How It All Goes Down
Once upon a time in a town called St. Petersburg, there was a low-ranking officially who was unfortunately named Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin. Akaky was a poor guy, but he loved his job. In fact, he loved it so much that all he did when he went home every day was do more work.
But there's a problem in this mundane fairy tale: Akaky's coat is falling apart. Simple solution, right? Patch it up and the story's over. Not so fast there, kiddo. This coat is beyond repair, and a new one will cost twice Akaky's salary. And don't forget—we're talking about Russia here, so just going without a coat is definitely not an option. What's he to do?
We'll tell you. He scrounges by for a couple of months until he has enough money to get a coat made. When it's done, it's gorgeous. Something you'd get straight out of the fashion magazines. Everyone at work loves it so much that they even throw him a party.
A coat party. Only in Russia.
Oh, we forgot to mention something. Akaky is an awkward loner. So even though he enjoys the party in theory, the noise, people, and drinking get to him. He leaves the shindig earlier than everyone else, but still later than he's ever gone home.
As a poor man in 19th-century Russia, Akaky doesn't exactly live in a safe neighborhood. And you know what can happen to a guy with a fancy new coat in a dangerous neighborhood late at night. Yep. Akaky gets mugged.
Now the craziness begins. Akaky goes from official to official trying to get someone to investigate the theft of his coat, but no one will work with him. Finally the last official is so mean to Akaky that he dejectedly walks home without a coat in the harsh Russian winter. He gets a throat infection, and two days later he dies.
The last official tries to make amends with Akaky a week later, but it's too late. He's dead. In order to cheer himself up, the official goes to a party. But on the way back from the party, he gets his coat stolen by Akaky's ghost. Ah, retribution at last.