Abstract This literary study examines the short story "The Lady and the Pet Dog" by Anton Chekhov. By learning of the sexist and often misogynistic behavior of Gurov toward women, one can realize his love for Anna revokes his views of gender stereotypes. By understanding how women can be seen as individuals with intelligence and beauty, Gurov invariably cannot hold onto these naive gender belief systems in Chekhov's narrative. The paper explains that, in essence, the basis of Chekhov's short story creates a larger perspective relating to how Gurov transforms his gender based misogyny in his love for Anna. Gurov is a male that has a great tendency to make generalizations about women and then places them within a certain category in society.
Abstract Often in his works, Anton Pavlevich Chekhov mixes comedic and tragic elements. The purpose of this is to not allow things to get too drab or life to appear to be too gloomy. He uses his characters as mediums for this comedic relief. Another one of Chekhov's trademarks is the use of off-stage events and actions. These events and actions may appear to be things that deserve the center of attention, but Chekhov purposely places them off-stage so as to draw attention to something else and pulls it off quite well. This paper analyzes several of Chekhov's plays, including, "Uncle Vanya", "The Cherry Orchard", and "Three Sisters" to show how he successfully makes use of comedy and off-stage action.
From the Paper "An example of this would be when there was a fire in Three Sisters. When Act Three is introduced, we learn that there was a fire from the narrative notes and from some of the dialogue, but the play is not in action while the fire is happening. The fire itself is not so important. What is important is how the characters react to it. The fire was merely a catalyst that set people off and made Act Three a hectic one. Natasha gets bossier towards servants, Chebutykin becomes a drunken mess and Irina becomes more frustrated and desperate to return to Moscow."
Abstract 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."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses Tolstoy's commentary on Chekhov's Angel which is one of the more controversial works completed by the great Russian novelist. The following paper considers Tolstoy's view that Chekhov in his efforts to make fun of the unenlightened women of his age who valued their traditional feminine role far more so than they valued jobs as engineers or scientists or even as writers, failed to see that feminine perfection and success and masculine perfection and success were (presumably are) two different things - and that a woman who had the capacity to love others was ultimately more valuable to society than a woman who had the capacity to be a great lawyer or doctor.
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the short story "The Darling" by Anton Chekhov. Specifically, the paper discusses the characters' point of view and the theme of the work. The paper examines how the story illustrates women's roles in Victorian society, and uses characterization, theme, and point of view to illustrate the confining lives of women and their families. The paper further examines the character of Olga, a sad, even pathetic character who only lives for the men in her life. The writer concludes that Olga's wasted life is a lesson to anyone who allows another to become the center of his or her world and interests.
Outline:
1. Introduction
a. Thesis
2. Background on Chekhov a. Writing history and life
3. Characters
a. Olga
b. Husbands
4. Themes of the story
a. Women in society
b. Loss and Death
c. A Mother's Love
5. Conclusion
From the Paper "Olga (also called Olenka), is the main character of this story and the "darling" referred to in the title. She is an intriguing character full of weaknesses and faults, and yet Chekhov manages to make her sympathetic to the reader somehow. One critic of the story writes, "Tolstoy [...] believed that Chekhov had meant to denigrate his Olga, the buxom, warm-hearted 'darling' who has no opinions except those which she borrows from the current man in her life and who, without some male to worship, withers and grows sluttish, but that he could not help bathing her in sympathy" (Calder 251). Olga is sympathetic for a number of reasons. First, she genuinely seems grieved when she loses her first two husbands."
A review on the comparative writing styles of Rattawut Lapcharoensap and Anton Chekhov with particular reference to "Sightseeing" written by Lapcharoensap.
Abstract The paper discusses Rattawut Lapcharoensap's "Sightseeing", is a first person narrative that describes a short vacation the protagonist and his mother took. The paper states that the story resembles the works of Anton Chekhov because of its symbolism, depression, and unpredictability. The paper then comments that every writer, has his own technique for writing a short story. However for reasons stated, different writers may seem to have identical ideas and style. The paper continues and discusses the comparative writing styles of Chekhov and Lapcharoensap and concludes that both writers' works are unique and exceptional, and both include symbolism, unpredictability, and endless conclusions.
From the Paper "Reading about something out of the realm of normal experience---such as having a mother who is going blind--keeps the audience interested. Chekhov's stories differ in this respect. He connects with the reader because the events in his stories are universal in scope. Chekhov's stories focus on what it is like to be a human being. His themes are commonly found in the human condition and can be analyzed and seen through many different reader perspectives. Many interpretations can be made. Lapcharoensap's style and story is told through the first person with views that are only seen through his eyes. It's like he is telling the reader what to think. Chekhov never does that.His stories also do not have as much dialect as Lapcharoensap's do."
Abstract An discussion of how Chekhov's writing style was inspired by his medical studies, as well as his love of the craft of writing, and his non-judgmental portrayal of characters.
From the Paper "Anton Chekhov's writings possess both the rich detail of a master writer and the precise and deliberate sense of integrity of a doctor or scientist. In fact, Chekhov's first writings came about while he was studying medicine in the form of short humorous sketches that he wrote in order to help support himself and his family. After he completed his studies, Chekhov began practicing medicine but ultimately it was his writings that seized his passions and caused him to all but abandon medicine (Lantz, "Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich")."
Abstract This paper explores the under lying concepts of Russian literature's "Progressivism", by explaining the events between 1889 and 1920 as exemplified in the works of Chekhov and Dostoevsky. The paper argues that the fictional societies lost faith in religious concepts but still wanted these values in their politics and economy. The paper also shows the historic change and progress in the Russian society as a result of modernization.
From the Paper "'Progressivism' is a term, usually describing a nebulous concept, a persuasion, explaining the events between 1889 and 1920. It was political only on its surface. At its core it was religious, an attempt by people from all social classes, but chiefly the middle class, to restore the proper balances among moral values, capitalistic competition, and democratic processes, which the expansion of business in the New Age seemed to have changed in alarming ways. Societies had lost literal faith in religious concepts but still wanted these values in their politics and economy and every other field."
This paper examines the following four works of literature and how they affected the literary philosophy of their eras: Voltaire's 'Candide', Anton Chekhov's 'Enemies', Giancamo Leopardi's 'The Infinite' and Virginia Wolf's 'Kew Gardens'.
Abstract This paper studies the different ways that four works of literature from different genres reflect the dominant literary philosophy of the era of their authors. It argues that over the course of the last three centuries, from the 18th century to the present, the ways that literature has depicted the human condition has been characterized by an increasing focus on the interior, rather than the exterior life of fictional and non-fictional characters. It studies Voltaire's 'Candide', Anton Chekhov's 'Enemies' , Giancamo Leopardi's 'The Infinite' and Virginia Wolf's 'Kew Gardens'.
From the Paper "One of the most perfect expressions of the Enlightenment's Rationalism can be found in Voltaire's Candide. Voltaire depicts a society rife with hypocrisy, particularly religious hypocrisy. The length of Voltaire's work is that of a novella, but the prose has the quality of a satire, or an extended parody, in this case a parody of the philosopher Lebiniz's sensibility that the entire world is good, and that the world in which we dwell is the best of all possible worlds. Voltaire's authorial voice is present throughout the work, and even when the author is chronicling the inner voice of the characters, there is a strong sense of plot, of action, and of an author's philosophic "project" at work."
Tags: literature philosophy Voltaire 'Candide'Anton Chekhov 'Enemies', Giancamo Leopardi 'The Infinite' Virginia Wolf 'Kew Gardens' Enlightenment Rationalism
Abstract This paper is a review of "The Cherry Orchard" by Chekhov. It is a play about family relationships. The cherry orchard belongs to Madame Ranevsky and is used a symbol for all that is beautiful about this character and her family, as well as all that is useless and futile. The writer looks at each characters perception of the orchard, which offers an insight into the weaknesses of these characters. The author argues that the fate of the cherry orchard reveals a death impulse as well as a life sustaining one in the play.
From the Paper "Madame Ranevsky is a cultured woman of beauty and charm. However, she has recently come back from a trip to Europe with her daughter Anya. She is representative of the Russian aristocracy's love of all that is profligate, cultured, European, and non-Slavic. She does not work, and she contributes little to society. Her beauty is fading, but she still has a great deal of charm and personal attractiveness. However, she is losing her estate because of her spendthrift ways, losing the beauty of her way of life and the orchard because there is nothing to substantiate and economically sustain the orchard's beauty".
A comparative analysis of three works of literature, Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard," Joseph Conrad's "The Heart of Darkness" and Henry James' "The American."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts three works of literature that discuss the main characters in each as they relate to a central conflict of each work. The works are Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard," Conrad's novel "The Heart of Darkness," and Henry James' novel "The American."
From the Paper "There are a variety of themes and conflicts in Chekhov's |The Cherry Orchard" Conrad's "The Heart of Darkness" and James' "The American". In Chekhov's drama we find conflicts of class economics and relationships. In Conrad's tale ..."
Tags: Heart of Darkness, Conrad, The American, James, The Cherry Orchard, Chekhov
Abstract This paper analyzes the works of Anton Chekhov, including a number of major plays ("The Cherry Orchard," "Uncle Vanya," "The Seagull," "Three Sisters") and some of his short stories.
From the Paper "On January in Taganrog, Russia, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born. Though Chekhov wrote many one-act comedies and a significant number of short stories it is for his full-length tragedies that Chekhov is considered among the greatest dramatists of all time. While studying as a medical student at the University of Moscow, Chekhov began writing short stories. Influenced by Vaudeville and French farces Chekhov began writing one-act comedies."
Tags: Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, The Seagull, Three Sisters, Lady With A Pet Dog, The Radical, The Kiss, happiness, fulfillment, sadness, tragedy, comedy, life
Abstract This paper considers the theme of pride in two literary works, the play "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov and the novel "The Stone Angel" by Margaret Laurence. Noting that theme of pride is common in literature, with pride being one of the seven deadly sins in the Christian conception and an example of a fatal flaw in the Greek view in classical literature. This paper then reviews how that theme of pride is seen in these two works in terms of the past, and the actions of individual characters.
From the Paper "The theme of pride is common in literature, with pride being one of the seven deadly sins in the Christian conception and an example of a fatal flaw in the Greek view in classical literature. This theme is treated differently by different authors and even in different types of literature. The theme is embodied in the play 'The Cherry Orchard' by Anton Chekhov in the way the characters are portrayed and in the attitudes they take toward their status in society, and it is treated by novelist Margaret Laurence in 'The Stone Angel' through her characters and the way they show pride to be both constructive and destructive..."
Abstract 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."
Abstract This paper examines the different way that Tolstoy and Welty analyzed Chekhov's story. It shows how Tolstoy finds that Chekhov wrote the story with his mind but not with his heart, which comes to assume that he knew how Chekhov felt when writing this story. Welty herself explains the story as if she were fishing, seeking deeper and deeper for meaning and for what the author intended.
From the Paper "Tolstoy says that when Chekhov was writing this story, he had in mind a vague image of a new woman and of her equality with man. He says that Chekhov wanted to show what a woman should be by showing what she "ought not to be" (Tolstoy 1557). One problem with Tolstoy's criticism of Chekhov is that he really just disagrees with Chekhov about the role of women, but he makes it seem that Chekhov was not thinking with his heart or he would have come to a different conclusion. He shows what Chekhov said, and then he shows his own bias by stating what the truth is, that the ambitions of a woman must be different from those of a man because a woman's work is very different from the work of a man. Tolstoy says that Chekhov was laboring under the influence of an absurd idea offered by the "fashionable woman movement" of the time, the idea that women can aspire to the same roles as men."
