Nikolai Gogol

Gogol and Dostoevsky Theme Paper Nikolai Gogol and Fyodor Dostoevsky are two remarkable Russian writers. They both write about Russian society during the 1800’s. Gogol‘s “The Nose” is a short story about Kovaloff who is a Collegiate Assessor that has an obsession with rank and appearance and how he wakes up and discovers that his nose is missing and goes in search of it. Ivan Jakovlevitch, his barber finds a nose in his bread and immediately realizes that it is Kovaloff and tries to conceal it. The story goes on to show Kovaloff reactions to his nose and how he at first seeing his nose is afraid to approach it because it has a higher rank than himself. In the end, he wakes from his dream and pursues a higher position. Dostoevsky’s “The Crocodile”…

The comedy The Government Inspector was the first of its kind. It was a comedy made up of realistic characters meant to comment on society and promote change. The front page of Nikolai Gogol’s work begins with a popular saying, “If your face is askew don’t blame the mirror.” This quote sets up his purpose and message quite aptly. Gogol wanted his play to be a reflection of real life in Russia so his audience could see the skewness of Russian life. As a scholar once noted about Gogol, “His is the…

first child, Gogol, was born in America. The name “Gogol”, a Russian writer’s last name, is given by Gogol’s father, Ashoke because he thinks he has a very special bond with that Russian novelist’s book. Ashima met Ashoke when she was 19 in Calcutta, and she is the most conservative member of her family. Ashima’s marriage was determined by her parents instead of herself. After Ashima arrives in the United States, she feels very lonely and misses her family in Calcutta. At first, Ashima finds…

God and Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, both Janie and Gogol Ganguli struggle to find their true identity due to a lack of support from their relationships, societal discrimination and negative experiences. Ultimately, both Janie and Gogol are able to overcome these obstacles through determination which helps them achieve self-realization. Firstly, Janie and Gogol are hindered from achieving self-realization due to having unsupportive relationships. In Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God,…

When Gogol changes his name to Nikhil, he is overwhelmed by all that he has to do to remove the name “Gogol” from his new life in New Haven. It takes a little while for the impact of changing his name to set in but “at times he still feels his old name, painfully and without warning, the way his front tooth had unbearably throbbed in recent weeks after having a filling, threatening for an instant to server from his gums when he drank coffee, or iced water, and once when he was riding in an…

In Nikolai Gogol’s short story, The Overcoat, evil within 19th century Russian society is criticized. Evil in this short story takes on many forms. The main character, Akaky Akakievich, is a rather unfortunate man who is continuously failed by the systems put in place to keep society running smoothly. The way that bureaucracy functions in society is oppressive and evil. Though Akaky is a hard working citizen, and he is never rewarded for his efforts. After Akaky struggles to purchase his new…

rebellious Bengali boy named Gogol who struggles to find his own identity. While searching for a new identity, Gogol sacrifices his former self and conforms to the beliefs of those around him, causing him to become disconnected from his family and his Bengali roots. The choices that Gogol makes, such as his decisions to change his name, push away from his family, and disconnect himself from his culture, establish the themes of identity, family, and love that shape the story as a whole. Since he…

haunting past. One character in particular who struggles with such change is the protagonist, Gogol Ganguli, who finds his name embarrasing, and therefore tries to change it. Growing up in America, Gogol realizes that the world in which his parents grew up in significantly differed from his. Having no understanding of the circumstances that resulted in his name being Gogol,…

Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake, deals with the struggle of an Indian family trying to integrate themselves in America. Indeed, the main protagonist, Gogol is an American-born Indian who is trying to “find himself ” for he is split between his Bengali heritage and and the American culture in which he lives i. He struggles to find his own identity and culture. The question of identity is dealt through names. For instance, Gogol’s name comes from the Russian author Nikolai V. Gogol. He has…

important for Gogol in seeking his true identity, since name symbolizes how he sees himself and how he wants to be seen by others. Later, Gogol changes his name to Nikhil, since he feels it reflects his dual identity, both being Indian and also American, better. Nikhil is indeed a Bengali name but it can also be shortened to an American nickname, Nick. Therefore, it is a hybrid name in which it will be easier for him to deal better with his dual…