Question

In Gogles story "The Nose" a character loses his nose. He worries that without a nose he will not be able to get what he wants. When he tries to place an ad in a newspaper to find the nose,the editor refuses because it would make the newspaper look bad. What statement about Russian Society at the time might Gogol have been making?

A) people read the newspaper too much
B)people are not politically ambitious
C)people are more concerned with appearance than reality
D)People are too concerned about doing the right thing

Answer 1

Gogol's "The Nose" likely implies that Russian society valued appearances over reality, as suggested by the protagonist's concern over his image and the editor's refusal to run an ad to find the missing nose, maintaining the newspaper's decorum.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Nikolai Gogol's story "The Nose," the character losing his nose and the newspaper editor's refusal to run the advertisement can be seen as a commentary on the Russian Society of the time. Gogol might be stating that people are more concerned with appearance than reality. This is shown through the protagonist's worry over his social image without his nose, as well as through the newspaper editor's concern about maintaining the newspaper's respectable appearance, rather than addressing the peculiar but genuine concern of the protagonist.

The societal backdrop for intellectuals in Russia included harsh repercussions for engaging with politics, with many facing arrest and exile. This created a tension between expressing genuine concerns and maintaining a facade of adherence to societal norms. The refusal to publish the ad reflects a society more concerned with maintaining the image of stability and normalcy, even in the face of absurd or troubling incidents. Therefore, Gogol's work could be interpreted as a critique of the superficial values of society, prioritizing reputation over the acknowledgment of truth and reality.