Destined to Failure

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how in many of his short stories, Anton Chekhov presents characters that seem to be destined to fail in their lives. These characters have little control over their lives and Chekhov plunges them into situations from which they cannot escape. The paper relates that Chekhov often demonstrates the hopelessness of life with his female characters. The paper analyzes "The Lady with the little Dog," "The Darling," "A Blunder" and "The Cook's Wedding." The paper portrays how in all these stories, Chekhov realistically presents characters who are destined to misery and failure.

From the Paper:

""A Blunder" and "The Cook's Wedding" are very short pieces written near the beginning of Chekhov's career as a writer in the 1880s. "A Blunder" includes characters who control their own destiny, yet, they make an error that will have a long term effect on their happiness. The parents are anxious for their daughter, Natashenka, to marry Shchupkin, the school master. In their haste to bless the wedding, the mother grabs a portrait of a writer from the wall instead of the necessary icon. When the parents realize their error, they and their daughter are left in confusion and disappointment while the fortunate Shchuplin slips quietly out the door."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chekhov, A. (1886). A Blunder. 201 Stories by Anton Chekhov. Retrieved May 12, 2006 from http://chekhov2.tripod.com/
• Chekhov, A. (1885). The Cook's Wedding. 201 Stories by Anton Chekhov.Retrieved May 12, 2006 from http://chekhov2.tripod.com/
• Chekhov, A. (1899). The Darling. 201 Stories by Anton Chekhov. Retrieved May12, 2006 from http://chekhov2.tripod.com/
• Chekhov, A. (1899). The Lady with the Dog. 201 Stories by Anton Chekhov.Retrieved May 12, 2006 from http://chekhov2.tripod.com/
• Terras, V. (1991). A History of Russian Literature. New Haven: Yale UniversityPress.

More papers on Destined to Failure:

• Essay # 51916 : "The Declining Influence of the Communists in France"
• Persuasive Essay # 101766 : "Canadian Peacekeeping"
• Analytical Essay # 23799 : "Willy Loman"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: