How the Two Ivans Quarrelled
The story revolves around two men named Ivan, one a nobleman and the other a peasant. The nobleman's life is marked by idleness and indulgence, while the peasant struggles to make ends meet. Their paths cross when the nobleman visits the peasant's village, leading to a series of confrontations that expose their vastly different worlds and values.
By Nikolai Gogol · First published 1835 · Genre: Satire, Comedy, Fable · 21,135 words
First lines
A fine pelisse has Ivan Ivanovitch! splendid! And what lambskin! deuce take it, what lambskin! blue-black with silver lights. I'll forfeit, I know not what, if you find anyone else owning such a one. Look at it, for heaven's sake, especially when he stands talking with anyone! look at him sideways: what a pleasure it is! To describe it is impossible: velvet! silver! fire! Nikolai the Wonder-worker, saint of God! why have I not such a pelisse? He had it made before Agafya Fedosyevna went to Kiev. You know Agafya Fedosyevna who bit the assessor's ear off?
What this Textopian page supports
How the Two Ivans Quarrelled is listed on Textopian as a novel by Nikolai Gogol, dated 1835 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Nikolai Gogol
- Date: 1835 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Comedy, Fable, Short Story, Realism
- Length: 21,135 words
- Structure: 1 section, 343 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for How the Two Ivans Quarrelled by Nikolai Gogol
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Satire — The narrative critiques social norms and human behavior through humor and exaggeration.
- Comedy — The story employs comedic elements and situations arising from misunderstandings and conflicts.
- Fable — The moral lessons conveyed through the characters' interactions align with traditional fable structures.
- Short Story — The work is concise and focuses on a single incident, characteristic of the short story format.
Tags
Satire · Comedy · Russian Literature · Social Commentary · Farcical · Absurdity · Critique of Society · Class Satire · Allegory · Symbolism · Farce · Black Comedy