Dec 28, 2009

Rothschild’s Fiddle | Rothschild’s Fiddle

At a glance:

Author: Anton Chekhov
First Published: 1894
Type of Plot: Psychological
Time of Work: The 1890's
Setting: Western Russia
Principal Characters: Yakov Ivanov, Martha, Rothschild, Maxim Nikolaich
Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction
Subjects: Music or musicians, Poverty or poor people, Anti-Semitism, Death or dying, Russia or Russian people, Isolation, Coffins, Profit
Locales: Russia

The Story

The setting of “Rothschild's Fiddle” is a squalid little village where Yakov Ivanov, a Russian coffin maker, and Rothschild, an equally poor Jewish musician, both live. Yakov lives in a one-room hut, which contains his gloomy wares as well as his humble domestic possessions. Childless, the dour Yakov barely notices Martha, his downtrodden wife of fifty years. Yakov has an unexpected side to his character, for he is a gifted, if rude, violinist who is sometimes invited to join the local Jewish orchestra to play for weddings. Although the coffin maker needs the...

[The entire page is 1491 words long]

Rothschild’s Fiddle | Rothschild’s Fiddle

At a glance:

The Story

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