Adapted from The Cloak by Nikolai Gogol

When and how he entered the department, and who appointed him, no one could remember. However much the directors and chiefs of all kinds were changed, he was always to be seen in the same place, the same attitude, the same occupation—always the letter-copying clerk—so that it was afterwards affirmed that he had been born in uniform with a bald head. No respect was shown him in the department. The porter not only did not rise from his seat when he passed, but never even glanced at him, any more than if a fly had flown through the reception-room. His superiors treated him in coolly despotic fashion. Some insignificant assistant to the head clerk would thrust a paper under his nose without so much as saying, "Copy," or, "Here's an interesting little case," or anything else agreeable, as is customary amongst well-bred officials. And he took it, looking only at the paper, and not observing who handed it to him, or whether he had the right to do so; simply took it, and set about copying it.

Match each story element from the passage with the statement that best explains how it is influenced by the historical and cultural setting of the text.

plot
characterization
theme
The setting influences what the reader learns
about the story’s time and place.
arrowRight
The description of the setting influences how
the writer introduces the main character.
arrowRight
The impersonal office setting influences how
the main character does his work.
arrowRight