"Give me a man. I want to see a man! I need some food to nourish and refresh my mind…"
In other words, the author tries to show his contemporaries’ (and people of our time, as well) real values of life. He says that it’s a Man himself. In some way, the author laughs at people, who are always talking about nothing: from fleeting affairs to “bones” and “bread-balls”. Instead of such talks they should better think of their essence as the examples of a mankind, their priorities in life, perception of it. Gogol equates a man with food. While food fills our belly, a Man himself, the solving of his spiritual and moral issues, discussing of them (instead of food, trivia of life) fill our brain and mind. And the author’s mind is hungry, not having his “food” – a Man.
“…I have not gone farther into the world than just before our front door. Does not my life pass happily and comfortably?”
The author shows the primitiveness of a huge “part” of people. They are satisfied with so miserable things, that the truly important issues are reachless for them. They have actually nothing in their lives, nothing to be proud of, to be respected of. And they don’t want to reach something that would be really worthy for them and their lives, that would make them feel themselves of full value. They do not go out of their comfort zone, and think that it is their happiness. They don’t want to look out of their front door, where there is a world of unknown pleasures, exciting adventures that would bring them a real happiness. They prefer to live in their tiny world, with discussing of food, trivia and other useless (for talking about them) things.
