Both “The Overcoat” and The
Namesake show that identity is not fixed. Instead, it shifts and changes contingent on the
prevailing circumstances. In The Namesake,
Gogol’s identify changes in response to his inner struggles with his identity. In
“The Overcoat,” Akaky Akakievich’s identity changes depending on his overcoat.
This happens as he experiences the unwanted burden of his identity.
