The Overcoat

The Overcoat Questions and Answers

How do the young officials treat Akaky Akakievich in "The Overcoat"?

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In paragraph 1 of "The Overcoat," the author describes behavior that is customary amongst well bred officials. How is this description important to the passage?

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How do you interpret the ending of "The Overcoat"?

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What does the overcoat represent in Gogol's short story, "The Overcoat"?

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In paragraph 1 of "The Overcoat," Gogol describes behavior that “is customary amongst well- bred officials.” How is this description important to the passage?

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In Nikolai Gogol's short story "The Overcoat", how does the new overcoat change Akaky's relationship with his co-workers?

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Is there anyway that Akaky could have avoided death in "The Overcoat"? What might have happened if he never had his coat stolen? What if he never bought the coat at all?

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What are examples of hyperbole in "The Overcoat"?

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What are examples of hyperbole and grotesquerie in “The Overcoat”?

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Who is most haunted by Akaky Akakeivich's corpse in "The Overcoat"?

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Do you sympathize with Akaky? Why or why not? What is your reaction to the trouble that befalls him?

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In the end of "The Overcoat," why does the corpse float around stealing coats? Why would the author conclude a realistic story in this way?

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Akaky’s overcoat also comes to represent a companion, or a close friend. What evidence is there that the overcoat assumes this symbolic meaning even before Akaky acquires it? What detail in the story indicates that the overcoat also symbolizes a new identity and a new outlook on the world? (a) After Akaky has died, what does the overcoat come to represent? (b) What details in the story support this interpretation?

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Why do you think the overcoat made such a difference in Akaky life?

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I've been assigned an essay on "The Overcoat" which asks the following question:Explain how the metaphor of copying successfully advances Nikolai Gogol's purpose in "The Overcoat." I do not understand where the metaphor of copying lies in the story beyond his job involving copying.

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What does it take to be a hero in The Overcoat?

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What are some moral issues in the story and how are they resolved?

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Relate the concepts of corruption, futility, and madness to "The Overcoat."

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In the "The Overcoat," at what point does he cease to be "human" and at what point does his wretched existence cease to be life as we know it?

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Find three comic narrative effects that Gogol uses in this short story. What are they, and how do they function?

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Compare and contrast Gogol's "The Overcoat" with William Blake's poems. How is the afterlife important to both authors? What else do their works have common? Are their messages the same or different? Discuss their tones, language, styles, and themes.

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Find some examples of comic narrative effects that Gogol uses in "The Overcoat." What are they, and how do they function?

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Determinar los recursos literarios dominantes en la sección final de "El capote", de Gógol. Sería desde el momento de la muerte del protagonista.

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