Anton Chekhov

The main theme in Chekhov's story is leniency versus punishment, two opposing philosophies regarding justice. In the story, Ivan Markovitch (Sasha's maternal uncle) argues for leniency, while...

This story conveys the theme that even the idea of having money can make us feel dissatisfied with what we have. Further, money—even the thought of it—can distort our priorities and make us...

Themes for this one act play by Chekhov that is a comedy or a satire, include making fun of romance and marriage. Chekhov examines the true nature of marriage, an institution of necessity in his...

When "The Lottery Ticket" begins, Ivan is described as being content with his current life. However, after his wife asks him to check the lottery tickets (her number was 9,499–26), and he finds the...

A Marriage Proposal is a farce that pokes fun of romance and marriage within the upper class as the consideration and pride in property takes precedence over love and marriage with Chekhov's...

A farce can be defined as a subgenre of comedy characterized by overdrawn characters, improbable situations, and all-round absurdity. Chekhov's one-act comedy The Proposal has all these qualities,...

With his detached artfulness, Anton Chekhov creates conflicts within a seemingly complacent marriage, conflicts that are generated by the idea of money. For, when the middle-class Ivan Dmitritch,...

Anton Chekhov's "The Proposal" is usually classified as a farce, rather than satire, because it is a short work that focuses on a single idea in a limited way with comical stereotypes such as the...

"Farce" refers to a dramatic work that utilizes absurdity as a literary device by placing exaggerated characters in improbable situations. Anton Chekhov's The Proposal is an example of farce...

[eNotes editors are only permitted to answer one question per posting. If you have additional questions, please post them separately.] Anton Chekov's humorous one-act play, entitled "The Proposal"...

The conflict in "Lucero" is essentially to do with luck. Since both Ruben and the traveler fired at the same time, neither is in the wrong. The internal conflict is something Ruben must face if he...

"The Lottery Ticket" is a short story by Anton Chekhov, first published in Russia in the year 1887. Within the story, a man named Ivan Dmitritch, who has always been "very well satisfied with his...

In "The Lottery Ticket," Chekhov satirizes, among other human foibles, our tendency to project onto others the flaws and negative qualities we are loath to recognize in ourselves. The fact that the...

Chekhov's narrator introduces the story's only character, Nellie, looking into mirror as her eyes droop shut with fatigue. The narrator states that Nellie spends all day and night dreaming of being...

In Chekov's "A Doctor's Visit" the theme that I notice is the difference between appearance and reality—how easy it is for pretentious, egotistical and ignorant people to pretend to care for others...

In "A Marriage Proposal," there is an indication that the intentions of Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov to marry his neighbor stems from something other than love because Natalia, who has lived near him...

I don't think it's really right to say that their conversation changes because all of the move from joy to seriousness and dissatisfaction is going on in Ivan's own head. The couple actually says...

Appropriately named to allude to the well-known simile "as stubborn as an ox," "Oxen Meadows" comes to represent the strong wills of Natalya and Ivan. Both are convinced that they have true...

The setting in "The Lottery Ticket" is the modest home of a middle class family. This is stated in the first sentence: Ivan Dmitritch, a middle class man who lived with his family on an income of...

In "A Problem," Anton Chekhov depicts a familial dispute centered around Sasha Uskov, who (to quote the story itself) "had cashed at one of the banks a false promissory note" (as translated by...

Ivan Dmitritch is a solid, middle-class man married to a solid, middle-class woman. His life doesn't seem to be jam-packed with excitement. In fact, one could say that it is solidly average. All...

The narrator of Anton Checkhov's short story "The Confession" is a man of relatively little sophistication and not enough malice to realize that he has been played for a fool by the people around...

The story reminds us of the bewildering variety of ways in which human beings can experience joy. The protagonist, Mitya Kuldarov, is overjoyed to read about his drunken exploits in a local...

Chekhov's fast-paced one-act play is a farce about aristocratic marriages. A cynic about love and marriage, Chekhov employs a far-fetched humorous situation and ridiculous stereotypes in this...

"A Marriage Proposal" ("The Proposal") by Anton Chekhov is a fast-moving farce with stereotypical, ridiculous characters. Portraying the upper-class courtship in nineteenth-century Russia as a...

In "A Marriage Proposal" Chekhov is poking fun at the courtship rituals of the Russian upper classes. Marriage is presented in the play as being dictated by the needs of economic necessity and...

There are four methods of indirect characterization: through the character's actions through the character's thoughts, feelings, and speeches through the character's the comments and reactions of...

The short story "After the Theater" by Anton Chekhov takes place in the bedroom of a sixteen-year-old girl named Nadya, who has just arrived home after attending a performance at the opera. She has...

One could argue that conflict itself is a theme in Chekhov’s one-act farce, particularly clashes between want and need, pride and humility. Take Lomov and Natalia, for example. Although Lomov goes...

Chekhov's 'The Lottery Ticket' explores all the real world challenges of being a ticket winner. Both Ivan and Masha's paranoid fears are indicative of the kind experienced by individuals suddenly...

Anton Chekhov's "A Chameleon" is a story that seems to revolve around the pretensions connected to social status. As the story opens, its main character, a police officer, comes across a scene in...

The complete quote reads: "We shall find peace. We shall hear angels. We shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds." The source is the play "Uncle Vanya" I read that a variation of this quote is...

The main theme in "Peasants" is that violence, ignorance, moral degeneracy, and severe impoverishment were unfortunate realities of peasant life in nineteenth-century Russia. In the story, Chekhov...

Most of the humor in "The Chameleon" is satirical, poking fun at the overly hierarchical and deferential nature of society in Tsarist Russia. The main character of the story, Otchumyelov, is an...

Due to conflicts or challenges, a dynamic character is one who changes (either in personality, character, or attitude) as the story progresses. In A Problem, Sasha has forged his uncle's signature...

According to Carol A. Flath ("Art and Idleness: Chekhov's 'The House with a Mezzanine'"), one of Chekhov's signature themes is the contrast between work and idleness. As Flath says, this theme is...

One theme or message Chekhov expresses repeatedly in his short stories is that the happiness of the privileged is based on the silence or invisibility of those who are poor, oppressed, and...

The Marriage Proposal by Anton Chekhov is a farce aimed at the Russian aristocrats' pride in and ownership of property as the overriding measure against love and romance in the consideration of...

One of the aspects of human nature that Chekhov consistently explores is that of sincerity and genuineness. In many of his stories and plays, characters find themselves being torn by circumstances...

In “Sleepy” or “Sleepy-Eyed” by Anton Chekhov, the main character is a thirteen year-old Russian girl. Varka works for a couple during the day time in a never ending job that appears too difficult...

"The Chameleon," at only four pages, is one of Chekhov's shortest short stories. Despite this, it is crammed with the psychological acuity and profound moral insight one would expect from its...

In Anton Checkhov's short story "The Confession", Gregory Kuzmich narrates how his world changed after he was given the position of cashier. Although the position does not grant too much extra...

Anton Chekhov wrote that “The Student” was his favorite short story that he had written. He gave no reason for this choice. The story captures a small portion of time in the life of the main...

A Marriage Proposal is a farce written by Russian author Anton Chekhov. The play is less about the marriage proposal between two members of the gentry and more about the constant fights they get...

Anton Chekhov’s short story “The Looking Glass” might be relevant to the life of young people due to its fairy-tale quality. It’s as if Nellie turns herself into a distressed princess; her husband...

In "Difficult People," Pyotr, the son of Russian farmers, needs money from his father for train fare and living expenses so he can head back to college in Moscow. His father gives him the money for...