Under The Overcoat

Under The Overcoat

The story, “The Overcoat”, shows how the main character gets attached to an item physically and emotionally. Throughout the story, problems relating to class and longing for objects are portrayed in the story. Akaky, the main protagonist of the story, showed many of his problems such as class and his longing for his stolen overcoat. The overcoat is: the personification of Akaky, the materialization of his class status and an agent of change. The overcoat is related to Akaky primarily because it displays his features. It is told in the story that Akaky’s overcoat is old, very worn out and not visually appealing. One might see Akaky and not give him a second look because of his overcoat, the same phenomenon is happening to Akaky himself. Early in the story it is stated that, “In the department he was shown no respect at all” (Gogol). It is arguable that the overcoat of Akaky is the materialization of the disrespect being shown to him by his co-workers. Another relation between Akaky and his overcoat is that the overcoat which contains a multitude of holes that is being patched can refer to Akaky’s self and the collar whose fabric is being used to patch up holes can be considered Akaky’s mental psyche. The narrator stated that, “its collar diminished more and more each year, for it went to mend other parts” (Gogol). The holes in Akaky’s overcoat can be referred to as the insults by his co-workers that somehow affected him which left “holes” in himself, the collar which he uses to mend this holes can be referred to as his sanity that is slowly whittling away the more “holes” being introduced. Besides being an object that displays Akaky’s features, the overcoat also displays Akaky’s class. The overcoat which has two states in the story also showed Akaky’s class status in two different states. Akaky’s rank or class is somewhat equal to his co-workers, yet he is being treated like he was in a much lower class despite the equality in class. It