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“The Nose” by Nikolai Gogol is a work of grotesque and surrealist fiction published in Russian in 1836
. It first appeared in The Contemporary, a literary magazine run by Alexander Pushkin, a famous Russian writer. It was initially rejected by other journals, which cited the story’s “cheap” and “trivial” nature. Meanwhile, Pushkin saw the story’s true potential, calling it “unexpected, fantastic, amusing, and original.” While the piece has certain dreamlike and nonsensical qualities that have confounded readers searching for a clear moral, there is no doubt that the story operates as a social satire, critiquing the facade of status and rank.“The Nose” is set in 19th-century St. Petersburg, Russia, and follows Major Kovalyov, a self-important social climber who has awakened to find a smooth, flat spot where his nose used to be. His nose appears separately in other parts of town, even dressing itself as a State Councilor—a position that ranks higher than Kovalyov’s. Throughout the text, Gogol pokes fun at social climbers and high-ranking government officials, asserting that status is an illusion often based solely on one’s physical appearance. The story’s comedic nature and its use of the strange, the absurd, and the supernatural have caused many critics and academics to identify it as an early work of surrealism.
Read the full story summary, the full story analysis, and explanations of themes from "The Nose."
