Marriage in Literature

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the way in which the institution of marriage is generally stereotyped in modern literature. It focuses on Richard Brinsley Sheridan's "The School for Scandal" and Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchid" and looks at the way in which the plays portray marital relationships to great effect. The paper compares and contrasts their plots and their reflections on marriage.

From the Paper:

"Marriage is intricately woven into the fabric of The School for Scandal and The Cherry Orchid. It serves both plays by enhancing its immediate effect on the audience and its legacy. Marriage in The School for Scandal is recognizably typical of many experiences today, which makes the play's lingering qualities so vital. The Cherry Orchid leaves a lot unsaid and unresolved. Chekhov's disregard for the necessity to explain and complete everything also serves to make the play linger, in that there are unresolved questions playing in the mind of the viewer / reader. Perhaps the major comparison between the two plays is in their differences. The structured beginning, middle and end of The School for Scandal and the 'questions answered' serve the same purpose as those questions unanswered in the 'snapshot' of The Cherry Orchid. They both reflect marriage differently which has a different effect and meaning in the play."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chekhov, A. (2002). Plays: The cherry orchid. London: Penguin Books.
• Sheridan, R. B. (1988). The school for scandal and other plays. London: Penguin Books.

More papers on Marriage in Literature:

• Essay # 36478 : "Marriage in Literature"
• Analytical Essay # 50799 : "Adultery in Literature and Film"
• Analytical Essay # 6851 : "Middlemarch: Marriage in the Early Nineteenth Century"

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