This study reads Nikolai Gogol's "The Overcoat" through the lens of Russian Formalism. The study argues that the story's literary power lies not in its social message or moral content but in its formal devices and techniques. While many critics read the story as a sympathetic portrait of the "little man" or a critique of society, this reading shows how Gogol's use of defamiliarization (making the familiar strange), skaz narrative technique (oral storytelling style), and the manipulation of story and plot creates a work that is fundamentally about language and perception itself. The study draws on the formalist analyses of Viktor Shklovsky, Boris Eikhenbaum, and Yury Tynyanov. It demonstrates that "The Overcoat" is made remarkable not by what it says but by how it says it. The study concludes that Gogol's story exemplifies the formalist principle that literary art is a dynamic interplay of devices that defamiliarize the world and renew our perception.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Key Concepts of Russian Formalism
Defamiliarization
Skaz and the Narrative Voice
Fabula and Syuzhet
How Gogol Uses Defamiliarization
The Overcoat Itself
Akaky's Name
The Narrator's Perspective
The Grotesque
Skaz and the Narrative Voice
The Voice
Humor and Pathos
The Skaz Effect
Fabula and Syuzhet
The Fabula (Story)
The Syuzhet (Plot)
Other Formalist Devices
Wordplay
Repetition
Irony
The Grotesque
Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This study aims to examine Nikolai Gogol's "The Overcoat" through the critical framework of Russian Formalism, challenging traditional social or moral interpretations by focusing on the text's formal construction. The primary research goal is to demonstrate how specific literary devices—such as defamiliarization, skaz, and the manipulation of plot—function to revitalize perception and establish the story's inherent literariness.
- The application of the Russian Formalist concept of "defamiliarization" (ostranenie) to narrative elements.
- The function of the "skaz" narrative technique in creating a distinct, non-neutral storytelling voice.
- The distinction between "fabula" (raw story events) and "syuzhet" (narrative plot construction).
- An analysis of formal stylistic devices including irony, wordplay, and the use of the grotesque to structure the narrative.
Excerpt from the Book
The Narrator's Perspective
The narrator of "The Overcoat" sees the world in a strange and unusual way. He describes St. Petersburg not as a grand capital but as a place of cold, poverty, and absurdity. He describes the clerks and officials not as dignified civil servants but as ridiculous figures. This perspective defamiliarizes the world of the story. It makes the familiar bureaucratic world seem alien and strange.
The story also uses the grotesque to defamiliarize reality. The ghost of Akaky, who steals overcoats from the living, is a grotesque figure. The "prominent personage" who refuses to help Akaky is also grotesque in his self-importance. The grotesque makes the familiar world of St. Petersburg seem distorted and nightmarish.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the historical context of Gogol's story and introduces the Formalist shift from thematic interpretation to the scientific study of literary devices.
Key Concepts of Russian Formalism: Defines the foundational theoretical tools used in the study, specifically defamiliarization, the skaz technique, and the narrative framework of fabula and syuzhet.
How Gogol Uses Defamiliarization: Explores how specific elements like the titular overcoat, the protagonist's name, and the narrator's unique perspective serve to make the familiar world strange.
Skaz and the Narrative Voice: Analyzes the narrator as a constructed persona, focusing on the interplay of humor, pathos, and the performance-like quality of oral storytelling.
Fabula and Syuzhet: Breaks down the chronological sequence of events versus the complex, non-linear way the plot is actually presented in the text.
Other Formalist Devices: Examines supplementary techniques such as obsessive repetition, linguistic wordplay, and irony as essential components of the story's aesthetic effect.
Conclusion: Summarizes the study's findings, reiterating that the story's greatness lies in its artistry and formal construction rather than its social or moral content.
Keywords
Russian Formalism, Nikolai Gogol, The Overcoat, Defamiliarization, Ostranenie, Skaz, Fabula, Syuzhet, Literariness, Viktor Shklovsky, Boris Eikhenbaum, Narrative Voice, Grotesque, Literary Devices
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this study?
This study examines Nikolai Gogol's "The Overcoat" through the lens of Russian Formalism, prioritizing the analysis of formal literary devices over traditional thematic or social interpretations.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The research covers key formalist concepts including the concept of literariness, the distinction between fabula and syuzhet, the function of narrative voice, and the technique of defamiliarization.
What is the main goal of this research?
The goal is to demonstrate that the literary power of "The Overcoat" resides in its specific techniques and artistic form, which serve to renew the reader's perception of the world.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The study employs the formalist method of analysis as established by scholars like Viktor Shklovsky and Boris Eikhenbaum, focusing on "how" the text is constructed rather than "what" it means.
What subjects are addressed in the main body?
The main body treats the application of defamiliarization to characters and settings, the role of the skaz technique, the structural manipulation of plot versus story, and the effect of formal devices like irony and wordplay.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Central keywords include Russian Formalism, defamiliarization, skaz, fabula, syuzhet, and literariness.
How does the author define the function of "skaz"?
The author defines skaz as a narrative technique that mimics oral storytelling, where the narrator’s voice becomes a distinct, non-neutral character that shapes the reader's experience.
Why is the distinction between fabula and syuzhet important for Gogol's story?
It is important because it reveals how Gogol creates complexity and suspense by rearranging chronological events, using digressions, and shifting perspectives, rather than simply stating what happened.
- Quote paper
- Nirmal Gurung (Author), 2026, Art as Technique. A Russian Formalist Reading of Gogol's "The Overcoat", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1743385
