The spectacularism of Nikolai Gogol: Is the 'overcoat' truly a ghost story?

Critical realism is a philosophical approach that emphasises the importance of understanding the world in a way that promotes individual liberty and gospel[1]. This theory gained prominence during Russia’s Golden Age in the 19^th and 20^th centuries through the works of artistic individuals Pushkin and Gogol[2]. Gogol hailed as ‘the father of Russia's Golden Age of prose realism’[3], emphasised the antagonistic tensions that existed between social structures in Russia, leading to his condemnation as a ‘reactionary nationalist’. However, as Russian society began to evolve in the following years, Nikolai Gogol’s artistic contributions became increasingly celebrated in the late 1930s. What was once deemed utopian and escapist naivety, was now recognised as ‘the song of heroic deeds’ and ‘the fight against the vulgarity of gentry existence’ (Robert L Strong, 1955)[4]. Gogol’s, ‘Overcoat’, is a revolutionary, realist story of destitution and social isolation[5], although it has often been dubbed a ghost story given the presence of such entities in its narrative. This essay aims to challenge this view and propose alternative interpretations of ‘Overcoat’, which can be understood as both a story of societal enlightenment and a religious parable.

 

In Gogol’s ‘Overcoat’, the employment of ghosts to bring societal reckoning to fruition on a wider scale, is a testament to the author’s acute intention of societal enlightenment. Professor Kathleen Brogan has categorised it as a ‘cultural haunting’[6]. Distinct from those set-in haunted castles, cultural hauntings are powerful tales of those victimised by social inequity who seek to collect debts from the community that failed them. The protagonist, Akaky Akakievich, finds himself in a harsh winter and a deviant society that robs him of his winter coat, ultimately culminating in his untimely death. However, in death he haunts the community that failed him, serving as a reminder of the consequences of social injustice. This haunting, therefore, is not just a supernatural phenomenon but a representation of the community's collective guilt, thus calling upon the subsequent need for societal change. One could interpret Gogol’s ‘Overcoat’ as a scathing satirical piece that forefronts Russian officialdom, the growing culture of materialism, and the deepening class disparities. Historian, Victor Brombert, has championed this idea stating Gogol ‘seems to deride systematically the parasitical, lazy, phony… a hierarchy of ineffectual power structure in which every subordinate fears and apes [imitates] his superior’[7]. Gogol crafts Akaky Akakievich to be the archetypal everyman character, often subjected to ridicule by those whom he works with due to his meekness. This is further emphasised by his name, originating from the Greek word ‘harmless’, it is repeatedly used throughout the story for comedic effect given its repetitive nature[8]. Nikolai Gogol’s portrayal of Akaky has come to embody the powerless subordinate seeking to emulate their superiors yet are persistently exploited by class disparity and authoritarian power. Although seemingly a simple narrative, the ‘Overcoat’ is a compelling indictment of contemporary Russian society under both the tsarist and soviet regimes. As journalist Jennifer Wilson noted ghost stories like the ‘Overcoat’ can be used as ‘vehicles through which we can explore our anxieties over cultural appropriation, patriarchy, and militarisation’[9].

 

Alternatively, many have come to understand the ‘overcoat’ as a religious parable. Notably, the Russian philosopher, L. V. Karasyov, has posited that Akaky’s ‘life story is a hymn to modesty and patience, when the desire to acquire a new ‘shinel’ [overcoat], devilish temptation, destroys the soul of the character’[10]. Nikolai Gogol’s work is renowned for its complexity, incorporating elements of hagiography, politics, and ethics, thus leading to varying interpretations of his work[11]. However, many historians and literary scholars alike have also considered the contextual circumstances surrounding his ‘Overcoat’. At the time of the story’s composition, Gogol wrote while in poor health; sources have suggested that the author’s recovery was seen as a sign from God to fulfil a special mission[12], hence the religious elements that run throughout the story. The symbology of clothing has been utilised to great effect by Gogol in his work. The verse Isiah 6:10 which speaks of the ‘garments of salvation’, is inextricably paralleled to the protagonist. Akaky rids himself of rags, achieving fulfilment only when acquiring his new coat, thus conveying the power of materialism and its prominence in contemporary society[13]. In addition to the use of symbolism, Nikolai Gogol employs allegorical characters. This technique serves to further enhance the religious elements of the story while also contributing to its broader intentions. Petrovi, the coat tailor, holds a position of control over Akaky. Anthony Hippisley has proposed that ‘his [Petrovi] position relative to Akaky recalls that of a priest … his name Petrovi suggesting the apostolic succession from St. Peter’[14]. Thus, when Petrovi declares that the coat ‘cannot be mended!’, the trepidation inflicted upon Akaky is akin to a sinner rejected by God. The religious symbolism in the narrative is multi-dimensional and often subtle, encompassing various metaphysical concepts. The intricate interplay of its religious dimensions and contextual factors is woven into the fabric of the story; this course has compelled many to interpret the story as a religious parable seeking to promote Gogol’s wider message.

 

A ghost story is often understood as a narrative that involves supernatural beings and their influence on the physical world. Although Gogol's "Overcoat" lines with this description, its meaning is intentionally interpretable to readers. Thus, some have suggested that its intentional ambiguity is rather the defining characteristic, ultimately overshadowing its classification as a ghost story. The interpretation of the 'Overcoat' as a cultural haunting proposed by Professor Kathleen Brogan is a highly compelling and nuanced one[15]. In her analysis, Brogan acknowledges the immediate meaning of the narrative while also exploring the broader, far more pressing concerns that Gogol endeavours to convey. However, this too is limited given its failure to recognise the tales’ prominent religious discourse. Nikolai Gogol depicts his spiritual disorientation through his portrayal of Akaky – Gogol is said to have found a sense of holy completeness when in Rome during the years 1936-1939, thus when he fell ill during his time there in 1940, his sense of Christian identity was thrown into disarray[16]. The religious symbology that can be detected throughout the story provides another compelling interpretation. 

 

By imposing a rigid structure, one could classify this tale as a ghost story. But it could be said that its very purpose is to defy such framework and compel thought, just as critical realism aims to do. It is plausible that the ‘Overcoat’ is a ghost story, a cultural haunting, and a religious parable; perhaps this was Gogol’s intention. A story of critical realism should not be confined by its genre but considered for its message. 

 

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[1] M. Hartwig, Dictionary of Critical Realism (1^st edn., Routledge, 2007), p. 96.

[2] R, L. Strong, ‘The Soviet Interpretation of Gogol’, American Slavic and East European Review 14/4 (1955), p.530.

[3] Rydel, C (ed.), Russian Literature in the Age of Pushkin and Gogol: Prose (Gale, 1999).

 

[5] J. Wilson, ‘In Russia, the Ultimate Scary Story is about Losing Your Coat’, The Paris Review, 31 October 2019.

[6] Wilson, ‘In Russia the scariest story is losing your coat’, 2019.

[7] V. Brombert, ‘Meanings and Indeterminacy in Gogol’s ‘The Overcoat’’, Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society135/4 (1991), p. 571.

[8] Wilson, ‘In Russia the scariest story is losing your coat’, 2019.

[9] Wilson, ‘In Russia the scariest story is losing your coat’, 2019.

[10] S. Ozer, ‘Gogol’s Vestmental Term ‘Shinel (The Overcoat’ as ‘Daguerreotype’ of Mediocrity’, 12 October 2018: < https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20185001125 >, accessed:28/02/24.

[11] Ozer, ‘Gogol’s Vestmental Term ‘Shinel (The Overcoat’ as ‘Daguerreotype’ of Mediocrity’, 2018.

[12] K. M. Duxovnyj, ‘Gogolja’ Paris: YMCA Press, 29 January 1934, p. 54.

[13] A. Hippisley, ‘Gogol’s ‘The Overcoat’: A Further Interpretation’, The Slavic and East European Journal 20/2 (1976), p. 125. 

[14] Hippisley, ‘Gogol’s ‘The Overcoat’: A Further Interpretation’, pp. 121-129.

[15] Wilson, ‘In Russia the scariest story is losing your coat’, 2019.

[16] Hippisley, ‘Gogol’s ‘The Overcoat’: A Further Interpretation’, pp. 121-129.