Australia and New Zealand Slavists’ Association
New Zealand Slavonic Journal
PASSION AND COMPASSION IN ANTON CHEKHOV'S STORIES OF LOVE
Author(s): Mark Purves
Source: New Zealand Slavonic Journal, Vol. 43 (2009), pp. 95-113
Published by: Australia and New Zealand Slavists’ Association
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NewZealand
Slavonic
vol.43(2009)
Journal,
Mark Purves
(BrighamYoungUniversity)
PASSION AND COMPASSION
IN ANTON CHEKHOV'S STORIES OF LOVE
ofhisstories,
AntonChekhov's"Ladywiththe
As themostenduring
of love
LittleDog" ("Dama s sobachkoi,"1900)is uniqueforitsdepiction
to
which
it
rise.1
The
account
of its
and theadulterous
gives
relationship
DmitriGurov,thedisenchanted
is well-known:
cynicwho in
protagonists
outsideof
mattersof the hearttakesthe dimmestview, findsaffection
her
marriageand in thearmsof Chekhov'seponym,Anna,who returns
to him grew even
lover's devotion."Anna Sergeevna'sattachment
to
we read,"sheadoredhim,anditwouldhavebeenunthinkable
stronger,"
tellherthatit all reallyhadto endat somepoint;and shewouldnothave
withAnna
aboutbyhisaffair
believedit."2ForGurov,thechangesbrought
he so oftenprofessedforthe female
are seismic:thehaughtycontempt
to a
thatwas buta naturalcorollary
canailleis gone,alongwiththeregret
is
lifeof luridconquestsand lovelessassignations.
too, the
Abandoned,
his
demanded
the
to
by publicpersonawiththe
struggle square exigencies
needs of his privateself, replacedwith a point of view of steady
life's veritiesfromits falsities
discernment
enablinghimto distinguish
demur:"he hadtwolives:an apparent
without
one,seenandknownbyall
truthand conventional
who needed it, filledwithconventional
deceit,
and
and friends,
thelivesof his acquaintances
resembled
whichperfectly
thatwenton insecret."3
another
of "LadywiththeLittleDog" as "the
MichaelFinke'sformulation
love
be calleda positiveandaffirming
oneChekhovstorythatcanproperly
nor
neither
theme
over
a
separable
tale,"raises an important
question
intothecomplexworldof adult
separatefromChekhov'sinvestigations
relations,namely,the inabilityhis couples sufferto experienceshared
"a
desire.4But in whatsenseis Chekhov'stale- to quoteCarylEmerson,
1References
A. P. Chekhov,
thethirty-volume,
arefrom
inRussian
work
toChekhov's
etal. (Moscow,
i pisem
sochinenii
Polnoesobranie
1974-1983).
, ed.N.F.Bel'chikov
aremine.
inEnglish
translations
willbeinthetext;
references
Further
2Ibid.,
X: 142.
X: 141.
Ibid.,
Cornell
Press,
Chekhov:
hisSeeing
2005),
from
Taken
University
LifeandArt(Ithaca:
p. 145.
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96
MARK PURVES
one oftheworld'sgreatest"?5
The answerto thislies in
genuinelovestory,
the evolutionGurov makes of his initialpassion for Anna into the
in
withwhichhe ultimately
comesto regardher.6 "Previously,
compassion
he would pull himselftogether
withall sortsof
moments,
melancholy
whateverwould come intohis head,but now havinghad
justifications,
of
he feltdeepcompassion,
he wantedto be genuine,
enough justifications,
tender."7
- thekindhe never
Gurov's discovery
oftheloveAnnareciprocates
of
thoughtpossible amounts to Chekhov's deftestdemonstration
settlesdown.Modernscholarship
has
peripeteia:the practicedadulterer
- be it
thustendedto identify
thekey concernof "Lady" as the change
- Gurovundergoesin tradinghis old life of ruttish
factualor fanciful
and fidelity.8
rogueryfora new lifefoundedon friendship
Persuasively,
5Seeher"Chekhov
andtheAnnas,"
inLifeandText:
EssaysinHonor
ofGeirKjetsaa
on theOccasion
Audun
J.March,
andOle
, ed.ErikEgeberg,
ofHis 6Cfh
Birthday
Michael
i Oslo,1997),
Unversitetet
127.
(Oslo:
Selberg
p.
6An
totrace
thefiliations
ofpassion
inChekhov's
work
vis-à-vis
thatofhis
attempt
famous
forerunners
is impossibly
thebriefofthisessay.Nonetheless,
the
beyond
author's
recourse
toAnna
Karenina
intwooftheworks
considered
here("Three
Years"
theopening
between
Stivaandhisvalet,
while
begins
byquoting
exchange
"Ladywith
theLittle
ifnota loving
ofTolstoy's
but
Dog"isnothing
compatchment
novel)cannot
suchan aside,no matter
howabridged.
Themanyandvarieddifferences
provoke
between
andChekhov
havebeenwell-documented;
thatis,howthe
Tolstoy
excepting,
- which
twodiverge
ontheissueofpassion.
ForTolstoy
inAnnaKarenina
Chekhov
- passionis onlyeverself-serving
claimed
to havereadovera dozentimes
and
theimmediate
aftermath
totheconsummation
ofAnnaandVronskii's
affair
destructive;
looksmore
likea crime
scenethana lovescene.ForChekhov,
establishes
the
passion
- evenhisloveless
foundations
ofadultrelationships
initsfirst
stages
marriages
begin
In"Lady,"
Chekhov
takesthepassion
Gurov
feelsforAnnaand
passionately.
initially
redirects
ittoward
therealization
of itspromise:
to Robert
compassion.
According
as thechiefobstacle
tohuman
Dessaix,
Tolstoy
regards
passion
fulfillment,
barring
- conjugal
- from
life'smeaningful
andmotherly
love
fruition.
relationships
reaching
DavidHerman's
incision
intotheattitude
ofambivalence
heldfor
elegant
Tolstoy
asboth
nefarious
andnecessary
a valuable
frame
forunderstanding
passion
mayprovide
Chekhov's
totheclaims
madebyphysical
desire.
See"Allowable
in
Passions
approach
AnnaKareninaTolstoy
Studies
Journal
of
, VIII,1995-1996,
5-32;and"TheConcept
IdealLoveintheWorks
ofTurgenev
andTolstoi,"
Melbourne
Slavonic
Studies
, XI,
Dessaix.
52-64,
byRobert
71977,
X: 143.
8Ibid., at
histransformation
areseveral:
Nathan
Rosentrenchantly
Attemptsexplaining
summarizes
theconventional
critical
to thework'smessage,
he
approach
which,
"is Gurov's
transformation
paraphrases,
to
through
self-knowledge"
(25).According
thewagesforthisself-knowledge
aresuffering,
Rosen,
however,
a perfectly
defendable
butonethatneglects
thedegree
to which
Gurovdevelops
histypically
point,
self-
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PASSION AND COMPASSION IN CHEKHOV
97
thesecriticsexplainthesumand substanceof thischangeby focusingon
Chekhov'suse of opposingimageslocatedat variouslevelsof thetext.9
intothecompassion
Chekhov
setsas thekeytohiscouple's
survival.
seeking
passion
ofCexov's'TheLadywith
theDog,"Russian
Journal
See,"AReading
, Vol.
Language
to thepositive
effects
of Anna's
XXXIX,Nos. 132-134(1985),13-29.Pointing
convictions
as partofa larger
influence
onGurov,
Stanion
identifies
Gurov's
evolving
hebegins
toreevaluate
andultimately
abandon
hisearlier
misogyny.
process
bywhich
in'TheLadywiththePetDog,"Studies
inShort
Fiction
See his"Oafish
Behavior
,
To thisopinion
Robert
Fulford
wouldlikely
XXX,No.Ill (Summer,
1993),402-403.
- offered
with
norecourse
totheoriginal
onthestory
lendhisvoice;hisreflections
text,
- second
as a man
Soviet
ofGurov
forgranted
andthusaretobetaken
interpretations
Foranexample
testifying
bylove,madeintoa better
person."
ultimately
"regenerated
toexercise
overcontemporary
short
continues
totheholdChekhov's
belles-lettres,
story
and The LadywiththeDog',"Queen's
see his "Surprised
by Love:Chekhov
sees Gurov's
, CXI, No. Ill (Fall 2004),331-343.BoydCreasman
Quarterly
noble
truth
hisloveforAnnais farmore
as "theessential
ofthestory:
transformation
that
never
anobvious
confirmation
lifeinMoscow,"
hisbanal,
than
socially
acceptable
inChekhov's
ofEmotion
itdeserves.
Seehis,"Gurov's
theelucidation
receives
Flights
257inShort
theDog,"'Studies
'TheLadywith
XXVII,No.II (Spring
Fiction,
1990),
ofthe
andformer
chairman
winner
American
BookAward
260.DanaGioia,recent
whilenever
Gurov
confirms
thechanges
fortheArts,
National
Endowment
undergoes
in itslackof
andinsufficient
bothelegant
In a turn
ofphrase
them.
demonstrating
for
"unattractive
thatGurov's
heprovocatively
detail,
appetite
putsforth
explanatory
forsomething
a misdirected
wasactually
Unfortunately,
deeper."
hunger
philandering
that
itcomes
toilluminating
when
is,Gioiadoesnotsay.Seehis
"something"
justwhat
Forum
thePetDog,"'ELF:Eclectic
'TheLadywith
"Anton
Chekhov's
, (8:3Literary
of AnnaandGurov's
thesincerity
57-59.Others
question
4), 1998Fall-Winter,
is
affair
nature
oftheir
thecompanionate
that
whosuspects
suchas Porter,
attachment,
"Bunin'
s 'A Sunstroke'
N. Porter,
SeeRichard
realintimacy."
inimical
to"achieving
Bulletin
Atlantic
theDog',"South
'TheLadywith
andChekhov's
, XLII,No.IV (Nov.,
itisdone
israised
theissueoftheprotagonist's
directly,
passions
1977),51-56.When
forAnnaas
of Gurov'sfeelings
formulation
as in Greenberg's
so cavalierly,
See her"The
tohisadolescent
attraction
"determined
daughter."
byhisunconscious
in Chekhov's
of theUnconscious
Presentation
LadywithLapdog.TheModern
as
thestory
No.I (Jan.,
Review
Understanding
, LXXXVI,
1991),126-130.
Language
andsubsequent
ownengagement
of Chekhov's
or consequence
theproduct
either
See
as self-portraiture.
thestory
havelongadjudged
scholars
toOlgaKnipper,
marriage
liudei(Moskva:molodaia
Zhizn'zamechatel'nykh
Chekhov:
GeorgiiBerdnikov,
- which
towards
whoseattitude
andMichael
Finke,
"Lady"
1974),424-425,
gvardiia,
and
be calleda positive
thatcanproperly
the"oneChekhov
he designates
story
- is
narcissistic"
helabels,
whom
lovetale,"anditsprotagonist,
"markedly
affirming
intotheautobiographical
astute
Forthisandother
foritsambivalence.
insights
unique
Cornell
: LifeandArt(Ithaca:
Chekhov
seehisSeeing
ofChekhov's
story,
implications
Press,
2005),145-152.
University
of
theimagery
of thesignalbinaries
Kataev'sanalysis
Vladimir
undergirding
turned
the"itseemed/it
is well-known,
Chekhov's
especially
story
shaping
opposition
thechanges
thescholar
which
cogitates
through
out,"and"begin/end"
juxtapositions
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98
MARK PURVES
Close readingsalongthisorderprovidea robustmodusoperandiused to
other
whichChekhovplumbstheemotional
identify
juxtapositions
through
depthsof his story.And yet,forall the emphasiscriticsplace on the
contrastive
devices inducingGurov's transformation,
thereremainsan
unmetneed fora closerexamination
of thetensionon whichChekhov's
storyhinges:thetensionbetweenpassionandcompassion.
Evenreadersattuned
to thistensionoverlookitsultimate
resolution.
In a recentessay, FerranGallego explains the motivationdriving
ForKataev,
Gurov's
transformation
taking
placeinthelivesofthedramatis
personae.
constitutes
theprotagonist's
thatthestereotypes
hisworldview
recognition
framing
havebeenmisconceived,
a crucial
realization
inhisdeveloping
to
culminating
capacity
between
thetruth
andfalsity
ofhuman
andendeavors.
Gurov's
distinguish
thoughts
shouldnotbe overstated,
he contends;
littledoubtremains
thatthe
reawakening
hisprevious
lifehavebeensettled,
butrather
transformed
intoa host
questions
vexing
ofnewandnolessdemanding
setofcircumstances.
SeehisProzaChekhova:
Problémy
(Moscow:Izdatel'stvo
interpretatsii
universiteta,
Moskovskogo
1979),250-268
andBudagov
concentrate
onthebinaries
251,253,267.Bycontrast,
especially
Bragina
of setting
food(watermelon/tea),
andtheexchange
of physical
(Yalta/Moscow),
bothbefore
andafter
theconsummation
of GurovandAnna'saffair,
to
gestures
thechanges
Gurov
asgoodandessentially
Thatthe
emphasize
undergoes
life-affirming.
loveAnnaandGurovfeelhaschanged
at themost
them,
theyargue,is attested
incremental
thereconciliation
oflinguistic
to indicate
the
level;through
oppositions
ofa couple
ona newlifetogether;
orintheauthor's
choice
ofcertain
image
embarking
connective
words
suchas theconjunction
"and"foritspragmatic,
or,"functionallyconstructive"
roleincreating
an"indissoluble
connection
ofevents
that
brings
together
thedisparate
ofthestory."
Seetheir
"Какnapisan
rasskaz
A.P.Chekhova
parts
article,
'Damas sobachkoi',"
nauki
, I (1991),23-31.JanvanderEngcontrasts
Filologicheskie
Gurov'swifewithAnna'shusband,
one of several "oppositional
motifs"
that,
tothecritic,
servetogenerate
thework's
"dominant
theme:
theprocess
of
according
Gurov's
toknow
himself."
The"dispersive
chainofpossibilities"
coming
(72)brought
intobeingby theseoppositions
is exhaustive,
saveone vanderEngoverlooks:
Chekhov's
of thepassiondriving
Gurov'sinterest
in Annawiththe
juxtaposition
ofcompassion
heespouses
forherlater.
Structure
ofLady
feelings
See,"TheSemantic
with
Poetics
: Anton
P.Chekhov
,"inOntheTheory
as Storyteller
Lapdog
ofDescriptive
andPlaywright
ThePeterde Riddler
(Lisse,theNetherlands:
Press,1978),51-94,
61-65.In a similar
Sánchezexplores
especially
vein,Joaquin
the
Torquemada
whichChekhov
establishes
hismainidea("a la ideadel
governing
tropes
through
111)bywayofopposing
autor,"
119).Confining
hisstudy
to
images
("contraposición"
"themostsignificant
rhetorical
"delas figuras
retóricas
mássignificativas"
figures"
thephonological
(111),Sánchez
device
ofeuphony
perceptively
emphasizes
("eufonía"
intheclanging
117)evidenced
usedto
cacophony
("cacofonofia"
117)ofconsonants
makeaudible
thewords
theanxiety
AnnaandGurov
feelineachother's
expressing
absence.
Seehis"Elempleo
delosrecursos
estilísticos
enel relato
deA. P. Chéjov
La
damadelperrito
comoexpresión
dela ideadelautor,"
Mundo
Eslavo
, II (2003),111121.
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PASSION AND COMPASSION IN CHEKHOV
99
Chekhov'snarrative
as "designedto accentuate
ourfeelingof compassion
in regardsto whatis happening
to thecharacters."10
afterhaving
Chekhov,
led his lovers to what Gallego winsomelydescribesas "disastrous
happiness"("desastrosafelicidad"),sets themfreefromthe "contagious
thatprevents
themfromexperiencing
the
passion"("pasióncontagiosa")
thatinhereswithin
lifetheywishto share.1 Thoughthedestructiveness
basedon passionalonewas a subjectto whichChekhovoften
relationships
of Anna and Gurov's love to the
recurred,Gallego's attribution
butpartof a
abandonment
of theirpassionis misconceived,
uncovering
thatlifeand the love storyit
wholelifestory.12Seekingto understand
fromtraditional
readingsof
producesmorefully,thepresentstudydiffers
as the
Chekhov'stexttwoways.First,itarguesforGurov'stransformation
traceable
to
other
realization
of
a
dialectic
places,specifically,
culminating
"Love" ("Liubov'," 1886) and "ThreeYears" ("Tri goda," 1895). Taken
theseworksnot onlyraisecrucialquestionsto theproportions
together,
theanswersto the
butgenerate
assumedbypassionas a relational
concept,
on
founded
makes
for
Chekhov
passionalone.
relationships
objections
of
the
successful
it
that
contends
Second,
management passion and
within
which Chekhovlocates the
the
conditions
creates
compassion
uniquenatureofAnnaandGurov'slove.13
10See Ferran
de
del ser,"Revista
levedad
"Antón
Chéjov:la soportable
Gallego,
75-100.
CCLXXXI
Occidente
,
2004),
(Oct
11Ibid.,85.
12Whether itsabsence
offamily
is often
thefulcrum
oroverindulgence,
passion
by
"The Guardian"
some examples:
work.Herewith,
in Chekhov's
unhappiness
with
"I Quarreled
forMoney"
1884),
("Brak
poraschetu,"
1883),
"Marriage
("Opekun,"
10cherez
in10-15Years"("Brak
1884),
"Marriage
("S zhenoi
possorilsia,"
MyWife"
15 let,"1885),"MyWives"("Moizheny,"
1885),of"Marid'elle"("Marid'elle,"
"A
1886),
("Muzh,
1886),
), "TheHusband"
("Moidomostroi,"
1885),
"MyDomostroi"
istoriia,"
1892),"TheFidget"
("Zhena,"
1889),"TheWife"
("Skuchnaia
Story"
Boring
i Volodia
bol'shoi
Volodia"
andLittle
("Volodia
1892),"BigVolodia
("Poprygun'ia,"
malen'kii,"
1893).
13Scholars
ofChekhov's
elements
theautobiographical
havelongnoted
finding
story,
affair
andthelovetheauthor
AnnaandGurov's
theevents
between
shaping
parallels
toOlgaKnipper.
inhisrelationship
wouldcometoexperience
Scholarly
speculations
As
arenolessintriguing.
heroine
forChekhov's
as a prototype
aboutOlgaVasil'eva
ofher
admirer
wasalsoanardent
Vasil'eva
first
oneofChekhov's
translators,
English
as 1898,itisdoubtful
hadbeenintheairas early
ofanaffair
whispers
Though
subject.
thegirlandthemantwenty-two
intimate
between
became
therelationship
yearsher
in Chekhov's
found
of compassion"
of thegirlas "worthy
A description
senior.
See
toourstudy.
of"Lady"is relevant
thepublication
oneyearafter
correspondence
X:423.
ibid.,
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100
MARKPURVES
ofthetransformative
Extraliterary
interpretations
powerof love as a
offer
to
our
discussions
of
process
insights
applicable
"LadywiththeLittle
current
Dog." Forinstance,
sociologicalworkontheroleplayedbypassion
in creatingmeaningful
and mutuallysatisfying
relationsis usefulin
theextentto whichChekhov'sportrayal
of physicaldesirein
considering
theconventional
boundariesof love
"Lady withtheLittleDog" disturbs
andsexbybodyingforth
a provocative
of
as the
understandingcompassion
maturefulfillment
of passion.14
MarthaNussbaum'snotionof compassion
as containing
"withinitselfan appraisalof the seriousnessof various
the fellow
predicaments,"
providesa helpfulframefor understanding
in his loveforAnna.15
feelingGurovcultivates
Psychoanalytic
conceptsof
loveas inherently
foritstendency
towardsillusionandromantic
dangerous
inform
ourlookat theprotagonist
of "ThreeYears."16It has
idealization,
beenmostinstructive
to consulttheworkof modernpsychologists
whose
researchfocuseson the mentaland emotionalfactorsgoverningthe
numerous
aspectsof love. Discussionsnotingthedeficiencies
underlying
thepassionsexpressedin "Love" and "ThreeYears,"drawin particular
fromRobertJ.Sternberg's
oflove;thecombination
ofintimacy,
taxonomy
observedin Anna and Gurov's relationship
passion,and commitment
resemblethe verticescomposingSternberg's
triangular
theoryof love,
form.17
especiallyin itsconsummate
Thoughtheseconceptshaverelevance
forthe presentdiscussion,I do not employthe nomenclature
of any
thinker
butchooseinsteadto groundmyarguments
particular
consistently,
inChekhov'stexts.
To fullyappreciatethe evolutionGurovmakesof his longingsin
"Lady" is to be obligedto balanceout otherworkswhichcogitatethe
to escapethe
problemsof passion.In "Love,"a shortworkthatcontinues
14SeeLaura
Love:A Polemic
Kipnis,
Against
(NewYork:Random
House,
2003),and
Cristina
A Vindication
Romance
Nehring,
ofLove:Reclaiming
fortheTwenty-first
Century
(NewYork:HarperCollins,
2009).
SeeMartha
C.Nussbaum,
andTerror,"
Daedalus132:1(Winter
"Compassion
2003):
10-26.Nussbaum
further
from
an
weighsin on theprosandconsof compassion
in herUpheavals
TheIntelligence
historic-philosophical
perspective
ofThought:
of
Emotions
(Cambridge:
Cambridge
University
Press,
2001).dd.297-454.
16See Judith
A. Livingston,
"LoveandIllusion,"
, LXV
Psychoanalytic
Quarterly
alsoBarbara
A. Schapiro,
andRomantic
Idealization:
(1996):548-560;
"Psychoanalysis
TheDialectics
ofLoveinHardy's
Farfrom
theMadding
Crowd"
American
Imago59:
1(2002):3-26.
17SeeElaineandG. William
Walster's
A NewLookatLove(Reading,
MA:AddisonJ. Sternberg,
"A Triangular
of Love,"
Wesley,
1978),pp. 51-56;Robert
Theory
Review
, Vol.93,no.2,(1986),pp.119-135.
Psychological
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PASSION AND COMPASSION IN CHEKHOV
101
attentionof contemporary
readers,an unnamedhusbandstrugglesto
reconcilethebelovedimagehe beheldof his fiancéeduringthecouple's
their
withthereality
herunpolished
personarevealsfollowing
engagement,
the youngman's firstardentfeelingsforhis
wedding.18
Foregrounding
- theopeningparagraphs
future
wife,Sasha,- a womanhe scarcelyknows
establish
a vividtableau:
A gentleAprilnight
'Three o'clock in the morning.
at me withits
winking
gazes intomywindows,affectionately
stars.I do notsleep.I amsimplyelated!'
'A curious,unfathomable
being
feelingerupts
myentire
fromheadto toe.I am unableto analyzethisfeeling
justnow,
- andanalysisbe damned!Does a
I haveno time,I'm an idler
mantryto examinethemeaningof his feelingswhenthrown
headlongfroma bell spire,or havingwon two hundred
Is itreallypossibleforhim?'19
thousand?
associationofhis"love"forSashawiththefeelingofbeing
Thenarrator's
forthe
first
froma bell toweris a remarkably
head
apt metaphor
flung
Fornotlongafterlaunching
Chekhov'sstory:gravity.
criticalforcedriving
himback to earth
Chekhovreturns
his dewy-eyed
skyward,
protagonist
witha crashing
thud,wheretheclosenesspurchased
bringsthe
bymarriage
18
Helena
toEvdokiia
failed
onChekhov's
Efros,
Tolstoy
explains
engagement
Drawing
- especially
its
thistime
work
inChekhov's
theme
ofthenuptial
theprominence
during
instories
suchas "TheWitch"
andcourtship
ofmarriage
treatments
darker
("Ved'ma,"
- talesin
"Agafia,"1886)
1886),and"Agafia"
1886),"TheJoke"("Shutochka,"
Chekhov's
anatomizes
malice."
"onecandetect
sheargues,
skillfully
Tolstoy
which,
thatfollowing
herobservation
use of themarital
However,
toposin theseworks.
theme
tothemarital
"references
attheendofFebruary
with
Efros
Chekhov's
break-up
overthenextfivemonths
deserve
forsometime,"
reconsideration;
marriage
disappear
Wife"
suchas "TheChemist's
inworks
often
recurred
Chekhov
wasa topictowhich
and
"A Serious
"TheHusband"
shag"),
Step"("Ser'esnyi
("Muzh"),
("Apektarsha"),
to
that
Chekhov
thisperiod
Itis alsoduring
Girl"("Khoristika").
"TheChorus
begins
we
in"Love."Forreasons
theproblems
ruminate
posesformarriage
passion
seriously
there
exists
oflovewithout
couldnotwrite
Chekhov
canonlyspeculate
irony),
(surely
in
toadopt
havefailed
analects
Evenrecent
ofthestory.
it;when,
discussion
nocritical
stories
short
ofChekhov's
a newtranslation
toreissue
Pressdecided
2008,Hesperus
- works
a
to represent
"considered
1885andJune1886
December
between
written
"From
SeeHelena
excluded.
was
"Love"
the
author's
in
Tolstoy,
career,
turning
point"
SlavicReview
in 1886-1887,"
to Sarra:Chekhov
Susanna
, 50,no.3 (Fall1991),pp.
Rosamund
Mark
in TheExclamation
, trans.
andLynne
"Foreword,"
Truss,
591-596;
Press
Bartlett
Limited,
2008),p.viii.
Hesperus
(London:
19Ibid.,
V: 86.
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102
MARKPURVES
groomintoevenclosercontactwithhis darlingbride'sactualpersonality,
A finalmoment
in thestory
hercrassmaterialism
anddefiant
ill-breeding.
the
husband's
marital
to
settle
intohis
captures
disappointment.
Struggling
he asks
nightly
readingforthesoundofhis wife'soverloudlip-smacking,
Sasha to pourhima glassof beer.To thisrequestSasha leaps intotheair
and searchesclamorouslyfor a corkscrew,makes a jumble of her
husband'spapers,thensitsback down,forgetting
all aboutthecorkscrew
she failedto find."Her champingand bustling,"
her husbandrecords,
- having
"affects
me likethesoundofsharpening
knives."0 Momentslater
- he encouragesSasha to read,and watches
foundthecorkscrew
himself
withembarrassment
as she mouthsthe wordsof each page, thinking:
"She's nearingtwenty...
if you compareherto an intelligent
boy of the
sameage,whata difference!"21
Even as he appearsto renegeon thepromiseof love announcedin
thestory'stitle,Chekhovdoesnotdenyhismaincharacter
theintimacy
he
desiredas a bachelor.Readersaccustomed
to therise-and-fall
to
pattern
whichChekhov'sfamilydramastypically
conform
arein no wayprepared
fortheunexpected
turnfoundinthenarrator's
finalentry:
ButI forgive
thatdifference
andmovinglips
justas thelow forehead
are forgiven.
I remember
in myold LovelacedaysI castoffwomen
fora stainin theirstocking,
forone sillyremark,
or fornotbrushing
theirteeth,but now I forgiveeverything:
the champing,the
aroundforthecorkscrew,
theuntidiness,
thelongtalks
rummaging
aboutnothingof importance.
I forgivealmostwithoutknowingit,
- are
without
theexecutionof anywill,as thoughSasha's mistakes
and
the
mymistakes,
manythingswhichoncejarreduponme now
moveme to tenderness
and evenecstasy.The reasonsforthistotal
lie inmyloveforSasha,though
whatarethereasonsfor
forgiveness
thisloveitself,
I do notknow.22
honestly,
Two keywordscombinethe love and intimacythe narrator
soughtin
- in Russian
Sasha to fulfillment.
The firstis the "tenderness"
marrying
- he feelswhenhe considersSasha's flawsas
"umilenie"
imperfections
sharedbetweenspouses.In thelanguageof itsauthor,
"umilenie"signifies
morethanjust theimpression
of gentleness
but
conveyedin translation,
20
V: 91.
21Ibid.,
V: 91.
Ibid.,
22
V: 91.
Ibid.,
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PASSION AND COMPASSION IN CHEKHOV
103
Russianfolk
thatinspires
love.23Interestingly,
denotesa feelingofhumility
tales employ"umilenie"to referto thosewhose previouscoldnesshas
aboutbyactsofkindness
andlovebrought
ofwarmth
givenwayto feelings
In a similar
as sociallyinferior.
showntothembypeopletypically
regarded
- itsOld Russianroot"mil"' datingbackto theeleventh
vein,"umilenie"
- is oftenfoundin the
of compassion"
to mean"pitiable,worthy
century
titlesof icons wherethe closenessbetweenMaryand Christassumesa
The second keywordis the "total forgiveness,"
foremostposition.24
associateshislovefor
withwhichthenarrator
"vseproshchenie,"
originally
toward
his spouse.More thanjust the cessationof angeror resentment
as one lexicographer
or "full forgiveness"
another,"vseproshchenie,"
of presentgrievances
definesit,movesbeyondthesimplerelinquishment
of "forgetting
to signala specifickindof forgiveness
prior
compounded
future
ones."25
and"forswearing
offenses"
on eachother
therangeofdeceptions
In everyrelationship,
practiced
to look life
willful
refusal
its
and
is incalculable,
self-deception
including
confronts
to observehowthenarrator
therefore
intheface.It is instructive
the factsof his wife's flaws,but even more so to observehow this
and
enableshim to see these flawsin a straightforward
confrontation
to thefactsof married
sincereway.The reactionof Chekhov'scharacters
their
is rarelythis self-critical;
and thanklessness,
life, its mundanity
some
assumes
reactionto thefactsof a spouse's shortcomings
typically
orself-pity.
resentment
to either
formofevasionbeforegivingwayentirely
the husband
In "Love," the acceptanceand subsequentfullforgiveness
forher.
hisfondness
makesofhiswife'speccadilloesinno waydiminishes
of
the
to
it contributes
On the contrary,
, V:
feelings "ecstasy"( vostorg
soul
and
of
both
as
the
defined
of
a
state
itself
body
delight
being
91)
sheinvokesinhim.26
ofthekindliness
as a consequence
understood
devicein"Love" is Chekhov's
Similarto "Lady,"thechiefstructural
lifebeforeand after
the
between
notmerely
use of contrast,
protagonist's
Chekhovlocates
contrast
the
level
far
more
a
but
on
interesting
marriage,
23Definition
slovar'zhivogo
comesbywayofVladimir
velikorusskogo
Dal',Tolkovyi
i natsional'nykh
izdatel'stvo
Gosudarstvennoe
iv
torn
inostrannykh
,
(Moskva:
iazyka
336.
slovarei,
1955),
24
slovar'sovremennogo
See Istoriko-etimologicheskii
iazyka,torn1, ed. P.IA.
Tserkovno-slavianskii
Russkii
and,
531;
Polnyi
1998),
iazyk,
(Moskva:
Chernykh,
'
otdel
izdatel'skii
slovar
1993)755.
moskovskogo
patriarkhata,
(Moskva:
'
Sovetskaia
slovar
SeeTolkovyi
i,ed.D. N.Ushakov,
(Moskva:
, torn
iazyka
russkogo
402.
1935),
entsiklopediia,
26Ibid.,
i: 251.
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104
MARKPURVES
betweenthedominant
espousesforhisfiancéewhilsta
passionthenarrator
withwhichhe comes to regardher as a
bachelorand the tenderness
of
thehusband'sdeclaration
husband.Andyet,thesuddenness
underlining
- couldnotbe further
from
love- whichreadslikea toolforconvenience
the gradualdevelopmentGurov and Anna make of theiraffections.
thehusbandpaintsof his
Moreover,the immensely
unflattering
portrait
castsa loomingshadow
wife(thechewing,
theuntidiness,
theincuriosity)
into
thefuture.
How much
the
commitment
accompanying
couples
upon
so lovesomein someone
longercanthehusbandinsiston seeingsomething
in "Love"
clearlyso lacking?In thissense,thelove Chekhovdocuments
resemblesmodernpsychological
of romanticlove, wherea
conceptions
bothphysicalpassionandemotional
couple'sabilityto experience
intimacy
to
diminishes
due
the
absenceoflong-term
commitment.27
gradually
As the authormatured,
so did his understanding
of the complex
natureofhumanrelations,
plyingitwithessentialquestionsthatlead us to
the centerof Chekhov'sthoughts
on life,love, and family.28
Situated
in
Chekhov's
oeuvre
between
the
two
other
short
stories
midway
consideredhere, "Three Years" works out in intriguing
termsthe
of passionand intimacy
introduced
in "Love,"whilelooking
components
forward
to its refinement
in "Lady withthe LittleDog." More socially
diversethan"Love" in itstreatment
of familylife- itsperspectives
range
- it is also more
frompeasant,provincial,and merchantMuscovite
a focusedelicitation
ofthethreat
beautifiilly
imagined,
passionposesto our
deepseatedlongingto connectwithpeople in meaningful
ways. In our
discussionof "ThreeYears,"we will firstendeavorto understand
such
threats
ofpassion,itsinherent
selfbyshedding
lighton thedarkovertones
and itsimmoderate
devotionto sexualgratification.
In time,
centeredness,
theprotagonist
overthemiseryhis wifesuffers
as the
growssorrowful
- now replacedwitha feelingof pitythat
wages of his uncheckedardor
endowstheirflagging
withthecommitment
his singularpassion
marriage
wouldhave otherwise
denied.Yet as our remarkson the conclusionof
"Three Years" will show, the role pity plays in underwriting
this
commitment
thestory'scouplefromexperiencing
trueintimacy,
prevents
27SeeElaineandG. William
Walster's
A NewLookatLove(Reading,
MA:AddisonWesley,
1978),
pp.51-56.
before
Chekhov
decided
on itspresent
"Three
Years"bore
Tellingly,
inscription,
othertitles,
suchas "ScenesfromFamilyLife,"and "FromFamilyLife."The
considered
titles
showthedegree
towhich
thetheme
offamily
relations
onthe
weighed
author's
theexplicit
useoftheword'family'
from
thetitle
didnotfree
mind;
dropping
Chekhov
from
theproblems
offamily
heexplores
"Three
Years."
throughout
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PASSION AND COMPASSION IN CHEKHOV
105
and thusthe experienceof totallove depictedin "Lady withthe Little
Dog."
"ThreeYears" recountsthe marriagebetweenAleksei Fedorych
and Iulia
Laptev,the educatedson of a wealthygoods distributor,
SergeevnaBelavina,the beautifuldaughterof a poor countrydoctor.
to the period
Followingthe couple fromthe timeof theirengagement
our
Chekhov
their
third
interrogates
weddinganniversary,
celebrating
lifeofnewlyweds,
insistence
on theblissfully
conventional
giving
ignorant
his spouses
onlythe slightestindicationof the emotionalcommitment
Chekhovmakesbetweentwopeople
in laterlife.Forthemarriage
cultivate
obstaclesforthecouple,chief
createsinnumerable
so clearlymismatched
of whichis the physicalpassion Laptev assumesIulia will satisfyby
hiswife.
becoming
the
his dramainsinuates
withwhichChekhovinitiates
The celerity
readerwithinthe immediateregionsof Laptev's scarcelycontrollable
The workbeginswithLaptev
emotionsas bothalarmingand superficial.
thelane dottedwithlindens,
his
down
Iulia
home.
way
Making
escorting
to clasphis
, yearned
passionately
Laptevis soonovercome:"He suddenly,
her face,hands,and shoulderswith
companionin his arms,to smother
kisses,to burstintotears,to fallat herfeet,to tellherhow longhe had
homeand discovers
Laterthatevening,Laptevreturns
waitedforher."29
a visitmadethat
whichshehad leftbymistakefollowing
Iulia's umbrella,
Nina.Seizingtheumbrella,
Laptevremovesthe
dayto his invalidedsister,
in
andthenopensitabovehim,delighting
bandholdingittogether,
rubber
wishes
to
he
the
woman
to
as
he
ofperfume recognizes belonging
thewhiff
wed. In whatcan onlybe called a classic case of transference,
Laptev
of his passionforIulia to theinanimate
theanimating
redirects
intensity
Thata parasolcan standin so easilyforthewoman
objectofherumbrella.
of Laptev'spassionforits
he proclaimsto love revealsthereductivism
earlierthat
s attention
Iulia'
failed
to
essentialbrutality.
capture
Having
his lips.
it
with
her
hold
of
takes
he
possession,smearing
evening, quickly
Readershave long imputedthe synecdochic
qualityof the umbrellato
F. D. Reeve
of Iulia,"withpartof herproperty,"
Laptev'sidentification
Resemblances
explains,"imposingon the girlunpleasantobligations."30
betweentheobjectand itsownereasilycometo mind;bothIulia and the
29Ibid.,
IX:8.
30See his"Tension
in Prose:Cexov's'ThreeYears,"'SlavicandEastEuropean
Journal
, XVI(1958),102.
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106
MARKPURVES
umbrellawearsilk;31
bothcarrya scentredolent
of "happiness";32
andthe
of theumbrellaas "no longernew"remarks
Iulia's fearsthat
designation
- disqualifiesher from the passei of
her age- she is twenty-one
maidensin a townalreadyshorton eligiblebachelors.33
Were
marriageable
itnotfortheaggression
withwhichLaptevforcibly
, IX: 15)
grabs(skhvatit
theumbrella
beforegreedily
itwithkisses,the
( zhadno, IX: 15) showering
obvioussexualovertones
of thisexchangemightbe less worrisome.
But
eventhisestimation
givesway to irony;as theputativesourceinflaming
Iulia becomesto the
Laptev'slust,it is curiousto considerhowincidental
inhim.
passionshesupposedly
inspires
The fervorcontriving
Laptev'sproposalof marriageestablishesa
theincongruity
ofoverindulged
helpfulframeforunderstanding
passion.In
a remarkable
scenein whichIulia's loathing
andhersuitor'slustplayout
- "overtakeninstantly
side by side, Laptev
by passion,"embracesthe
his lipsridealongherneck,cheek,and head.34At
squeamishgirl,letting
thispoint,it is cleartheextentto whichLaptev'sdesireto join Iulia in
marriagerestsentirelyinthrallto the prospectof realizingthe sexual
satisfaction
his passion demands.Laptev,whose "passion immediately
seizedhim,"is so filledwithlustforhisfuture
bridehe cannotregister
the
herbody.35
Thepassionhe reposeson a
qualmishchillsrunning
throughout
womanrepelledbyhisverypresencemakesplaintheunderlying
conflict
of
his interests,
his sexuallongingforIuliahastensthe
namely,thatalthough
literalcreationof theirmarriage,
theconsequencesthesepassionsimpose
are lonelinessand estrangement.
"Frightened
by these caresses,"Iulia
white,"thendrawsbackfromhisadvances.36
"goesdreadfully
The grander
thebanquet,
thegreater
thebill;paradoxically,
Laptev's
insistence
on
withhiswifeeffaceshisdesires
unrelenting
physicalintimacy
tothepointofimpotency.
on seeinghiswife
Moreover,
Laptev'sinsistence
as theguarantor
ofhissexualardoris nothing
shortofmyopia,a powerful
metaphorforthosewho sharein meaningful
experienceswithoutever
theirimportance.
Further
admissionsconfessthesightlessness
of
grasping
hisdesires.Sardonically
hissexualfrustration
as "marital
bliss"
identifying
(semeinoeschast'e, IX: 58), he allowshispassionto takepossessionofhis
31
IX: 15,91.
32Ibid.,
IX:8,15.
33Ibid.,
IX: 15,23.
Ibid.,
34
IX:26
Ibid.,
35
IX:26
36Ibid.,
IX:26.
Ibid.,
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PASSION AND COMPASSION IN CHEKHOV
107
commonsense.He longs- "passionately"
, IX: 58)- forhis wife
(strastno
delictoandthereby
to takea lover,to catchherin flagrante
givehimcause
to kill himselfand be done withthe "nightmare"
(koshmar,IX: 58)
as theactionof Chekhov's
though,
byhis passion.Interestingly
purchased
ofpassion,itis strangely
storyadvanceswe discoverthatforall thepitfalls
heuristic;
forbidding
Laptevfromknowinghis wifein theway he would
nevertheless.
like,itgiveswaytoa deeperunderstanding
of their
When the day markingthe eighteen-month
anniversary
wedding arrives,so does the inevitableclash of conflictbuilding
In thisscene,Laptevconfronts
Chekhov'sstoryfromthebeginning.
Iulia,
himformoney.To herhusband's
and
of
of
her
marrying
cruelty
accusing
formymistake,
manicchargesIuliareplies:"AndnowI suffer
intolerably
shecontinues:
suffer,"
how painful
She bitterly
beganto weep,and he understood
threwhimselfontothecarpet
thiswas forher,and,dumbfounded,
beforeher.
4
you,because I
'Enough,enough,'he mumbled.1 offended
kissedherfootandpassionately
loveyousenselessly,' he suddenly
'Comenow,lie to
heldit.'If foronlya sparkoflove!' he murmured.
mistake!..'
a
it
was
don't
me! Lie! Only
say
his
and he feltthatshe mustsuffer
But she kepton crying,
caressesonlyas theinescapableoutcomesof hermistake.Andher
likea bird.He beganto
footthathe kissedsheplacedunderherself,
pityher.37
and kissing
WhenLaptevsetsaboutto relieveIulia's painby embracing
her foot, Chekhov reiteratespassion's tendencyto selfishnessand
The
ofhisprotagonist.
thelapsedself-knowledge
through
shortsightedness
to
opendisclosureIuliamakesofherfeelingshardlyprovidesa resolution
from
break
a
to
"take
theirproblems;theydecide
familylife,"38by
spendingthe nextthreeweeks apart.Even so, no amountof distance
evincedintherecognition
thespousesaccountsfortheintimacy
separating
of pity(zhalost' 60) he
the
and
s
Iulia'
of
makes
feelings
pain
Laptev
of
awareness
beginsto feelforhiswife'ssadness.Thehusband'snewfound
a
marks
of
and
of
as
both
hiswife
turning
deserving sympathy
capable pain
Once cognizantof thedivisiverolehis passions
pointin therelationship.
ofhis marriage,
haveplayedin theemotional
Laptevbegins
estrangement
37Ibid.,
IX:60.
38Ibid.,
IX:60.
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108
MARK PURVES
to letthe
of his former
to tempertheintensity
feelingswitha willingness
flicker.
flameofpassionsettleintoa slowburning
To recall the lonelinessbroughtabout by Laptev's attemptsat
realizinghis longings,is to acknowledgethatwhile in mostinstances
it is onlyby
passionservesto createthephysicalrelationsof thefamily,
thatwe can hopeto
of itsmembers
experiences
engagingin theaffecting
thehusbandto the
retainthem.Reducingthepassionspreviously
blinding
ofpity,enablingLaptevto
needsofhiswifemakeswayforthecultivation
time."39
It is also bypitythatIuliaengages
see Iulia"as thoughforthefirst
severedbondsof family,
theformerly
thesorrowsof othersto reconnect
she instillsin herrigidfather-inin thesentiments
of sympathy
instanced
andencourage
tobothexperience
law.Yet alongwithherfacility
pity,Iulia
thanher
demonstrates
a moreadvanceddegreeof emotional
participation
- a narrow,but deep distinction
Chekhovinjectedinto the
husband
back in chapterone, when Iulia inquiresabout
couple's conversation
- "withcompassion."40
ThatLaptevneverfeelsmore
Laptev'sailingsister
thansorrowforIulia missestherelational
mark;pity,strictly
speaking,is
notcompassion,
buta feelingof distresscausedby another'smisfortunes.
"Compassion,"StephenA. Mitchellexplains,"pointsto identification
he continues,
feelingwith."Pity,by contrast,
"presumesthatwhathas
happenedto youcouldhappento me,butso farithasn't.Therebutgood
fortune
fortunes.
So pitysustainsa tension
go I. Butwe havehaddifferent
between identification
and differentiation,
shared vulnerabilities
and
fates."41
oriented
towards
concern
for
another,
divergent
Though
pity
nevertheless
retainscertainboundariesthat preventindividualsfrom
comingtogetherin mutuallyenriching
ways. In otherwords,Laptev's
newfound
awarenessof therole he has playedin theproduction
of his
wife'smisery,
overher
coupledby thefeelingsof sorrowhe experiences
to his developingsensitivity
as a
sadness,while positivelyredounding
insufficient
forcreating
theabidingaffection
Anna
spouse,arenonetheless
and Gurovexperiencein "Lady." Besides,if thematuration
of Laptev's
affections
himofthestampofhis former
unburdens
italso leads
longings,
to a discrepant
reversalof romantic
thetitleof Chekhov'sstory
fortune;
appearsto havemoreto do withthetimeittakesIuliato vocalizeherlove
fora manwhosefeelings
havebeguna noticeable
cooling.
39
IX:91.
40Ibid.,
IX:8.
1Ibid.,
SeehisCanLoveLast?TheFateofRomance
OverTime
(NewYork:Norton,
2002)
166.
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PASSION AND COMPASSION IN CHEKHOV
109
realized
thesalutary
effects
Whilewe wouldbe remissto disregard
his
in
the
familial
intimacy passionforever
by Laptev's pity fostering
ofhiscurtailed
to avoidtheoverallimpression
denied,itis difficult
passion
criticism
So evenwhilecontemporary
returns.
as a lessonin diminishing
in itsapproachto theending
beentoo categorical
has withsomeregularity
endto
coulddenythedisappointing
of"ThreeYears,"42
onlyextravagance
are
Chekhov'sstory;Laptev's finalruminations
the eventsconstituting
feels
not
draws
to
a
As
the
if
anticlimactic.
not
close,
Laptev
story
nothing
forthe
but a sense of mourning;
the slightest
quantumof contentment,
brother
he will soon lose to illness,forthesweetnessof youthhe rarely
has yetto providehim;fortheaffections
tasted;forthehappiness
marriage
of a wifewhoselove he no longershares.Bridlingat thesecurefamily
his diligenceand devotionhave helpedto createin thefirst
atmosphere
and
itis all Laptevcando butlooktothefuture
threeyearsofhismarriage,
of"Three
thefinalmoments
shrug:"we'll live- we'll see."43Butto affirm
or
Chekhovian
oftheoft-repeated
Years"as eitheran indication
pessimism,
mean
to
would
for
the
the
author's
of
an instance
"zero-ending,"
penchant
more
into
his
makes
of
the
transformation
and,
pity,
passion
Laptev
ignore
to advancethispitybeyonditslimits.The acute
his inability
importantly,
lack of fulfillment
by story'send stemsnotfromthe
Laptevexperiences
fromhisfailure
factthathispassionhas recededin favorofpity,butrather
and
vital
for
the
into
to elevatethispity
creating maintaining
compassion
of feelingChekhovassociateswithlove. The unresolving
theconstancy
of
as a manifestation
bestunderstood
natureof "ThreeYears"is therefore
the emotionalambivalenceLaptevcomes to feel forhis wife,forhis
and forthe happinesshe feels certainneverto enjoy.What
marriage,
Laptevfailsto see in"ThreeYears,"Chekhovlaysbareas tothesuccessful
betweenpassionand compassionin "Lady withthe Little
management
as
an end itself,but a processthroughwhichadultscome
not
Dog,"
in
waysto findlove.
enriching
mutually
together
theplotof"Love"
Justas thetropeofdeveloping
passiondetermines
and "ThreeYears,""Lady" movesalonga comparablestoryarc through
of his hero.All three
whichChekhovfollowstheemotionalundulations
of
the narrator
storiescommenceon a note of passionateanticipation:
overthe
hoursin sleeplessexpectancy
"Love" whilesaway thetwilight
comingdayand itsscheduledvisitwithhis belovedSasha."ThreeYears"
42SeeGalina
Intertexts
andGermany,"
Čechov
, XI,No.I,
"A Boring
Story:
Rylkova,
A Rhetorical
s Comedies:
ForceofČechov'
Reid,ThePolemical
(2007),75;andJohn
Mellen
TheEdwin
Press,
2007),97-99.
(Lewiston:
Analysis
43Ibid.,
IX:91.
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lio
MARKPURVES
himselffrom"passionately"
opens to findLaptev scarcelyrestraining
with
kisses her face, hands,
from
his
daubing
embracing companion,
Gurov
shoulders."44
Likewise,"Lady"beginsbynotingtherecentattention
has takenin the fair-haired
strangerstrollingabout the embankment,
conclusionsto the motivations
driving
invitingus to draw important
theemphasisChekhovplaceson
to Anna.Forinstance,
Gurov'sattraction
ofhis
Gurov's initialawarenessofAnnaas a "face,"speaksto thebreadth
his
to
the
nature
of
to
the
involvements;
shallowness;
exclusively
physical
adulthood
of
dalliances
of
his
to
an
character
settled,
misogyny;
assumptive
with scores of facelessvisages. More importantly,
togetherwith the
inthechichiworldofBlack
aftera merefortnight
boredomhe experiences
"new"poignantly
Gurov'sdesireforsomething
Sea resorts,
acknowledges
- fails to
its
and
his
life
both
past
presentpermutations
everything
of
an
existence
run
In
fact
his
over
the
emptiness
provide.
disappointment
rifewithpassionis borneouta fewlineslater,when,havingdocumented
thediverseassortment
of Gurov'saffairs,
Chekhovpointsup his hero's
increasingsense of isolationas the outcomeof a lifetimespentin the
ofphysicalpassion.
practiced
indulgence
thantheunseasonedhusbandsof
Thoughfarmoreof a worldling
"Love" and "ThreeYears," Gurovis no morereadythantheyare to
theintricacies
of humanintimacy.
theair of
comprehend
Unquestionably,
studiedinsoucianceGurovassumesin his approachto makingAnna's
him greatlyfromthe wound up, inflamed
acquaintencedistinguishes
of theseearlierworks.Even so, whenwe read thatGurov
protagonists
descries"something
pitiable"inAnna,we cannotbutrecalltheinsufficient
cultivation
ofLaptev'spassionintopity.45
Itis notso remarkable,
then,that
ChekhovlocatesGurov'sattraction
to Anna in the feelingsof pityhe
comesto exhibitforher.It is, rather,
thatthediscovery
Gurov
significant
makesof Annaas deserving
of sympathy
is matchedby theprotagonist's
forthenecessary
refinement
ofhispassionintocompassion.
facility
How far Gurovcomes in the refinement
of his passion can be
assessedby settinghis firstmeetingwithAnna againsthis last.Passion
clustersaroundthesefirstencounters;
yetforall thephysicalcontactthey
enjoy- Gurovis describedas "hastilypassionate"in Anna's presence
AnnaandGurovexperience
no realintimacy
with
together; scarcelya word
exchangedbetween them, theirs is the courtshipof "strangers."46
44
IX:8.
45Ibid.,
IX: 130.
Ibid.,
40
IX: 131.
Ibid.,
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PASSION AND COMPASSION IN CHEKHOV
111
the satisfaction
of theirpassion,whilebringing
Anna and
Interestingly,
Gurovtogether
createsseriousobstaclesto thedeeperdesires
physically,
theylatershare of a new life freefromthe fettersof theirloveless
of theiraffair,
marriages.In the momentsfollowingthe consummation
Chekhovclearlymeansto emphasizehow ill-prepared
a lifeof physical
pleasurehas leftGurovwhen it comes to dealingwiththe emotional
closenessmadepossibleby meaningful
sexualrelations.Worrying
aloud
thatGurovwill now no longerrespecther,Annadefendsherdisplayof
similarto those used earlierto describe
passion in termsremarkably
- "andhe wantedto live,"- she exclaims:"I was
Gurov's disillusionment
I wantedsomething
afflicted
better;surelythereis- I told
by curiosity,
I
wanted
to
live!"
Gurov's responseperfectly
myself anotherlife.
of
his
Unable
to engagethedepthof
the
passion.
encapsulates impotency
- in fullexpectation
thatthisdalliance,like all the
herfrankness,
Gurov
others,will end soon- kisses Anna. Botheredby what he mistakenly
ofa "naïve,inexperienced
woman,"Gurov
postures
regardsas theaffected
servesas an appealto her
cannotgrasptheextentto whichherconfession
himto
thatat theonsetof theirnew lifeshe entreats
lover'scompassion,
assumetheweightof lonelinessand fearshe feelsthattheymightbearit
together.
The detailsmakingup the expositionof "Lady" also preparethe
and the
Chekhovplans forhis protagonist
readerforthetransformation
Fresh
from
of
his
the
refinement
passion.
changesyieldedby
unexpected
stilltouchinghim,
of Yalta and the impressions
the buzzy atmosphere
hislongingfora particular
Gurovtriesto resumeold habitsbydissembling
womanwitha fecklessdismissalofwomenin general,onlyto findAnna's
memoryhas taken up permanentresidence within the normally
he makesfollowing
The displayofaffection
wallsofhimself.
impenetrable
his arrivalto Anna's hometownis decidedlyout of character;his
in a simplecode
readslikea messagetransmitted
appearanceinthetheater
longbroken.
of himselfas somehowbeyondthereach
Gurov'sinitialperception
ofrealrelational
andthustoo inuredto believeintheprospect
ofinfluence
thechallengeAnnaultimately
in anticipating
is significant
poses
intimacy
thenfinally
to thereceivedideasGurovis madeto revisit,
reject.So while
theelevationGurovmakesof hispassion
theoutsetof "Lady"anticipates
intocompassion,the remainder
negotiatesthistension,instancedmost
in
intheimageGurovconfronts
inthestory'sfinalmoments,
perspicuously
beforehim:
themirror
standing
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112
MARKPURVES
His headhad alreadybegunto gray.And it struckhimas odd how
The shoulders
old he had becomein recentyears,howunattractive.
He feltcompassion
on whichhishandslaywerewarmandtrembled.
butprobablyalreadynear
forthislife,stillso warmand beautiful,
likehis ownlife.
thepointwhereitwouldbeginto fadeandwither,
him
has
himto be other
did
she
love
so?
Women
taken
always
Why
thanhe was,andtheyhadlovedinhim,nothimself,
buta mantheir
hadcreated...
Andnotone ofthemhadbeenhappywith
imagination
him.Timepassed,he metwomen,becameintimate,
parted,butnot
oncedidhe love;itwas anything
butlove.
Andonlynow,whenhisheadbeganto turngray,didhe fallin love,
thewayoneshould,forreal- forthefirst
timeinhislife.47
but
diminished,
Thoughreducedin body,Gurovis in no wayemotionally
broughtto life by one for whomhe feels compassion.Accordingto
- a figureto whom Chekhovmade occasionalrecourse,
Schopenhauer
- one can only experience
albeit with varyingdegreesof admiration
the
{Mitleid)
compassion
bytrulydesiring well-being
(Wohl)of another.48
Whenheartfelt,
suchyearnings
thebarriers
betweentwo
penetrate
standing
distinctselves to enable bothto regardthe otheras a fullyembodied
- no longerregardedwithindifference,
Other
but concern:"I sharethe
in him,in spiteof the factthathis skindoes not enclosemy
suffering
nerves." Having experiencedthe reciprocalpower of compassion,
further
contends,we step outsidethe egoistictowardsa
Schopenhauer
causedby ourhabitualselfishness.
greatersenseof thedegradation
Here,
we aremadeto face"a humiliating
glance"at ourselves.Beforethemirror,
Gurovsees himselfforwhathe is: aging,unattractive,
and yetin no way
butrenewedbyhis amazement
thatAnnaloveshimforwho
irredeemable,
he is andnotfortheroleshe hasprojected
forso long.
In a waythatdoes notso muchrepeatas rearticulate
theefforts
the
of "Love" and "ThreeYears" undertake
to abandontheir
protagonists
aboutpassionas the sole guarantor
of intimacy,
Gurov
presuppositions
morethoughtfully
considers
thegainsto a relationship
ofmutualaffection.
In thissense,only"Lady withthe LittleDog" cogitatestheprocessby
which its central hero unburdenshimself entirelyof prevailing
47
IX: 142-143.
Ibid.,
T. Kopylovich,
"Mirovozrenie
Antona
Pavlovicha
Chechova
i filosofiia
Artura
Chechov
i Germaniia:
issledovateli
Chechova
Shopengauera,"
, ed.V. Kataev
Molodye
andR.Kluge(Moskva,
1996),115-122.
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PASSION AND COMPASSION IN CHEKHOV
113
thepassion-compassion
thereby
assumptions,
advancing
beyond
opposition
itsusualstateofconflict,
intooneofconvergence.
That"Love,""ThreeYears,"and "Lady"all cumulatively
beginby
ontheprotagonist's
beliefthatthewomenbeforethemwillrealize
focusing
endbytransmuting
this
theirrespective
passions,andall threecumulatively
moresubstantial,
servesto indicatethe author's
passionintosomething
withthe dangersof fancifullove. Tracingthe
lifelongpreoccupation
which
one
learns
to cope withtheserialpainsandpleasuresof
processby
"Love" and "Three Years" bear witnessto
human companionship,
on the problemsposed by passion;"Lady" to the
Chekhov'sthoughts
in creating
extentto whichcompassionservesas its crucialcounterpoise
love.
associatedwithconsummate
andintimacy
thetrust
- they
natureof Anna and Gurov's intimacies
The companionate
their
loveeachotheras tender
byindulging
friends is madepossiblefirst
a
thisdesireintocompassion,
mutualpassion,thenbytransmuting
creating
delicatebalance comprisedof a couple alertbothto the physicaland
needsoftheother.Takentogether,
emotional
"Love,""ThreeYears,"and
make
clear
that
those who insiston the
Little
with
the
Dog"
"Lady
of the fleshwill neverexperiencethe abiding
indulgences
concupiscent
Chekhovhas in mind. Yet all threedeliveron a touching
affection
andso intheend,themendepictedinthese
thesearelovestories,
surprise:
ofphysicalpassionbyitself,
worksdiscoverthatthesatisfaction
alongwith
ofadultrelations
alonewillsolvethecomplexity
thehopethatmarriage
noneofthesearewhattheywereledtobelieve.
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