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".
Abstract This paper discusses how "The Cherry Orchard" is not a mythical play in the standard gothic sense. Instead, the mythic within this play is something that can be understood and observed though the viewing of said work. The Cherry Orchard is haunted. The writer discusses how the play is haunted by ghosts of the past. These ghosts which live within the mansion and indeed within the orchard itself manifest themselves in the characters who are both fighting to hold onto the past and those who are battling to move forward into the future.
From the Paper "All of the characters within the work are motivated by the ghosts of the past, but there are two characters which stand out as being moved by them. The first is Ranevsky and the second is Lopahin. Ranevsky is haunted by the need to hold onto the orchard. She lost her son in a drowning at the orchard and this is one of the ghosts which haunts the place. She believes that she must hold onto it because of the value to her family. The place has history for her. But it also haunts her. In her heart she wishes that she were not so bound by the place."
Abstract The paper discusses the significance of the George Washington and the Cherry Tree myth. The story was first presented in 1806 and since then it has become an important part of the American culture but in recent times this myth has gained popularity for another reason. It now helps America understand what the age of realism has done to its society and cultural traditions. With the loss of innocence, people now view everything with skepticism and therefore even the most highly celebrated figures of American history are often doubted. The paper therefore addresses the symbolism present in the story and studies it from a different perspective.
From the Paper "The Myth or fable of George Washington and the Cherry Tree? is more about adding an element of romance to the old figures of American history and is less about teaching honesty or moral values. While the story is clearly the type of fable that one would want to tell his children so that they would understand how important it is to stay away from lies and deception. But the actual moral of this story was a rather different one. We need to understand the symbolism present in the story. The child tells the truth to his father not because George Washington himself was a truthful person who as the story says told his father. "I can"t tell a lie, you know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet." But the story is more about the father's tolerant attitude towards his children."
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 discusses the pursuit of happiness in Anton Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard." The paper analyzes the characters within the play and looks at the actions they take in order to attempt to achieve happiness. It then discusses which of the characters did, in fact, manage to achieve the happiness they were pursuing. The paper suggests that real happiness comes from personal satisfaction and a willingness to take action and improve one's life.
From the Paper "For many of the characters in the play, happiness is more like the absence of misery. This is seen by the way that the characters spend their time escaping into the past to hide from their problems. Lyobov Andreyevna is the main example of this. This is specific to her memories of the death of her son. This is the reason that she leaves her home and travels overseas. She then spends her time on frivolous things that do not really achieve true happiness. One good example of this is seen where she hires an orchestra for a party, despite not having any money to pay them. This shows that she views happiness as being based on short-term pleasure. In effect, her life is about escaping from misery by constantly seeking pleasure. This does not allow her to achieve any true happiness."
Abstract This paper analyzes the short story "Intensive Care" by Lee Smith and ,in particular, the relationship between the two main characters, Harold & Cherry. It shows how Smith uses Harold and Cherry's relationship to illustrate the several different themes prevalent in society today such as the power of love and how often we settle for our lives, rather than doing anything to make them better or taking the time to love or to enjoy those around us, we simply go through the same motions every day. It examines how Harold is a classic example of someone going through the motions, who finally has the strength to break away. Smith makes us understand that love may not always last physically, but it will last forever in Harold's heart.
From the Paper "The only person who is not transformed by love in the story is Joan, Harold's ex-wife. Her life goes on just at it did before, perfectly. There is nothing in his old house to remind anyone he ever lived there. It is as if he is a phantom who existed once but has quickly been forgotten. "He looks back at the living room but there's not a trace of him left, not even an imprint on the soft white cushions of the sofa" (Smith 769). That is another theme in this story. While Harold has been pretty much forgotten by his family, he will never forget Cherry. She has changed him that much. In the end, he may "settle" again and go back to his family, but the reader gets the feeling his life will never be the same. He has been transformed, and he will be a different man if he goes back."
Tags: love, death, cherry, harold, motions, life, society
Abstract This paper presents a brief analysis of how Chekov uses the inanimate objects in his play as almost living things, reflecting on the emotions and attitudes of the characters.
From the Paper "We don't see things as they are. We see them as we are." This quote by Anais Nin expresses an essential point of view for this discussion about the symbolic meaning of inanimate objects, since it is our personality and our memories, which determine our character and meaning. Our feelings towards certain objects are individual, as everyone associates different things in a different manner. Insofar, "we see them as we are", since they can mirror our past, pains, hopes and our ideals. Thus they become more than just an object, but a symbol for a certain part of someone's feelings and life This is also the case in "The Cherry Orchard": objects as the nursery room, the bookcase and the cherry orchard take on their own symbolic life. "
Tags: chekhov, cherry, in, inanimate, life, object, of, orchard, symbolic, the
This paper discusses the presentation of female characters in the two books "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw and ?Sexing the Cherry? by Jeanette Winterson.
1,250 words (approx. 5 pages), 0 sources, 2002, $ 42.95
Abstract The following paper asserts that both Shaw and Winterson assigned different attributes to their female leading characters in the novels 'Pygmalion? and ?Sexing the Cherry?. However, this paper contends that the purpose of creating such figures, such as Eliza and the Dog woman, is identical in both cases.
From the Paper "The two books Pygmalion and Sexing the Cherry are starkly different in their storyline and narrative techniques, yet the only connecting link is the dominance of female characters in both stories. For example in the Pygmalion, it is Eliza Dolittle who is the most important female character while Dog Woman plays the leading role in 'Sexing the Cherry?. We notice that these two women have been presented in a contrasting light, as one happens to be a self-conscious young woman who is beautiful and sophisticated while the other is an ugly-looking person and has been repeatedly described as a monstrous creature. This is because Dog Woman who happens to have no other name in the book is grotesque character with nothing lady-like about her. Her mannerisms, her language, her dialect and her tone are all rather crude and the woman is an epitome of unsophisticated characteristics."
Background and text analysis, dealing with social aspects of "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov (money, power, politics, capitalism, communism, aristocracy, and serfdom).
Abstract In this paper, the writer accentuates the fine lines between rich and poor, landowner and slave, success and failure, that emerge in the play. The politics and economy of Russia were somewhat muddied at the time, and the capitalists, who used to be serfs, were now taking over the aristocracy, whose members did not have money-managing skills. The paper shows how Lyubov Andreyevna and her brother cling to the aristocratic past, Lopakhin is the capitalist (embodiment of the present economy) and Trofimov is a sort of prophet, predicting the rise of communism (though even Chekhov would not live to see that era). Differences in culture, speech, action, demeanor and viewpoints between Firs and Lopakhin; and all the characters (even the servants) are described.
From the Paper "After feudalism was abolished in Russia in 1861, Russia was undergoing some gradual yet drastic economic changes. The growth of entrepreneurial activity was centered around Moscow while St. Petersburg was crumbling with the tsar as he lost authority to the rising merchant class. For centuries, wealth and income had been based solely on the ownership of land. Technically, the serfs were not slaves, but their economic situations forced them into complete submission; their masters could trade them for horses or even dogs. The serfs were freed in 1861, but with no money or property, so for decades, many were still dependent on their masters. It wasn?t until just before the turn of the century that these men began to find their wealth in the form of industrial capitalism (textile production being the most prominent business). Soon these old aristocratic and new capitalist worlds began to battle with each other. This is the Russian economic background of Anton Chekhov's ?The Cherry Orchard.? (Worrall 13) Lyubov Andreyevna Ranevskaya is a middle-aged aristocratic woman who returns from France to find her estate in danger of being subjugated by the rising merchant class, specifically Yermolay Alexyevich Lopakhin. Chekhov does not favor either the aristocrat or the merchant, but stresses the strengths and weaknesses of both groups? ideals. No one person or governmental system is perfect, and everyone's "absurd, unhappy lives" (Lopakhin ? 45) fall victim to the continual change of any society."
Tags: andreyevna, aristocracy, emancipation, landowning, lopakhin, lyubov, ranevskaya, russia
Abstract The paper reviews the two plays "The Cherry Orchard" by Bernard Shaw and "Heartbreak House" by Anton Chekhov and examines how the two works are intertwined with each other in theme and structure, the latter inspired by the former. It discusses how both plays are tragi-comedies and how both seem to portray what is right and wrong even though there are no real villains or heroes and how both are seemingly plotless, yet intricately designed to be full of plot detail. It also shows how the similarity between these two plays lies in the techniques employed by the playwrights to achieve this by inserting the tragedy of the everyday into comedy.
From the Paper "The dramatic techniques apparent in the two plays being discussed branch out from the root definition of the plays as comedies, or perhaps more specifically as tragicomedies. Tragicomedy is essentially comedy that revolves around tragedy, with a key factor being that the action is revolving around real people. Only real people, in the sense of a naturalistic portrayal of people in real life, are capable of moving from one concept to the other in the space of a breath. The archetypal hero disobeys the archetype if he or she moves from sadness to happiness in an irregular, unforeseeable pattern, a feat required in tragicomedy."
Abstract This paper focuses on the unique writing style of Chekhov, showing how although the themes he addresses echo the concerns of his period, his characters are unlike others seen in literature and his light comedic style serves as a template for other dramas. Chekhov's plays 'about nothing' are unique, though, in that they strike us with their use of sound and with the idle talk of both protagonists and secondary characters that seem to dance around themes rather than approach them in a linear fashion.
From the Paper "Much of the idle talk that is apparent in "The Cherry Orchard" is designed to portray those that come from an upper-class background as being flighty and concerned with trivialities. When Varya comments ?you have a broach like a bee,? we are reminded of Nora in Ibsen's "Doll House" and her macaroons. We see that even though these women of patrician sensibilities are capable of recognizing threats to their prosperity that they ultimately spend much of their time focusing on matters of the senses: in at least several instances, people will comment extensively on the weather, comparing it to the weather in Paris or the weather several months ago. A contrast to this daydream-like approach to life is provided by Lopakhin, who is a businessman versed in matters of finance and real estate development."
Looks at the role of sexuality in Cherrie Moraga's play, "Heroes and Saints". Seeks to classify and break classifications of each individual's sexuality in Moraga's work.
Abstract The nature of sexuality in literature has undergone radical changes. From the suggestive imagery in Victorian writing to the modern romance novels, authors have been giving us their take on the classic relationship between man and woman. This paper explains how Cherrie Moraga's play, "Heroes and Saints", provides an interesting depiction of this topic. It discusses how, throughout the play, the characters' lines, reactions, and interactions with one another work together to draw a picture of interaction that is unique to the author. To study the relationship between the sexes, the paper offers a detailed look at several of the main characters throughout the play.
From the Paper "One of the main characters, Cerezita, offers us perhaps the most interesting look at sexuality. With no body to speak of one would be interested to find out her views of sexuality. These views come out quite clearly in her dialogue. This is especially apparent with the banter she engages in with Father Juan. "Touch my hair, Father. I"m normal from the neck up.? (241) To which he asks, "You think about that"? (242) To which she replies that all she has is her imagination, the only outlet for her sexual energy, until later on in the play that is. Weather or not in reality a "body less" person would experience such urges is clearly stated by the author, sexual instinct is derived from and perceived in our mind, despite the many other body parts many people believe drive sexual instinct and desire."
Abstract This paper examines the political lives of three of Florida's legislators-Gwendolyn Cherry, Carrie Meek and Arthenia Joyner-all bBlack women who have surpassed tremendous odds and difficulties in order to take their place in the history of the United States.
From the Paper "Until recently, Florida was one state that was considered one of the relatively "conservative" states of the South. As Wendy Loquasto stated in her speech delivered at the Ceremonial Legislative Session Honoring the First 150 Florida Women Lawyers, "...because the greatest tribute we could pay to these women is recognition that Florida was a very different place when they came on the legal scene and that Florida is a better place today because of their actions...(Loquasto, 2000)." Thus, when the first African-American woman, Gwen Sawyer Cherry was elected to the Florida Legislature in 1970, many considered (and rightly so) the event to be of immense historical as well as symbolic importance in that an era of clear cut racial division had finally ended."
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
This paper compares and contrasts feminism as it is presented in Fay Weldon's "The Lives and Loves of a She-Devil" and Jeanette Winterson's "Sexing the Cherry."
Abstract The paper offers a comparison and contrast of feminism as it is presented in Fay Weldon's "The Lives and Loves of a She-Devil" and Jeanette Winterson's "Sexing the Cherry".
From the Paper "In Fay Weldon's "The Life and Loves of a She-Devil" and Jeanette Winterson's "Sexing the Cherry" we are provided with a unique brand of feminism. In Weldon's She-Devil, the author presents a heroine Ruth who must completely change her dependence on the man she loves including completely changing herself in order to stave off self-destruction. In Winterson's Sexing the Cherry the author shows the historical limitations of defined categories of sexuality by showing the multiplicity of identity inherent in her female protagonist Dogwoman."
