The Overcoat

Historical Context and Significance

The Overcoat is a short story by Russian writer Nikolai Gogol, first published in 1842. It is part of a series of works collectively known as the Petersburg Tales. The story describes the life and tragedy of a minor clerk, Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin, whose life changes radically after the loss of his new overcoat. The work played a significant role in shaping 19th-century Russian literature, influencing the development of the social novel and realism. The Overcoat has been the subject of analysis and a source of inspiration for many generations of writers and critics, among whom Fyodor Dostoevsky claimed that all Russian realist writers emerged from Gogol's The Overcoat.