Summary of the story “The Overcoat” by N. V. Gogol
In one of the departments there is an unremarkable official, Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin. For many years he does the same routine work – rewriting documents. His post is called “official for writing.” Despite the harmlessness and non-conflictness of Akaky Akakievich, his colleagues, especially the young ones, laugh at him. They find many reasons for their mockery, but Akaki Akakievich continues to lead his usual way of life. He serves very diligently, loves letters, always thinks about the evenness of lines. Behind this occupation Akaki Akakievich forgets about food, entertainment, and his appearance. His permanent clothing is a uniform of an incomprehensible brown “rusty-flour” color, untidy and stained. Bashmachkin did not complain about his life, was quite pleased with everything, but when the cold came, Akaky Akakyevitch was in trouble. The old greatcoat was torn, and he had to carry it to a tailor for a change. Petrovich refuses to patch rotten matter
Petrovich and Akaky Akakievich buy cloth, a cat on the collar, and two weeks later the greatcoat was ready. All Bashmachkin’s colleagues come to look at the overcoat, offer to note such an important acquisition. But Akaky Akakievich refuses. Then co-worker Bashmachkina calls everyone to her. On the way from this evening on Bashmachkin attacked and selected an overcoat. Of course, the official goes to the bailiff, but hopes of returning the greatcoat are few. Then Akaky Akakievich follows the advice of his colleagues to go to the head. Having fallen prema to the general, the official sets out his request, but he is expelled, because the request and appeal seem to the general to be wrong. Scared, poorly dressed Akaki Akakievich on the way home gets cold and dies. The department did not notice it so much that only on the fourth day did they pay attention to the absence of an “official for writing”.
In the city they began to talk about some kind of ghost, which takes away clothes from passers-by, demanding an overcoat. The general, who quickly dismissed the regrets of the death of the petitioner, also falls into the hands of a ghost that took the general’s overcoat. Since then, the general has become more understanding and less arrogant towards his subordinates and petitioners. And the ghost did not appear any more.
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