The Overcoat Politics Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)

Quote #4

Petrovich seated on a large, unpainted table, with his legs tucked under him like a Turkish pasha. (23)

Even though Petrovich is one of the few characters who is an official, the narrator still describes him to us in terms of ranking. A Turkish Pasha is something like a British Lord.

Quote #5

When he told the matter, she clasped her hands, and said that he must go straight to the superintendent, for the captain would turn up his nose, promise well, and drop the matter there: the very best thing to do, would be to go to the superintendent [...] (82)

Since we already know that the hierarchy is pretty strict, how do you think this plan is going to go? We don't have a good feeling about it.

Quote #6

"But, your excellency," said Akaky Akakievich, trying to collect his small handful of wits, and conscious at the same time that he was perspiring terribly, "I, your excellency, presumed to trouble you because secretaries that... are an untrustworthy race." ... (94)

Poor Akaky, he doesn't even know what to say. But it's interesting that even though he's such a low-ranking official, he still looks down on secretaries. Also notice that he calls them a race instead of a rank or an occupation, as if being a secretary is biological or something.