Gooseberries | Themes and Characters
"Gooseberries" is a slow-moving, seemingly plotless story devoid of action. The conflict appears only in Ivan's mind, not in the story itself, and Burkin, Pavel, and even Ivan himself remain passive characters throughout the tale, as Ivan delivers his moralistic speech on the evils of land proprietorship. Chekhov's characters are often passive, introspective people who live quiet and discontented lives. Nikolai seemingly represents the Chekhovian character who appears to be self-centered yet is misunderstood by others, and Ivan seemingly represents the melancholy and desperate man...
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