{Chekhov

Anton Pavlovich ChekhovJanuary 29, 1860-July 15, 1904

Grandfather was a serf; bought freedom for the family even before the Emancipation of 1861

Father was a grocer Received an Orthodox

religious education; later lost his faith

Family…

Reinvented the short story opened up areas of life not yet

explored by Russian literature Tolstoy compared him to the

Impressionists One of those who reinvented drama

(in addition to Ibsen, Strindberg, and others) at the end of the 1800s-beginning of 1900s

Literary accomplishments…

Studied medicine; was a doctor who once said his real commitment was to medicine, while literature was a mistress he would abandon.

With encouragement from Grigorovich devoted himself to writing and won the prestigious Pushkin prize in 1888

Career…

“The people I am afraid of are the ones who look for tendentiousness between the lines and are determined to see me as either liberal or conservative. I am neither liberal nor conservative, nor gradualist, nor monk, nor indifferentist. I would like to be a free artist and nothing else….My holy of holies is the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love and the most absolute freedom imaginable, freedom from violence and lies, no matter what form the latter two take.”

Chekhov:

1. Absence of lengthy verbiage of a political-social-economic nature2. total objectivity3. truthful descriptions of persons and objects4. extreme brevity5. audacity and originality: flee the stereotype6. compassion

Chekhov’s 6 principles that make for a good story

Questions?

“The Student”

1. What is this story about?

“The Student”

 Up until Chekhov, all short stories, virtually without exception, were event-plot ones. In these stories the skeleton of plot is all important, the narrative is shaped, classically, to have a beginning, middle and end.

Chekhov’s Revolutionary technique: he did not abandon plot, but made the plot of his stories like the plot of our lives: random, mysterious, run-of-the-mill, abrupt, chaotic, fiercely cruel, meaningless.

The Event-plot story…

Chekhov is the father of the modern short story. His influence is still massive and everywhere.

What is the essence of the Chekhovian short story? Chekhov wrote: "It is time writers, especially those who are artists, recognised that there is no making out anything in this world.“

The Chekhovian point of view : look at life in all its banality and all its tragic comedy and refuse to make a judgment. Refuse to condemn and refuse to celebrate. Record the actions of human beings as they are and leave them to speak for themselves (insofar as they can) without manipulation, censure or praise.

His famous retort when he was asked to define life: "You ask me what is life? That is like asking: what is a carrot? A carrot is a carrot and that's all there is to it."

The Chekhovian story…

2. What is this story REALLY about?

Looking at your list of conventions for prose, what are some important conventions Chekhov uses in this story?

How is Chekhov using: setting? The minor characters? Allusions?

What is the mood Chekhov creates and how does he create it?

How would you describe the tone of the story?

Although this is not an event-plot story, does it have movement? How does it move?