What is the underlying message of Gogol's "The Nose"? How can someone's nose become so rebellious, cause its owner so much anxiety and anguish and suddenly re-appears after being arrested! Yet the writer simply explains at the end of the tale that "these things do happen"! Is there some profound message I am missing here?
2006-12-16 00:04:32 · 3 answers · asked by ari-pup 7 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Thanks for wrestling with the question but I dont think he could simply be fantasy or just absurdism. Nikolai Gogol was quite a serious writer. . . . Dead Souls for instance, although he burnt his books after being convinced to do by his spiritual mentor!I suspect there's more to this strange tale!
2006-12-18 05:47:35 · update #1
it's meant to be absurd. But it also can be read as a social commentary - on regimentation, on government, on the absurdity of social status and symbolism. It's no accident that the nose re-appears dressed as a Russian officer; also that it's implied that he (the owner of the nose) is the crazy one for crying out "that's my nose!" at a distinguished guy in a uniform.
2006-12-16 06:14:37 · answer #1 · answered by lalabee 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i haven't examine any of his books, however the main character of my favorite e book (Gogol Ganguli, from the Namesake) replaced into named after him; his father's favorite short tale replaced into The Overcoat by using Nikolai Gogol.
2016-10-05 09:24:21 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's just a fantasy... a funny one at that. I've read it twice so far.
The thing that would really kill it is if someone tried to make a movie of it. It would never be as good as the reader's imagination.
2006-12-16 00:09:48 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋