After reading Kafka’s Metamorphosis, I wasn’t really surprised or disturbed by Gogol’s The Nose. In fact, I found the story to be very interesting but also very confusing. When reading the short story, many questions popped into my head. It was hard to wrap my head around the idea of a man losing his nose.
“Snap Poll: Amare Staying Put. Happy Face or Sad Face? – Bright Side Of The Sun.” Bright Side Of The Sun, a Phoenix Suns community. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. <http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2010/2/18/1316556/snap-poll-amare-staying-put-happy>.
The story begins with Ivan Jakovlevitch finding a nose in his bread. When I read that part, I didn’t even know what to think. How did someone lose his nose? How did the nose end up inside a piece of bread? I was very confused and horrified. If I found a nose in my food, I would definitely freak out.
“Freaked Out Smiley by freakedsmileyplz on deviantART.” freakedsmileyplz (Icon for useage) on deviantART. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. <http://freakedsmileyplz.deviantart.com/art/Freaked-Out-Smiley-89943884>.
The story continues with Kovaloff waking up without a nose. All I could imagine was Voldemort from Harry Potter. Although Kovaloff’s face was perfectly smooth where his nose should be, I assumed he had some kind of nose hole so he could breathe like Voldemort.
“NewsWARP: BOOKS: Harry Potter and the Absolutely Absurd Letter.”NewsWARP. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. <http://news-warp.blogspot.com/2012/05/books-harry-potter-and-absolutely.html>.
Somehow Kovaloff’s nose starts walking the streets in a uniform. I was unsure if the nose had transformed into a person or if a giant, people-sized nose started walking and talking.
“Traumafessions:: Reader Alicia on Giant Nose-Face Ad.” Kindertrauma. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. <http:// http://www.kindertrauma.com/?p=2451>.
“Nose Clip Art Royalty Free. 10,530 nose clipart vector EPS illustrations and images available to search from over 15 stock illustration companies..” Stock Photography – Search 16.5 Million Stock Photos, Stock Footage Video Clips, Royalty Free Images, and Illustrations. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. <http://www.fotosearch.com/clip-art/nose.html>.
The story ends with Kovaloff waking up with his nose back on his face. At first, I thought that the nose turned back into a nose and somehow reattached itself back onto his face. But then, I thought maybe Kovaloff was dreaming the whole time and that the events that happened didn’t actually occur. Maybe the whole story was just a dream?
“Two Scientists Create Sleep Mask That Lets People Control Their Dreams | Elite Daily.” Elite Daily | The Online Destination for Generation Y. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. <http://elitedaily.com/news/world/scientists-create-sleep-mask-lets-people-control-dreams/>.
When I was reading the short story, I also had many different questions about it. How did the nose even end up in the bread? Not just anyone’s bread, but that of the Major’s barber? What was Gogol’s intention of such details? In addition, I found it interesting how you thought the whole story was perhaps just a dream, because it is indeed very difficult to believe that anyone has lost his/her nose! I personally would like it more if the entire story was not a dream. I found it amusing witnessing the Major’s reactions, as you never know how a dignified individual will respond to his missing nose. It’s always fun to imagine such scenarios.