Gooseberries | Literary Qualities
The narrator of "Gooseberries" is presumably Chekhov himself. He makes Ivan his spokesperson, hailing the benefits of moderation and stressing the danger in retreating from life and ignoring the needs of the masses. Chekhov himself was a realist, and Ivan appears to parrot what is known about Chekhov's views. While Chekhov was once an avid supporter of Tolstoy's anti-materialism, he gradually rejected this doctrine. In "Gooseberries," Chekhov's ambivalence seems apparent. Ivan both denounces Nikolai's materialism and wallows in the pleasures of country life.
"Gooseberries" is...
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