The Nose was a very interesting piece by Gogol, written in the 1800s. At the end of all of this, I was not only intrigued but extremely confused. The text itself was easy to read, but the concepts were hard to understand, likely because we can’t imagine finding a nose in our bread in the morning.
This was one of the parts that I found really absurd. Why wasn’t the barber scared or horrified that he found a nose? If I found any body part in my breakfast, I would probably throw up and then scream. There also wasn’t much description to the nose. Was it a large nose? How were the nostrils? We don’t know. Why wasn’t his wife scared too? She just went to yelling at him! I found that funny, but still absurd. Wouldn’t she be scared? Wouldn’t she faint? I don’t know! Also, how did he know that nose belonged to the Collegiate Assessor?
(Source: http://laseoulguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Confused.jpg)
I was also confused about how the nose looked. Is this nose large? If he’s not, how can he make headlines? I don’t think I imagined him with legs and arms. I saw him as simply a nose. I imagined him bouncing around everywhere he went. Example below.
Source: http://www.clker.com/cliparts/S/C/0/s/f/x/nose-hi.png
I didn’t think it had eyes, hands, legs, or anything at all. He was just a nose. I noticed I’ve been using “he” to describe the nose the whole time. Is the nose really a “he” or an “it”? This really confused me too.
However, I was still really interested in this story. I didn’t realize the nose was a symbol of status until our get-together in the Skylight Room. It makes a lot more sense now. I found it hilarious, yet ridiculous that Kovalev couldn’t confront his own nose because the nose was of a higher status than he was. It just illustrates the obsessiveness of status in that society. Of all body parts, it was a nose. This is interesting because the nose is the center of your face. You need it, yet you cannot approach your OWN nose.
Going to the part where the part where the nose was supposed to be, do you think he looked like Voldemort? Even though the surface was as flat as a pancake, how did he breathe? He probably looked like Voldemort.
Source: http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11/118136/2216490-voldemort01.jpg
Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was a bit weird for me, but I thought it was a very interesting and articulate way to describe status in society.
Janice Fong
I completely understand and agree with how you feel. All of these questions came up in my head too. A nose is a nose, how is it able to act human? In my head I saw a giant nose with a uniform on it. The problem with the giant nose interpretation is that it doesn’t explain how it would return to the smaller size when it is given back to Kovaloff. The story itself leaves the reader with many unanswered questions. There should have been more information provided on the nose because of its importance in the story.
I believe the barber knew who the nose belonged to because he shaved the Collegiate Assessor face and many others before. I do find their reactions strange especially the wife of the barber. Without hesitation she accuses her husband of crime and threatens to report him. Ivan is not allowed to defend himself at all. She has not given him the benefit of doubt. Her lack of trust leads me to question their relationship.
Janice, your post is very thought provoking!
I really liked all the questions you asked in your mood diary. I asked a lot of the same things while I was reading. For the most part, I wondered what the nose looked like and how it was able to speak and walk. I also agree with you that it was strange how Kovaloff lost his nose as opposed to other body parts. I think you made an excellent point that you can’t approach your own nose. It definitely sparked a lot of confusion. The image of having a missing nose reminded me of Voldemort, as well.