Research Paper on:
'Shinel' by Gogol

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
man. Akakii Akakievich was very much a simpleton who wanted very little from life and seemed to get less than that. It is a dark story, this is true, but  also a humorous tale that presents us with humane passages in the humor. As one author puts it, "Gogol utilizes this article of clothing to evoke emotions, especially feelings of  sympathy and compassion, in hopes that the reader will both identify and empathize with the main character" (Anonymous Feminine Symbolism in Nikolai Gogols "The Overcoat" jeff.html). In the following paper  we present an examination of Gogols story, providing excerpts which illustrate how his humane passages, or his humane descriptions of Akakii Akakievich offer us a subtle humor that helps take  the edge off the darkness and the depressing aspects of Akakii Akakievichs life. Humor From the very beginning of the story we see a man, a simple man,  who is not necessarily liked. He is ridiculed and he is shown no respect. These are, however, things that do not seem to bother Akakii for he is far too  caught up in his world of copying to notice, or perhaps more accurately, to really care. Just after a brief description of his present life we see his past, and  his birth which provides us with a quick and humorous journey into who is now is: "They christened the child, whereat he wept, and made a grimace, as though he  foresaw that he was to be a titular councillor. In this manner did it all come about. We have mentioned it, in order that the reader might see for himself  that it happened quite as a case of necessity, and that it was utterly impossible to give him any other name. When and how he entered the department, and who