Jan 2, 2010

The Bishop | The Bishop

At a glance:

Author: Anton Chekhov
First Published: 1902
Type of Plot: Philosophical realism
Time of Work: The late 1890's
Setting: A nameless Russian provincial capital
Principal Characters: Bishop Pyotr, Marya Timofeevna, Katya, Father Sisoy
Genres: Short fiction, Philosophical realism
Subjects: Death or dying, Loneliness, Clergy, Diseases, Isolation
Locales: Russia

The Story

Against the solemn background of Holy Week, the most important week in the liturgical year, Anton Chekhov recounts the last days in the life of the protagonist, Bishop Pyotr, including his illness, the accompanying crisis and “awakening,” and death.

Bishop Pyotr officiates at vespers as the story opens on the eve of Palm Sunday. To the bishop, who is unwell, the congregation is an indistinguishable blur with “all faces alike,” “heaving like the sea.” That the congregation seems shrouded in mist suggests his isolation from his flock. Even as his own...

[The entire page is 1635 words long]

The Bishop | The Bishop

At a glance:

The Story

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