The Carriage

Examine Chertokutsky’s relationship with his wife. What do their interactions reveal about the story’s vision of gender dynamics and social roles?

The story provides almost no information about Chertokutsky’s resignation from his commission. How does the information the text does provide shape your understanding of Chertokutsky as a character?

Examine some of the metaphors in “The Carriage.” What different things do they allow the reader to look at side by side? How does this shape the reader’s experience of the text’s language, imagery, and meaning?

Scholars often point out the highly visual nature of Gogol’s fiction. Look for references to sight, surveillance, perception, or voyeurism throughout “The Carriage” and explore the role those concepts play throughout the story.

Choose a fairy tale and compare it to this story. How does Gogol employ traditional fairy-tale elements? How does he subvert them? Think about setting, narrative tone, literary devices, characterization, and story structure.

Analyze the dream-like sequence of events at the general’s dinner party. Why do you think Chertokutsky is unable to leave? How are the other attendees affected? In terms of both narrative and tone, does this scene fit into the rest of the story?

Think about the relationships between men throughout the story. What do various social dynamics between the male characters suggest about masculinity in the narrative?

Is Chertokutsky a sympathetic character? Why or why not? Think about his motivations, his relationships, his personal history, and the larger social forces that have shaped him into the person he is in the narrative.