Completed Collage (Midpoint) Below
The idea for my animation has been quite simple. In the construction phase of the anime I try to show Nose’s theme of “social hierarchy” by constructing a social pyramid. I start with a bunch of kneeling people on the bottom, then less standing people on top of them, after that I placed several successful people in suits above, and finally I placed a nose wearing a crown on the very top. The nose being a sarcasm of the nose in the play that obtained a high ranking position of course. Advancing into the deconstruction phase, I attempt to display the fact that social hierarchy is held up by the mass amount of lower class people. As the lower class people disappear, the higher class falls down and losses their power.
The simplicity of your animation made it easy for me to understand. I like how you made references to our society’s hierarchy with the stick figures in suits. The use of the desert environment and pyramid looks similar to the depiction of the Egyptian hierarchy. I’m surprised you put the nose on top and gave it a crown. In the story, the nose took a higher position, but I didn’t think he was of royal status. Maybe to Kovaloff his nose was in a position that seemed beyond his reach. After finishing the creation portion of your collage, you didn’t mention the question marks. But I believe you were trying to convey confusion.
The destruction phrase is interesting and creative. It is true without the lower class there is nothing for the upper class to rule. Social classes are relative to one another. With nothing for each class to compare to then there are no social classes.
Your concept and its many allusions to various subjects is interesting.
I really like how straightforward your animation is. The social pyramid clearly depicts the concept of social ranking in Gogol’s “The Nose.” Although the nose is in an elevated position in the story, I agree with Alan that he wasn’t considered royalty. Nonetheless, I think your decision to put the nose at the highest level of your pyramid successfully emphasizes the hierarchical social structure that is evident in the story. My favorite part of your animation is the deconstruction. The way you portrayed the loss of power of the upper class is very effective. It reminded me of the animation in the opera, where the nose repeatedly climbed up and fell down the ladder.