Diário de um Meste

"Diário de um Meste" (Diary of a Madman) is a short story by Nikolai Gogol that explores themes of mental illness, societal pressure, and identity. It follows a government clerk whose increasingly unstable mind causes him to misinterpret reality, leading to paranoia and social withdrawal. Through his personal journal entries, the story depicts his descent into madness, illustrating how internal struggles and external forces can distort perception. The narrative offers a profound commentary on the fragile boundaries between sanity and insanity, emphasizing the impact of isolation and misunderstanding on an individual's mental health.