The Overcoat

Would Akaky Akakievich’s life be different if his mother gave him a different name? What roles do names and fate play in “The Overcoat”?

Gogol’s omniscient narrator knows everything that happens at the Department, the tailor shop, the Person of Consequence’s office, and Akaky Akakievich’s home. How would the story be different if it were told from Akaky Akakievich’s point of view? What is the role of the narrator’s tone in establishing the themes of the story?

What role does social class play in “The Overcoat”? Compare at least two characters, and examine how their different social classes affect their experiences and worldviews.