Tsehhov daam koeraga Chekov Lady and the Lapdog (0)

Chekov Lady and the Lapdog
Reid about Chekov: The characters in Chekhov's plays are never fully “ known ” – as a writer, he seems to delight in maintaining a sense of indeterminacy, and unknowability, about them . The bare facts are always laughably inadequate to the complexity of “ real ” people.
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born on 29 January (New Style), 1860, in Taganrog, a small port on the Sea of Azov, in southern Russia . As the son of a grocer and grandson of a serf, Chekhov was a first -generation intellectual. His
modest background and upbringing are crucial to his development as a writer. Chekhov always felt that he missed out on childhood. It was a very hard lifeand it may have contributed to his poor health: he succumbed later on to the“family disease ”, tuberculosis, which led to his early death at the age of 44.His mother was a quiet , gentle soul who was full of stories of her early life. In later years , Chekhov would say that “we inherited our talent from our father ,but mother gave us soul”. The other great passion of his formative years was nature , the Russiancountryside. As a port, Taganrog was surrounded on all sides by the landscapes of the Steppe and Chekhov's earliest stories reveal how intensely aware he was of his bond with the Don Steppe. Chekhov had always claimed that medicine was his wife and literature his mistress. Chekhov had lived for much of his career as a writer under the shadow of the great literary colossus of the age, Lev Tolstoy.
The Seagull [Chaika] suffered one of the most disastrous first nights of any of In the distant past — before the Russian upper classes began using French
as their primary language — around  — Russians used these two pronouns
only to distinguish between singular and plural . Th e rule then was to use ty whenever addressing only one person , no matter what his or her social status, and to use vy whenever addressing more than one person. Under the infl uence
of the French language , Russian developed a second-person pronoun usage that, like French tu and vous, distinguished not only between singular and plural
but also between formal and familiar. In this new usage the plural form vy came to be employed when addressing a single person on a formal basis , while ty came to be used only when addressing someone on familiar terms. By the nineteenth century, this usage had become a thoroughly ingrained feature of the language.
Chekhov's plays when it opened in St Petersburg , in 1896, as a benefit night
for a comic actress who had a huge, rowdy, popular following . Chekhov ran
out of the theatre after the second act and roamed the streets, swearing never
to write for the stage again . Exactly two years later, the fledgling Moscow Arts
Theatre, under the guidance of Stanislavsky and Nemerovich-Danchenko,
began the first of twenty-six rehearsals of The Seagull. The director , Vladimir
Nemirovich-Danchenko, had recognised the potential of Chekhov's innovative
dramatic technique and it was his enthusiasm that ensured the first highly
successful production of the play.
Th e plot of Chekhov’s sixteen-page masterpiece is not complicated. A man meets a
woman while both are vacationing — without their spouses — in the southern
resort villa of Yalta. Th ey have an aff air and return to their respective spouses
— he to his wife in Moscow, she to her husband in Saratov. While at fi rst the
man, Dmitrij Gurov, regards the aff air as just another pleasant fl ing, soon to be
forgotten, he later begins to remember and cherish the time he has spent with
Anna in Yalta. He gradually becomes consumed with a desire to see her and Chekhov – The Lady with the Lapdod – Questions .
1. Discuss the symbolic meaning of the title. Why the reference to the dog is
important ?
2. Describe the use of different landscapes in the story and their significance.
3. Discuss the use of impersonal constructions in the story and their significance.
4. Discuss Gurov's character : is he really in love?
5. Discuss the representation of women in the story.
6. Discuss the final part of the story: is it optimistic or pessimistic?
7. Discuss the use of psychological insights in the story. Give examples of Chekhov's
observations on his characters' mood, emotions and habits.
travels to Saratov to fi nd her. When he manages to meet with her, they embrace
passionately for a brief stolen moment away from her husband and she promises
to travel to Moscow to continue the aff air that they had begun in Yalta. At
this point it is clear that they are thoroughly in love with one another. Th e story
ends with their tryst in Moscow and a wrenching discussion of the impossibility
of their situation — he cannot leave his wife because of the loss of status and
wealth that a divorce would entail, and she cannot leave her husband and family
for much the same reason — yet they pledge to one another to carry on with
their aff air because they are now clearly in love with one another.
Just after sex – TY What is missing from this passage in English is the asymmetrical use o
the second-person pronouns in the Russian original . Gurov addresses Anna throughout as ty
while she addresses him throughout as vy. Because of his unhappy marriage and
the ease with which
he had always been able to enter into brief aff airs, Gurov had long considered
women “a lower breed.” So now, aft er he and Anna have had sex, he addresses
Anna as he would anyone who had proven herself to be of the “lower breed,”
with a slight degree of contempt.
Untranslatable “You” in Chekhov’s Lady with Lapdog 293 of the original Russian text of the three barriers that must be surmounted if Gurov and Anna are ever to come together on equal terms. When they meet on this second
occasion, he approaches her and when he fi rst speaks to her addresses her with the formal, respectful vy. Th e use of this one word at this juncture has a dramatic eff ect, for it clearly communicates that an enormous transformation has occurred in Gurov. Rather third time in room -> Now the ty form of the verb is a clear signal that Gurov respects and loves Anna and that he expects her to address him on similarly familiar,
equal and intimate terms. And in her response, equally
simple and mundane, she does so: “ Wait , I’ll tell you.” Th is one
word, wait, expressed in the ty form of the verb in her response, clearly signals the new state of aff airs between
Gurov and Anna. As the narrator a short space later explains, now somewhat superfl uously, “He and Anna Sergeyevna
loved each other as people do who are very dear and near , as man
and wife or close friends love each other; they could
not help feeling that fate itself had intended them for one another....”
Anna, on the other hand , is distraught and troubled. Th e sexual relationship has
brought her the realization that she has betrayed not only her husband but herself
as well. Her entire emotional struggle involves resisting the notion that she
has become a “bad, despicable creature.” Her not crossing over to using ty with
Gurov suggests her need to maintain some distance between herself and him,
thereby preserving a degree of self- respect . Th roughout their conversation in
this passage, even when Gurov treats her with gentleness and compassion — the
kind that he might off er a pet dog — Anna addresses him only as vy. Th e interplay
of the two pronouns here clearly reveals a degree of tension and distance
between the two characters that is entirely missing in English translations.
Yet another dimension of the asymmetrical usage of second-person pronouns
here is the attention that it calls to the couple’s asymmetrical age relationship
and social status: Gurov is twice Anna’s age. He is in his forty ’s while
she is only twenty-two. Moreover , Gurov is from Moscow, the former capital of
Russia and still a center of power and culture, and occupies a high social position
through his marriage whereas Anna has fallen socially, having moved —
because of her marriage — from St. Petersburg, the current seat of government
and culture of the Russian empire , to the remote provincial capital of Saratov.
Anna’s not switching from vy to ty with Gurov is an obvious reminder to readers
Greenberg unconscious Later in the theatre scene, Chekhov employs this
narrative technique once again: 'On the landing above two schoolboys were smoking
and looking down, but Gurov did not care. He drew Anna Sergeyevna towards him and
began kissing her face , her lips , her hands' (p. 277; my italics). This passage starts off
with what seems to be the narrator's ~ o i notf view. However . the words 'but Gurov
did not care' indicate that the preceding phrase should be regarded as Gurov's
perception of the scene. On the realistic level, these two schoolboys are indeed
chance passers-by, but on the unconscious level they represent for Gurov his own
'two schoolboy sons', mentioned earlier. By having Gurov accompany his daughter (who resembles Anna) to school on his
way to Anna, Chekhov suggests that symbolically it is the road taken with the
daughter which leads to the mistress. On the conscious level, Gurov's relationship
with his daughter strengthens his attachment to his family, whereas on the
unconscious level it enhances his relationship with his mistress. This is why at the
end of the story Gurov remains in limbo between family and mistress.
After presenting these details , Chekhov subtly weaves in Gurov's mind an
associative link between his daughter and Anna: 'As he went to bed he remembered
that she had only recently left her boarding school, that she had been a schoolgirl like
his own daughter'
Every time the voices of his children doing their homework reached him in his study in the
stillness of the evening , every time he heard a popular song or some music in a restaurant ,
every time the wind howled in the chimney -it all came back to him: their walks on the pier ,
early morning with the mist on the mountains , the Theodosia boat, and the kisses. (p. 273)
The story is written in the form of a third-person
narration, which allows Chekhov to move from the point of view of the narrator to
that of the protagonist. This movement is established as carly as the first paragraph
of the story:
The appearance
The techniques that Chekhov employs (associative
thinking, displacement, and projection) are all processes which govern the
unconscious. In other words, the unconscious processes taking place in Gurov are
communicated to the reader's unconscious by means of their common language
Petersbourgh in QOS
I'm also doing queen of spades, thought that was a hard question. I thought write about its emphasis on the past, the story of the countess' card secret determines the whole plot. Focuses mainly on the aristocratic and gambling, maybe reflecting the nature of life in st. petersburgm lizaveta is mistreated by the countess and Herman (two people who are only out for money ), but she has the happiest ending out of them all. I think the questions its less about the place and more about the people and their goals. But maybe the people's goals, reflects Russia's position in the world at the time, I think it was at the peak of its empire? The book could be saying something about the management of wealth? Those who relentlessly pursued wealth were in the most precarious position without considering peoples feelings ( Hermann toward Lizaveta). Nicholas was ruling when it was written, he was oppressive and dictorial- could definitely be reflected in the countess- she's the centre of wealth in the book. The december uprising happened 10 years prior to the book, so Pushkin could have been inspired by the way authority could be challenged by the lower people. The fact that Lizaveta comes out as the strongest character could be significant? Maybe the fact that Herman is German and was described as having 'the profile of Napoleon' could suggest that the relationship between the countess and Hermann reflects that of different countries during the time? Not really sure , hope it helped though.
The tale opens in the “ present ” (about 1830) during a card game in the St Petersburg rooms of a Horse
Guards officer named Narumov. Among the assembled guests is a young officer of engineers, Hermann, who
is of German origin , and who never gambles, but observes the play keenly. Tomsky, another member of the
company, remarks that his octogenarian grandmother, the Countess Anna Fedotovna, also does not “ punt ” –
despite the circumstances of an anecdote, which (summarised as follows) he then proceeds to narrate:
Sixty years before (i.e. about 1770) the Countess was the rage of Paris , known there as la Vénus
moscovite. Having lost a considerable sum at cards (at the game of faro) to the Duke of Orleans,
Literary Encyclopedia: Pikovaia dama 10/20/2007 07:09 PM
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moscovite. Having lost a considerable sum at cards (at the game of faro) to the Duke of Orleans,
which her husband refused to cover , she faced financial and social ruin. In desperation, she turned to
the Count Saint- Germain , an occultist of dubious repute [on the subject of whom , thanks in part to
Pushkin, a considerable literature – biographical, mystical and fictional – has now accumulated].
Saint-Germain gave her a three-card tip, with the aid of which she retrieved her loss against the
Duke. Thereafter, the Countess revealed the formula to no one, except, some years later, to a young
man named Chaplitsky, who won with it, having promised never to play again, and has since died in
poverty .
In Chapter II, Tomsky discusses the possibility of introducing Narumov to his grandmother; the latter ’s young
ward , Lizaveta Ivanovna , is disappointed that Narumov is not an engineer , as a young officer of that calling
has been watching the house and attempting to pay court to her. That engineer is Hermann, who, having
become obsessed with the secret of the three cards, finds himself drawn, as if by “a mysterious force ”, to the
house of the Countess. Having briefly considered the feasibility of gaining the secret by becoming the lover of
the eighty-seven- year -old Countess, he has spotted Lizaveta Ivanovna and decides she might be a better bet to
gain access to the house. Following the receipt of a flurry of notes , Lizaveta Ivanovna (Chapter III) agrees to
an assignation with Hermann, instructing him to enter the house and await her return, with the Countess,
from a ball. This Hermann does, but waits in the Countess’s study, rather than going up to Lizaveta’s room.
After the return of the ladies , Hermann emerges to confront the Countess and demand the secret. Getting no
reply , other than “It was a joke”, Hermann loses control , calls the Countess an “old witch ” and threatens her
with a pistol, whereupon she expires. Hermann then goes up to Lizaveta Ivanovna to confess all. Lizaveta is
distraught and calls Hermann a “ monster ” nevertheless, she supplies him with a key to enable him to leave
the house unseen (Chapter IV).
More from superstition than remorse, Hermann goes to the funeral service for the Countess (Chapter V).
When he approaches the coffin, he thinks he sees the dead woman wink “mockingly” at him. In his confusion,
and contrary to his normal habit, Hermann quaffs a quantity of wine over dinner, returns home to sleep ,
waking at a quarter to three in the morning, whereupon he appears to receive a visitation from an old woman,
whom he recognises as the Countess. This visitor tells him that he may win by playing the three, seven and
ace, in that order , at the rate of one card a day, and thereafter never again in his life; he will earn her
forgiveness if he marries Lizaveta Ivanovna. Three, seven and ace, we are told in the climactic Chapter VI,
become an idée fixe in Hermann’s mind, crowding out the image of the dead Countess (with never a thought
given to marriage). He thinks of gaming in Paris, but is brought by Narumov to the gambling salon of
Chekalinsky, newly arrived from Moscow. There Hermann wins on the first night with a three and on the
second night with a seven; but on the third, as he believes he holds the winning ace, his card turns out instead
to be the queen of spades, whose image on the card appears to wink at him – uncannily resembling ...“the old
woman!”. A short “ Conclusion ” reports that Hermann has gone out of his mind, Lizaveta Ivanovna has
married the prosperous son of the former steward of the Countess and is bringing up a poor female relation,
and Tomsky is marrying a society princess.
Questions for the seminar on Monday:
1. Explain the symbolic meaning of the title. How does it relate to the representation
of the Queen of Spades as the Venus of Moscow?
2. Explain the role of chance in Pushkin’s story and the role of card game in the
psychological profile of his protagonist.
3. Is it important to see Hermann presented as a German person?
4. How does Pushkin view the Russian upper class society? Give examples of some
ironic and/or satirical description of Russian society and its fascination with
European values.
5. Describe the role of madness and the representation of the surreal overtones in the
story.
6. Give the examples of the elements of the gothic tale manifested in Pushkin’s story.
7. to what extent Pushkin presents Petersburg as unreal city? Give examples.
8. Discuss the representation of women in the story. Could we define the Queen of
Spades as a fatal woman? What gives her the real power over people?
9. Give some examples of Pushkin’s laconic style as manifested in the story.
The Queen This last pair of feet brings us to the last card of this magic tale, to the bel- dam of the story, the queen of spades. The old Countess Anna Fedotovna, a truly extravagant relic of the eighteenth century, belongs among the most remarkable of Pushkin's creations. Her real life model was Princess Nataliia Petrovna Golitsyna, whom Pushkin knew personally (see figure 2). The princess served as a lady-in-waiting to five generations of Russian em- perors and was ninety-two years old at the time Pushkin wrote his tale. She was an avid gambler, and because of her failing eyesight, a deck of large- format cards was kept for her at the court.36 Once, her grandson, S. G. Golitsyn, had lost a large sum at cards and came to his grandmother to beg for money. Instead of money, the princess told him of the three winning cards that Saint-Germain had once revealed to her in Paris. The grandson bet on them and regained his loss.37
Vinogradov offered a more plausible explanation of the uncanny denouement; he cast the mysterious intrusion of the queen of spades at the end of the tale as the materialization of Ger- mann 's repressed guilt for the death of the old lady.42 This psychological interpretation becomes even more.
Thus, throughout the story, the "queen" clearly dominates over the vulnerable "ace."
them. When he selected "his card" (Pushkin does not say ace, but "svoiu kartu"), the alleged ace must have been before Ger- mann's very eyes . Yet, when he turned the card over, the "queen of spades screwed up her eyes and grinned.
At one point Pushkin confides to the reader that "the Countess had by no means a bad heart ." Trusting Pushkin, I would like to suggest that Germann was ruined not because of the Countess's ill will but rather in spite of her goodwill . During her nocturnal visit , the Countess made it clear that she came to Germann against her will ("ia prishla k tebe protiv svoei voli"). She also reveals the three cards to him against her will: "mne veleno ispolnit' tvoiu pros'bu." In both cases the Countess seems to act on behalf of some other involved party . But then comes the unexpected move: "I willforgive you my death, under the condition that you marry my ward, Lizaveta Ivanovna. "49