Which statement is a possible theme of "The Nose"?

A. Society places a high value on working hard and making the best out of a tough situation.
B. People who live honestly and admit when they are wrong will be rewarded by society.
C. People are often more focused on appearance than on the content of one's character.
D. A man's nose shows him that he should pay more attention to his work than to how he looks.

Nikolai Gogol's satirical short story "The Nose" tells the story of 'Major' Kovalyov's loss of his nose. And this loss also led to his self esteem and courage to diminish, making him uncomfortable and reluctant to be how he usually used to be.

This story is a critique of how a society is so engrossed in their social status and not on the real content of an individual's character. The inclusion of the 'Table of ranks' started by Peter the Great shows just how people care a lot about their position. In a society obsessed with class and position, everyone seems to be more concerned with the way they appear and have to care a lot about being presentable to others. Even the main character 'Major' Kovolyov changed his title from Collegiate Assessor to "Major". And once he lost his nose, he appears reluctant to be spoken to by anyone, not even those with whom he usually talk to everyday. In fact, he was scared of even being seen by anyone. Conscious of his appearance, and obsessed with his rank, Major Kovalyov is the perfect show of society's obsession with appearance and class.