Undiagnosed ASD character in a book - Nikolai Gogol: The overcoat

[Dadamen]

Although they don't mention it. I'm almsot sure that the main caracter of this book has ASD. He focuses only on his work and does nothing else in his life. He dosen't care about his looks or even what he eats at all and he dosen't even notice when something falls on him on the street. On work he can't make anything except one single thing - copying texts by handwriting, but his writing is wonderful. He never goes to parties and has a rigid bedtime. Also, he has no friends. I think it is clear ASD. Did you ever read that book and what do you think? I have to read it for school now.

 

[Kevin1968]

I haven't read that book, but writers create characters, some more stereotypical than others.

We obviously have no way of knowing the truth of the authors intention (unless it is documented elsewhere?) but Nicola died about 100 years before Asperger's research and even longer before anyone like that would be classified as having ASD.

Of course there have been people with ASD throughout history, it's unlikely to have been a recent development.
Perhaps it was based on someone the author knew who may have had ASD or may not have. As you are no doubt aware having some traits is not necessarily indicative of a diagnosis.



All that said, it is possibly a way for you to interpret the character, perhaps with a slightly different understanding than others have.

How others react to that interpretation depends on them.


Literature was never a strong subject for me in school, partly because I could not see anything beyond the literal words, subtext and hidden meanings were hidden from me. (e.g. when an author mentions that the sky is blue, I just treat it like a description of the weather, nothing more, nothing less)

With age I have learnt that they usually also mean something else.

 

[Dadamen]

[

Literature was never a strong subject for me in school, partly because I could not see anything beyond the literal words, subtext and hidden meanings were hidden from me.

Also a problem for me, but I have one good website that has summaries and interpretations of books and helps me understanding them. Sometimes I even didn't read the book but just that website and got an A.