When I read “The Nose” by Nikolai Gogol, the first thing that came to my mind was Billy from “The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.” To me the best visual representation of Kovaloff without his nose was Billy. In the episode, “Wild Parts”, Billy loses his nose and proceeds to cry and whine about his missing nose. This is very similar to Kovaloff because both characters are unhappy with their loss and attempt to retrieve what they had lost in a sloppy fashion.
I understood the plot of “The Nose”, but I didn’t understand the purpose of the story. I was positive that there is more to the story than just about a man who lost and found his nose. It was an irritating feeling.
Thankfully, we went over the story in class and I now know it was about social class. “The Nose” references social class by animating Kovaloff’s nose and bestowing it a higher rank than Kovaloff. His nose is given the ability of speech and movement. I had an extremely difficult time visualizing what a nose would sound like and look like in a uniform. I had a vague feeling that it would move and make sounds somewhat similar to this youtube video.
Kovaloff’s nose in the story is able to produce human sounds and words, but in my mind noses cannot talk. Hence the muffled noises in the video was what I was able to imagine. In the libretto version I see the actor of the nose in a large nose costume.
When Kovaloff sees his nose, he is easily distracted by a beautiful lady. I don’t understand why he would divert his attention away from his precious nose. His actions don’t make sense because he prioritizes his nose, but the sight of a woman distracts him. The worse part is that the distraction is not justified because he cannot approach her without a nose. Kovaloff cares far too much about his social status to ruin his image and approach her. He should have concentrated all of his attention on regaining his nose, but instead he is pointlessly distracted.
The story at first was strange and I disliked it because I could not understand the meaning behind it. But after I was told it represented social class. I was able to connect the dots between the characters and their actions. I’m sure I would have enjoyed the story more if I had an idea of its purpose while I was reading it.
Citations
“Wild Parts.” The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. Cartoon Network. Atlanta. 3 Jun. 2005. Television.
Oasis1822. “Talking nose.” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 24 Mar. 2008. Web. 7 Oct. 2013.
ZYRTEC. 19 Mar. 2010. Photograph. Geppetto Studios, Inc. Web. 7 Oct. 2013.
Link to annoyed face:
http://media.photobucket.com/user/4chanRus/media/Awesome%20Face/1213137359305.jpg.html?filters[term]=annoyed%20face&filters[primary]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=13
I agree with everything you said. I had the exact same experience. I had no idea what the nose represented and was frustrated by it. It was only until our discussion in class when I finally made some connections. I also agree with your opinion when Kovaloff gets distracted by the woman. It is very strange what he prioritizes.
I definitely agree with your post. For me, the plot and language wasn’t hard to understand; however, the concept and purpose was. In addition, it was difficult to picture a talking nose in a uniform. It wasn’t until our discussion in class that I began to make the connections. Knowing that the story represents social classes made it easier to understand Gogol’s reasoning. I also think you made a good point with the woman. I didn’t think to much of it until you pointed it out. It is definitely strange how he was so easily distracted by a woman. That moment shows his priorities and emphasizes the theme of social status.
The whole time I was reading the absurdity that is a walking nose, I was simply trying to picture how it would look like. I wasn’t sure if I should have been imagining a human sized nose or a regular sized nose. So it never really occurred to me that it was talking to until you pointed it out. I really enjoyed your talking nose video, I laughed. The longer I looked at the video, the more I saw empty black eyes instead of nostrils. I probably imagined more of a stuffed nose noise, like when you’re trying to blow your nose in the winter when nothing’s coming out, than articulated words.
I can relate to your experience of trying to decipher the symbolic meaning behind the nose during my first read before the class Monday. I also had a hard time trying to picture what the nose really looks like and how it talked. I think you did a good job in depicting those with the videos. I found it interesting how you pointed out that Kovaloff was distracted by a lady during his search for the nose. This scene really emphasizes Kovaloff’s top priority.
After I read your observation about Major Kovaloff’s easily diverted attention, I couldn’t help but think about Gregor Samsa of “Metamorphosis”. Gregor Samsa does not react to the situation at hand. He does not express his concern over the fact that he has mysteriously transformed into a cockroach overnight. Instead, he worries about his family’s financial condition and the mundane issues that do not require so much thought. Similarly, Major Kovaloff strays from the actual question and opts to focus on his appearance and prestige. His nonchalance bothered me. I was hoping that he would jolt back to reality and realize that he is missing one of the most vital body parts—a nose, for crying out loud! His concern about how he will face people highlights his overwhelming materialistic interests. After his unrelenting insistence that he was a “Major” and therefore, a superior personality, I lost sympathy for him. In addition, I thought he would suffer the ramifications of his false pride in the end. However, I was a little surprised when the author resolved the problem and gave him back his nose.