Since the start of civilization, people have had different ways on how they view themselves and often, these ways are founded on various beliefs or other notions with which they grew up along. Written by Nicolai Gogol in 1836, "The Nose" portrays through the journey of Major Kovalyov the significance of the role that masculinity plays in establishing the identity of men in a patriarchal society. As symbolized by the nose, Gogol depicts masculinity as an essential element linked to the obtainment of power, to the attraction between men and women, and to the perception of one's own value. All of these contribute to a greater understanding of masculinity which affects social status and function in Russia.
First, Gogol portrays the nose as an absolute necessity in sustaining power in the bigger social framework in Russia. Kovalyov, throughout the story, continuously reiterates his ranking to every person he encounters and hence, once he loses his nose, he feels that his status is all of a sudden threatened. Upon encountering his personified nose, he says, "I-I am a major [...] it isn't right for-er-a man of my rank to walk about without a nose" (210). "It isn't right" serves as an indication that without the nose, the way he fulfills his job would be difficult because it is expected for men of his rank to have a certain level of masculinity. Anything less …show more content…
In the story, readers can see how masculinity gets associated with power, how it facilitates what kind of interactions occur between men and women, and how it defines a person's value based on their status. In “The Nose”, readers can see how a single factor affect one's outlook and how this, as a result, reflect in various areas of one's
First, Gogol portrays the nose as an absolute necessity in sustaining power in the bigger social framework in Russia. Kovalyov, throughout the story, continuously reiterates his ranking to every person he encounters and hence, once he loses his nose, he feels that his status is all of a sudden threatened. Upon encountering his personified nose, he says, "I-I am a major [...] it isn't right for-er-a man of my rank to walk about without a nose" (210). "It isn't right" serves as an indication that without the nose, the way he fulfills his job would be difficult because it is expected for men of his rank to have a certain level of masculinity. Anything less …show more content…
In the story, readers can see how masculinity gets associated with power, how it facilitates what kind of interactions occur between men and women, and how it defines a person's value based on their status. In “The Nose”, readers can see how a single factor affect one's outlook and how this, as a result, reflect in various areas of one's