How did Nikolay Gogol combine realism and fantasy in The Overcoat?

In Nikolay Gogol’s influential short story The Overcoat, the author masterfully bridges the gap between gritty social observation and supernatural intervention.

Gogol establishes a foundation of realism through his meticulous attention to the mundane, miserable life of Akaky Akakiyevich, an underpaid and overlooked government clerk. By focusing on the "little man," Gogol provides a biting social satire of the bureaucratic indifference that leads to the protagonist's tragic death after his coat is stolen.12

The narrative shifts into the realm of fantasy following Akaky’s demise, when rumors emerge of a ghost haunting the city to strip overcoats from pedestrians. This supernatural element serves as a powerful, ironic resolution; the ghost eventually confronts the "Certain Important Personage" who had previously refused to help the clerk. By blending this ghostly retribution with his realistic depiction of systemic corruption, Gogol creates a narrative where the absurd and the horrific coexist, challenging the reader's perception of reality and justice.13