Dec 22, 2009

Chocolates | Themes

Artists and Society
While initially appearing to undermine the notion that artists are geniuses, “Chocolates” ultimately reinforces it. The idea of genius has been associated with writers since the seventeenth century, and generally has meant a person with exceptional ability that often possesses a kind of rarified knowledge. The speaker presents Chekhov as a “Master,” highlighting his own belief in the writer’s genius, but he also questions the notion that genius exists on a plane separate from ordinary life and ordinary people. The genius of Chekhov, Simpson...