Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Nikolai Gogol's The Overcoat. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.
The Overcoat: Introduction
The Overcoat: Plot Summary
The Overcoat: Detailed Summary & Analysis
The Overcoat: Themes
The Overcoat: Quotes
The Overcoat: Characters
The Overcoat: Symbols
The Overcoat: Theme Wheel
Brief Biography of Nikolai Gogol
Historical Context of The Overcoat
Other Books Related to The Overcoat
- Full Title: The Overcoat
- When Published: 1842
- Literary Period: Realism, 19th Century Russian Literature
- Genre: Short Story, Satire
- Setting: St. Petersburg, Russia
- Climax: Akaky Akakievich’s new overcoat is stolen.
- Point of View: Third-person omniscient
Extra Credit for The Overcoat
Gogol the incompetent. The University of St. Petersburg hired Gogol as a professor of medieval history in 1834. Having no real knowledge of medieval history, Gogol delivered incomprehensible lectures and pretended that he had a toothache during the final examination, sitting in silence as another professor questioned his students. Gogol resigned from the professorship in 1835.
Gogol after death. Gogol was originally buried at the Danilov Monastery in Moscow, but in 1931, authorities had Gogol’s remains transferred from the monastery to the Novodevichy Cemetery. His body was found face down, which sparked rumors that Gogol was buried alive.