Detailing the life of a poor and insignificant government clerk who leads a dull and lonely existence in St. Petersburg called Akaky Akakievich, Nikolai Gogol’s “The Overcoat” takes the devastating effects of a class-driven society and social hierarchy on an individual as its thematic focus, expanding its plot to also satirize and criticize the Russian state and its dysfunctional bureaucracy.

The novella begins with a detailed account of Akaky Akakievich and the surrounding area of St. Petersburg, with emphasis on the cold climate and his staple possession, the tattered overcoat. Over time, he becomes defined as his overcoat rather than his overcoat being a part of his definition or just another loose connotation, since everything he does is reflected on it too, Akaky getting himself dirty every day as he passes under the same window, him saving up money while making great sacrifices constituting a few good examples, making most of his life revolve around a thick, lifeless garment be it new or old. Gogol capitalizes on this fact and adds a variety of meanings and context to it, converting it into a wider metaphor representing many differing concepts.

In a society like Akaky’s, an overcoat of good quality is a symbol of wealth and stature, and the lack of a proper coat relegates him to the bottom rungs of society. As such, when Akaky does what is unexpected and buys a good coat for himself, much envy is raised upon him by his colleagues, as well as his superiors. This constitutes another metaphorical meaning of the overcoat however, the overcoat from then on represents also the illusion of upwards social mobility by collecting only its material outcomes, as Akaky believes that acquiring a new coat will change his life and that he will finally be able to fit in with his peers.

However, this belief is quickly shattered when he is robbed of his coat, and he is left in a worse position than he was before. As established in the introduction, the dehumanizing aspect of society is explored throughout the plot, and when Akaky is robbed of his overcoat, his peers among others immediately stop recognizing him or giving any importance to his existence. This leads to him becoming a shadow of his former self as this event destroys the only tangible aspect of his identity.

In conclusion, Gogol’s “The Overcoat” uses the metaphor of the overcoat to develop the theme of the dehumanizing effects of a class-driven society and the impact of social hierarchies on the individual. Through the character of Akaky and his struggle for acceptance, the story illustrates the inherent injustices of a society that values material wealth over human dignity. The overcoat symbolizes the power dynamics and social hierarchies that dominate Akaky’s world, as well as his own illusions of agency and the dehumanizing effects of a society that measures one’s worth by appearance and possessions.