The story "The Overcoat" in 200 seconds
Author: Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol
The name of the main character was given by his mother. She could not choose from the church calendar, so the child was named Akaki, in honor of his father.
Akakiy Akakievich serves in the department, his work consists of monotonous rewriting of documents. But he is very zealous about this matter. When the director wanted to reward him with more interesting work for his efforts, Bashmachkin became agitated, unable to accomplish anything, so he remains an eternal titular adviser. He hardly communicates with his colleagues, only when their ridicule begins to interfere with the work process, Akaki timidly asks to leave him alone.
Work is a source of joy and only love for Bashmachkin; he simply does not pay attention to the rest. His appearance, already unremarkable in any way - short stature, grayish face and sparse reddish hair, becomes even more unattractive due to his old, patched clothes. However, Akaki does not go anywhere: neither to the ballet, nor to parties, but when he comes home, he has dinner and begins to rewrite papers, receiving considerable pleasure from this.
The poor official goes to the tailor. He is famous for his skill, but he loves to drink something stronger, and because of this he often quarrels with his wife. He assures Akaki that it is impossible to patch the thing and offers to sew a new one. True, it will cost 150 rubles - a lot of money for a titular adviser. But Grigory Petrovich is more accommodating when he drinks - so on Bashmachkin’s second visit the price changes, stopping at 80 rubles. Akaki is very inspired by the future new thing, he already has 40 rubles saved up, he still needs to collect some more.
He refuses tea, hardly uses candles, rarely washes clothes, step by step gaining the required amount and approaching the long-awaited moment. He is encouraged by dreams of an overcoat.
Six months later, Akaki comes to the department in a new overcoat, causing surprise and delight among his colleagues. Everyone congratulates him on his acquisition and convinces him that this must be noted, to which Bashmachkin becomes embarrassed and lost. But the assistant chief comes to his aid, inviting all his fellow jokers to the name day.
Colleagues who recently laughed at Bashmachkin now compliment him and start conversations. He even tries champagne, and on the way back he follows an unfamiliar lady. When Akaki passes through a wasteland, a group of strangers attacks him and takes his overcoat.
The official's appeal to the private bailiff remains without result. Akaki Akakievich is again in his old overcoat, he goes to a significant person, but he makes a stern remark and refuses to help. Bashmachkin feels unhappy.
Akaki begins to develop a fever, and only a seventy-year-old lonely old woman, the owner of the apartment in which the poor official rents a room, is caring for him. Medicines do not help, the doctor recommends that the old woman order a coffin for the patient. Bashmachkin is delirious, the fever does not subside. Soon he dies.
After his funeral, rumors spread throughout St. Petersburg about the ghost of a titular councilor who wanders the streets and rips off the greatcoats of passers-by. Meanwhile, a significant person in his soul regrets Bashmachkin. One evening, a ghost rips off the overcoat from a significant person, who after this event becomes more courteous with those around him. That ghost disappears, but a new one appears in its place - with a mustache and much taller.
Retelling very briefly
Summary of “The Overcoat” is a retelling of a depressing story about a little man.
Akakiy Akakievich Bashmachkin from St. Petersburg is an ordinary official without a wife or friends, who loved his job, and after service he dreams of the next working day.
One winter he noticed that his overcoat was dripping. Tailor Petrovich did not want to sew up the uniform and set the price for sewing a new one - 80 rubles. Akaki agreed, saving on everything for several months, and then ordered clothes made of good cloth and with a cat on the collar.
The frost hit, and our clerk decided to show up at work in new clothes. All his colleagues praised him and suggested throwing a party for the occasion. That same day, Akakiy went to another official’s holiday, and woke up late on deserted streets. He fell into the hands of bad people who took off his greatcoat.
The private bailiff refused to help find the criminals, and at work they suggested contacting a significant person. He, wanting to rise, drives Akaki away. Bashmachkin collapses with a fever, and they learn about his death at work only a few days later. Since then, near the Kalinov Bridge, everyone has been bothered by a ghost pulling their greatcoats off their shoulders. When it finally gets to a significant person, it takes his overcoat and goes home.
Characteristics of the characters in the story:
Main characters:
- A significant person is a silent man, outwardly strict and tough, but deep down he is kind, he recently received the rank of general, so he does not understand how he needs to behave with his subordinates, partly because of this he refuses Bashmachkin help. He has a family - a wife and three children.
- Tailor Grigory Petrovich - it is known that he used to be a serf, now he lives in the same house with Akaki Akakievich, on the fourth floor. He loves to drink, and his wife often scolds him for this. Despite the absence of one eye, he is a master of his craft, but his prices are inflated.
- Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin is a fifty-year-old poor official who lives by his work, but always remains a titular adviser who only knows how to rewrite documents. His appearance matches his character: short, undistinguished, with a pale gray face framed by sparse red hair, at heart he is just as harmless and timid, not harboring any selfish intentions. Akakiy hardly talks to anyone, he only asks not to offend him and to leave him alone if the taunts of his colleagues become unbearable.
Minor characters:
- Bashmachkin’s mother , it is known that during her life she was an official and a good woman, named her son in honor of his father.
- Bashmachkin's father - his name was Akakiy, wore boots instead of shoes, changed their soles three times a year - so did the rest of the male representatives in this family.
- The hostess is an old lady, the owner of the apartment. Takes care of Akaki Akakievich before his death.
- A ghost is the spirit of an official wandering the streets of St. Petersburg. But somehow, having met a significant person, he takes away his overcoat and disappears without a trace.
- Petrovich's wife - she is not distinguished by her beautiful appearance, she always wears a cap. During quarrels, her husband calls her a German and a worldly woman.
Main characters
The characters in “The Overcoat” are colorful, their characters are well recognizable. Gogol manages to give them an accurate description, after which the plot becomes extremely simple.
- Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin is inconspicuous and does not like other people’s attention. He is short and slightly blind. He has no friends or personal life; interaction with the outside world is limited to work.
- The ghost is a kind of symbol of “justice” in the work.
- Significant person - Has the rank of general, is taciturn.
- Tailor Grigory Petrovich is a one-eyed tailor, a former serf. Married, lives in the same house as the main character. He is addicted to drinking, for which he often gets it from his wife, about whom he speaks very unflatteringly. He does his work conscientiously, although he likes to break the price on a “sober” head.
Appearance of Akakiy Bashmachkin
Summary by chapter
And although the content cannot be divided into chapters, because the text of the narrative is single, we can briefly highlight the main stages of the story.
Part 1 It tells the background of Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, his childhood and parents. However, the main focus is on his job as a titular councilor, which he loves with all his heart: the official takes census documents home and hates being pestered by his colleagues.
Bashmachkin and his colleagues
Part 2 A shocking realization comes into the life of a census taker when he realizes that his overcoat has become worn out due to the frosts and he will have to buy a new one, because the old one can no longer be repaired. He begins to save on everything - he does not drink tea, does not light candles and walks on tiptoe. Shares dreams with tailor Petrovich about a new overcoat.
Part 3 After payday, a new thing finally appears in the official’s wardrobe: thick, with a cat collar, a threat to all frosts.
Akaki puts on a new uniform to work, for which he receives praise from his colleagues, but refuses to organize an evening because of the official who invited everyone to his celebration. That evening he goes to a celebration, where he becomes interested in a lady. Late in the evening Akaki finds himself on deserted streets. This is where tragedy strikes: he is caught and his overcoat is taken away.
Bashmachkin laments when his overcoat was taken away from him
Part 4 The bureaucratic rush begins: the bailiff refuses Bashmachkin to search for criminals, sending him to the presence. There, instead of pity, he is sent to a significant person, who supposedly should resolve the situation and help the unfortunate Akaki Akakievich. However, the general, boasting of his new rank to a friend, drives away the unfortunate Bashmachkin for addressing him inappropriately. Akaki falls into a fever and soon dies.
Akakiy Bashmachkin and a significant person: a conversation about an overcoat
Part 5 They learn about his death at work only a few days after the funeral. The important personage is frightened, shocked by the news, and goes to have fun with the lady for the evening. And late on the street he is caught by an angry ghost - the ghost of the titular adviser, who has been tormenting strangers for several days, pestering them and pulling off their greatcoats. Bashmachkin's spirit intimidates a significant person and takes away his uniform, finally disappearing for good.
Part 6 A significant person corrects himself and no longer scolds his subordinates.
What is the author's intention
In his work, Nikolai Vasilyevich demonstrates the imperfection of the world around him, in which the strong offend the weak. The main character acts as a kind of protest against unspoken rules that degrade human dignity. “Why are you hurting me?” — the adviser seems to be personally addressing all representatives of the “elite,” trying to understand why he and others like him are worse than them.
Gogol, through Bashmachkin’s suffering, shows the insignificance and powerlessness of the “little man” before the system, as well as the depravity of people who are indifferent to the grief of loved ones. The writer calls on you to look around and see how many pitiful, needy, poor people who need support.
Climax
Returning drunk from the evening, Akaki Akakievich falls into the hands of robbers, who take off his overcoat. In the morning, the clerk goes to the bailiff, shows his character for the first time and demands a personal meeting with him.
However, the clerk's questions made him embarrassed. Bashmachkin realized that no one would take care of his business. At the service, they noticed the disappearance of the overcoat, some mocked, and some felt sorry for it. Sympathizers advised the unlucky victim of the robbers to seek help from a “significant” (influential) person - the general.
Still from the film “The Overcoat”: UGC
