For my presentation, I chose the story, The Overcoat, by Ukrainian-born Russian writer of plays, short stories, and novels named Nikoli Gogol. The story is centered around an unremarkable copy clerk named Akaky Akakievich: “short, somewhat pock-marked, somewhat red-haired, even with a somewhat nearsighted look, slightly bald in front, with wrinkles on both cheeks and a complexion that is known as hemorrhoidal,” a condition the narrator attributes to the climate of St. Petersburg (394).
Akaky loves copying. He didn’t want to do anything else but copy all day, every day. When given a simple editing task Akaky became flustered and couldn’t complete the task. When I say he loves copying, I mean loves it. After working all day, he would go home and copy things for fun. When laying down to rest he would think about all the copying he was going to get to do tomorrow.
Other than copying, work was unpleasant as he was made fun of by his coworkers. The one thin Akaky loved more than copying was his overcoat that he has warned so long that his coworkers refer to it as a “housecoat.” One day, he notices how warn and tattered it has become and decides to take in Petrovich for yet another mending when he tells Akaky that the coat is beyond saving and he must make him a new overcoat. Given that Akaky lives in poverty, it takes him saves 6 months to save up enough money to have Petrovich to make another overcoat. Upon completion Akaky picks up his overcoat and is overjoyed with the product. He goes into work and everyone is celebrating his new threads.
All seems well until Akaky gets mugged and his brand-new overcoat gets stolen. Poor Akaky tries to report the crime to the police officer on duty but the officer tells him he must wait until morning to report it to the inspector. However, Akaky receives intel from his land lady that the inspector will not help either and must go above him and talk to the superintendent. Akaky takes her ad...