Gogol's "The Nose" opens a discussion pertaining to the density and solidity of Russia's social structure in said time period. By contrasting a somewhat "socially immobilized" man with a being (the nose) that has no difficulty in maneuvering through Russia's social and bureaucratic network Gogol is revealing to the reader possible flaws within Russian society at that time. Similarly, the Nose may serve to be a symbolic "equalizer" (in that all humans have a nose) that challenges the seperation between the powerful and powerless that is common in all societies.