Description
Read the two short stories by Gogol and de Maupassant
Respond to the following discussion in the discussion board:
Both of these stories show how European cities were places where the old aristocracy and newly socially mobile people met. One of them is a morality tale and the other is satire, but both of them depict people with an obsession about social class. Compare these two stories: what did they each tell you about the limitations of social mobility in Paris, France, and St Petersburg, Russia? Which character do you think is the most important symbol of class anxiety in each story, and what does class mean for those characters? Remember to write 3-5 paragraphs and answer all of the questions about both stories.
https://www.capgeox.org/uploads/1/3/1/9/131934518/the_nose_pdf.pdf
https://www.macmillanlearning.com/studentresources/college/english/meyerlit9e/readings/maupassant%20necklace.pdf
Also, pleas provide a comment agreeing or disagreeing to my classmate.
“The Nose” by Nikolai Gogol is a surreal and comedic tale set in St. Petersburg, Russia, during the early 19th century. The story revolves around the absurd predicament of a government official named Major Kovalyov, who wakes up one morning to find that his nose has inexplicably disappeared from his face. The nose, meanwhile, takes on a life of its own, parading around the city in the guise of a higher-ranking official. Kovalyov desperately searches for his missing nose, encountering various characters and absurd situations along the way. Eventually, the nose miraculously reattaches itself to Kovalyov’s face, leaving him bewildered and relieved.
“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant is a poignant morality tale set in Paris, France, in the late 19th century. The story follows Madame Mathilde Loisel, a middle-class woman who longs for a life of luxury and social status. When her husband secures an invitation to a prestigious ball, Mathilde borrows a diamond necklace from a wealthy friend to wear for the occasion. However, disaster strikes when Mathilde loses the necklace at the ball. Unable to replace it, the Loisels sink into poverty, working tirelessly to repay the debt incurred by the lost necklace. Years later, Mathilde discovers that the necklace she lost was merely a cheap imitation, shattering her illusions of wealth and status.
In both stories, the European cities of St. Petersburg and Paris serve as backdrops where characters from different social strata intersect. While “The Nose” employs satire to highlight the absurdities of social hierarchy, “The Necklace” serves as a morality tale warning against the dangers of vanity and materialism. Despite their different tones, both stories depict characters grappling with the pressures and limitations of social mobility.
In “The Nose,” Major Kovalyov’s frantic search for his missing nose symbolizes the anxiety and insecurity experienced by individuals striving to maintain or ascend their social status in a rigid hierarchical society like Russia’s. Moreover, in “The Necklace,” Madame Mathilde Loisel represents the quintessential character consumed by class anxiety, yearning for acceptance and validation from the upper echelons of Parisian society. For Mathilde, class signifies not only material wealth but also social prestige and recognition, driving her to extreme measures to maintain appearances.
Overall, both stories provide insight into the complexities of social mobility in European cities during the 19th century, showcasing the challenges and consequences faced by individuals navigating the intricacies of class and status.
