Chekhov's "Anyuta"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses that the title character, in Anton Chekhov's short story "Anyuta", is defined by her internal impoverishment. The author believes that Chekhov drew on his professional background as a doctor to explore Anyuta's psychological impoverishment. The author states that the reader feels sympathy for Anyuta for having no family, for being cold and probably hungry and for having been left by five men, until Anyuta's decision to remain a passive instrument of Stepan's advancement which shows that Anyuta is not only psychologically impoverished by circumstance but also by her own choices.

From the Paper:

"The story opens with an image of Anyuta and Stepan Klochkov in a dirty apartment. The image introduces several pertinent clues about how to interpret Anyuta's character, before the reader even sees her interact with Stepan. First, the narrator has given Stepan a last name but declined to specify Anyuta's. One possible interpretation of this difference is that Stepan's identity in the world is more particular and concrete than Anyuta. A last name is usually a family name. The reader gets the sense that Stepan has a family, comes from somewhere, grounded by a historical past. Stepan has another possible interpretation of this differential naming, which may be reconcilable with the first interpretation, as the narrator has a stronger level of familiarity with Anyuta than Stepan, and so he introduces "Stepan Klochkov" to the reader formally."

More papers on Chekhov's "Anyuta":

• Analytical Essay # 141791 : "Anton Chekhov's "The Lady With the Pet Dog"
• Analytical Essay # 140866 : "Heartache" by Chekhov"

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