The Strange Humor of Gogol: an Analysis of Underlying Criticism

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The Strange Humor of Gogol: An Analysis of Underlying Criticism The Russian author, Nikolai Gogol, is praised for his sarcastic humor, so prevalent throughout his writing. Upon his death in 1852, the phrase “With my bitter word I laugh”, was carved into his gravestone. This statement tells us a great deal about his personality and his writing. Although Gogol’s stories are quite humorous, there is an undeniable sense of sadness in them. Gogol notably utilizes the idea of laughter through tears to advance a social critic in his two short stories Diary of a Madman and The Overcoat, both of which feature protagonists whose personal tragedies are described in a sarcastic tone that calls attention to Russia’s political and social problems at that time. Diary of a Madman follows a lowly civil servant named Poprishchin who has the mundane job of sharpening pencils for his high-ranking director. All the while he longs to be noticed by his boss’s sister, Sophie. Alas, their interactions are never substantial. Unlike Gogol’s other short stories it employs a first person narrative, Diary of a Madman, We as readers accompany the protagonist’s descent into madness. He begins to believe that two dogs can speak and have been corresponding with each other through letters. As the story continues forward, his dates become nonsensical, using such dates as “Marchember”, “No date, today had no date”, and “April 43rd in the year 2000”. On this day in April, Poprishchin comes to believe that he is the king of Spain and must walk around incognito so that the peasants will not know who he is. Although this absurd situation is humorous and presented to the reader as such, the story, in the end, is an unsettling one. At the beginning of the story, the reader can believe that the protagonist is quirky, but not completely mad. As his thoughts become more and more absurd, and his perception

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