Read the story's summary. Real and fantastic in Gogol's story The Nose

Theme of the story: the fantastic and the real in depicting St. Petersburg reality with the help of satire.

The idea of the story: to force people to feel the vulgarity that surrounds them, since vulgarity has only one thought about itself, because it is unreasonable and limited and will not see or understand anything around except itself.

Characteristics of the main characters:

Kovalev is a collegiate assessor, “a man neither evil nor good,” all his thoughts are fixated on self. This personality is invisible and he tries to embellish it. He talks about his acquaintances with influential people. Very preoccupied with worries about his appearance. How to stir up this person? Just put it in a marital status.

Ivan Yakovlevich, a barber, like every Russian artisan, “was a terrible drunkard,” unkempt.

Our experts can check your essay using Unified State Exam criteria

Experts from the site Kritika24.ru
Teachers of leading schools and current experts of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

The discovery of Kovalev's nose, which he shaved twice a week, left him numb with horror. He was neither alive nor dead. I had a hard time getting rid of my nose.

Impression of the book: at first it seems that this story is a joke. But there is some truth in every joke. Gossip, pettiness, arrogance - all this is vulgarity. Vulgarity has no kindness, nothing noble. Fantastic details enhance the satirical portrayal of St. Petersburg society and individual representatives, such as Major Kovalev.

"Nose"- satirical absurdist story by Gogol.

“The Nose” Gogol summary by chapters

Chapter 1 "Nose" summary

This story began on March 25 in St. Petersburg. In the morning, the barber Ivan Yakovlevich was awakened by the smell of fresh bread, which his wife Praskovya Osipovna had baked. Ivan Yakovlevich hurried to sit down at the table and began cutting hot bread. Suddenly he discovered a human nose inside the loaf. The barber's wife immediately threw a tantrum and accused her husband of being the nose of one of Ivan Yakovlevich's clients. They say he cut it off carelessly while shaving.
The barber carefully examines the nose and realizes that it belongs to Major Kovalev, who visits the barber shop twice a week. Ivan Yakovlevich is shocked by what happened: at first he does not know what to do with such an unpleasant surprise, and then decides that he needs to get rid of his nose.

He goes outside and makes several unsuccessful attempts to throw away Kovalev's organ. The barber is afraid that someone might see him with someone else's nose. Finally he manages to throw the package into the Neva. Ivan Yakovlevich sighs with relief, but then the policeman calls him over and asks what the barber was doing on the bridge.

Chapter 2 “Nose” summary

Around the same time, a petty official, Kovalev, who really likes to call himself a major, wakes up in one of the apartments in St. Petersburg. Kovalev sees in the mirror that his nose has disappeared, replaced by only a smooth place. He is in a panic, and primarily because his grandiose plan is collapsing: to find a lucrative position in the State Department and marry a rich girl. But how to do this without a nose?

Kovalev covers his face with a handkerchief and runs out into the street in search of a cab driver. He is going to go to an appointment with the Chief of Police. While waiting for the cab, something strange happens: a nose in the uniform of a state councilor emerges from the approaching carriage. He enters the entrance of the house, soon returns, gets into the carriage and leaves.

Kovalev manages to catch up with the crew near the Kazan Cathedral. He goes inside and sees that his nose is praying. The major tries to talk to his runaway nose and explain that his place is on the face, and not in the cathedral. However, the nose doesn't think so. Even the argument that now Kovalev cannot meet beautiful girl, has no effect on the nose. Soon he disappears from the cathedral.

In despair, Kovalev rushes to the chief police chief, but does not find the official at home. Then he decides to advertise about the runaway nose in the local newspaper. The editorial office of the publication is located in a small, stuffy room, where there are a lot of visitors who have come to advertise.

Kovalev tells a gray-haired man with glasses about his runaway nose, and also about the fact that he saw his missing organ riding around in the uniform of a state councilor.

The gray-haired gentleman with glasses listens attentively to the major, but refuses to make such an announcement. He motivates his decision by the fact that the newspaper may lose its reputation if it writes about a runaway nose. The advertisement receiver tells Kovalev a story about how one man paid 2 rubles 73 kopecks and reported in the newspaper about the disappearance of a poodle. And then this poodle turned out to be the treasurer of one important institution.

To prove the veracity of his announcement, the major, in despair, removes his handkerchief and shows his noseless face to the gentleman with glasses. He is convinced that he sees a completely smooth place, but still refuses to accept the announcement and offers Kovalev to sniff tobacco as a consolation.

The major perceives such a proposal as a personal insult and goes to a private bailiff he knows. But even here Kovalev is unlucky. The bailiff just lay down to rest after lunch and therefore receives the major rather rudely. He tells Kovalev that they cannot take the nose off a decent person.

Returning home, Kovalev carefully examines himself in the mirror, trying to find the reason for his missing nose. He convinces himself that this story was not without the witchcraft of staff officer Podtochina, who passionately wanted Kovalev to marry her daughter. The major likes this girl, but not enough to marry her.

Reflections about the loss are interrupted by the policeman, who comes to report that Kovalev’s nose was detained while trying to leave for Riga using a false “passport”.

Kvartalny gives Kovalev the package and casually complains about the high cost of living. The major, perfectly understanding the policeman's hint, gives him the money and unwraps the rag. He is extremely glad that he is holding his nose in his hands. However, there is new problem– the nose does not want to return to its original place.

Then Kovalev sends for a doctor, who, after an examination, concludes that it is better to leave everything as it is. He persuades the major to sell his nose preserved in alcohol for a large sum. Kovalev, in turn, persuades the doctor to at least somehow return the nose to its original place. He doesn't agree.
Then Kovalev writes a letter to Podtochina demanding that his problem be solved. Having received the answer, he understands that Podtochina has absolutely nothing to do with it.
After some time, people begin to walk around St. Petersburg incredible rumors: a walking nose was seen on Nevsky Prospekt, in a store, in a garden, etc. Thousands of onlookers converge on these places in anticipation of the spectacle. One enterprising speculator began making wooden benches and, for money, allows you to stand on them so that you can comfortably look out for your nose.

Chapter 3 “Nose” summary

Two weeks after the disappearance, or more precisely on April 7, Kovalev discovers his nose in the same place. The major is incredibly happy!

The barber Ivan Yakovlevich comes to him and very carefully shaves Kovalev. He does it slowly because he doesn't put his hands on his nose.

The major no longer needs to hide his face; during the day he visited everywhere he could: in a pastry shop, in a department, with a friend, and when he met a staff officer and her daughter, he had a long conversation with them and was even able to sniff tobacco.

At the end of the story, the narrator hints that there is quite a lot of fiction in this story. For example, it remains a mystery how the nose separated from the face of Major Kovalev and walked around the city in the uniform of a state councilor.

The story "The Nose" is one of the most fun, original, fantastic and unexpected works of Nikolai Gogol. The author did not agree to publish this joke for a long time, but his friends persuaded him. The story was first published in the Sovremennik magazine in 1836, with a note by A.S. Pushkin. Since then, heated debates have not subsided around this work. The real and the fantastic in Gogol's story "The Nose" are combined in the most bizarre and unusual forms. Here the author reached the pinnacle of his satirical skill and painted a true picture of the morals of his time.

Brilliant grotesque

This is one of N.V.’s favorite literary devices. Gogol. But if in early works It was used to create an atmosphere of mystery and mystery in the narrative, but in a later period it turned into a way of satirically reflecting the surrounding reality. The story "The Nose" is a clear confirmation of this. The inexplicable and strange disappearance of the nose from Major Kovalev’s face and his incredible independent existence separately from his owner suggest the unnaturalness of the order in which a high status in society means much more than the person himself. In this state of affairs, any inanimate object can suddenly acquire significance and weight if it acquires the proper rank. This is the main problem of the story "The Nose".

Features of realistic grotesque

In the late work of N.V. Gogol is dominated by realistic grotesque. It is aimed at revealing the unnaturalness and absurdity of reality. Incredible things happen to the heroes of the work, but they help to reveal the typical features of the world around them, to reveal the dependence of people on generally accepted conventions and norms.

Gogol's contemporaries did not immediately appreciate the writer's satirical talent. Only V.G. Belinsky, who did a lot for a correct understanding of Nikolai Vasilyevich’s work, once noted that the “ugly grotesque” that he uses in his work contains “an abyss of poetry” and “an abyss of philosophy”, worthy of “Shakespeare’s brush” in its depth and authenticity.

“The Nose” begins with the fact that on March 25, an “extraordinarily strange incident” happened in St. Petersburg. Ivan Yakovlevich, a barber, discovers his nose in freshly baked bread in the morning. He throws him off the St. Isaac's Bridge into the river. The owner of the nose, the collegiate assessor, or major, Kovalev, waking up in the morning, does not find an important part of the body on his face. In search of the loss, he goes to the police. On the way he meets his own nose in the garb of a state councilor. Pursuing the fugitive, Kovalev follows him to the Kazan Cathedral. He tries to return his nose to its place, but he only prays with “the greatest zeal” and points out to the owner that there can be nothing in common between them: Kovalev serves in another department.

Distracted by an elegant lady, the major loses sight of the rebellious part of the body. After making several unsuccessful attempts to find the nose, the owner returns home. There he gets what he lost back. The police chief grabbed his nose while trying to escape using someone else's documents to Riga. Kovalev's joy does not last long. He cannot put the body part back in its original place. The summary of the story "The Nose" does not end there. How did the hero manage to get out of this situation? The doctor can't help the major. Meanwhile, curious rumors are creeping around the capital. Someone saw the nose on Nevsky Prospekt, someone - in the Tauride Garden. As a result, he himself returned to his original place on April 7, which brought considerable joy to the owner.

Theme of the work

So what is the point of such an incredible plot? The main theme of Gogol's story "The Nose" is the character's loss of a piece of his self. This probably happens under the influence of evil spirits. The organizing role in the plot is given to the motive of persecution, although Gogol does not indicate the specific embodiment of supernatural power. The mystery captivates readers literally from the first sentence of the work, it is constantly reminded of it, it reaches its climax... but there is no solution even in the finale. Covered in the darkness of the unknown is not only the mysterious separation of the nose from the body, but also how he could exist independently, and even in the status of a high-ranking official. Thus, the real and the fantastic in Gogol’s story “The Nose” are intertwined in the most unimaginable way.

Real plan

It is embodied in the work in the form of rumors, which the author constantly mentions. This is gossip that the nose regularly promenades along Nevsky Prospekt and other crowded places; that he seemed to be looking into the store and so on. Why did Gogol need this form of communication? Maintaining an atmosphere of mystery, he satirically ridicules the authors of stupid rumors and naive belief in incredible miracles.

Characteristics of the main character

Why did Major Kovalev deserve such attention from supernatural forces? The answer lies in the content of the story "The Nose". The point is that main character works - a desperate careerist, ready to do anything for a promotion. He managed to receive the rank of collegiate assessor without an exam, thanks to his service in the Caucasus. Cherished goal Kovaleva - it is profitable to marry and become a high-ranking official. In the meantime, in order to give himself more weight and significance, he everywhere calls himself not a collegiate assessor, but a major, knowing about the superiority of military ranks over civilian ones. “He could forgive everything that was said about himself, but he did not forgive in any way if it related to rank or title,” the author writes about his hero.

So the evil spirits laughed at Kovalev, not only taking away an important part of his body (you can’t make a career without it!), but also endowing the latter with the rank of general, that is, giving it more weight than the owner himself. That's right, no need to turn up your nose! The real and the fantastic in Gogol's story "The Nose" makes us think about the question "what is more important - the personality or its status?" And the answer is disappointing...

Hints from a brilliant author

Gogol's story contains many satirical subtleties and transparent hints at the realities of his contemporary time. For example, in the first half of the 19th century, glasses were considered an anomaly, giving the appearance of an officer or official some inferiority. In order to wear this accessory, special permission was required. If the heroes of the work strictly followed the instructions and corresponded to the form, then the Nose in the Uniform acquired for them the importance of a significant person. But as soon as the police chief “logged out” of the system, broke the strictness of his uniform and put on glasses, he immediately noticed that in front of him was just a nose - a part of the body, useless without its owner. This is how the real and the fantastic intertwine in Gogol’s story “The Nose”. No wonder the author’s contemporaries were engrossed in this extraordinary work.

Many writers noted that “The Nose” is a magnificent example of fantasy, Gogol’s parody of various prejudices and people’s naive belief in the power of supernatural forces. Fantastic elements in the works of Nikolai Vasilyevich are ways of satirically displaying the vices of society, as well as affirming the realistic principle in life.

Brilliant grotesque

This is one of N.V.’s favorite literary devices. Gogol. But if in early works it was used to create an atmosphere of mystery and mystery in the narrative, then in a later period it turned into a way of satirically reflecting the surrounding reality. The story "The Nose" is a clear confirmation of this. The inexplicable and strange disappearance of the nose from Major Kovalev’s face and his incredible independent existence separately from his owner suggest the unnaturalness of the order in which a high status in society means much more than the person himself. In this state of affairs, any inanimate object can suddenly acquire significance and weight if it acquires the proper rank. This is the main problem of the story "The Nose".

Features of realistic grotesque

Gogol's contemporaries did not immediately appreciate the writer's satirical talent. Only having done a lot for a correct understanding of Nikolai Vasilyevich’s work, he once noticed that the “ugly grotesque” that he uses in his work contains “an abyss of poetry” and “an abyss of philosophy”, worthy of “Shakespeare’s brush” in its depth and authenticity.

Distracted by an elegant lady, the major loses sight of the rebellious part of the body. After making several unsuccessful attempts to find the nose, the owner returns home. There he gets what he lost back. The police chief grabbed his nose while trying to escape using someone else's documents to Riga. Kovalev's joy does not last long. He cannot put the body part back in its original place. The summary of the story "The Nose" does not end there. How did the hero manage to get out of this situation? The doctor can't help the major. Meanwhile, curious rumors are creeping around the capital. Someone saw the nose on Nevsky Prospekt, someone saw it on Nevsky Prospect. As a result, he himself returned to his original place on April 7, which brought considerable joy to the owner.

Theme of the work

Real plan

Characteristics of the main character

Why did Major Kovalev deserve such attention from supernatural forces? The answer lies in the content of the story "The Nose". The fact is that the main character of the work is a desperate careerist, ready to do anything for a promotion. He managed to receive the rank of collegiate assessor without an exam, thanks to his service in the Caucasus. Kovalev’s cherished goal is to marry profitably and become a high-ranking official. In the meantime, in order to give himself more weight and significance, he everywhere calls himself not a collegiate assessor, but a major, knowing about the superiority of military ranks over civilian ones. “He could forgive everything that was said about himself, but he did not forgive in any way if it related to rank or title,” the author writes about his hero.

So the evil spirits laughed at Kovalev, not only taking away an important part of his body (you can’t make a career without it!), but also endowing the latter with the rank of general, that is, giving it more weight than the owner himself. That's right, there is nothing Real and fantastic in Gogol's story "The Nose" makes you think about the question "what is more important - the personality or its status?" And the answer is disappointing...

Hints from a brilliant author

Everyone knows that the brilliant Ukrainian and Russian writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol won the respect of readers thanks to his subtle humor and observation, as well as the fantastic and incredible plots that he so skillfully created in his works. We will now analyze the story “The Nose,” which undoubtedly belongs precisely to such masterpieces of the writer. But before we move directly to the analysis of the story, let's look very briefly at the plot.

The plot of the story "The Nose" is very brief

This work contains three parts that tell the story of the incredible thing that happened to a certain collegiate assessor Kovalev. But the story should begin with a description of the meal of the city St. Petersburg barber Ivan Yakovlevich. One day, taking a loaf of bread, he sees that there is a nose in it. Later it becomes known that this is the nose of a very respected person. The barber gets rid of this nose by throwing it off the bridge. At the same time, in the morning Kovalev notices that his nose is not in place, and, going out into the street, covers himself with a scarf. Suddenly, that same nose, already dressed in a uniform, catches Kovalev’s eye. He travels around St. Petersburg and even goes into the cathedral to pray.

A very brief presentation of the plot of the story "The Nose", the analysis of which we are conducting, will help to more accurately give the necessary characteristics to the characters. Kovalev continues his search and makes efforts to catch the nose. To do this, he goes to the police and even asks to print an ad in the newspaper, but is refused - this is too unusual a matter. And scandalous. Kovalev begins to suspect who could have arranged such an opportunity, and decides that this is the work of headquarters officer Podtochina. Most likely, she is taking revenge on Kovalev for refusing to marry her daughter. The official takes a pen to write to her everything he thinks about Podtochina, but upon receiving the letter, she is perplexed.

Very soon, rumors about this whole story spread throughout the city, and one policeman manages to catch the nose and deliver it to the owner. True, the nose just doesn’t want to go back into place, and even the doctor can’t help. About two weeks pass - Kovalev wakes up and realizes that his nose is back in place.

Analysis of the story "The Nose"

Of course, in terms of its literary genre, this story is fantastic. It is clear that Gogol wants to show a person who lives in hustle and bustle, spends empty and meaningless days, while he cannot look beyond his nose. He is immersed in routine and everyday hassles, but they are not really worth it. And the only thing that helps such a person find peace is that he feels himself again in a familiar environment. What else can you say when analyzing the story "The Nose"?

What is this work about? We can say with complete confidence that this story tells about an official whose pride does not allow him to look at those of lower rank. He is indifferent to ordinary people. Such a personality can be compared to a severed smelling organ dressed in a uniform. He cannot be persuaded or asked for anything, he simply does his usual thing.

Gogol came up with an original fantasy storyline, created wonderful characters to encourage the reader to think about those in power. The author describes in vivid language the life of an official and his eternal, but meaningless worries. Is it really only his nose that such a person should care about? Who will deal with the problems of the common people, over whom the official is placed?

An analysis of Gogol's story "The Nose" reveals hidden ridicule, with the help of which the author draws attention to a large and pressing problem of certain sections of society. On our website you can read