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He did not so much mind people making personal remarks about him, but it was a different matter when aspersions were cast on his rank or social standing.

Kovalyov’s assertion that he doesn’t mind being personally insulted but does mind when his rank is insulted shows how deeply he identifies with his social status rather than with his own individual self. Kovalyov has little personality, interests, or ambitions beyond his class and reputation; almost every interaction he has and every action he takes is done with an intent to prove or improve his status. He doesn’t care if he is personally insulted, because there is barely a person there to insult. Rather, Kovalyov believes that his greatest—and perhaps only—value as a human is his rank, so he sees any affront to his rank as an implication that his very existence is meaningless and unimportant.

You will agree that it’s not done for someone in my position to walk around minus a nose. It’s all right for some old woman selling peeled oranges on the Voskresensky Bridge to go around without one. But as I’m hoping to be promoted soon…

Here, Kovalyov implies that one’s appearance must match one’s rank. Kovalyov believes himself to be an important and respectable man, due to his status as a collegiate assessor. Meanwhile, he sees a peasant woman who sells food and wares from a stand as unimportant and unrespectable. To Kovalyov, this unimportant woman can go without a nose, because she is so insignificant as a person that she has no need to keep up appearances. Her lack of nose would match her lack of rank. Kovalyov, on the other hand, feels that he must keep up his appearance of wealth and prosperity to match his wealthy and prosperous rank. Additionally, as someone with the ability to social climb, unlike most peasants, Kovalyov needs his “nose”—or his good appearance in general—to impress his higher-status friends.

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