him and to say pleasant things to him, so many that he smiled at first, then grew embarrassed.” While one could certainly come to a cynical conclusion that perhaps treating someone a certain way based solely on outward appearance is indicative of a society that is vain or shallow, I do not think that is Nikolai Gogol’s attempt when writing this part of the story. I think what is truly behind the change in attitudes has more to do with defying expectations people have for a person. If practically everyone thinks of a person as dull, steady, and too predictable then even the simple act of changing your attire can have an impact on attitudes towards this person, as was the case for Akaky.
In “The Overcoat”, by Nikolai Gogol created a sense of isolation for this character , Akakiy Akakievitch a copier, who worked with people who only noticed him when they were making fun of him or needing something. This story was very touching and sad to me, I think at some point down the road in our lives we have all been made fun of,or teased. “You must know that Akakiy Akakievitch's cloak served as an object of ridicule to the officials: they even refused it the noble name of cloak, and called it a cape”. Once Akakiy ssaves enough “rubles” to purchase a anew coat instantly people at the office noticed and complimented him all over. Akakiy is a homebody who never goes out or even indulge in a meal outside of his ordinary vegetable soup,So when he gets invited to a party he becomes ecstatic, but what happens next, is really upsetting. Nikolai Gogol did an awesome job writing this story. What this story is trying to say is that what you wear does matter, a book unfortunately does get judged by it’s cover.
In "The Overcoat" by Nikolai Gogol Is very sad because no one ever paid attention to Akaky at work because of the way he dressed or the position he had at work. Akaky restricted himself from many things so that he would be able to buy himself a new coat. And when he finally got one everyone started talking to him. It is sad to say that he was the same person but had more confidence in himself because of all the sacrifices he did to get this new coat. He even got invited to a party and felt very embarrassed when everyone at the party was complementing him on his new coat. I guess it is the way everyone carries themselves if they are confident or shy everyone else can see .
In "The Overcoat"is trying to say that one's appearance determines one's social status. The overcoat was a symbol for Akakiy Akakievitch's social status. He was a poor man who had to saved up months and change his spending habits significantly just to be able to buy a coat. A coat which in Russia is not just a luxurious commodity but an essential one. It was important enough to be the difference between life and death for Akakiy. He did not only not have a basic thing he needed but was ridiculed and ignored for having an old coat. So not only was his old coat a symbol of his lower class but he was ridiculed for being part of that class. Not until he saved his hard earned money and was able to buy a new coat was he accepted to an extent. He was treated bad because of his appearance and not respected because of his excellence in his skill. All the other men in the story had nice, elegant coats made of fur showing that they were upper class and were able to do nice things. The men who stole his fur in the end probably just needed a coat as bad as Akakiy because of their poverty.
In the short story of “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol, I believe that the comparison that Gogol is trying to make with the old coat and new coat is that the social standing of a person is based on their appearance. If a person is well dressed and presentable then he is going to be treated well because people are going to assume that he is from the upper class (meaning that he is wealthy), but if a person is not well dressed just like they describe Akaky in the story as having “his frock coat, which was supposed to be green, had turned a sort of mealy reddish. Its collar was very low and very narrow” then they would not be treated well because the society only treats well the people from the upper class since they are the ones that have money. The coats were a great representation of how poor people and rich people are being treated for example towards the end of the story when Akaky died the DOCTOR told the landlady “And as for you, don't waste your time on him: order his pine coffin now, for an oak one will be too expensive for” meaning that the appearance of Akaky was evident that he was not wealthy and could not afford an expensive coffin.
Nikolai Gogol short story, "The Overcoat" is justified by the social appearance and system in which you are ranked on by people of status or authority. Akakiy Akakievitch was a poor man, no one ever payed attention to him, other than to make fun of him; he was the ridicule of his job. But, now that he had a new coat everyone was paying particular attention to him and making him feel welcomed and he felt accepted by his co-workers. I believe Gogol was trying to say that people see and treat others differently by their appearances; which I believe that there's more to someone in life than just their appearance. Also, Gogol points out the setting very well and the way we can justify what ranking you are. For instance we know that Akakiy's town is not very rich or nothing compared to the official who throws the party. One town is more lively and there is still spirit in the streets, while in the other its dull, dark and no spirit. Also, people are having fun not worrying about how cold it is and maybe wasting their money on one side and in the other, people are freezing themselves off and have no money to buy a coat, so they steal one. This story justifies the type of people you are if you have or don’t have poverty in the eyes of others..
In the story “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol we can see how the relationship between someone appearance affects you in social standing. Akaky is a poor gentleman who can’t afford to buy a new coat. He’s stuck wearing an old, ugly, torn coat in which the office he works at people are always making fun of him. Akaky pretty much careless what people think of him. He is a hardworking man who only likes to do his own job not anything else. “So he was ordered to make a report of an already concluded affair to another department: the duty consisting simply in changing the heading and altering a few words from the first to the third person. This caused him so much toil that he broke into a perspiration, rubbed his forehead, and finally said, "No, give me rather something to copy." After that they let him copy on forever” Akaky noticed how his coat wasn’t keeping him warm at all, he goes and looks for someone to make him one. Since he is a poor man it was a struggle for him to have one right away. The new coat is stylish and fashionable that everyone noticed it now no one ignores him and has everyone’s attention. “It is impossible to say just how everyone in the department knew at once that Akaky Akakievich had a new coat, and that the "mantle" no longer existed. All rushed at the same moment into the ante-room, to inspect Akaky Akakievich's new coat. They had “coat” party in which he was invited. After the party he got mugged and they stole his new coat now he was without a coat and freezing. It becomes a sad story because no one helped him after he got mugged. No one gave him a hand and now he was sick and died. No one could do anything for him now he haunts people forever because he can’t rest in peace.
In the short story “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol the author is trying to say that one’s social standing has a lot to do with one’s appearance which is often not true just like the way we see it in this short story. For example, in this story we see it with Akaky wearing his old coat which was all torn up and sew up together with other kind material. So he took it to Petrovich so he can fix it but Petrovich didn’t want to fix it because it was so worn out, he even said it was rotten. Which broke Akaky heart to hear him say that. Petrovich suggest Akaky to get a new coat but it would cost him a hundred and fifty rubles which was too expensive for him. Akaky made up his mind and set himself a goal of getting a new coat for less expensive price. Akaky convinced Petrovich to bring down the price and after two weeks Akaky finally got all the material and money together and took it to Petrovich. When the coat was done Akaky took the coat to work and all his co-workers immentialy notice the new coat which made the co-workers congratulate him and starting telling him good things. Which shows how people are often goes by ones appearance thinking just because you look a certain way you have a good social standing which is never the case.
In Nikolai Gogol’s story Akaky Akakievich’s overcoat is used as a way to represent the differences in the social classes in Russia. Akaky is a copy clerk who very much lives a simple life. He keeps to himself and desires nothing more than to keep copying papers even during his spare time. Unfortunately for Akaky he is not as unnoticeable as he might like to be—his coworkers constantly make fun of him and show him no respect. One source of Akaky’s torment comes from his old severely worn out overcoat or “the peignoir”, as his coworkers called it. Eventually Akaky has no choice but to replace his old coat for a new one, but in order to afford this necessity he must drastically change his lifestyle—no extra food or tea, rationing his candles for light, and reusing his clothes. Once Akaky can afford his new coat he is praised by all of his coworkers for the coat’s beauty, and they even invite him to a party that night. Sadly on his way home from the party Akaky is mugged in the middle of the street for his new coat. Yet when he tries to get help from the higher class people to get his coat back they snub him and have him wait long periods of time before they even see him. To the higher class people something like a stolen overcoat probably seemed silly because obviously they could afford nice coats, but this overcoat was not something that even today we might see as a frivolous expense. Akaky needed this coat because it was his only form of protection from the fierce cold wind of Russia. In fact he was probably mugged for the very same reason—maybe the robbers needed a coat just as bad as he did.
The short story “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol, we learn how a poor neglected man makes an impact on his superior. Akaky was the type of man who seemed like an outcast in society because he was of low class and was pushed around and made fun of by his fellow co-workers and superiors because of his appearance and his non combativeness in the workplace. Akaky was most ridiculed for his damaged overcoat that he wore to work; it was all he had to protect himself from the harsh arctic winds. Things changed for Akaky when he purchased a handmade overcoat from a tailor he was familiar with. He begun to feel a sense of accomplishment and had a sense of confidence not normal to his persona. Evident on page three paragraph two “…On his face was an expression of accomplishment that Akaky Akakievich had never seen there before”… He noticed at that moment how pleasant his life was now until two men decided to rob him of his new coat one late night Akaky was out on the town. Akaky tired to seek help from authorities but they showed him no mind, he even went to his main superior and still then he was ignored and made fun of. Sadly his neglect and lack of respect led to his death the night he walked home in the freezing weather with no coat. Akaky makes his most important impact after his death when he haunts people in the street by grabbing their overcoats, but more importantly he haunts his greatest superior “Very Important Person”, it is until then he realized his faults and becomes more considerate of his lower ranked staff. I think Gogol’s point was a person’s status in life and the materialistic items one acquires should not be the indicator of value but rather the sacrifices one makes to obtain ones rank, society values what’s not important rather then what should be valued.
I believe Golgol reason of this short story was to make a point in social status. Akaky in "The OVercoat" is treated bad by having and old torn coat. Even tho he is not giving a reason to be treated that way, all he does is sit and do his work. He may seem like a no one since he has an ugly coat, yet there is no reason for people to treat him the way they treated him. After working really hard he buys a new coat and all of a sudden people change towards him. They invite him to parties and he is actually being respected. Appearance in today's society has to do a lot by what type of people you hang out with. It's the same in this story, if you have a decent coat you will be treated decently. This was a sad story because if we think about it, society in reality is like that. A lot of people treat others by their appearance.
Akaky in "The Coat" is a very quite and unnoticed simple charater. He is only given attention by his co-workers when they are making fun of him for many reasons but especially for his extremely worn out coat, which becomes so thin that his tailor says it cannot be patched up. He realizes that he has to purchase a new one but his tailor offers to make him one at a cheap price. He waits "3 hungry months" to save the amount of money a new coat will cost. Finally after his coat is made, it turns out to be very nice, with double stitches and the best fabric. He shows up to work with his new coat and everyone notices, and instead of being made fun of he is so complimented by everyone to the point of embarrassment. Its truly amazing the way everyone begins to treat Akaky just because of a new piece of nice clothing he has on. Yes he is proud of his coat that took lots of saving but ulitmatly its the same character. He gets invited to a work party and decides to go out for the first time in a long time at the chance to wear his new coat in the evening. Golgol describes the setting change from the slums Akaky is leaving to the high class area the party is being held at. After spending all night out he's heading back home and Golgol perfectly places the crime in which his coat gets forcibly stolen to the area he describes as the poorer end, almost creating an entire stereotype of the situation. Ultimatly Golgols story is one that discreetly displays how shallow society is and that even down to the way you dress affects the treatment of others towards you.
Though I don't believe it tot be the focus of the story, Gogol definitely made a statement about the relationship between one's appearance and his social standing. Akaky, a small, rather uninteresting man, is the laughing stock of his workplace. His coworkers tease him incessantly and one thing they particularly pick on is his ragged, useless coat. The coat is so worn out Akaky is forced to get a new one. The new coat transforms Akaky entirely and suddenly he is the topic of all conversation. Everyone talks about how fabulous the new coat is, asking Akaky to put it on so they can see it. Some might find it hard to believe that simply wearing a new coat could completely change people's views of a person. However, it is important to note that Akaky actually did more than just wear a new coat. We are told at the beginning of the story that Akaky is a dirty man. "Moreover, he had a peculiar talent, while walking in the street, of passing under windows at the very moment that rubbish was being thrown out." Upon figuring out he'll need to save up to be able to afford his new coat, Akaky decides to cut back on certain expenses and, more importantly, to be more careful in everything he does. So Akaky not only returns a man with a new coat, but a cleaner, somewhat more refined man. I think Gogol intended to hint at a society that is not necessarily vain, but places value in appearance and hygiene.
In the story “The Overcoat” Nikolai Gogol tries to make a point that people with a nice appearance might have a good standing in the social life, but can be arrogant for being cruel to the less wealthy. In comparison to someone poor like Akaky, he was humble, honorable and noble. In the beginning, Akaky is invisible, no one pays much attention to him because he is poorly dress. Coworkers only talk to him to make fun of him. Akaky chooses to be silent, unless if they provoke him then he simply asks to be left alone so he can work. His coworkers have no human compassion towards him. Instead of tormenting Akaky for his wardrobe, he should have been recognized for being a perfectionist in his job. In these lines of the story proofs how committed Akaky was to his employment, “Their behavior had no effect on his work; in the midst of all these distractions he never made a single mistake, not even a single incorrect letter.” Akaky had to suffer to buy a new coat just to get respect from his coworkers. With his new coat Akaky got the confidence he did not have. Little did he know that a brand new overcoat would only bring him a spare moment of happiness and a tragic ending for him. It is ironic; depending on a piece of clothing, how it could change a person’s life in a blink of an eye.
What Nikolai Gogol is trying to say about the story, “The Overcoat” is that there is such relationship between social standing and one’s appearance in the fact that one gets judged and teased on because of the way one looks or dresses. Akaky gets laughed at at work because of his old coat that does not look presentable since he is a poor man. He does not get noticed what so ever for his job that he loves and enjoys so much. What I think Gogol is trying to demonstrate is that society is so ugly and judgmental because of how they react and treat poor people with their appearance. It is so sad that they are like this with him because it isn’t that easy for him to just go buy or make a new coat with the little amount of salary he makes. But when he does get a new coat, he automatically fits it and everyone is complementing him and they decide to throw him a party. It is so vague of them to be this way and Gogol does make a good point on society and their behavior. “Evidently the Very Important Person’s overcoat fitted him perfectly; at any rate, no more reports of his ripping over coats from strangers’ shoulders were heard.”
Jessica wrote: "Nikolai Gogol short story, "The Overcoat" is justified by the social appearance and system in which you are ranked on by people of status or authority. Akakiy Akakievitch was a poor man, no one ev..."Very true Jessica, I agree with you. Gogol was trying to point out that people get treated differently depending on the appearance. And Akaky was one of them who got teased on and never got recognized until he wore the new coat.
Akaky Akakievich an copy clerk worker who loves his job but is being bullied by his coworker because of his overcoat. His overcoat is old and falling apart, he cannot afford a new one because of his miserable salary. Later on, he is able to buys a new one, a nice one. He now looks and is a respected and wealthy man.The look means everything. His coworker where so impressed by the way he looked that they made a party just because of his new coat. Why is that? He was there every single day and never received anything but being bullied. It does not make sense to me that just because of a nice overcoat he was now one of them. It is just does not makes any sense to me .He was the same exact person before and after the new overcoat, nothing changed. Perhaps they saw a change in Akaky Akakievich social class. Maybe they tough that he was not a poor person but a wealthy person, at least for a time. To me it was most of an impression that Akaky Akakievich’s coworkers had toward him, than being see as one of them. If he would have been alive, I think that with the pass of the time everything would have gotten back to normal. He would have end up being bullied again for some other reason. He wouldn’t become of them, the felt superior to him. I can see the same scenario of” The Sneetches” happening here. Akaky Akakievich want to fit in, but he never really does. His coworker probably would have ended up buying a much more better overcoat than his. All because they felt and where different, superior and richer than him.
In the short story The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol you can see how appearance does change how people think of you and how they treat you. Akaky is a dedicated man to his job, and lives what most would call a boring life. He is happy with what he has until he gets that coat that makes him perceive that there’s more to life. It is sad how all his co-workers would make fun of him and he would just ask them to stop tormenting him. “...he would cry out “Leave me alone! Why do you torment me?”. The day he wore his new coat to work his life changed because in work his co-workers stopped making fun of him, he was seen as someone with a higher status in society, and he felt more confident about himself. Gogol in his story shows how people judge a person by their appearance and assume thing that might not be true. Mainly because at the end he dies just because he couldn’t buy himself another coat, so he dies of a cold. The story also show how people can be so cold hearted and bully a person without feeling any remorse.
Arlette.Cortez wrote: "In the short story “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol the author is trying to say that one’s social standing has a lot to do with one’s appearance which is often not true just like the way we see it i..."Yes Arlette, people automatically presume that if you were nice clothes you are of higher status and if you were cheap clothes people find you less intresting. Great point.
Yuri wrote: "In the story “The Overcoat” Nikolai Gogol tries to make a point that people with a nice appearance might have a good standing in the social life but can be arrogant for being cruel to the less weal..."Yuri, I do agree that people with a higher status can be very arrogant and unaware of their actions towards others. People are cruel in this world an can be evil with the most humblest person in the world.
Maria wrote: "In "The Overcoat" by Nikolai Gogol Is very sad because no one ever paid attention to Akaky at work because of the way he dressed or the position he had at work. Akaky restricted himself from many t..."Hey Maria, I agree that the way a person carries themselves makes a big difference on how people perceive them regardless of they way they dress. It reminds of this movie called the double based off a book of the same title written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The protaganosist in the movie is very timid and none of his co-workers respect him but he has a look alike who dresses and looks exactly like but has so much confidence that everyone loves him.
Janetrendon wrote: "In “The Overcoat”, by Nikolai Gogol created a sense of isolation for this character , Akakiy Akakievitch a copier, who worked with people who only noticed him when they were making fun of him or..."Hey Janet, it really is sad his coat gets stolen going home from a party full of people that ridiculed him. One thing I did find interesting was in the movie we saw in class that the robber didn't want his watch he just wanted the coat.
Gilbert wrote: "The short story “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol, we learn how a poor neglected man makes an impact on his superior. Akaky was the type of man who seemed like an outcast in society because he was of..."Hi Gilbert. Great analysis of the author's overall point at the end of your discussion. I also think that valuing the material over the actual merit of a person based on how hard they work is such a faulty trait that unfortunately seems to run prevalent in society today.
Jaqueline wrote: "Though I don't believe it tot be the focus of the story, Gogol definitely made a statement about the relationship between one's appearance and his social standing. Akaky, a small, rather uninterest..."Hello Jaqueline. Great Analysis! It never even occurred to me that Akaky was in fact walking around with pieces of garbage on him prior to donning the new coat. Akaky may have set himself up for ridicule. I believe Gogol's intent was to comment on how people's conscience sometimes activates a little too late when dealing poorly with other people they perceive as inferior.
Janetrendon wrote: "In “The Overcoat”, by Nikolai Gogol created a sense of isolation for this character , Akakiy Akakievitch a copier, who worked with people who only noticed him when they were making fun of him or..."I agree with you Janet, this short story is a very sad story. Akakiy is a poor copier who is always made fun of by his co-workers until he gets his new overcoat. I also agree on your comment about Nikolai Gogol, he does a very good job at explaining to the reader how a simple piece of clothing matters a lot and even changes everybody’s point of view on how they see you.
ChristinaMarie wrote: "What Nikolai Gogol is trying to say about the story, “The Overcoat” is that there is such relationship between social standing and one’s appearance in the fact that one gets judged and teased on be..."Yes Christina I agree with you, in the short story “The Overcoat” Nikolai Gogol is trying to say that there is a relationship between social standing and one’s appearance. Like you mention we see it in the main character which is Akaky who is a poor copier who everybody judged and teased because of the way he looks and dresses. Akaky dress with a very ugly torn coat and it isn’t until he get the new coat when everybody starts to compliment him and treating him different. I also like how you mention that Gogol also is trying to demonstrate how society is real judgmental and is ugly to poor people because that is another thing I agree with you on.
Jaqueline wrote: "Though I don't believe it tot be the focus of the story, Gogol definitely made a statement about the relationship between one's appearance and his social standing. Akaky, a small, rather uninterest..."hi Jaqueline, i agree with you when you say that akaky's coworkers made fun of him at work because he had an old coat which did not made him look presentable. I believe that he was not a cleaner person after he obtained the new coat, in my opinion i think that the coat only made him look fancier that is why he caught the attention of all of his coworkers when he went to work with his new coat.
Perla wrote: "In the short story The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol you can see how appearance does change how people think of you and how they treat you. Akaky is a dedicated man to his job, and lives what most wo..."Hi Perla, i really like your post about the story because people always go by the appearance of other. The coat showed the social class of Akaky because of the old coat his coworkers would always made fun of him. After he acquired the new coat his coworkers had a different perspective of him, that is why they treated him with more respect. Akaky was a person who was insecure about himself that is he wanted an expensive coat just so he would fit in with society.
Maria wrote: "In "The Overcoat" by Nikolai Gogol Is very sad because no one ever paid attention to Akaky at work because of the way he dressed or the position he had at work. Akaky restricted himself from many t..."I do think that his confidence was caused by his sacrifice and not the overcoat it self. The fact that he had a hard time getting the money made it much more enjoyable to him.After he wears that overcoat, his coworkers had a miss perception about him being a wealthy man, they had no clue about all the hard time that akaky had to get the money. maybe if they new that
Yadira wrote: "In the story “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol we can see how the relationship between someone appearance affects you in social standing. Akaky is a poor gentleman who can’t afford to buy a new coat...."Yadira, I liked how you got straight to the point within the first sentence. Sadly I have to say I completely agree with you, ones appearance has a huge impact on how others will view and treat you, like Gogol portrayed in this story.
Ricardo wrote: "In "The Overcoat"is trying to say that one's appearance determines one's social status. The overcoat was a symbol for Akakiy Akakievitch's social status. He was a poor man who had to saved up month..."Ricardo you made an excellent point that I hadn't thought of, Akaky was known to be the best at what he did (copying) but did not earn any respect for it. It wasn't until he had on a new beautiful coat that he was noticed by his peers, which is the sad truth.
The new coat in the story "The Overcoat" has representation in social standing and an impact on appearance. Akaky is the protagonist and he would wear a simple old coat nothing in special while at work, and they would bother him and treated him as a nobody. This old coat might represent the lower class and him buying the new coat has a meaning of progress and prosperity. After Akaky bought himself the new coat his coworkers were treating him better and he got compliments on his appearance. "They began to congratulate him and to say pleasant things to him, so many that he smiled at first, then grew embarrassed". What Nikolai is trying to show in this sentence is that society treats us better when we have a good appearance or social standing. Appearance and our social standing does have a big impact on the attention society brings to us. Unfortunately, society tends to ignore citizens with a bad appearance or a lower social standing.
Perla wrote: "In the short story The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol you can see how appearance does change how people think of you and how they treat you. Akaky is a dedicated man to his job, and lives what most wo..."I agree with you that appearance does affect how people treat us. It is sad but truth. After he wore the new coat his life changed and people stopped bothering him when nobody should have done it in the first place.
Christa wrote: "In Nikolai Gogol’s story Akaky Akakievich’s overcoat is used as a way to represent the differences in the social classes in Russia. Akaky is a copy clerk who very much lives a simple life. He keeps..."Hey Christa. You mention that Akaky needed the coat because it was his only source of protection from the cold winds, but I think the coat also protected him from the torment of his coworkers. When he lost the coat he was once again the joke of the workplace. It makes me feel sad for Akaky that he lost something he worked so hard for.
Jessica wrote: "Nikolai Gogol short story, "The Overcoat" is justified by the social appearance and system in which you are ranked on by people of status or authority. Akakiy Akakievitch was a poor man, no one ev..."Hi Jessica. I think Gogol's intention was to shed light on a slightly hypocritical society. No one cared about Akaky in any way until he showed up with a fabulous new coat. However, I still think it's important to note that Akaky was cleaner and as a result, a more pleasant sight after he purchased the new coat. While I don't think the actions of his coworkers were justified in any way, I think Akaky didn't really help himself.
Miguel wrote: "The new coat in the story "The Overcoat" has representation in social standing and an impact on appearance. Akaky is the protagonist and he would wear a simple old coat nothing in special while at ..."You are very right Miguel, it is unfortunate to say appearance does have an impact on social standing. The way we look represents who we are and everyone viewed Akaki as a nobody.
Janetrendon wrote: "In “The Overcoat”, by Nikolai Gogol created a sense of isolation for this character , Akakiy Akakievitch a copier, who worked with people who only noticed him when they were making fun of him or..."Its true how society judges wealth with how we are appeared.
Erick wrote: "Akaky Akakievich an copy clerk worker who loves his job but is being bullied by his coworker because of his overcoat. His overcoat is old and falling apart, he cannot afford a new one because of hi..."Erick, I like how you brought up "The Sneetches" and you are right. Maybe Akaky just wanted to fit in, just like anyone else would, he felt alone after being bullied by them and when he got his new coat he felt even or better than them. I guess it never stops, most of us try to fit in too much.
Jesus M wrote: "In the short story of “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol, I believe that the comparison that Gogol is trying to make with the old coat and new coat is that the social standing of a person is based on ..."I AGREE, with you Jesus, if one is dressed up a certain way, they will probably get treated with higher respect than a person dressed in cheap clothing. However Akays appearance did not matter in the end.
Erick wrote: "Akaky Akakievich an copy clerk worker who loves his job but is being bullied by his coworker because of his overcoat. His overcoat is old and falling apart, he cannot afford a new one because of hi..."I see what you mean, it doesn't make sense how obsessed with overcoats these people are, all they did was make fun of him and hurt his feelings. I see what your trying to say in due time his co workers would probably would have gotten a better overcoat than him and it would of happened all over again.
Eric wrote: "By Eric De LeonNikolai Gogol’s short story tells the tale of a man and two coats. The protagonist Akaky, wears his old coat out to the point of irreparable damage. While he has this coat, he doesn..."
Eric DL I totally agree with you, it is shallow and cynical to treat someone a certain way based solely on their outward appearance. I believe it is unfair how Akaky never got recognize for his hard work and dedication, but did get congratulated for getting a new coat when it was for his necessity not for entertainment.
Jesus M wrote: "In the short story of “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol, I believe that the comparison that Gogol is trying to make with the old coat and new coat is that the social standing of a person is based on ..."Jesus M I agree, Nikolai Gogol makes a point in his story that the social standing of a person is based on their appearance. The wealthy have always been treated better than the poor. It is sad how you mention that even till the end when Akaky is dying the doctor prejudges him by his appearance and bluntly tells the landlady to order a pine coffin for an oak one will be too expensive.
Gilbert wrote: "The short story “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol, we learn how a poor neglected man makes an impact on his superior. Akaky was the type of man who seemed like an outcast in society because he was of..."Gilbert, I agree with you especially on your last sentence " a person’s status in life and the materialistic items one acquires should not be the indicator of value but rather the sacrifices one makes to obtain ones rank, society values what’s not important rather then what should be valued." We shouldn't judge people on how they look or wear but that how society is and we can't change that unless we start.
