The Nose

Kovalyov is seemingly obsessed with uniforms and facial hair. How do the characters’ appearances affect the way they treat each other and are viewed in society?

The police officer immediately suspects Ivan Yakovlevich of a crime once he sees him throw the nose off the bridge, but he treats Kovalyov with great deference. What do the different experiences of law enforcement by these characters tell us about the institution of the police in Imperial Russia?

Kovalyov speaks ill of serfs, abuses his valet and cabbie, and demands servitude from service workers such as his barber Ivan Yakovlevich. What does Kovalyov’s treatment of the poor and working class communicate to us about Gogol’s view of class struggle and identity in 1830s St. Petersburg?