The Overcoat

Characters

Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin: Bureaucrat in one of the departments of the Russian government in St. Petersburg, the nation's capital city. Bashmachkin, about fifty, is a quiet, self-effacing man with red hair and a receding hairline. His job is to copy documents such as letters. Although he enjoys his work and never makes a mistake, he has no desire to take on more challenging work, realizing that he has limited capabilities. Because he is meek and dresses shabbily, most of his coworkers regard him as a nobody and frequently pick on him. When his cloak becomes so frayed that it can no longer protect him against the bitter cold, he dedicates himself to saving enough money to purchase a new cloak.[2]

Petrovich: One-eyed, heavy-drinking, decent tailor whom Bashmachkin hires to make his new cloak. Petrovitch was once a serf.[2]

Wife of Petrovich: Woman of plain looks whom the narrator says Petrovitch calls "a low female and a German" when they argue.[2]

Bearded Assailants: Men who steal Akaky's new cloak.[2]

Landlady of Bashmachkin: Elderly woman who advises Akaky to report the theft of his cloak to the district police chief.[2]

District Police Chief: Official who hears Akaky's report about his stolen cloak. The policeman asks Akaky embarrassing questions, as if he was a criminal. The policeman is of no help.[2]

Employee With Advice: Coworker of Akaky who advises him to see a certain prominent personage in a government office who will help Akaky track down his stolen cloak.[2]

Prominent Personage: Bureaucrat mainly concerned with demonstrating the power he wields as a supervisor. He excoriates Akaky for not going through the proper government channels to get an interview. He is of no help.[2]

Physician: Doctor called after Akaky develops a throat infection. He tells Akaky's landlady to order a coffin.[2]


This content is from Wikipedia. GradeSaver is providing this content as a courtesy until we can offer a professionally written study guide by one of our staff editors. We do not consider this content professional or citable. Please use your discretion when relying on it.