For Mrs. Ranevsky, her daughters, and her brother Leonid Gayev, apathy and inactivity have become second nature. Mrs. Ranevsky's remark, "if only this heavy load could be lifted from my heart; if only I could forget my past!" highlights this feeling. She has given up trying to alter her circumstances and has accepted life as it unfolds. She indulges in lavish meals, buys a gift for Anya, lends money to her neighbor Pishchik, and gives a gold coin to a homeless traveler in Act Two. Mrs. Ranevsky refuses to acknowledge that changing her actions could improve her situation. Her inactivity allows the auction to move forward. Gayev, Anya, and Varya also remain inactive, hoping everything will resolve itself. This apathy, combined with a fear of living below their accustomed lifestyle, prevents the family from saving their orchard.

The family dismisses Lopakhin's proposal to divide the orchard into smaller plots for country cottages. Mrs. Ranevsky finds the idea distasteful, claiming the orchard is famous as the largest and most beautiful in Russia. She and her brother do almost nothing to stop the auction, remaining inactive and waiting for a miracle or a rescuer, such as their relative the Countess, which ultimately seals their fate.

A clear example of this inactivity is Gayev's admission: "I've been thinking, racking my brains; I've got all sorts of remedies, lots of them, which, of course, means I haven't got one." This failure to adapt to the changing social conditions in Russia at the turn of the century was common, as many wealthy landowners lost their properties due to debt. Gayev prefers to pretend to play billiards rather than find a genuine solution to his family's financial crisis.

Varya remains inactive, even as she tries to save money by feeding the servants only dried peas. It upsets her to see her mother and uncle do nothing, but she feels powerless without their support. Varya dreams of joining a convent but never acts on this desire, unable to advocate for herself. Her inaction also affects her feelings for Yermolay Lopakhin; both are too passive to pursue marriage. Although they have no objections to marrying, neither takes the lead—Varya is constrained by social norms, and Lopakhin is absorbed in his business. Mrs. Ranevsky encourages Lopakhin to propose, but he hesitates, saying, "I'm ready even now...Let's settle it at once and get it over. I don't feel I'll ever propose to her without you here." When together, Varya and Lopakhin only engage in trivial conversation. Lopakhin is called away, and the opportunity slips by, shattering their hopes of marriage.

Mrs. Ranevsky and her family present themselves as a prosperous, estate-owning household. They cling to their traditional way of life by employing servants, throwing parties, and loaning money to neighbors, even though they are on the brink of bankruptcy. Their insistence on maintaining appearances threatens their very existence. Gayev only contemplates working at a bank when their financial crisis becomes dire, an idea that would have been unthinkable in the past. He reproaches his sister for being an "immoral woman" in Paris, alleging that her actions caused their aunt, the Countess, to stop offering support. Although appearances are vital to the aristocracy, the shifting social landscape makes them increasingly meaningless. Gayev acts as if he has control over the auction of the orchard, but in reality, he has very little influence over what happens.

In Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard , the decisions made by each character have significant consequences. The Ranevsky family's choice to remain inactive results in the auction, with only minimal opposition. In contrast, Lopakhin decides...

The class struggles in this play are most vividly illustrated through the lives of the servants. Yasha, Firs's grandson, has ambitions and desires that starkly contrast with those of Firs. Yasha dreams of improving his status by accompanying Mrs. Ranevsky back to Paris. Meanwhile, Firs yearns for the days before the emancipation of the serfs. This contrast is further emphasized by their generational differences. Firs is comfortable with the old social hierarchy, whereas Yasha is eager for a new social order.

Dunyasha, Mrs. Ranevsky's maid, dreams of becoming a lady and marrying a wealthy man. Unlike her predecessors, who were confined to servitude, she is free to aspire. There is a growing hope among the servant class that they can achieve financial success like Lopakhin or save enough to buy a modest home. Peter Trofimov comments on the sociological changes in Russia when he tells Anya, "all your ancestors owned serfs. They owned living beings. Can't you see human beings looking at you from every cherry tree in your orchard, from every leaf and every tree trunk? To own living souls—that's what has changed you all so much—That's why your mother, you yourself, and your uncle no longer realize that you are living on borrowed capital, at other people's expense, at the expense of those whom you don't admit farther than your entrance hall." This passage highlights and explains many of the class conflicts depicted in the play. The aristocracy refuses to recognize men like Lopakhin or Trofimov as social equals, despite their own declining power.

Lopakhin and Varya are central to this class struggle. Lopakhin, born to serfs on the Ranevsky estate, has accumulated wealth and is in a better financial position than the Ranevskys. However, they will never accept him as their social equal, viewing him as a coarse man who lacks an appreciation for tradition or beauty (he suggested building "vulgar" cottages on the pristine orchard). Varya, adopted by Mrs. Ranevsky, finds herself in a similar situation, caught between the aristocracy and the servant class without fully belonging to either.