Gogol's "The Nose" speaks to the unusual obsession with rank that permeated much of 19th century Russia. Although there does not seem to be any unifying metaphor attached to the nose, (Get it? That was a pun. Laugh. Please laugh.) it could be seen to represent the self-conscious concerns of the nobleman, (Okay, it wasn't a pun per se, but it was still amusing. Right? Wasn't it amusing? It was.) who first believes his status to have taken a small blow (in the form of a pimple) and then realizes he has been wholly dispossessed of it. By losing his nose, the protagonist becomes painfully aware of his lessened status, mirroring the kind of worthlessness or unimportance that was probably felt by the underclass in dealing with their superiors.