Unit One
Lesson Two
About Love Anton
Chekhov
Characters:
Alyohin: character of the
story
Nikanor: male servant who
drinks, love Pelageya
Pelageya: maid
servant
Luganovich: a friend of
Alyohin, assistance in court where Alyohin works
Anna Alexeyevna:
Luganovich's
wife of about 22, mother of two children, beautiful & Charming
Burkin &
Ivan: Alyohin's
guests
Setting:
Alyohin's
restaurant, his village Sofyino, Moscow where he got his education, the city
where he works as a judge
Time &
Weather:grey
sky & rain outside
Love: Selfish
love between College girl & Alyohin, Violent Love between Nikanor &
Pelageya and True & Spiritual Love between Alyohin & Anna
Summary
“About
Love” is a famous Russian story written by a famous story-writer, Anton
Chekhov. In the story, Chekhov presents the difference between three love
stories and tries to prove that “Love” like that is not bound by conjugal
relations. He views that love is true and spiritual. Happiness, unhappiness,
morality, sin, virtue, social status, class, prestige etc. have nothing to do
with love. Alyohin is the narrator in this story. He had been living as a poor
farmer at Sofyino since he graduated from the university. The story begins when
the narrator and his two guests-Bufkin and Ivan were having breakfast in a
country house. Alyohin told about the violent love affair between his two
servants Nikanor and Pelageya. According to the narrator, pelageya didn’t want
to marry Nikanor but she was ready to live with him just so. On the other hand,
Nikanor couldn’t stay with her before marriage for religious reasons. Alyohin
says that love is a hindrance and a source of dissatisfaction and irritation.
To justify his statement, he began his own story.
Alyohin
had to work hard at Sofyino to pay off his debt as his father had spent a lot
of money on his education by mortgaging the land. Though he was a landowner,
Alyohin had to work hard in the farm with his servants. Many years before, he
had been elected honorary justice for peace and sometimes he had to go to the
town to participate in the court session. Unexpectedly, one of his friends,
Luganovich invited him for dinner. There, he was very much attracted by the
young and beautiful Ana Alexeyevna, the wife of Luganovich. In the later days,
he frequently visited her and they spent much time together flaking for hours
and going to the theatre. Though they couldn’t miss the company of each other,
they didn’t express their desires, love and feedings. They hid feelings fearing
that it would ruin both of their lives.
At
last, as a result of unexpressed feelings, Anna had got mental sickness and she
had to go to Crimea for treatment. Many people gathered at the railway station
to say goodbye to Anna. When the train started to move, Alyohin ran to Anna
with her basket which she had forgotten. Their emotional eyes met together and
their spiritual strength couldn’t stop them falling in each other’s arms. They
kissed each other and expressed their deep love. However, they parted forever
and Alyohin returned to his farm land (village) being sad and he would never
meet her again in his life. The true love of Alyohin is the means of living.
The moment of her memory often relieved Alyohin in his life.
1. The second paragraph
of “About Love” is a brief account of a violent love affair between two
servants’. Is it significant that Aloyohin is the source of this anecdote?
ANS:
In the second paragraph of the story, Alyohin tells the story of the violent
love affair between Nikanor and Pelageya. It is important that Alyohin is the
source of this story because in the story Alyohin is not only a character but
also the narrator. The whole sotry revolves around him and his story telling
except slight intervention in the first and last paragraph of the story. As he
is the narrator, whatever he tells about other and about himself should be
believed without any question. The contrast between the love affair of
Nikanor-Pelageya and Alyohin-Anna is clear. In the first love story, hero and
heroine belong to socially inferior class whereas in the second love story,
they belong to socially superior and cultivated class of people. And moreover,
the love between first couple is an ordinary and usual love between a man and
women to be materialized by marriage but love between Anna and Alyohin is of
higher level, an unusual love which goes beyond the social limitation and
matrimonial bonds.
2. How does an
account of the occasion and of the setting in which the narrative occurs affect
our understanding of Alyohin?
ANS: First
two paragraphs of the story provide an appropriate setting to the story. The
story starts with an occasion where few friends including Alyohin are having a
leisurely time perhaps celebrating their holiday. What they all are doing is
eating, drinking and talking. As the time goes on, Alyohin starts talking about
the love affair between Nikanor and Pelageya and nature of their behavior.
Their conversation turns to the subject of love which leads to the telling of
Alyohin’s own love story. Alyohin’s statement about love is very much
influenced by his own experience. By telling his own love story, he wants to
free love from marital bonds. So, the setting does affect our understanding of
Alyohin.
3. An atmosphere of inertia
is established in the opening paragraphs of the story. Cite some specific
details which help to create this atmosphere. Is this air of indecisive leisure
suggested again at the end of the story? What is the connection between this
atmosphere and Alyohin’s behabiour with the women he loves, and the outcome of
their relationship?
ANS: The
story begins with an occasion where few friends are having leisurely time. They
are eating, drinking and talking about anything they like. They have already
had their breakfast and the cook again comes to ask what they would like for
dinner. This occasion helps to create the atmosphere of inertia in the sense
that they have nothing special to do except eating, drinking and talking. The
same air of leisure is suggested again at the end of the story. As Alyohin is
telling the story, the rain stops, the sun comes out and two friends Burkin and
Iva go out on the balcony and enjoy a fine view of garden. The atmosphere was a
close connection with Alyohin’s behavior with the women he loves. Alyohin
seems to be lovely fellow and he is always disturbed by the memory of his
beloved Anna. Whenever he has any free time, he can’t help telling his love
story to others. This also suggests that he has got life long grief and misery
as the outcome if his relationship with Anna.
4. Alyohin is said to rush around
like a squirrel in a cage and this judgement is echoed in the final paragraph
of the story. What is the significance of this repetition?
ANS: Alyohinis
said to rush around like a squirrel in a cage and this judgement is repeated in
the final paragraph. This repetation is very much significant. Alyohin is
not a common man. He is an educated man with the knowledge of language and
intellectual sensibilities. But instead of involving in scholary activities, he
is living a life of a simple farmer which limit the scope of his life. In this
sense the first judgement is made by Luganovich family that he is rushing
around like a squirrel in a cage. The same judgement is repeted by his friend
when he finishes telling his love story. Alyohin tells his love story so
skillfully and beautifully that his friends are greatly impressed by his
intelligence and skill. Such a person who can tell stories with such a candor,
with kindness and intelligence is living a life of an ordinary farmer. So, his
friends are sorry for him and make this judgement. The implication is that he
should have been an artist, or writer, not an ordinary farmer.
5. Why do you think Chekhov
chose to write about and ordinary man instead of a hero or a scholar or
actor? Does Chekhov imply anything about Alyohin’s assumption that
“Celebrated” people lead more fulfilled lives than the rest of us? Do you agree
with Alyohin’s assumption?
ANS: Chekhov
chose to write about an ordinary man instead of a hero, or a scholar or an
actor in order to present general human nature and possible events that may
happen to a man. Even a hero or a scholar or an actor is a man at first, then
only comes what he does. And moreover, natural human feelings of love, hatred,
anger, emotion, happiness and grief do not make any difference between
celebrated personality and common and ordinary man. These feelings are common to
all. The only thing is that well educated people may perceive things
differently and may better handle in a different way. So, I do not agree with
Alyhin’s assumption that only the celebrated people lead more fulfilled lives.
Each human attempt kindled with virtue and goodness is heroic in it’s own way.
Chekov also doesn’t imply anything about Alyohin’s assumption because Chekhov
has presented the plight of common ordinary man as opposed to Alyohin’s
assumption. Alyohin does not know that he is the hero of the story of his own
life.
