In Russian literature, unfortunate and insignificant characters are often found. They evoke irony and pity among readers. Cruelty towards them outrages. But the prototypes of these heroes are not always recognized in real life and are rarely compassionate to them. But the Girls, Bashmachkins and station rangers are everywhere. They are alive. The image of the little man in the novel “The Overcoat” is not a satirical character or a fairy tale ghost. This is the hero of an instructive story about stupid heartlessness and evil indifference.
Gogol: “father” of Bashmachkin
The great goal of true literature is to create images and plots that never lose their relevance anywhere. Russia has always been rich in talented writers capable of fulfilling this mission. One of them was Nikolai Gogol. The image of a little man created by this writer is a vivid confirmation of this.
In almost every human society, a person is unrequited and weak. Strange miserable man, unable to fend for himself, living in his own, incomprehensible and closed world. People around us subconsciously rejoice that they are different and not at all like this miserable creature. And in order to prove this to themselves and to each other, they insult and humiliate the renegade in every possible way. The reason for the dissimilarity of this man, who has become an outcast among his kind, can be anything. But more often than not, it lies in a low social position. For the first time this problem was elucidated by Gogol, using the image of the “little man” in the novel “The Overcoat”.
Akaki Akakievich
Bad luck haunts him all his life. It began immediately after birth, when Bashmachkin got the most dissonant name. With such a name and patronymic, a person cannot be solid and significant. And Akaki Akakievich is small in everything: in growth, and in abilities, and in social status. Officials make fun of him and tease him like little children, competing in clerical wit. In response, he can only cry out pityingly: “Leave me alone!”
Gogol almost accidentally created the image of a little man. The "Overcoat" was originally conceived by the author as a small satirical work based on an anecdotal story heard somewhere. But after some refinement, a real philosophical parable about an unfortunate man came out who could only take revenge on his offenders after death.
Titular Advisor
Everything in his life is small and miserable. Both the appearance and the position. His work is monotonous and uninteresting. But he does not notice it. For Bashmachkin there is no more pleasant occupation than rewriting documents. His life is empty, but measured. And let his colleagues mock him. He does not care about them. He lives in a world where, apart from papers and ink, there is nothing: no entertainment, no friends, no family. He has been there for a long time and is already afraid to get out. The image of a little man in the story “The Overcoat” confirms the cruelty of a society in which there is no place for the weak and harmless.
Overcoat
In the life of Akaky Akakievich, a sweet desire appears. The old overcoat is very frayed. He decides to order a new one. In addition, frosts began, and awarding is expected for the holiday. Now in his life, an exciting rewriting of papers gives way to dreams of a new overcoat. He thinks about her day and night, and sometimes he visits the tailor to discuss the upcoming new thing. And once, receiving a prize, he fulfills the dream of recent months and becomes the owner of a new wonderful thing. For the protagonist, she became a “pleasant friend of the day” (as Gogol put it) a greatcoat. The image of a little man causes a special pity also from the realization of how insignificant the reason for his boundless joy is.
Great loss
The department overcoat admire. Bashmachkin congratulate on the acquisition. His happiness risks being overshadowed by the proposal of his colleagues to arrange a festive evening on such an important event. But the eyes suddenly turn to the topic of the upcoming dinner party.
He had never been so full of happiness as in the short time when a new overcoat was warming him. But happiness ended abruptly when, on the way home after a festive dinner, the robbers ripped off a thing dear to his heart.
In vain did he try to get her back. All attempts were in vain. In addition, the evil official humiliated him cruelly in order to show off in the eyes of his friend. Bashmachkin returned home in deep sadness and suddenly died. The image of the little man in the story “The Overcoat” acquires a strong effect because after death the main character does not disappear. Bashmachkin’s soul wanders for a long time somewhere in the wasteland in search of its loss. And only when he met his offender and tore off his overcoat, he disappears forever.
Mystic
At the end of the story, Gogol uses a mystical motive, since only with this technique the main character can become at least briefly strong and scary. He seems to avenge himself and all offended. The event that happened with the boor official is not accidental. The author emphasizes that after meeting with a ghost this tyrannical person became more humble and quieter.
The image of a small person in literature is found in different variations. At Dostoevsky he is noble, poor, insulted to the core. The Pushkin station caretaker is a person who, due to his low social position, cannot resist cynicism and immorality. The unique Gogolian character is miserable and unhappy to such an extent that he himself is not aware of this. But all these heroes are united by insecurity before the cruelty that prevails in every society.