Masculinity vs. Femininity
The two protagonists in the story, Ivan Yakovlevitch and Major Kovalev, are both men. Major Kovalev's nose itself also turns out to be male, judging by its uniform and social behavior. The women in the story are depicted only in contrast with and thus to better define the masculine identities of the protagonists. Ivan Yakovlevitch's wife, Prascovia Osipovna, for example, is shrill and wrathful, in sharp contrast to the bemused and hapless reaction of her husband. She forces him out of the house to solve the problem of the nose. Major Kovalev, as well, is motivated by the pretty women of high society with whom he maintains flirtatious but noncommittal social relationships. Thus the story places male identity at the front and center of the narrative, and contrasts that identity with examples of femininity.
Personal and Social Identity
One morning, Major Kovalev wakes up without a nose and his entire concept of selfhood is rocked. Without a nose, he can no longer occupy the same place in society that he once did. Unable to visit pretty girls and be seen strutting about in a perfect uniform, he becomes deeply distressed. Indeed, the absence of the nose is presented as a problem only insofar as it can be perceived by others. Major Kovalev never mentions missing the act of smelling, inhaling, or breathing deeply through his nose. The lack of nose is only a problem because others will see it. Without the nose, Major Kovalev is forced to remind others that he is someone of importance; it can no longer be seen automatically.
Absurdity vs. Reality
The absurd events of the society contrasts with the mundane, almost banal details provided by the narrator. On one hand, the disappearance of the nose and its subsequent appearance paying social visits and clad in a bureaucrat's uniform are straight out of a ridiculous fairy tale. On the other hand, the narrator describes people and places with a great level of detail, down to the shape of a character's whiskers and the exact date that the events of the narrative occur. These details create a sense that the story is grounded in reality. In this sense, Gogol blurs the line between reality and surrealism, perhaps to emphasize the sometimes ridiculous nature of everyday life.
Social Status
Social status is one of the most important themes in Gogol's "The Nose." At the time of writing, Russian bureaucracy was a vastly inflated system for Russians to move up the ranks to nobility through service to the government. As such, positions within the bureaucracy were highly coveted and depended greatly on status. "The Nose" presents a searing critique of the obsession with social status, rank, and class that was so pervasive in this context. The narrator, for example, carefully describes the uniforms and appearances of different characters to paint a picture of the relative prestige of their rank. Ivan Yakovlevitch's jacket is "thickly studded with grayish, brownish-yellowish stains—and shiny at the collar, and adorned with three drooping tufts of thread instead of buttons," whereas the constable that apprehends him is of "smart appearance, with long whiskers, a three-cornered hat, and complete with a sword." This contrast between physical appearances represents the contrast in status between the two men, and thus the power dynamic. Similarly, Major Kovalev's nose is extremely well-dressed, depicted with "a gold-braided, high-collared uniform, buckskin breeches, and cockaded hat." This uniform outranks Major Kovalev's appearance, and thus establishes a similar power dynamic in which Major Kovalev speaks deferentially and apologetically to the nose.