The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol is centered on the life and death of Akaky Akakievich, an impoverished government clerk in St. Petersburg. Akaky is a hard- working man who is dedicated to his job, which includes hand-copying of documents, despite the lack of appreciation of his efforts even by his workmates who constantly distract and make fun of him (Gogol, p. 2). His overcoat, threadbare and old, is often the butt of their jokes hence forcing Akaky to have it repaired, but Petrovich, his tailor, finds it irreparable advising Akaky to buy a new overcoat (Gogol, p. 5). This proves to be an expenditure Akaky would rather avoid as a new coat is well beyond his meager earnings, but he has no choice hence forcing him to live within a strict budget as his excitement for a new coat overrides his zeal for his job (Gogol, p. 7-8). Luckily, Akaky is awarded an unexpected holiday bonus that when added to his savings enables him to buy a new overcoat which turned out to be of extremely good quality thus becoming the talk of his office (Gogol, p. 11). His clerk superior even hosts a party in its honor, but Akaky feels out of place as he is a loner thus not accustomed to a lot of attention (Gogol, p.12). Akaky leaves the party rather late, which is unlike him as he does not keep late hours. Two hoodlums confront him on his way home taking his coat and leaves him in the snow. He reports the matter to the authorities who are of no help. One of the clerks in his department advises him to ask for help from a high ranking general, known to the public as ‘Very Important Person’. The general, fond of belittling his subordinates keeps Akaky waiting for an unnecessarily long time (Gogol, p. 16). When he sees him, he is rather harsh and asks Akaky why he has brought such a trivial matter to him personally and not through his secretary (Gogol, p. 17). Akaky remarks negatively about departmental secretaries, hence provoking a scolding from the general and eventually led out of the office nearly fainting, but succumbs to a fever shortly afterwards (Gogol, p. 19). During his sickness, he imagines himself sitting before the general again and being scolded. At first, he pleads for forgiveness, but nearing his death, he curses the general. At the end of the story, his ghost haunts St. Petersburg taking overcoats from people. The police are unable to capture him. Finally, Akaky’s ghost steals the general’s overcoat. Akaky ghost is not seen again after his encounter with the VIP as he has accomplished what he wanted (Gogol, p. 20-21). The story ends with the appearance of another ghost seen in another part of the city, but this ghost resembles the criminals who had robbed Akaky earlier (Gogol, p. 24). Gogol gives his main character an unusual name (Gogol, p. 1). This name is symbolic representing the kind of life Akaky had and the type of a person he was. In Greek, the name means “harmless”. Akaky plays the role of an ordinary man in the society who is burdened with the woes of life. His colleagues who are much younger than him do not even respect him, but he is not bothered as he finds solace in his job hence implying his harmless nature as suggested by his name. His overcoat is ridiculed due to its condition forcing him to get a new one even though he cannot afford. He was already living a mi