Because all of the Russian heroes that we have seen have been heroic in their own right, people might be surprised by the differences between them. The story, "The Overcoat" is a perfect example of how different the hero, or protagonist, can be from the typical Russian hero. .
If someone made a list of all of the characteristics of the "typical Russian Hero", they could decide that he (all the "heroes" discussed in Russian Literature have been men) had to live in Saint Petersburg. He had to have a lower class job. He had to be mildly likeable, and they were all striving to be something they were not or have something they did not have. They were all sane (to some degree) and then something in the story drove them mad. All but one, that is. .
"And so, in a certain department, there served a certain clerk; a not very remarkable clerk with wrinkles on both cheeks and a complexion that is known as hemeorroidal no help for it! The Petersburg climate is to blame. As for his rank (for with us, rank must be announced first of all), he was what is called an eternal titular counselor, at whom, as is known, all sorts of writers have abundantly sneered and jeered." (Page 394).
This quote is talking about Akaky. It is telling us that he does not have a very good job and that he lives in Saint Petersburg, like the rest of the heroes. .
There have, of course, been slight differences between all of the characters Russian Literature class has classified as heroes as of now. Some of them were after love, some of them were after status, and some just wanted their nose back. There were too many things in Akaky's case to say that he was the same as the rest of them. He was a little crazy to begin with. He was so obsessed with copying things correctly at work that if he was ever asked to do anything else besides copying he would have had an anxiety attack. The largest difference, though, was that he did not want anything until something was introduced to him.
