The problem of the "little man" in the work of the writers of the 1840s was not a new phenomenon for Russian literature in general.

Domestic writers of the 18th - early 19th centuries could not ignore the suffering of people who were small in their social status and significance in a huge hierarchical state, those who were sometimes undeservedly humiliated and offended. The theme of the “poor official” (later developed into the theme "little man "in the traditional sense)

"Overcoat". At the heart of Gogol's idea is the conflict between "little man" and society, conflict leading to rebellion, to the rebellion of the humble. The story "The Overcoat" describes not only an incident from the life of the hero.

The story in "The Overcoat" is told in the first person. We notice that the narrator knows the life of officials well. The hero of the story - Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, a small official of one of the St. Petersburg departments, is a disenfranchised and humiliated person. Gogol describes the appearance of the protagonist of the story as follows: "short, somewhat pockmarked, somewhat reddish, somewhat even blind-sighted, with a slight bald spot on his forehead, with wrinkles on both sides of his cheeks."

Colleagues treat him with disrespect. Even the watchmen in the department look at Bashmachkin as if he were an empty place, "as if a simple fly had flown through the reception room." And young officials laugh at Akaky Akakievich. He's really a ridiculous, funny man who only knows how to copy papers. And in response to insults, he says only one thing: “Leave me, why are you offending me?” The narrative in The Overcoat is constructed in such a way that the comic image of Bashmachkin gradually becomes tragic. He walks in an old overcoat, which can no longer be repaired. In order, on the advice of the tailor, to save up money for a new overcoat, he saves: in the evenings he does not light candles, does not drink tea. Akaky Akakievich walks the streets very carefully, “almost on tiptoe”, so as not to “wear out the soles” ahead of time, rarely gives the laundry to the laundress. “At first it was somewhat difficult for him to get used to such restrictions, but then he somehow got used to it and went smoothly; even he was perfectly accustomed to fasting in the evenings; but on the other hand, he ate spiritually, carrying in his thoughts the eternal idea of ​​a future greatcoat, ”writes Gogol. The new overcoat becomes the dream and meaning of the life of the protagonist of the story.

And now Bashmachkin's overcoat is ready. On this occasion, officials arrange a banquet. Happy Akaki Akakievich does not even notice that they are mocking him. At night, when Bashmachkin was returning from a banquet, the robbers took off his overcoat. This man's happiness lasted only one day. “The next day he appeared all pale and in his old hood, which became even more deplorable.” He turns to the police for help, but they don't even want to talk to him. Then Akaky Akakievich goes to the "significant person", but he kicks him out. These troubles had such a strong effect on the protagonist of the story that he could not survive them. He fell ill and died soon after. “A creature disappeared and disappeared, protected by no one, dear to no one, not interesting to anyone ... but for which all the same, although just before the very end of life, a bright guest flashed in the form of an overcoat, reviving a poor life for a moment,” - writes Gogol.

Emphasizing the typical fate of the "little man", Gogol says that his death did not change anything in the department, Bashmachkin's place was simply taken by another official.

The story "The Overcoat", despite its realism, ends fantastically. After the death of Akaky Akakievich, a ghost began to appear on the streets of St. Petersburg, who removed the overcoats from passers-by. Some saw in him a resemblance to Eashmachkin, others did not notice anything in common between the robber and the timid official. One night, the ghost met a "significant person" and tore off his overcoat, frightening the official to the point that he "even began to fear about some kind of painful attack." After this incident, the "significant person" began to treat people better.

This end of the story emphasizes the author's intention. Gogol sympathizes with the fate of the "little man". He calls on us to be attentive to each other, and, as it were, warns that a person will have to answer in the future for the insults inflicted on his neighbor.

"Little Man" Rebellion becomes the main theme of the story The story of the poor official is written in such detail and authenticity that the reader involuntarily enters the world of the hero's interests and begins to sympathize with him. But Gogol is a master of artistic generalization. He deliberately emphasizes: “one official served in one department ...” This is how the generalized image of a “little man” appears in the story, a quiet, modest person whose life is unremarkable, but who, however, also has his own dignity and has the right to his own world . Perhaps that is why we finally pity not Akaky Akakievich, but “poor mankind.” And probably, that is why our anger is provoked not by a robber, but by a “significant person” who failed to pity the unfortunate official.

And at the end of the story, we come to a terrible conclusion: the subject of the narration is by no means the story of how the hero's overcoat is stolen, but about how a person's life was stolen . Akaki Akakievich, in fact, did not live. He never thought about high ideals, did not set any tasks for himself, did not dream of anything. And the insignificance of the incident underlying the plot characterizes Gogol's world itself. Gogol makes the tone of the story comical. The text shows a constant irony over Bashmachkin, even his daring dreams turn out to be nothing more than a desire to put marten fur on his collar without fail. The reader must not only enter the world of Akaky Akakievich, but also feel the rejection of this world.

In the story of N.V. Gogol "The Overcoat" two aspects of the author's condemnation of the world are clearly traced. On the one hand, the writer is with sharp criticism of that society , which turns a person into Akaky Akakievich, protesting against the peace of those whose salary does not exceed four hundred rubles a year. But on the other hand, much more, in my opinion, is essential Gogol's appeal to all mankind with a passionate appeal to pay attention to the "little people" who live next to us.

The story "The Overcoat" is one of the best in Gogol's work. In it, the writer appears before us as a master of detail, a satirist and a humanist. Narrating the life of a petty official, Gogol was able to create an unforgettable vivid image "little man" with their joys and troubles, difficulties and worries. Hopeless need surrounds Akaky Akakievich, but he does not see the tragedy of his situation, as he is busy with business. Bashmachkin is not burdened by his poverty, because he does not know another life. And when he has a dream - a new overcoat, he is ready to endure any hardships, if only to bring the implementation of his plans closer. The author is quite serious when he describes the delight of his hero about the realization of a dream: the overcoat is sewn! Bashmachkin is completely happy. But for how long?

"Little Man" not destined to be happy in this unfair world. And only after death is justice done. Bashmachkin's "soul" finds peace when he returns his lost thing.

Gogol in his "Overcoat" showed not only the life of the "little man", but also his protest against the injustice of life. Let this "rebellion" be timid, almost fantastic, but the hero nevertheless stands up for his rights, against the foundations of the existing order.

The experiences of the poor official were familiar to Gogol from the first years of his Petersburg life.

Written at the time of the highest flowering of Gogol's creative genius, "The Overcoat" in terms of its vital saturation, in terms of the power of mastery, is one of the most perfect and remarkable works of the great artist. Adjacent in its problematics to the St. Petersburg stories, "The Overcoat" develops the theme of a humiliated person.

The mother of Akaky Akakievich did not just choose a name for her son - she chose his fate. Although there was nothing to choose from: out of nine difficult-to-pronounce names, she does not find a single suitable one, therefore she has to name her son by her husband Akakiy, a name that means “humble” in Russian calendars - he is “the humblest”, because he is Akakiy “in the square” .

The story of Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin, the "eternal titular adviser" is the story of the distortion and death of a person under the power of social circumstances. Bureaucratic - bureaucratic Petersburg brings the hero to complete stupefaction.

Thus, the theme of man as a victim of the social system is brought to its logical end by Gogol. Gogol resorts to fantasy, but it is emphatically conditional, it is designed to reveal the protesting, rebellious principle lurking in a timid and intimidated hero, a representative of the "lower class" of society.

The problem of the "little man" runs like a red thread through Nikolai Gogol's Petersburg Tales cycle. The writer was outraged by how strong and rich people could offend a simple person. This was considered good manners.

It is worth noting that the image of the “little man” was not new to Russian literature, but it was most clearly revealed in the story “The Overcoat”.

The expression "little man" should not be taken literally. It is applicable to petty officials who did not have wealth, social status, were a silent "gray" mass. Among other things, the "little man" has a meager inner world.

The protagonist of the story "" -, being a petty official, did not even think about his activities. He rewrites papers day after day. Akaki only cares about straight lines. What's more, he doesn't know how to do anything. When you need to take the initiative, he simply said: "No, better let me rewrite something."

The worst thing is that the main character is not trying to change something in his life. Sometimes it seems that Bashmachkin himself does not understand why he lives.

The meaning of his life was a new overcoat. In order to purchase a new thing, he denied himself everything for six months, collecting the necessary amount of money. Buying an overcoat became a real holiday for him, perhaps the only one in his life. And the theft of an overcoat so valuable to him turned into a tragedy.

None of his entourage even tried to understand Akaky Akakievich, let alone help in any way. His death was noticed only on the fourth day.

The story "The Overcoat" makes one think that there are such "little people" in our society. They are also offended and misunderstood. Gogol, showing such a heartless society, tried to convey to us the idea of ​​such people. We must learn to pay attention to them and lend a helping hand.

It is worth noting that while making fun of such people, we are well aware of our actions, but realizing their meanness, we continue to commit. Sometimes we repent, sometimes we don't.

The ending of the story "The Overcoat" showed us that even small people can stand up for themselves. Bashmachkin's ghost calms down only when he takes revenge on the general who offended him. This is the climax of the story, the moment when justice prevailed.

The relevance of Gogol's story "The Overcoat" lies in the fact that it makes you think about the problem of the "little man" in modern society and evaluate your actions in relation to such people.

The problems that Gogol raised in his works are of a topical nature. I believe that all of them are relevant to this day. The writer could not come to terms with the injustice that was characteristic of the society of his time. Strong, domineering, heartless people, without a shadow of a doubt, could offend, offend people who were much weaker than them. It is this problem that Gogol reveals in the story "The Overcoat".

It must be said that this is not the first time that such a hero and a similar problem have been addressed, but this topic has sounded so relevant only now.

What is a “little man”, and how should such a phenomenon be perceived in society?

Yes, of course, this expression should not be taken literally. Here we are talking about a person who is small in social terms, because he is not rich, has no voice in society, is not remarkable in any way. He is just a minor official.

But this person is also “small” because his inner world is limited and does not represent anything. Gogol's hero is poor, in many respects insignificant and invisible. Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin is very efficient, but at the same time he does not even think about what he is doing. Therefore, the hero begins to get very worried when it is necessary to show at least a little ingenuity. But the most interesting thing is that Bashmachkin does not even try to change, improve, but repeats again and again: "No, it's better to let me rewrite something."

In my opinion, this person does not strive for true values. His life is so meaningless that perhaps he himself does not know what he lives for. The only meaning of his life is to raise money to buy an overcoat. He is insanely happy at the mere thought of fulfilling this desire.

It is not surprising that in the future the theft of a wonderful overcoat, acquired with such difficulty, became a real tragedy for Bashmachkin. The people around Akaky Akakievich only laughed at his misfortune. No one even tried to understand this man, let alone help him. The worst thing, in my opinion, is that no one noticed the death of Bashmachkin, no one remembered him.

After reading this work, you come to a sad conclusion: there are a great many people like Akaky Akakievich. This means that there are many of the same humiliated and inconspicuous. "Little Man" is a generalized image. Gogol succeeded in very plausibly and, meanwhile, satirically showing the main character, a society where such injustice flourishes. The author urges to pay attention to the "little man", to remember about his existence.

But all life is subject only to external gloss and brilliance. Hence the veneration of rank, admiration for superiors and neglect of the rest: “There can be no close relations between us. Judging by the buttons of your uniform, you must serve in another department. Only appearance is the main criterion by which people are divided into those who need to be noticed and who are not.

It cannot be said that people do not see that they are causing pain and suffering to others. All this is well understood. And Gogol knew it. Some offenders of Akaki Akakievich even sometimes experienced pangs of conscience because of their actions. Suffice it to recall a young employee who played a joke on the main character. This man suddenly realized, “how much inhumanity is in a person, how much ferocious rudeness is hidden ...”

The episode of the resurrection of Akaky Akakievich, who now wanders around St. Petersburg and rips off overcoats and fur coats from passers-by, is fantastic. Such is Bashmachkin's revenge. He calms down only when he rips off the overcoat from the "significant person", who greatly influenced the fate of the hero.

I think that this moment can be considered the climax, because only now justice has triumphed to some extent. Only now Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin is growing up in his own eyes. According to Gogol, even in the life of the most insignificant person there are moments when he can become a strong personality, able to stand up for himself.

The genius of this work lies in the fact that, while reading the story, you involuntarily think about how you yourself relate to the people around you, and whether there are people like Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin among them.

The role of hyperbole in the depiction of Bashmachkin in N.V. Gogol "Overcoat"

The story "The Overcoat" by N.V. Gogol is included in the cycle "Petersburg Tales". In it, the writer depicts the life and customs of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg, draws their psychology. The story "The Overcoat" is considered an outstanding work of Gogol. Its ideological and artistic features were appreciated by many Russian and foreign writers. "The Overcoat" is considered an example of a Russian realistic story. No wonder the writers of subsequent generations believed that "they all came out of Gogol's" Overcoat ".

In the center of the story is the fate of the lowest-ranking official Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin. Gogol describes to us the life and death of a "little" man. In order to reveal the image of Bashmachkin deeper and more fully, Gogol uses such an artistic device as hyperbole. We can say that realism, hyperbole and fantasy are intertwined in the image of Akaky Akakievich. Hyperbolic notes are seen everywhere, already starting with the description of the hero's baptism. They suffered for a long time, choosing the name of the baby, but they did not find anything better than the name Akaki: “Well, I can already see that, apparently, such is his fate. If so, let it be better to call him like his father. The father was Akaki, and let the son be Akaki. Thus, the inevitability of the fate of the hero is emphasized. His ancestors were petty officials, and he himself cannot jump above his head. Bashmachkin's speech looks hyperbolic. He speaks only in prepositions, adverbs and particles, he cannot finish the phrase in any way. This emphasizes the hero's extreme timidity, downtroddenness, and uncertainty.

The hyperbole intensifies when the description of Akaky Akakievich's service in the department begins. A man who did not shine with his mind and had no interests other than official ones, Akaky Akakievich lived with his papers: “It was hardly possible to find a person who would live like that in his position ... he served with love.” Indeed, in a simple rewriting of papers, he found his "diverse and pleasant world." Only no one noticed his service zeal, he received the smallest salary in the department, but he didn’t care: “Outside of this rewriting, it seemed that nothing existed for him.” We can say that Bashmachkin was happy in his own way. But the peaceful course of his life was disrupted by an emergency: Akaky Akakievich urgently needed to sew a new overcoat. For this, he had to cut himself in everything: not to light a candle once again, not to have dinner in the evenings, to walk the streets on tiptoe so as not to rub shoes, not to wear underwear, and so on. He more than replaced all these hardships with the thought of a future overcoat. This thought became a friend for him, brightening up his lonely, miserable life: “He somehow became more alive, even firmer in character, like a man who had already defined and set himself a goal.” Providence itself helped Akaky Akakievich, and soon he scored the coveted eighty rubles. Together with the tailor Petrovich, they chose all the best, and, finally, the overcoat was ready.

We can say that the overcoat brought Bashmachkin back to life. For the first time in several years, he went out onto the evening streets of St. Petersburg, drew attention to the huge changes that had taken place in the city, admired the female leg depicted in the shop window, and ironically (!) Smiled when he saw the hairstyle of some dandy.

But the transformation of Akaky Akakievich did not last long. He didn't even spend a day in his new clothes. It was stolen the next day in the evening. It was a terrible shock for Bashmachkin. He decided on an unprecedented act for him - to fight for his overcoat. But the bureaucratic machine did not give him any chance. Bashmachkin even got to the "significant person" and dared to contradict him. A "significant person" accused Bashmachkin of freethinking. After that, “Akaky Akakievich froze, staggered, trembled all over and could not stand in any way ... he would have flopped on the floor; they carried him out almost motionless.” After that, Bashmachkin fell ill and died. This also manifests hyperbole: the overcoat has become for the hero the goal, meaning, support of his whole life. He could no longer exist without her.

But the story doesn't end there. Further, hyperbole develops into fantasy. Petersburg, a ghost appeared in the form of an official. He was looking for the missing overcoat and, under this pretext, tore off the overcoats from all passers-by, regardless of rank. In this walking dead man they recognized Akaky Akakievich. In the end, the “significant person” also suffered from the “hands” of the ghost, who also lost his overcoat: “I need your overcoat! He didn’t bother about mine, and even scolded it - now give yours!”

So, after the death of Bashmachkin, justice is restored. In addition, Gogol's thought about the equality of all people is heard in fantastic scenes. Their difference is only in overcoats, and the human essence is the same for everyone. We can say that in these scenes he comes to the defense of a small man, "humiliated and insulted." A man who lost his essence and became a faceless cog in the huge machine of St. Petersburg.

Thus, when creating the image of Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin, the main artistic device is hyperbole, which develops into fantasy. The whole image of Bashmachkin is filled with exaggeration. Sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish where are the real facts from the life of a poor official, and where hyperbole is already being applied. It seems to me that the author uses this artistic technique in order to show the horror of the situation of a small person in a big city. Such an existence depends not only on the superior people who have power, but also on the smallest person who allows himself to exist, like a plant.

Analysis of N. Gogol's story "Overcoat: the image of a" little man "

The theme of the story "The Overcoat" by Gogol is the story of the fate of the "little man", that is, a person insignificant in society. The protagonist of the story "The Overcoat", the official Bashmachkin, looks like a miserable person, because he has neither power, nor money, nor fame. But the "little man" in reality is not a nonentity - it is the same person as everyone else. He is able to feel, suffer, and his feelings, troubles and joys are no less important than those of some brave hero, intellectual or aristocrat.

The hero of Gogol's story "The Overcoat" is a lower-ranking official - Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin. He lives in Petersburg, in poverty. After all, his meager rank and salary do not allow him anything in life. He does not have a family, because he simply cannot support it, he does not know fun and entertainment. However, Bashmachkin is satisfied with such a simple, modest existence, limited from all sides, because he does not know another.

The characterization of Akaky Akakievich in "The Overcoat" would be incomplete if we did not note such features of him as slow-wittedness and timidity. He was not accustomed to think and reason about anything. Therefore, he is incapable of any other service than copying papers.

The role of the overcoat in Gogol's story is symbolic, because the acquisition of a new overcoat was for Bashmachkin like a stepping stone to a new life. The overcoat is a symbol of the joy of life and human dignity.

When the purchase of a new overcoat has become a necessary goal for the hero, for the sake of it he exposes himself to austerity: he saves on washing clothes, does not allow himself tea, does not light candles, even walks on tiptoe so that his boots do not wear out. And when the new overcoat is ready, the hero seems to wake up and begin to feel self-respect. When it is stolen, it causes such a protest in poor Akaky Akakievich, such a shock, as if the world is turning upside down. For the first time, the submissive and intimidated Akaki Akakievich allows himself to rebel.

The "little man" with his grief turned out to be useless to anyone. Powerful and rich personalities do not want to help him when he knocks on their doorsteps, asking to find thieves. When Bashmachkin dies, no one notices his death, and another petty official takes his place.

The problem of the story "The Overcoat" by Gogol lies in the formulation of the problem of human dignity of the "little man". The hero of "The Overcoat", as best he can, enters the struggle and tries to defend his dignity and the right to a better life.

The idea of ​​Gogol's "Overcoat" is that the writer showed the injustice and cruelty of society in relation to "small", but honest and conscientious people. He recalls that all people are worthy of respect, regardless of their social status.

"Overcoat".

The main idea of ​​the "Overcoat" is very sublime. We can say with confidence that this small work, in terms of the depth of the idea, stands above everything written by Gogol. In "The Overcoat" he does not expose anyone. Gogol speaks here with an evangelical sermon of love for one's neighbors; in the image of a hero, he draws a “poor in spirit”, a “small” person, “insignificant”, inconspicuous and claims that this creature is worthy of both human love and even respect. It was difficult to put forward such a "bold" idea at a time when the average public was still under the influence of the spectacular heroes of Marlinsky and his imitators, and all the more credit to Gogol that he decided to say his word in defense of the "humiliated and insulted" hero, not even being afraid put him on a pedestal.

The little man from The Overcoat - Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin, a low-ranking official, offended by fate and people, not endowed with any abilities other than the ability to beautifully rewrite papers (see his description in the text of the work), is represented by Gogol as a man who not only conscientiously, but even lovingly doing his job. This business, copying papers, is the whole meaning and only joy of his lonely, half-starved life, he dreams of nothing else, strives for nothing, and is incapable of anything else. When the hero of the "Overcoat" was given independent work in the form of a promotion, he was unable to complete it and asked to be left in correspondence. This consciousness of his spiritual impotence bribes the viewer, disposes him in favor of the modest Bashmachkin.

Gogol "Overcoat". Illustration by P. Fedorov

But Gogol in his story demands respect for this man, who, in the words of the gospel parable, was given "one talent", and this "talent" was not buried by him in the ground. Bashmachkin, according to Gogol, is superior to gifted officials who occupy prominent positions, but carelessly perform their duties.

But not only respect for Bashmachkin, as a modest and honest worker, Gogol demands in his story, he demands love for him as a "man". This is the high moral idea of ​​the Overcoat.

Not hoping that modern readers will be able to understand this work and understand its “idea” themselves, Gogol reveals it himself, depicting the state of mind of one sensitive young man who, thanks to a meeting with the “little man” Bashmachkin, understood the great feeling of Christian love for near. Selfish and frivolous young people, in bureaucratic uniforms, loved to make fun of the ridiculous and unresponsive old man. The hero of The Overcoat dutifully endured everything, only occasionally repeating in a pathetic voice: “Leave me! Why do you offend me?" And Gogol continues:

“And there was something strange about the words and the voice with which they were spoken. There was something in him that bowed to pity, that one young man, who, following the example of others, had allowed himself to laugh at him, suddenly stopped, as if pierced, and since then, as if everything had changed in front of him and seemed in a different way. Some unnatural force pushed him away from the comrades he met, mistaking them for decent, secular people. And for a long time afterwards, in the midst of the most merry moments, he would imagine a short official, with a bald head on his forehead, with his penetrating words: "Leave me! Why do you offend me?" And in these penetrating words other words rang out: "I am your brother!" And the poor young man covered himself with his hand, and he shuddered many times later in his lifetime, seeing how much inhumanity is in a person, how much ferocious rudeness is hidden in refined, educated secularism and, God! even in that person whom the world recognizes as noble and honest!”

The little man Bashmachkin lived inconspicuously and died just as unknown, forgotten ... His life was not rich in impressions. That is why the biggest events in her were the terrifying realization that he needed to buy a new overcoat, joyful dreams about this overcoat, his delight when the overcoat was on his shoulders, and, finally, his torment when this overcoat was stolen from him and when it turned out to be impossible to find it ... All these various feelings associated with the greatcoat burst into his existence like a hurricane and crushed him in a short time. The hero of The Overcoat died from the same insignificant cause as the Gogol old-world landowners, and this happened for the same reason: his life was too empty, and therefore every chance grew to gigantic proportions in this empty life. What for another person living a full life would be an unpleasant, but secondary circumstance, for Bashmachkin became the only content of life.

It should also be noted that Gogol's "Overcoat" is organically connected with the Russian novel of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Gogol had predecessors in Russian literature who also portrayed little people. Among the works of Chulkov there is a story "A Bitter Fate", in which an official is deduced - the prototype of Bashmachkin. The same insignificant petty existence of the hero, the same sympathetic, humane attitude of the author towards him. And sentimentalism brought with it the sermon of love for the little man, and Karamzin made a great discovery in his Poor Lisa: “peasant women can feel too.” Behind his “Flor Silin, the virtuous peasant”, images of various little people became favorite in our literature, in whose hearts the authors revealed high feelings of love for people, for their homeland, for their duty. Pushkin, in Masha Mironova and her parents, opened a whole world of sublime feelings in the hearts of rustic Russian people. In a word, this humane, noble attention to those little people, by whom the crowd indifferently passes, has become a tradition of Russian literature, and therefore Gogol's "Overcoat" is organically connected with all previous Russian fiction. Gogol said in "The Overcoat" a "new word" only in the sense that he found the sublime in the "ridiculous", "miserable" and managed to embody his idea as artistically as his predecessor in the 18th century, Chulkov, failed to do.

Gogol "Overcoat". audiobook

Gogol's story is of great importance for subsequent Russian literature. “We all came out of Gogol's Overcoat!” - said Dostoevsky, and, indeed, many of his stories, stories, the most humane in mood, respond to the influence of Gogol. All the first works of Dostoevsky ("Poor people", "Humiliated and insulted"), all this is the development of Gogol's humane ideas, embodied in his "Overcoat". Foreign criticism notes that one of the most characteristic features of Russian literature must be recognized as the tendency to preach compassion for the fallen brother, or in general for the unfortunate, offended by fate and people. This is, indeed, our literary tradition, and in the history of the strengthening and development of love for the "little man" Gogol's touching "Overcoat" occupies the most prominent place.