“The Nose”, By Nikolai Gogol is a story that brings various interesting thoughts and images to my mind. Surprisingly, the first thing that came to my mind when I reflect on the story is my encounter with a policeman. Not only did the policeman not do justice in my eyes, he abused his power and displayed his authority over me. I was driving 41 MPH on a 35, about a month after I got my license. I saw the police lights and I deservingly got pulled over. When he came to my car he was very obnoxious. I guess he felt powerful over a newly driving 17 year old. He came back with not one, but two tickets. The first one I deserved for speeding (I guess. Is 41 in a 35 really that bad???), but the second one was totally made up. It was for not putting on a blinker (which I made sure to do when I pulled over), and when I asked him why he gave me it to me, he replied “because there is nothing you can do about it, go fight it in court.” I was shocked by that response, but in fact I was able to do absolutely nothing about. I had to pay both tickets and was stuck with points on my license. He definitely let his ego and social status get to him, and I had to suffer for it. 
The next thing I though about was the approach Gogol took to prove his point. I would understand if the man felt so embarrassed and refused to go outside, but the fact that the nose took on so many different characters confused me a bit. Additionally, why would he be afraid to speak to a high official looking like this:
I find it quite comical. I guess Kovaloff was too consumed with the symbols of status. It seems like even if there were a baby dressed up in that same uniform he would be scared to approach it, strictly because of its attire.
Another funny thing that came to mind and is worth mentioning is the fact that while I was reading some parts, the functions of my olfactory system seemed to be inactive. I then realized this is a normal occurrence with many of my senses. Like when your mouth waters when your look at these:
Or kind of like when you are watching someone hold their breath underwater, and you start to feel your breath begin to shorten, for example in this video.
I found this work by Gogol to be very intriguing. It was a great read with a great story line that kept me engaged. Gogol found a way to portray his point in a humorous, yet intellectual way. I found this story to be very different than Metamorphosis because of the comedy, compared to the dreariness and sadness of the Samsa family. I was not able to read the nose without cracking a smile compared to my straight face throughout the whole Metamorphosis novel. The one thing they did have in common was the confusion in the beginning of the book. They both start out with a seemingly disoriented point that ends up coming together to prove a very relevant issue.
I first want to say sorry to you for that awful story with the policeman. If that whole account was true (not that I’m doubting you), then I hope you went to court and rightfully absolved yourself from points and payment for the bogus ticket. Abusing authority is certainly an underlying theme in the book, however it was not the first that came to my mind. The whole episode of the nose parading around in public as a high ranking officer is admittedly bizarre, and their whole encounter, with the nose eventually slipping out of the room, nothing if not entertaining.
I think it’s very fun that your nose felt strange during the story; to be that engrossed in what you are reading is certainly a fun experience. The video you posted of the man under water definitely had me panting by the end as well. I do not know if I agree with your contrast regarding humor between the Metamorphosis and the Nose because I though the Metamorphosis was strangely humorous in its own right, but the Nose had a much more obvious humor than the Metamorphosis.
Your story about the cop and the two tickets you received – that’s crazy. I remember when I was in driver’s ed, and my teacher told us about power-hungry police officers that would do things like that. I really like how this could be tied back to The Nose, because this officer felt superior to you. I was also very confused as to why the nose took on different forms, and I’m glad you put that image in because I was really having a hard time envisioning it. In addition, I agree with your final point; as I started reading both this and Metamorphosis, an overall sense of confusion filled my mind, yet I had a clearer sense after finishing both short stories.