To Wake Up Without a Nose

To illustrate the creative brilliance of Nikolai Gogol, I will quote from one of his best short stories, “The Nose.” Gogol keeps his readers alert; they must race to keep up with him.

Notice, as you read the following passage, how he defies your expectations. Also note that the passage seems like it should be the beginning of the story, whereas it is actually the beginning of the second section. Please enjoy this passage from The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky:

“The collegiate assessor Kovalev woke up quite early and went ‘brr . . .’ with his lips—something he always did on waking up, though he himself was unable to explain the reason for it. Kovalev stretched and asked for the little mirror that stood on the table. He wished to look at a pimple that had popped out on his nose the previous evening; but, to his greatest amazement, he saw that instead of a nose he had a perfectly smooth place! Frightened, Kovalev asked for water and wiped his eyes with a towel: right, no nose! He began feeling with his hand to find out if he might be asleep, but it seemed he was not. The collegiate assessor Kovalev jumped out of bed, shook himself: no nose! . . . He ordered his man to dress him and flew straight to the chief of police.”

My analysis of this passage:

went “brr . . .” with his lips—something he always did

An oddly specific detail. He doesn’t just wake up and do something generic like yawn or have breakfast. He “went ‘brr . . .’ with his lips.” I bet you weren’t expecting him to do that. Well, ah—don’t we all have little things we do for no apparent reason, other than habit? I have recently begun idly picking at the sides of my thumbnails; but why? Kovalev seems so human here.

asked for the little mirror

With one word, “asked,” Gogol establishes that Kovalev has a servant who attends to his needs, even a need as small as fetching a mirror from a table. Gogol also establishes that Kovalev does not think the servant is worthy of dignifying with a noun (at least not on first mention).

He wished to look at a pimple that had popped out on his nose

Completely unexpected. Most authors shy away from mentioning the gross bodily care that we all engage in. Here is a tidbit of truth about human living.

to his greatest amazement, he saw that instead of a nose he had a perfectly smooth place!

The reader is also greatly amazed. Note that Kovalev would have been delighted to have found a smooth place instead of a pimple. But a smooth place instead of a nose is not at all the same thing.

Frightened

A second ago, Kovalev was amazed; now he is frightened. An accurate description of the progression of human emotions.

Kovalev asked for water and wiped his eyes with a towel: right, no nose!

He questions whether his eyes are working properly: a logical thing to do in such a circumstance.

He began feeling with his hand to find out if he might be asleep, but it seemed he was not.

He continues to think logically. He uses his sense of touch to confirm the accuracy of his sense of sight. Then he questions whether he is actually awake.

Kovalev jumped out of bed, shook himself: no nose!

Perhaps he shakes himself because he is still questioning whether he is awake, or perhaps it’s nervous energy; either way, this tidbit also seems so human.

flew straight to the chief of police

But wait—this is not logical at all! Was a crime committed? I was not expecting this turn of events. The more logical expert to consult would have been a doctor, not a police officer. And in fact Kovalev feels that he needs to see not just any police officer, but the chief! Here Gogol’s creativity is on full display.

Where is your nose today?