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- Nonverbal manifestations in the works of Nikolai Gogol: the “outstretched hand” gesture
- Grigorian A.M. Nonverbal manifestations in the works of Nikolai Gogol: the “outstretched hand” gesture. Vestnik of Kostroma State University, 2026, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 85–90. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.34216/1998-0817-2026-32-2-85-90
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.34216/1998-0817-2026-32-2-85-90
- УДК: 821.161.1.09”19”
- EDN: WPSNIH
- Publish date: 2026-03-24
- Annotation: The article examines the gesture of the “outstretched hand” as one of the characteristic forms of nonverbal behaviour in the works of Nikolai Gogol. The focus is placed not on the physical movement itself, but on its semantic potential and its functions within the literary text. The study draws on the principles of kinesics, in particular Grigoriy Kreidlin’s concept of the gesture as a meaningful sign, as well as on Vladimir Turbin’s observations, which treat the outstretched hand as an important component of Gogol’s poetics. It is shown that this gesture in Gogol’s prose appears in situations of supplication and begging, the desire to obtain or possess something, threat, the offer of help, and attempts to initiate contact with another character. Special attention is paid to the depiction of women’s and children’s hands, where diminutive forms and evaluative epithets enhance the expressive quality of the images. The article concludes that the outstretched hand in Gogol’s works should generally not be regarded as a neutral physiological gesture, but rather as a meaningful sign that reveals the character’s inner state, contributes to the semantic depth of the literary text, and at a certain stage becomes a form of spiritual expression.
- Keywords: Nikolai Gogol, nonverbal behaviour, nonverbal semiotics, gesture, outstretched hand, arms, invariant
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