Necessity to protect yourself from the St. Petersburg Cold

My intentions as I read Gogol’s work, The Overcoat, was to finding the underlying connection with Akaky’s overcoat and the short story’s criticism of capitalism. Upon careful examination, I realized that Akaky bought a brand new overcoat out of an external necessity. Due to the St. Petersburg’s blistering winters, Akaky’s environmental and social influences generated a need for Akaky to dispose of the old and improve upon with the new; a key component that fuels capitalism. It is apparent that Akaky was generally content with his complacency in life and had no desire to climb the social hierarchy structured from the capitalistic/governmental system of St. Petersburg. However, the capote was not suitable for life in St. Petersburg, and Akaky was no longer suitable for St. Petersburg life.

And so, an upgrade was due, and Akaky’s grounded complacency in life has been shook. The main obstacle that Akaky faced in his ordeal was his lack of monetary funds, and it required sacrifices to achieve his purchase. Capitalistic society constantly reflects the trials and tribulations each individual undergoes to maintain a suitable living, especially upon the lower classes. The loss of the overcoat, although minimal in consequence, completely took away Akaky’s livelihood, which parallels the crushing consequences that the lower classes consistently face. Minute injustices dramatically affect the lives of the lower class whereas the upper echelon of society remains copacetic in their situation.

Gaping differences depicted by the narrator during Akaky’s travel to the middle class neighborhood also reflects the prominent gap in status, lifestyle, and general happiness of the contrasting classes. Upon his travel, he notes that there is very little activity, lighting, and life in between the lower class and middle class neighborhoods. Upon entering the middle class neighborhoods, Akaky witnesses bright lighting, unseen beauty, and an amiable air of happiness. His presence among the middle class is an attribution to his new overcoat, a sign of his rising status in Capitalism. Unfortunately, as capitalism has it, wealth much like the overcoat, can be stripped away without any care except from the victim. The overcoat is a necessity of capitalism, yet the St. Petersburg winter has no sense of morality or equity, all actions are merely a product of its society.