Nikolai Gogol is known to have a satirical type of comedy in his works. This holds true for his pieces The Inspector General, Dead souls, and his short story The Overcoat. The Overcoat was one of his most influential short stories ever written, and with its accurate depiction of lower-class life in Russia it is cited as the beginning of Realism in Russia. While Gogol uses a realistic depiction of the lower-class life he also uses humor in his tone in order to satirize the government bureaucracy throughout the story. Though some would argue that a label such as Realism would seem to ignore the comedy and fantasy presented in the story.
Gogol's comedic tone is first seen when he is introducing the department in which Akaky Akakievich work department is being first introduced by stating that "there is nothing touchier than departments, regiments, bureaus, in fact, any caste of officials " (632). Gogol's teasing of the departments sets the tone for the rest of the story and how he will be treating the matter of the government bureaucracy in the departments. Shortly after introducing the department the narrator focus' his attention on Akaky and how he got his name. Akaky's mother was given the task of naming Akaky along with three saints. The way in which Akaky's mother speaks while picking out his name continues the comical tone. Transitioning back into talking about Akaky's job, it goes on to describe how tyrannical his chiefs were and how awful some other clerks were to Akaky. Even though he was treated horribly Akaky kept to himself and didn't protest the slightest instead he "would take the paper without glancing up and right away he would set about copying it " (633).
A new clerk is introduced into the story and he started to tease Akaky, following the crowd. All of a sudden though he stopped. The narrator describes that the sudden change is because the young clerk realizes "the wickedness of man toward man and all the cruelty and vulgarity which are concealed under refined manners " (633).
