A Comparison of Nicholi Gogol's & Ghulam Abbas' Overcoat by Muhammad Adnan Akram, Waheed Ahmed & Tayyab Mehmood Ehsan students of MPhil English Literature, The University of Lahore - Chenab Campus, Gujrat, Pakistan.

2. Overcoat
A Short Story/Film by Ghulam Abbas & Nicholi Gogol
ⅎ Muhammad Adnan Akram (adnanaqram@gmail.com)
ⅎ Waheed Ahmed (vahiidahmed@gmail.com)
ⅎ Tayyab Mehmood Ehsan (tayyabayub2@gmail.com)
The University of Lahore – Chenab Campus, Gujrat, Pakistan

3. • Full Name – Nikolay Vasilyevich Gogol
• Birth – March 19, 1809, Sorochintsy,
Poltava, Ukraine
• Schooling – In 1821, enters local high
school at Nezhin, where he
gains reputation as a talented
comic actor
• Journey to
St. Petersburg – 1828 Gogol leaves the Ukraine for St.
Petersburg, with hopes to
achieve eminence as either a
civil servant, an actor or a
writer.

4. • Struggle – In 1829, publishes ‘Hans Kuchelgarten’
under a pseudonym. Poem receives
negative criticism, Gogol collects all unsold
copies and burns them.
Tries his luck as an actor, but his audition
turns out to be a unsuccessful one.
In 1831 – Gets Lecturership of history at
the Patriotic Institute, a young ladies
college.
• Acquaintance
with Pushkin – In 1831, meets the great Russian
poet Aleksandr Pushkin who becomes a
great friend and influence until his death in
1837.

5. • Turn to full-time
writing – In 1834-35, when his position as assistant
lecturer in World History at the University
of St. Petersburg fails.
• Notable Work – Evenings on A Farm Near Dikanka
(1831-32) which was a huge success.
Mirgorod (1835) – A collection of short stories
The Nose (1835) - A masterful comic short
story was later turned into an opera
Diary of A Madman (1835)
Dead Souls (1842) – Regarded as first
modern Russian novel
Shinel “The Overcoat” (1843) – Published
along with his earlier unpublished work
comprised on 4 volumes

6. • Journey to Rome – Leaves Russia in 1837 for a tour to Rome
and settles there for next 11 years
• Death – In1852 , Moscow from continuous sickness
and emaciation from starving himself.

7. • Full Name – Ghulam Abbas
• Birth – In 1909 Amritsar,
British Punjab
• Occupation – Writer, Magazine Editor,
Translator
• Organizations – All India Radio
during World War II,
known for short stories
• Notable Work – Jarre ki Chandni,
Kan Ras, Al-Ḥamra ke Afsane,
Jazira-e-Suhan’waran, Overcoat
• Awards – In 1967, Sitara-e-Imtiaz
• Death – Nov 2, 1982 (aged 72–73) Karachi, Pakistan

8. Story

9. • In Abbas’s Overcoat, the
young-man receives respect
& good response because of
outlook.
• In new overcoat Akaky also
receives warmth from his
colleagues. So it is a slap on
the society’s face as it judges
form outlook only.
• Akaky’s dedication and hard
work seems to be worthless
whereas his new overcoat
attracts everybody.
• Both characters of the two
writers also get attracted
towards the people only
because of their dresses as in
Abbas’ overcoat – ‘It was their
clothes rather than their faces
that attracted his attention.’

10. • Both characters feel
themselves as important
figures of society in overcoat.
• Akaky is an unimportant and
dead part of the society in old
overcoat but soon after
wearing the new coat he
becomes important. He starts
looking beyond his range and
having social life. He
becomes lively and sees
shops, girls, their dresses and
for the first time in his life he
spends evening with his
colleagues.
• Abbas’ young-man is so lively
and happy in overcoat. His
smiles, confidence, gate and
twirling of willow-stick in joyful
mood is all because of his
overcoat.

11. • The young-man of Abbas has
worn the overcoat to fit in the
society whereas from inside
he is dirty. Covering his inner
self under an overcoat, he
seems to be very happy and
satisfied.
• Akaky is satisfied with his old
overcoat and only goes for
mending it since he feels cold
in it. He has nothing to do with
the society and their thoughts
about him.
• So the motifs of wearing the
overcoats are in contrast.

12. • Both the stories depict
different yardsticks for the
status.
• Abbas’s character enjoys
repute because of overcoat
and good looks whereas
Gogol’s ‘Important person’
enjoys good status because
of ‘disregard of the poor and
having a mistress’ just
because of that is what is
fashionable for high ranking
officials.
• Being important is relative as
in our society true followers of
west depicted as important
whereas in Russia those who
follow the fowl ways and
hierarchy like ‘important
person’ are considered
important.

13. • Akaky exercises all the fair
means and does not bribe or
butter his supervisors. Hence
he is made to stand as a clerk
throughout his life whereas
young people go otherwise
and promoted to higher ranks.
• Gogol establishes a moral
lesson as people can an be
horribly cruel to one another,
especially through systems of
dehumanization or
oppressions and its crucial to
recognize that we are all, at
heart, “brothers”.
• Abbas’s Overcoat also shows
inability of the system to
provide necessary
requirement to meet both
ends and people are
compelled to hide themselves
under superficial overcoats.

14. • Supernatural element is seen
in the Gogol’s story and story
goes further even after the
death of the protagonist.
• Abbas’s overcoat has no
supernatural element and
story ends on the tragic death
of the protagonist.
• Revenge is an element of
contrast as it is taken through
the Akaky’s ghost in Gogol’s
story.
• No revenge is seen in
Abbas’s overcoat.

15. • Abbas used the willow stick in
the story symbolically as it is
used by the British for support
but at the end when the
protagonist is found in trouble
that support is seen to be lost
somewhere and the story
ends with it.
• Gogol’s ‘Important Person’ is
a support in Russian society
that fails to aid the protagonist
in the very moment of trouble.

16. • Akaky’s revenge is taken by
his ghost which appears after
his death.
• Existence of another ghosts in
the society shows that there
are individuals other than
Akaky who have been
wronged by their superiors in
Russia.
• The ghosts great strength
illustrated by his large fist and
moustaches intimate us that
the power of oppressed is
growing.
• No such ghosts are found in
Abbas’ work.

17. • Akaky is shown an un-
important figure while he lives
and after death he becomes
important and topic of the
town. He gains significance
after the death.
• Abbas’ young-man is
important and reputable until
he remains hidden under the
overcoat while he lives. After
death he becomes
insignificant.

18. • Anger is found in both the
characters. In one it is
repressed and in others it is
expressed.
• Akaky’s cursing just before
his death shows his
expressed anger regarding
his maltreatment and injustice
in his life and after death
towards the society and the
‘important person’.
• Abbas’ character exhibits
repressed anger and only
appears to be smiling
throughout the story but his
death reveals the tragic story
and reader actually comes to
understand the meaning of
his smile.

19. • Akaky’s poverty does not
allow him to buy a new
overcoat and he suffers
almost a year to save enough
money for it.
• It effects him even after his
death as he is buried in the
cheapest possible coffin and
nothing notable is found from
his residence.
• Abbas’ young-man also
suffers it after his death when
his overcoat is removed and
pockets are searched.

20. • Gogol emphasizes the value
of material goods not only for
basic human survival but also
for emotional and spiritual
well being. His comparison of
the coat to a wife illustrates
the sense of comfort and
safety that garment will bring.
• Having new overcoat changes
the whole perspective of life in
Akaky.
• Abbas is short of space for
such details but he also
establishes it through the
smiles and comforts of the his
character.

21. • Gogol depicts Akaky as an
unimpressive character
throughout his story through
which he wins sympathy of
the reader.
• Abbas young-man is shown
very well-to-do throughout
and at the end his reality
touches the readers.