Click on image to view animated collage
My creative project focuses on the theme of identity. Throughout Gogol’s “The Nose,” the characters’ identities seem to be derived from their appearances and how the rest of society perceives them. For instance, Kovaloff identifies the nose as a highly ranked official because of his uniform. Although Kovaloff himself is a major, his identity and sense of authority diminishes upon losing his nose. He covers his missing organ with a handkerchief because he fears that his peers will apprehend him as one of lower social standing.
Completed Collage – Click on image to view larger
The images in my collage are placed on ascending steps to illustrate the relationship between social rank and identity. The nose is placed on the upper-most level and is clearly classified as an official, as indicated by its reflection. Below the nose, is a handkerchief, which is representative of Kovaloff upon losing his nose. The question marks in his reflection demonstrate his loss of identity and the uncertainty of his ranking now that he is missing a vital organ. The deconstruction of my collage depicts the idea that identity does not have to be dictated by society, on the basis of appearances and social standing. The empty reflections on the mirrors show that only we have the power to determine our own identities. The erasure of all the question marks in the collage further emphasizes this concept.
I agree with your analysis of “The Nose.” The theme of the loss of identity in terms of the nose holding all of the social status and literally the identity of Kovaloff is prevalent in Gogol’s story. His embarrassment after losing his nose shows the importance of his reputation and ego. I like how you portray the idea that we determine ourselves.
I like the way you used the steps as an illustration for your theme. It was a very smart way to show your interpretation of “social class” in The Nose. I also enjoyed the way you compiled all your images so cleverly. The mirror played well in representing Kovaloff’s “double” identity- before and after he loses his nose.
When I finished watching the GIF, I was confused by your deconstruction of it, and was pleasantly surprised to read your idea behind it. The entire collage shows a different side of the emphasis of identity in the story that I never saw before. I think you achieved a very powerful message with your collage!