The Nose Characters

The story's protagonist. After Kovalev's nose disappears without explanation, he spends two weeks struggling to confront, locate, and reattach the nose. Despite being the story’s protagonist, Kovalev is wholly unlikeable: from beginning to the end… read analysis of Kovalev

Drunk barber Ivan Yakovlevich, Praskovya Osipovna’s husband, is the central character in the first of the story's three sections. In this section, he finds and attempts to dispose of Kovalev's nose, which… read analysis of Ivan Yakovlevich

The narrator of “The Nose,” who appears to be a Russian citizen, referring to St. Petersburg as “the northern capital of our vast country.” Employing a reportorial style, the narrator details the dates and particulars… read analysis of The Narrator

The clerk at the local newspaper office. When Kovalev attempts to place an advertisement for his runaway nose, the newspaper clerk denies Kovalev’s request. The clerk at first fears that Kovalev's situation is a… read analysis of The Newspaper Clerk

The doctor who lives in the same building as Kovalev. Described as a wealthy man with meticulous grooming habits, a manly mustache, and the best apartment in the building, the doctor appears to be… read analysis of The Doctor

The police officer appears towards the end of the first and second sections of the story. In his first appearance, he apprehends drunk barber Ivan Yakovlevich for acting suspiciously. When he later appears with Kovalev… read analysis of The Police Officer

A senior rank policeman who denies Kovalev’s request for assistance locating the nose. In doing so, the police commissioner deeply offends Kovalev, telling him that a man of his rank is just the… read analysis of The Police Commissioner

Ivan Yakovlevich’s wife. The narrator describes her as “respectable," suggesting that her marriage to Ivan Yakovlevich degraded her status in society. Her attitude towards her husband reveals general frustration on his drunken state: when… read analysis of Praskovya Osipovna