Yeah, there are definitely parts of it that seem to indicate a dream - the anagram thing you pointed out, the fact that it happens suddenly and ends suddenly without any attempt at explanation, the surreality of the whole premise.
The surrealness of it is why I like it so much. This is, to me, 19th century Russian fantasy. A precursor to much later fantastical works.
Yeah, as he said in that final paragraph... the closing lines about how stories like this do happen in Russia occasionally, does seem to suggest some kind of analogy or deeper meaning.
If you liked this, you can also look into reading Dead Souls . It's incomplete, but it gives a better representation of Gogol's talent.
Gogol: The Nose/The Overcoat
16/06/2010 02:28:27 PM
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The Nose is... odd.
16/06/2010 05:29:51 PM
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I view it as a I view dreams using anachronistic Freudian interpretations.
16/06/2010 06:43:12 PM
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Re: I view it as a I view dreams using anachronistic Freudian interpretations.
19/06/2010 04:34:27 PM
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I like The Overcoat better.
16/06/2010 08:27:38 PM
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The Overcoat, while also fantastical, is easier to understand I think
17/06/2010 03:23:11 PM
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I read The Nose last week and will read The Overcoat tonight. Here is a brief
18/06/2010 03:44:32 AM
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Re: I read The Nose last week and will read The Overcoat tonight. Here is a brief
18/06/2010 04:12:26 AM
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While the stories are entertaining, they didn't leave me with that much to say.
13/07/2010 01:52:10 AM
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I keep trying to think of something to add to this discussion and I can't.
18/06/2010 02:39:34 PM
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