Ghosts are scary. Everyone knows that. But why are ghosts scary, especially ones with a relatively harmless appetite for coats? Even though Akaky the Ghost obviously isn't out to kill anybody, everyone freaks out about him anyway…but why? Seriously, how terrifying can a ghost be when all it does is take your coat? The chilling part of Akaky's ghost isn't that he might take your coat, it's that he doesn't care about a person's rank; he treats them all equally. And in a society that is obsessed with the social hierarchy, the idea of an equal-opportunity haunting is a very frightening thing indeed.
Questions About The Supernatural
- Why does Akaky come back from the grave in "The Overcoat?" Does he achieve what he wanted to achieve?
- What are the differences between living Akaky and ghost Akaky? Why do you think he changes? Which form is better according to the world of "The Overcoat?"
- Is the ghost at the end of "The Overcoat" Akaky? If not, who is it? Why does the narrator mention this incident?
Chew on This
The only way for characters in "The Overcoat" to escape the social hierarchy is to become ghosts.
The ghosts in "The Overcoat" are mostly there for laughs.