Chekov's Use Of The Theme In Ivanov example essay topic

March 10, 1917. Bolshevik revolutionaries boldly stormed the palace of Nichol ous I in Moscow ending his reign and an era in Russian civilization with it. A pattern of destruction and upheaval of the old establishment followed with the systematic elimination of all properties, belongings, records and archives connected with the upper classes and aristocracy. Amid this time of revolutionary purification, a vast number of great Russian writers and artists were dragged from the ranks of nobility. But one, Anton Chekhov, was the exception. Though he lived to be a figure of prestige and wealth, well among the few, fortunate and hated Russian, Chekov possessed a background of humble origins.

It was for this reason that the legacy of Chekov was fully annexed into the new age of Russian culture as it did so flourish in the age before. Anton Chekov was born in 1860, the third among six children to a lower middle-class family. But his lineage was connected to origins of even greater obscurity and near insignificance. Only forty years earlier had his grandfather, Ye gor a serf under the ownership of a man by the name of Count Chertkov, managed by means of hard work and careful scrutiny, to accumulate a sufficient amount of funds to purchase his own freedom.

The young Anton, himself, grew up in the city of Taganrog where his father, Pavel Chekov, was a grocery shopkeeper. Pavel was strict and regimented. He sought relentlessly to ensure his sons both an academic and pious education, thus subjecting them to a persistent routine of school, service at the shop, and long terms at the Orthodox church that went well into the night. By 1876, Pavel's business has completely failed and that same year, faced with extensive debts and with no where else to turn, he took what little he had and moved his family to Moscow.

But Anton stayed in Taganrog another three years to finish grammar school, before eventually joining his family, supporting himself primarily by working as a teachers assistant. Upon relocating, Anton immediately enrolled into the University of Moscow to pursue a medical degree, but, when compelled to support both himself and his family, he began to find opportunities to write humorous and satirical jokes as well as anecdotal articles and sketches for number of the magazines and news periodicals that existed in Moscow. Taking whatever task was available, Chekov became a veracious writer, contributing articles, sketches, essays, novels, short stories and even law reports that, all together, numbered a total of over four hundred within a seven year period. It was not long before he was a regular contributor to such popular Russian periodicals as Stekosa, Budilnik, Zritel, Mirskoy To lk, Soviet i Tien i, and Moskva providing him with the foundations of a considerable degree of recognition among his contemporaries. Throughout this time, an evolution of Chekov style and direction as a writer began to make itself apparent as he moved from the nonsensical, jokes and comedy of his early years in medical school to a regular satirical gossip column for 'Leykin's Journal' in 1883.

By 1886, he had achieved the greater role as a contributor to 'Suvorin's Times', a more respectable and conservative news periodical based in St. Petersburg. Chekov received his Medical Degree in 1884 but continued to write as much as possible. His writing became more and more an object of a dichotomy to him. He once was quoted, 'Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress.

When I get fed up with one, I spend the night with the other. Though it is irregular, it is less boring this way, and besides, neither of them loses anything through my infidelity. ' Despite his own cynical view of his own work, Chekov was proving himself to be a promising and successful writer for which there was great financial rewards. Something must be said about Chekov's involvement in the Theater.

It was during the early days in his life that his interest grew for the art. While living in Taganrog, he made many appearances at the local theater scene, first on the and eventually onto the professional stage. He gained general recognition as a talented actor and his name spread throughout the area. It was not long before he began to explore his abilities as a playwright.

Ironically, his first play, 'Ivanov' was the last of his works to be finally recognized after his death. But his efforts were collectively successful throughout his life and many memorable and landmark plays, such as 'The Seagull' and 'Three Sisters', were spawned from his pen. Chekov's approach to play writing was based on his belief that 'life', 'real life' itself, however tragic, unfair, non-idealistic, was the best source of drama. Irony, tragedy and comedy were carefully joined in Chekov's themes.

'Ivanov', Chekov's first play, is about an unscrupulous landowner, centered upon his callous abandonment his wife 'Sarah', who is dying of tuberculoses. Despite her dire condition, he spends long, pleasant evenings at the estate of his wealthy neighbor, Lebedev while at the same time consorting in a flirtatious relationship with Lebedev's daughter, 'Sasha'. Ivanov is warned by a pivotal character, Dr. L'von, that the discovery of his behavior would 'kill' his wife. Ivanov's cruelty is unwavering and he even excuses his behavior in deriding her for being a 'Jewess'. Sarah eventually dies and Sasha agrees to be-wed Ivanov.

But just before they are to marry, Ivanov commits suicide in what seems to be a fit of guilt and self hatred. Chekov's use of the theme in 'Ivanov' placed upon his audience a moral question of considerable complexity. It is an easy judgment for Ivanov to be recognized as the figure of true wickedness, but Chekov does not allow for such simplicity. The 'wickedness' of Ivanov is brought to question in his act of suicide which demonstrated an eventual 'awakening' to his own humanity, though it was late to right any wrongs. A distinction is made between Ivanov's sudden self awareness and Dr. L'von's smug and self righteous preaching. It is in this way that Chekov presents the moral question of humanity and the value of self-awareness over the black and white ethics of good and evil; right and wrong.

Chekov's approach was expanded in his short stories where he focused less on plots, issues and anecdotes and more on 'character development'. Anton's subject matter proved him to be a careful observer of humanity in all it's unpredictable variations. He was not a believer in stereotypes (that's my exclusive opinion), but used societal truisms against his audience as a means of challenging them into a dilemma. Such is true for 'Ivanov' where the obvious villain is not so apparent, but instead an amalgam of both 'villain' and 'hero' is created being something else altogether. An example of Chekov's disregard for conventional 'story telling' in favor for character construction can be seen in his memorable work, 'Lady with the Lapdog' (Lady with the Pet Dog). The central character, Dmitry Gu rov is immediately cast as a figure of insensitivity, seemingly incapable of any emotional depth.

He is drawn to a lady, who's name we find later to be Anna Sergeyevna, who has with her a pet dog. The two eventually, and almost reluctantly, become infatuated with each other. The final scene closes with the two meeting together at a secret rendezvous and realizing that the circumstances existing in both their lives will never allow them to be live freely as lovers. Chekov deliberately develops a genuine love theme between Anna and Dmitry, but abandons the traditional idealist romanticism, creating something else altogether. Instead of shaping the characters to fit the confines of a story, story is shaped by the development of the characters themselves. Chekov's literary style expressed a view that good and evil were not as easily apparent it should seem.

In his own words he stated that, '... to judge between good and bad, between successful and unsuccessful would take the eye of a god. ' Chekov wrote about life and the individuals that filled it surpassing the themes, ideologies, and cultural confines of the time and place in which he lived. And so as long as there is a place for human life to continue, in all it's beauty, complexity, a diversity, and drama, there will always be a place for Chekov among us as well..