Which story by Gogol depicts a little man. Essay on the little man in Gogol's story The Overcoat

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol’s story “The Overcoat” played a big role in the development of Russian literature. “We all came out of Gogol’s “The Overcoat,” said F. M. Dostoevsky, assessing its significance for many generations of Russian writers.
The story in “The Overcoat” is told in the first person. We notice that the narrator knows the life of officials well. The hero of the story is Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, a small official of one of the St. Petersburg departments, a powerless and humiliated person. Gogol describes the appearance of the protagonist of the story this way: “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.”
His co-workers treat him without respect. Even the guards in the department look at Bashmachkin as if he were empty place, “It was as if a simple fly had flown through the waiting room.” And young officials laugh at Akaki Akakievich. He's really ridiculous funny man, who can only copy papers. And in response to insults, he says only one thing: “Leave me alone, why are you insulting me?” “And there was something strange in the words and in the voice with which they were spoken,” writes Gogol. “There was something in him... bowing to pity...”
The narrative in “The Overcoat” is structured in such a way that the comic image of Bashmachkin gradually becomes tragic. He wears an old overcoat that can no longer be repaired. In order, on the advice of the tailor, to save money for a new overcoat, he saves: in the evenings he does not light candles or drink tea. Akaki Akakievich walks the streets very carefully, “almost on tiptoe,” so as not to “wear out his soles” ahead of time, and rarely gives his laundry to the laundress. “At first it was somewhat difficult for him to get used to such restrictions, but then he somehow got used to it and things got better; even he had become completely accustomed to fasting in the evenings; but on the other hand, he fed spiritually, carrying in his thoughts the eternal idea of ​​a future overcoat,” writes Gogol. The new overcoat becomes the dream and meaning of life for the protagonist of the story.
And now Bashmachkin’s overcoat is ready. On this occasion, officials organize a banquet. Happy Akaki Akakievich does not even notice that they are mocking him. At night, when Bashmachkin was returning from a banquet, the robbers took off his overcoat. This man's happiness lasted only one day. “The next day he appeared all pale and in his old hood, which became even more deplorable.” He turns to the police for help, but they don’t even want to talk to him. Then Akakiy Akakievich goes to the “significant person,” but he kicks him out. These troubles affected the main character of the story so strongly that he could not survive them. He fell ill and soon died. “A creature disappeared and disappeared, not protected by anyone, not dear to anyone, not interesting to anyone... but for whom, nevertheless, although just before the end of his life, a bright guest flashed in the form of an overcoat, reviving for a moment poor life”, writes Gogol.
Emphasizing the typicality of the fate of the “little man,” Gogol says that his death did not change anything in the department; Bashmachkin’s place was simply taken by another official.
The story “The Overcoat,” despite its realism, ends fantastically. After the death of Akaki Akakievich, a ghost began to appear on the streets of St. Petersburg, taking off the greatcoats of passers-by. Some saw in him similarities with Bashmachkin, others did not notice anything in common between the robber and the timid official. One night the ghost met a “significant person” and tore off his overcoat, frightening the official to the point that he “even began to fear about some painful attack.” After this incident, the “significant person” began to treat people better. This ending to the story emphasizes the author's intention. Gogol sympathizes with the fate of the “little man.” He calls on us to be attentive to each other, and, as it were, warns that a person will have to answer in the future for the insults inflicted on his neighbor. It was not for nothing that one of Bashmachkin’s colleagues heard behind his words: “Leave me alone, why are you offending me?” other words: “I am your brother.”

Composition

This is not a rule, but in life it often happens that cruel and heartless people who insult and humiliate the dignity of others end up looking weaker and more insignificant than their victims. Democritus once said that “he who commits injustice is more unhappy than the one who suffers unjustly.”

The same impression of spiritual meagerness and fragility from the offenders of the petty official Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin remains with us after reading Gogol’s story “The Overcoat,” from which, according to figuratively Dostoevsky, all Russian literature was published.

“No, I can’t stand it anymore! What are they doing to me!.. They don’t understand, don’t see, don’t listen to me...” Many of the great writers responded to this plea of ​​the hero of Gogol’s story, in their own way comprehended and developed the image of the “little man” in their work. This image, discovered by Pushkin, after the appearance of “The Overcoat” became one of the central ones in the literature of the 40s. The topic opened the way for the depiction of Akaki Akakievich’s “followers” ​​in the works of Saltykov-Shchedrin, Nekrasov, Ostrovsky, Tolstoy, Bunin, Chekhov, Andreev. Many of them tried to see their own in the “little man.” little hero, “his brother” with his inherent feelings of kindness, gratitude and nobility.

What is “ small man"? In what sense is “small”? This man is small socially, since it occupies one of the lower steps of the hierarchical ladder. His place in society is little or not noticeable. This man is also “small” because the world of his spiritual life and human aspirations is also extremely narrowed, impoverished, surrounded by all kinds of prohibitions and taboos. For him, for example, there are no historical and philosophical problems. He remains in a narrow and closed circle of his life interests.

Gogol characterizes the main character of his story as a poor, mediocre, insignificant and unnoticed person. In life, he was assigned an insignificant role as a copyist of departmental documents. Brought up in an atmosphere of unquestioning submission and execution of orders from his superiors, Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin was not used to reflecting on the content and meaning of his work. That is why, when he is offered tasks that require the manifestation of elementary intelligence, he begins to worry, worry and ultimately comes to the conclusion: “No, it’s better to let me rewrite something.”

Bashmachkin's spiritual life is in tune with his inner aspirations. Collecting money to purchase an overcoat becomes for him the goal and meaning of life, filling it with the happiness of anticipation of fulfillment cherished desire. The theft of an overcoat, acquired through such great hardships and suffering, becomes truly a disaster for him. Those around him only laughed at his misfortune, but no one helped him. The “significant person” shouted at him so much that the poor fellow lost consciousness. Almost no one noticed the death of Akaki Akakievich, which followed shortly after his illness.

Despite the “uniqueness” of the image of Bashmachkin created by Gogol, he does not look lonely in the reader’s mind, and we imagine that there were a great many of the same small, humiliated people sharing the lot of Akaki Akakievich. This generalization of the image of the “little man” reflected the genius of the writer, who satirically presented society itself, which gives rise to arbitrariness and violence. In this environment, the cruelty and indifference of people to each other is increasing more and more. Gogol was one of the first who spoke openly and loudly about the tragedy of the “little man,” respect for whom depended not on his spiritual qualities, not on his education and intelligence, but on his position in society. The writer with compassion showed the injustice and despotism of society towards the “little man” and for the first time called on him to pay attention to these inconspicuous, pitiful and funny people, as it seemed at first glance.

“There can be no close relationship between us. Judging by the buttons on your uniform, you must serve in another department.” Like this, according to the buttons of the uniform, according to others external signs the attitude towards a person is determined immediately and forever. This is how the human personality is “trampled.” She loses her dignity, because a person not only evaluates others by wealth and nobility, but also himself.

Gogol called on society to look at the “little man” with understanding and pity. “Mother, save your poor son!” - the author will write. And indeed, some of Akaki Akakievich’s offenders suddenly realized this and began to experience pangs of conscience. One young employee, who, like everyone else, decided to make fun of Bashmachkin, stopped, amazed by his words: “Leave me alone, why are you offending me?” And the young man shuddered when he saw “how much inhumanity there is in man, how much hidden ferocious rudeness...”.

Calling for justice, the author raises the question of the need to punish the inhumanity of society. As revenge and compensation for the humiliations and insults suffered during his life, Akaki Akakievich, who rose from the grave in the epilogue, appears as a passer-by and takes away their overcoats and fur coats. He calms down only when he takes away the overcoat from “ significant person”, who played a tragic role in the life of a little official.

The meaning of the fantastic episode of the resurrection of Akaki Akakievich and his meeting with a “significant person” is that even in the life of himself, it would seem, insignificant person there are moments when he can become a person in the highest sense of the word. Tearing off the greatcoat from a dignitary, Bashmachkin becomes, in his own eyes and in the eyes of millions of humiliated and insulted people like him, a hero, capable of standing up for himself and responding to the inhumanity and injustice of the world around him. In this form the revenge of the “little man” on the bureaucratic Petersburg was expressed.

The talented depiction in poetry, literature, as well as in other forms of art, of the life of the “little man” revealed to a wide range of readers and viewers that simple, but close truth that the life and “twists” of the souls of “ordinary people” are no less more interesting than life outstanding personalities. Penetrating into this life, Gogol and his followers, in turn, discovered new facets of human character and spiritual world person. The democratization of the artist’s approach to the depicted reality led to the fact that the heroes he created could become on a par with the most significant personalities at critical moments in their lives.

In his story, Gogol concentrated his main attention on the fate of the personality of the “little man,” but this was done with such skill and insight that, empathizing with Bashmachkin, the reader involuntarily thinks about his attitude towards the entire world around him, and, first of all, about his sense of dignity and respect that every person should arouse towards himself, regardless of his social and financial situation, but only taking into account his personal qualities and merits.

Other works on this work

Composition

Gogol's story "The Overcoat" belongs to a cycle of works called "Petersburg Tales". This cycle is a new step in the development of Russian realism. Continuing the theme of the “little man” raised by Pushkin in “The Station Agent,” Gogol describes tragic fate poor, downtrodden people. At the same time, he finds a lot of poetry in their lives. The stories of the St. Petersburg cycle are imbued with humanism, the writer’s living sympathy for the little ones. offended people. The fate of each of them is either a funny, albeit sad, comedy, or a heavy drama. Laughter and bitter tears are so fused in the stories that the reader gets an exciting impression of the tragedy of the life of the “little man”, crushed by the bureaucratic system of the serfdom state.

The story "The Overcoat" is the most significant work Petersburg cycle. The plot of the story arose from a clerical anecdote about an official who lost a gun while hunting, acquired through tireless labor and hardship.

Gogol tells the story of the fate of Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, a small official in one of the St. Petersburg departments. The whole life of Akaki Akakievich is a subject of constant humiliation and ridicule. The need to pull a meaningless clerical burden deprived him of the opportunity for development, he did not know any attachments or entertainment, and when he came home from work, he only thought that “God will send him to rewrite tomorrow.” Even his appearance in Gogol’s depiction is somehow insignificant, unnoticeable: “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.” In the department where he works, they look at him like an empty place: “as if a simple fly had flown through the reception area.” He timidly endures all the insults and ridicule of his colleagues, because he himself feels ridiculous and unworthy of respect. Akaki Akakievich is doomed to rewrite boring papers, because he can’t do anything else. He goes to work every day in the same old overcoat, so old and shabby that it can no longer be repaired. With this overcoat, continuous troubles begin in Bashmachkin’s life. The tailor advised Akaki Akakievich to sew a new overcoat, but he needed money for it. In the hero’s joyless life, a goal appears - to raise money to buy a new overcoat. Bashmachkin begins to save. He doesn’t drink tea in the evenings, doesn’t light candles, even his gait changes: now he walks “almost on tiptoes” so as not to “wear out his soles” ahead of time, almost stops washing his clothes, and gives them to the laundress less often. Gogol does not condemn his hero for this; on the contrary, he feels sorry for him. “At first it was somewhat difficult for him to get used to such restrictions, but then he somehow got used to it and things got better; even he had become completely accustomed to fasting in the evenings; but on the other hand, he fed spiritually, carrying in his thoughts his eternal idea of ​​the future overcoat.”

However, Akaki Akakievich, depicted by Gogol, is not at all an insignificant creature in moral terms. His humanity is manifested in his friendly disposition towards people, in his diligence, and in his sense of duty. It is not his fault that his work is fruitless, but the bureaucratic machine of that time. Gogol does not laugh at his hero, but evokes compassion for him as a disadvantaged and humiliated person. This is the meaning of the image young man, imbued with pity for Bashmachkin: “And for a long time later, among the most cheerful moments, a short 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.”

The overcoat is sewn. From this moment on, fantasy and reality, fiction and reality are intertwined in the story, and a tragic moment comes in Bash-Machkin’s life. Returning home at night, Akaki Akakievich was attacked by robbers who took off his overcoat. “The next day he appeared all pale and in his old hood, which became even more deplorable.” Bash-machkin, in search of the truth, goes to all authorities: to the police, to a “significant person,” but no one cares about the tragedy of the lonely “little man.” The hero's grief is so great that he dies. But the service didn’t even notice this. “A creature disappeared and hid, not protected by anyone, not dear to anyone, not interesting to anyone... but for whom, nevertheless, even before the very end of his life, a bright guest flashed in the form of an overcoat, reviving his poor life for a moment.”

But in the life of the town, with the death of Bashmachkin, something strange began to happen: at night a ghost appears on the streets and takes off the residents’ greatcoats. One day this ghost tore off the overcoat from a “significant person,” thereby frightening him so much that he “even began to fear about some painful attack.” After this incident, the “significant person” began to treat people better.

Gogol's "The Overcoat" shows negative traits serfdom, bureaucratic red tape of that time, where there is no place to an ordinary person. Gogol created the genre of Russian social story, with its characteristic depiction of social contrasts. The author emphasized and sharpened the essential features of life in the most ordinary. Belinsky declared Gogol the most a prominent representative realistic direction in Russian literature, which does not invent life, does not idealize it, but reproduces it as it is.

Other works on this work

We often encounter the image of the “little man” in Russian and foreign literature. fiction. To us, Russian readers, brought up on examples of Russian literature, the image of the “little man” is painfully familiar. The first meeting with him happens in Gogol’s story “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol.

What is a “little man”? The answer is simple: this is a low person social status and of low birth, unremarkable and inconspicuous, not distinguished by outstanding abilities, weak-willed, humble and harmless.

This is exactly how we meet the main character of the story “The Overcoat,” the poor titular adviser Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin. It is interesting to note that Nikolai Vasilyevich very skillfully approached the choice of his name literary hero: the word "Akaky" translated from Greek language means "doing no evil."

The author compares his hero to a fly to show how petty this man is. Akaki Akakievich has both positive and negative qualities. On the one hand, Bashmachkin is a person without interests and hobbies, without family and friends, which speaks of his certain isolation and self-restraint from the world around him. On the other hand, he is devoted to his work, performs it reverently and carefully, he is hardworking, patient and modest, does not pay attention to the insults of his colleagues, and does not start quarrels. For a person like Akaki Akakievich, the most insignificant thing can become the asset of his whole life.

The treasure of Bashmachkin’s life was a new overcoat, sewn for a holiday bonus. With the advent of the new thing, Bashmachkin’s character and the attitude of his colleagues towards him change. Their approval and admiration elevate Akaki Akakievich above himself, he becomes bolder, happier, more confident. But soon his happy mood changes, as his most precious gift is stolen. expensive thing overcoat. This was a real tragedy for the poor titular councilor, who eventually fell ill and died. But even after death he cannot find peace, so he appears as a ghost on the Kalinkin Bridge and scares passers-by.

Thinking through the character of Akaki Akakievich, Gogol wanted to show readers that against the background romantic heroes, bright, strong, contradictory personalities, there are realistic personalities: weak-willed, timid and even to some extent pitiful, but, of course, deserving of human attention and empathy.

Essay Theme of the little man in Gogol's story The Overcoat

In the “St. Petersburg” story “The Overcoat,” written in 1842, Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol raises the theme of the “little man.” This theme is constantly present in Russian fiction. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was the first author to address this issue; other authors continue this tradition.

Gogol considers the problem of a society in which a small person must exist. The author sharply criticizes the society of titular advisers who cannot accept Akaki Akakievich. The character’s phrase: “Don’t touch me, why are you hurting me?” is rhetorical question to the reader. The author draws attention to the fact that “little people” also have the rights to decent life and respect from people.

The day when Bashmachkin puts on his overcoat is the culmination of the work. At this moment he ceases to feel like a “little man”. His behavior and daily routine change completely. By this N. Gogol shows that Akaki Akakievich is the same person as others. He is no different, he experiences the same feelings, aspirations and grievances. He is no better and no worse than others.

The conflict between the little man and the world does not arise immediately, but only at the moment when Akaki Akakievich is left without his overcoat. The overcoat has long become more than clothing. It was most of the hero himself. Having lost her, he begins to fight with society. And having not achieved victory during his lifetime, he continues it like a ghost.

The mystical side of the story is important for ending the conflict. Having received what he wanted, that is, an overcoat. This is a kind of justice, which is only possible in a fantasy world and is a utopia. On the other hand, in the finale, Gogol says that the immortal soul continues to desire revenge, and is only able to do it on its own.

Essay The image of a little man in Gogol's story The Overcoat

“The Little Man” is one of the archetypes of Russian literature. The gallery of “little people” opens with a portrait of Samson Vyrin in the story of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin (the cycle “Belkin’s Tale”), continues with the image of Evgeniy from his own poem “The Bronze Horseman” and is firmly established in the tradition of realism inherited by Pushkin and his contemporaries.

Within the framework of the direction of realism, it is traditional to consider Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol’s story “The Overcoat”, and the portrait of the main character of this work - Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin - is included in the gallery of “little people” opened by Pushkin. This point of view is completely fair and is easily confirmed by the text.

What is characteristic of a “little man”? Low position in society, closeness (hiddenness) from the world, stinginess of feelings (but at the same time - the presence of an object of love and care), suffering during life (usually a single act that influences future fate hero), and, most likely, death (often from life’s suffering).

All this can be seen in “The Overcoat”. Bashmachkin is a petty official, a copyist of papers, who lives poorly and ascetically. He has no friends - he only has colleagues who become interested in him only with the acquisition of an overcoat (but not before and not on his own). Bashmachkin also has something that he loves and cherishes. Unlike his daughter - in the case of Vyrin - and Parasha, his beloved girl - in the case of Evgeniy - for Akaki Akakievich it is letters in documents and an overcoat, the dream of which he lives.

As in other cases, the suffering of the “little man” is in one way or another connected with the object of his affection. So, Vyrin loses his daughter, Evgeniy hurries to Parasha and is afraid that the flood will harm her. In a dark alley, two people steal Bashmachkin’s favorite overcoat - literally the next day after the purchase. Suffering and experience (after a certain period of time) is followed by the death of the main character.

It is worth noting that very often the status of the “little man” is emphasized by his position in the hierarchy of power; To “reveal” this position of his, the author places the hero in a situation where he is opposed to someone who is superior to him in his power. Let's consider, again, Vyrin and Evgeniy - the first finds himself on the threshold of his daughter's house, but entry there is closed to him, as a poor, humble and uninvited guest; the second turns out to be directly opposed to Emperor Peter (and, although he shakes his fist at him, he understands all his powerlessness and insignificance).

Bashmachkin is faced with a hierarchy of positions when his attempts to gain the attention of an official who could help his trouble fail.

It is also interesting to note that in one fundamental point Gogol departs from the previous tradition. The ending of the story of his hero becomes a certain triumph and superiority - the spirit of Bashmachkin tears off the warm overcoats of officials and terrifies those who encounter him. It is clear that this cannot be called the triumph of the “little man” in in every sense words; but, of course, this feels, if not a denial of Pushkin’s point of view, then at least a polemic with him and the prevailing understanding of the “little man.”

This story refers to the first works of Sholokhov. The story was written in 1925 and includes all the author's childhood memories. The content of the story also includes events of the Civil War.

O people! A pitiful race, worthy of tears and laughter!
Priests of the moment, fans of success!
How often does a person pass by you
Over whom the blind and violent age curses,
But whose high face is in the coming generation
The poet will be delighted and touched!
A.S. Pushkin

The theme of the “little man” is cross-cutting in Russian XIX literature century. A.S. Pushkin dedicated his works to this topic (“ Stationmaster», « Bronze Horseman"), A.N. Ostrovsky (“Jokers”), I.S. Turgenev (“District Doctor” from “Notes of a Hunter”), F.M. Dostoevsky (“Poor People”, etc.), A.P. Chekhov (“Death of an Official”, “Melancholy”, etc.).

The social and everyday story “The Station Warden” (1830) describes the life and death of a fourteenth-grade official, Samson Vyrin. The life of a stationmaster is not easy: everyone scolds him (both gentlemen and coachmen) for everything (for road inconveniences, for the lack of horses, for bad weather), everyone takes out their irritation on him, but he must endure all this, because because of of his small rank and timid character, he cannot respond adequately to either important passing persons or lively coachmen. There is one joy in his life - his daughter Dunya, an extraordinary girl. Therefore, the grief of a father when he loses his daughter is so understandable. Pushkin describes this grief very sympathetically.

True, in addition to the story of Samson Vyrin’s suffering, Pushkin is interested, as in all Belkin’s stories, in paradox life situation. In St. Petersburg, Vyrin saw; his fears were not justified. After all, he expected that the hussar Minsky would have fun with Dunya and leave her. But Minsky behaved unexpectedly, from the point of view of the stationmaster: he hired Dunya an apartment with servants, dressed her up, he truly loves her, and she truly loves him. Vyrin saw all this with his own eyes when he came to his daughter’s apartment (Dunya was sitting on the arm of a chair and, lovingly looking at the hussar, playing with his curls), but did not believe his eyes. The caretaker returned to his station and died of grief, as he continued to think that his daughter was missing, that she was unhappy. Pictures about prodigal son on the wall of the station house help to clarify the idea of ​​the story - an image of the unfortunate fate of Samson Vyrin, a timid and harmless “little man”, insulted by the nobleman Minsky and forgotten by his only, dearly beloved daughter.

In Pushkin’s social and philosophical poem “The Bronze Horseman” (1833), the main character is the poor St. Petersburg official Evgeniy. The life of this “little man” is disrupted due to an accident: his fiancee dies during a flood and the shocked hero goes crazy. However, Evgeniy, although he has own biography and some personality traits, appears in the poem as a type of “little man”, opposed to the absolute state power, which is embodied by the Bronze Horseman. The poet, telling the story of Eugene, poses and decides philosophical questions about the relationship between the individual and the authorities, about the regularity and expediency of rebellion against the authorities, about the justice of the world order.

Gogol's story "The Overcoat" (1842) occupies a very special place among the works about the "little man". Gogol’s “little man” is depicted as a valuable personality in his own right; only his life and his problems are described. This is what distinguishes “The Overcoat” from “The Station Agent” and “The Bronze Horseman”, where the life of the “little man” is illustrated by an interesting life anecdote or philosophical idea author. On the one hand, "Overcoat" - social story. Gogol depicts the ordinary, ordinary life of a petty official, in which nothing significant happens, and the author describes this “nothing” - stunningly insignificant affections, desires and joys. Bashmachkin was wondering what document he would rewrite tomorrow; he had favorite and least favorite letters; he is depicted as an “eternal titular adviser” in whom society has not developed, but, on the contrary, suppressed all dreams, desires, and personal initiative. When the next boss suggested that Akakiy Akakievich draw up a certificate, and not just rewrite it, the hero was unable to do this. Bashmachkin turned into living car on rewriting papers: his tongue-tiedness confirms such a comparison.

How poor is Bashmachkin’s life in events and interests if sewing an overcoat becomes a significant era for him! This important concern stirred Akaki Akakievich: “From then on, it was as if his very existence became somehow fuller, (...) as if he was not alone, but some pleasant friend of life agreed with him to walk the road of life together.”

On the other hand, the story “The Overcoat” is similar to a life, applied, of course, to new historical circumstances and a new (democratic) view of the human personality (V.N. Turbin “Pushkin. Gogol. Lermontov” M., 1978, I, ch. .2). The outwardly insignificant life of Akaki Akakievich, if you look at it from a different point of view, is filled with honest work (he rewrites documents without a single mistake), the hero does not offend anyone, does not accumulate anger, does not curry favor with his superiors, does not steal, does not deceive. The very name Akaki means in Greek “doing no evil, innocent.” He meekly endures the contempt of those around him: “The guards not only did not get up from their seats when he passed, but did not even look at him, as if a simple fly had flown through the reception area.” He patiently endures the bullying of his colleagues, who made up various indecent stories about him or poured pieces of paper on his head (this, of course, is not the stoning of Christian martyrs; those described in the lives, but in in a certain sense may be regarded as persecution). Further, Akakiy Akakievich, at the end of his life, inconspicuous to those around him, experienced “walking through torment” - the troubles of a stolen overcoat. Bureaucratic red tape from a quarterly officer, a private bailiff, and finally a reprimand from a “significant person” led the titular adviser to a desperate state of mind, which, together with a cold, became the cause of his sudden death.

After the death of the unfortunate Bashmachkin, there was noise and excitement in St. Petersburg, as a ghost appeared at the Kalinkin Bridge, which tore off the greatcoats of everyone passing and even passing by. Thus, it can be argued that “The Overcoat” represents the ironic life of Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin with the elements required for this genre: a pious life, unjust persecution, exploits, posthumous miracles. The news of the hero’s death gives way to a solemnly sad conclusion: “And Petersburg was left without Akaki Akakievich, as if he had never been there. A creature disappeared and hid, unprotected by anyone, inexpensive to anyone, and of no interest to anyone...”

Gogol chose a very successful manner of storytelling - a comic tale, similar to verbose naive chatter, combined with pathetic (solemn) declamation. The author's gentle humor emphasizes the tragedy of Akaki Akakievich's situation: society neglects the “little man” and destroys his personality, deprives him of the rights to a decent, human life. In "Overcoat" there is minor characters, which confirm that Bashmachkin is typical hero, there are a lot of similar “little people” around him. This is the tailor Petrovich, who has been ordered a new overcoat; This is an official who took Bashmachkin’s place. The new titular councilor, the author says about him, was taller than Akaki Akakievich, and his letters were written “not in such a straight handwriting, but much more slanted and slanted.” That's all that was wonderful about the new copyist.

There is another one in the story important hero- “significant person”. This image, unlike Bashmachkin and Petrovich, is depicted satirically. Firstly, it does not have a proper name, and its common noun “one significant person” (in the neuter form) agrees with the verbs male: “one significant person recently became a significant person, and before that time he was insignificant.” Formal discrepancy between subject and predicate in in this case gives birth comic effect: A “significant person” who is so proud of his importance looks quite ridiculous. Secondly, he is a low, petty person, humiliating his subordinates in order to thereby rise himself. He, wanting to show his power, talks rudely and unceremoniously to the unfortunate Akaki Akakievich, who came with a legitimate request to find his overcoat. The meeting of the “little man” with the “significant person” is shown both as a clash with a “bad” boss and as a meeting with the soulless state machine that the general personifies.

To summarize, we note that the theme of the “little man” is solved in its own way in each of the works mentioned above. Gogol in “The Overcoat” combined and developed two approaches to the theme of the “little man”, presented in more early works Pushkin. On the one hand, Gogol described in detail the life and fate of Akaki Akakievich (compare with the story of the stationmaster), and showed not only the defenselessness of the “little man” before the bureaucrats and rich gentlemen, but also his struggle for survival, half-starved existence, diligently putting money into a piggy bank pennies saved, etc. On the other hand, depicting the clash between Akaki Akakievich and a “significant person,” Gogol once again confirmed that the state and society treat the “little man” unfairly (cf. the relationship between Eugene and the Bronze Horseman). However, it should be remembered that the poem “The Bronze Horseman” was not published during Pushkin’s lifetime, that is, Pushkin and Gogol independently created their heroes to be similar.

In Dostoevsky's first novel, Poor People, interesting interpretation images of Samson Vyrin and Akakiy Akakievich, belonging to Makar Devushkin, who himself, in essence, is a “little man”. Makar really liked Pushkin’s story, and he considers Gogol’s story a libel on the “little man.” Pushkin shows the suffering of a father separated from his daughter. Even the seemingly prosperous fate of Dunya cannot make Samson Vyrin happy. The stationmaster dies from mental anguish, from gross interference in his life, from the lack of human warmth and participation. Gogol, depicting the “little man,” drew attention to the fact that the hero himself as a person is pitiful and insignificant. Akakiy Akakievich evokes not Makar’s sympathy, but pity: Bashmachkin has completely lost human face. Therefore, Dostoevsky’s hero, a “little man” with ambitions, did not like “The Overcoat”.

But it was Gogol's story that attracted the public resounding success: “The Overcoat,” no less than “The Station Warden,” evokes in the reader sympathy for the “little man” and a feeling of protest against his slave position. It was “Overcoat” that gave a powerful impetus to this literary direction, How " natural school", within last topic"little man" became one of the presenters.