We can't get no satisfaction. In most Western societies, dissatisfaction is a good thing. Except, rather than calling it dissatisfaction, we call it ambition. In "The Overcoat," however, ambition isn't all it's cracked up to be. All around Akaky, other officials jostle with one another for higher ranks. He's the only one who is fine with his low status, but everyone looks down on him because of it. It's not until later that we realize he's the only person who's actually happy in the story, but that all changes when he becomes like everyone else. So in the world of "The Overcoat," there are two choices: be happy, poor, and disrespected, or be unhappy, rich, and powerful.
Questions About Dissatisfaction
- Dissatisfaction takes many forms in "The Overcoat." Find all of the different terms and moments that are synonymous with dissatisfaction. Are they generally more positive or negative?
- Why do you think that Akaky was so content in the first part of "The Overcoat"? Why do other people make fun of him because of it?
- By the end of "The Overcoat," is the prominent personage satisfied or dissatisfied? Why?
Chew on This
Ambition is a positive trait in "The Overcoat."
Akaky is the only person who's ever content in "The Overcoat."