THE NOSE BY NIKOLAI GOGOL
 
‘Have your NOSE in the air,’
‘Right under your NOSE,’
‘Stick your NOSE into something,’
’Follow your NOSE’
Having read this story, I am reminded of all these idioms.
This short story is hilarious. It is a satire with magical realism.
The protagonist Collegiate assessor (major) Kovalev wakes up to find his nose missing. He goes looking for his nose. He tries to place an ad in the newspaper, but he is denied, then he goes to the police requesting them to look for it but is denied again.
As though by magic he gets it back one day. What transpires between all this is simply amusing.
I feel ‘the nose’ here symbolises his nature. Major Kovalyov was a haughty guy, so when the nose went missing, he felt ashamed. He took pride in his appearance, so again he could not have shown off without a nose. There is also an instance where he grumbles that he cannot smell anything without a nose.
This short story was mentioned in A gentleman in Moscow (Amor Towles). I read it out of inquisitiveness.
Do read it if you want to have a good laugh!