The Mayor’s Sword Symbol Analysis

The mayor’s sword symbolizes the mayor’s personal corruption, as well as the political corruption that pervades the whole town under the mayor’s governance. On its own, a sword is a symbol of power and authority. The town officials—including the judge, postmaster, Inspector of Schools, and Warden of Charities—all wear swords as part of their formal, full-dress uniforms. Their swords therefore function as visual signs of their ranks and government positions. In the same way, the mayor’s sword also represents the mayor’s power. However, in the mayor’s case, the sword’s “poor condition” signifies how corrupt the mayor is. He exclaims, “Hell! My sword’s scratched all over.” Just as the sword is blemished, so the mayor’s authority is tarnished by his misconduct, such as taking bribes and stealing from townspeople. Additionally, the mayor curses Abdulin, a shopkeeper, for not sending him a new sword. The mayor doesn’t take proper care of his sword or his mayoral duties, but instead of recognizing his own guilt, he simply shifts the blame onto townspeople. Thus, the sword reflects the mayor’s personal moral corruption and misadministration of the town. Furthermore, the mayor’s sword symbolizes not only the mayor’s individual failings but also the widespread political corruption in the town more broadly. When the mayor first visits Khlestakov—the purported government inspector—he wears his sword to reinforce his sense of authority and to appear more impressive. But the mayor can’t repair his damaged sword any more than he can superficially fix the problems with the town’s greedy officials and ill-managed institutions. The mayor’s inability to hide the deteriorated state of his sword demonstrates his inability to cover up the town’s corrupt governance.