Places Discussed
*Ukraine
*Ukraine. Russian province (now an independent country) that borders the north coast of the Black Sea. The relationship between Vanya and Professor Serebriakóv mirrors the relationship between provincial Ukraine and Russia. During Chekhov’s lifetime and well into the twentieth century, Russia exploited Ukraine’s rich agricultural and natural resources to feed and fuel other regions and provinces. Similarly, Professor Serebriakóv exploits the labor of Vanya and Sónya in order to maintain his life and career in Moscow.
Serebriakóv farm
Serebriakóv farm. Farm in Ukraine from which Serebriakóv derives the wealth on which he has built his social position in Moscow. Chekhov provides an increasingly intimate portrait of the Serebriakóv family and the forces that begin to erode the relationships between family members as each act penetrates deeper into the family’s history and deeper into the interior of the farm. A crisis between Vanya and the professor divides the household. In the play’s second act, Yelena says that there is “something terribly wrong going on in this house.” As tensions grow stronger among the characters, the farm becomes a microcosm of society in general. “You know perfectly well it’s not crime and criminals that are destroying the world,” Yelena explains to Vanya in the second act. “It’s petty little emotions like envy . . . that end up with good people hating one another.”
Garden
Garden. Garden adjacent to the farmhouse and just off the veranda. Gardens, and natural settings in general, are common elements in Chekhov’s drama as symbols of the order and beauty of the natural world, providing contrasts to the chaotic lives of his characters. The garden in the play’s first act sets the changing lives of the Serebriakóv family against the passive uniformity of nature and suggests an imbalance among family members. Sonya’s defense of Ástrov’s passion for reforestation emphasizes this imbalance when she explains that people who live in lush natural settings “spend less energy trying to combat nature, so the people themselves are kinder and gentler.”
Historical Context
In 1861, just a year after Chekhov's birth, Czar Alexander II ended serfdom in Russia. Serfs were effectively slaves, compelled to work for their masters unless they could buy their freedom. Even after gaining their freedom, many peasants remained trapped in poverty due to lack of possessions and crippling debts. During the 1860s, peasants made up eighty percent of Russia's population.
Following the abolition of serfdom, Russia experienced a wave of social unrest marked by student uprisings and protests by political radicals. In 1872, Karl Marx's Das Kapital was translated into Russian, introducing the nation to the foundational ideas of communism. In 1881, Czar Alexander II was assassinated by terrorists. His successor, Alexander III, initiated a period of widespread arrests and deportations. Alexander III reigned until he died in 1894, after which Czar Nicholas took over.
Although Chekhov's plays and stories are not explicitly political, he was the grandson of a serf and often interacted with peasants and impoverished individuals due to his work as a doctor. In 1890, Chekhov traveled to the Sakhalin prison to care for the sick and document the conditions there. Despite his awareness of societal struggles, Chekhov did not join the university radicals or dissidents advocating for reform through public protests. While peasants are prominently featured in his works, Chekhov was not primarily focused on politics as an artist.
The limited, crude, and isolated nature of Russian life is woven into the fabric of his characters' experiences. Astrov remarks, "I'm fond of life as a whole, but this petty,...
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provincial life of ours in Russia—that I can't stand, I despise it utterly." Chekhov's critique is more about the spiritual emptiness of Russian life than its political corruption. Harvey Pitcher noted inThe Chekhov Play that the challenges faced by the Russian intelligentsia were not a new theme when Chekhov explored them. Indeed, the talented individual with no place in society had become a literary cliché by the time Chekhov wrote his plays.
In Uncle Vanya, Chekhov explores class distinctions. Marina, the elderly nurse, stands out as a commendable character and appears to be the only person on the estate who is genuinely content. Characters such as Astrov are worn down by strenuous labor and harsh conditions. Their freedom is restricted by the unpredictable demands of affluent hypochondriacs like Serebryakov, who whimsically calls for Astrov only to then refuse to meet him. Vanya's grievances against Serebryakov revolve around the time and effort he has sacrificed, but he is also upset by the meager wages he has received. "For twenty-five years," Vanya declares, "I have managed this estate, worked, sent you money, like a most conscientious clerk, and during all that time you not once thanked me. All the time—both in my youth and now—you paid me five hundred roubles a year for wages—fit for a beggar—and you never once thought of increasing it by even one rouble!"
Artistically, Chekhov was very much a product of his era. As a champion of realism, he focuses on portraying how people genuinely behave or live, rather than presenting an idealized or romanticized vision of life. Consequently, some of the most effective dialogue in Uncle Vanya mirrors real conversations, where characters talk past each other or misunderstand one another. For example, when Sonya confides in Yelena about her love for Astrov, Yelena compliments the doctor's dedication and courage, but then shifts to discussing her own emotions: "There’s no happiness for me in this world." Instead of acknowledging this heartfelt confession, Sonya reacts with delight over her recent interaction with the doctor: "I am so happy . . . so happy!" she exclaims. In his realistic approach, Chekhov is similar to other prominent nineteenth-century authors like George Eliot.
Literary Style
Revision
To grasp the structure of Uncle Vanya, it helps to compare it with its
earlier version, The Wood Demon. Eric Bentley, in
Critical Essays on Anton Chekhov, described The Wood Demon as
‘‘a farce spiced with melodrama.’’ In that version, Chekhov focuses on the
romantic entanglements of the characters, ending with Astrov and Sonya coming
together. In contrast, no one successfully pairs up in Uncle Vanya. In
The Wood Demon, Vanya takes his own life, but in Uncle Vanya,
he survives, only to have his deepest fears about life confirmed. Bentley
noted: ‘‘To the Broadway script-writer, also concerned with the rewriting of
plays (especially if in an early version a likable character shoots himself),
these alterations of Chekhov’s would presumably seem unaccountable. They would
look like a deliberate elimination of the dramatic element.’’ Uncle
Vanya is deliberately structured in an unconventional manner, highlighting
how people endure and continue living amidst significant suffering.
SettingUncle Vanya is set entirely on Serebryakov’s estate. Although it begins in the garden, most events unfold inside the sprawling, twenty-six-room house managed by Vanya and Sonya, which Sonya likely owns. Many characters find the environment oppressive. Yelena describes the house as a crypt, a place of exile, and later as hell, while Serebryakov feels like he’s ‘‘fallen from the earth onto some foreign planet,’’ referring to the estate as ‘‘a labyrinth’’ and ‘‘a morgue.’’ Vanya talks about his monastic life, working inside the estate for Serebryakov’s career, as living ‘‘like a mole inside these four walls,’’ and Astrov claims he couldn’t last a month in the house, ‘‘I’d suffocate in this air.’’ The setting is intentionally static and stifling. A hallmark of a Chekhov play is that it unfolds within a single setting, which intensifies the characters' feelings of desolation and futility.
Point of View
Chekhov introduced the innovation of writing plays without a single clear hero
or heroine. In Uncle Vanya and his other major works, several characters
share nearly equal dramatic importance. Vanya, Astrov, Sonya, and Yelena are
central figures, each facing similar frustrations. The audience gains insight
into each character’s distinct perspective through their monologues and the
confidences they share with others.
Realism
Realism is an artistic movement where creators sought to portray humans as they
truly exist in reality. Emerging in the 1840s across Europe and Russia, realism
was a reaction to the Romantic movement's highly subjective art and literature.
Chekhov, a leading figure in realism, develops his characters through detailed
physical descriptions in his stage directions and through how the characters
describe each other. His characters are not exaggerated but possess relatable
quirks. Marina exemplifies a realist heroine; she tends to the chickens and
offers tea at inappropriate times. Vanya is depicted realistically as well;
instead of making a grand and dramatic entrance, he first appears yawning.
Meanwhile, Serebryakov grumbles about everyday issues like gout and other aches
and pains.
Compare and Contrast
1897: Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov, a Marxist, is exiled to Siberia for three years. His exile is due to smuggling forbidden literature from Europe into Russia, organizing labor strikes, and distributing anti-government leaflets and manifestos. Ulyanov was the elder sibling of Lenin, the leader of Russia's communist revolution.
Today: Soviet President Boris Yeltsin frequently meets with global leaders, including U.S. President Bill Clinton, to share ideas.
1897: Conservation awareness is minimal, with little thought given to the severe deforestation occurring. In Uncle Vanya, Astrov expresses concern over forest destruction and suggests using peat for heating and stones for building houses instead of wood.
Today: Natural resource conservation is a major priority. Approximately 655 million acres, or around 29% of the U.S. land area, are designated as forestland under the management of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Alaska has the most extensive national forest area with 22.2 million acres, followed by California with 20.6 million acres.
1897: In Uncle Vanya, Sonya and Vanya are distracted by the arrival of Serebryakov and Yelena, leaving the fields untended. Food shortages are common in Europe and Russia. In 1891 and 1892, Russia was devastated by famine after crop failures, leading millions to starvation and rural peasants to raid towns for food. The famine was somewhat alleviated by the delivery of about three million barrels of flour from the U.S.
Today: Annually, the United States produces about 59.5 million metric tons of wheat, 7.9 million metric tons of rice, and 187 million metric tons of corn. In 1995, U.S. agricultural exports amounted to $55.8 billion.
1897: Money is a central theme in Uncle Vanya. In Russia, Finance Minister Sergei Yulievich Witte implements the gold standard. Global gold production reaches nearly 11.5 million ounces, up from the 5 to 6 million ounces produced annually between 1860 and 1890.
Today: In 1995, the U.S. produced approximately 320 metric tons of gold.
1897: In Uncle Vanya, Astrov is troubled by the death of a patient from typhus. In 1854, a typhus epidemic severely affected the Russian army, and the disease remained a threat throughout the century.
Today: Typhus is no longer a major concern; in 1930, Harvard bacteriology professor Hans Zinsser, with assistance from John Franklin Enders of Boston's Children's Hospital, developed the first antityphus vaccine. Currently, AIDS is the most severe epidemic in the U.S. and other developed countries. By 1995, over half a million individuals had succumbed to AIDS.
Media Adaptations
In 1994, Louis Malle directed a film adaptation of Uncle Vanya, titled Vanya on 42nd Street. This film presents a unique take on Chekhov’s work by depicting a theater company in the process of rehearsing the play for an upcoming production. The actors' personal lives reflect the drama unfolding in the playwright’s script. The adaptation was penned by playwright David Mamet (Speed the Plow), with a jazz score composed by Grammy nominee Joshua Redman. The production featured performances by Julianne Moore, Wallace Shawn (as Vanya), and Andre Gregory.
In 1962, Stuart Burge directed a film version of Uncle Vanya, featuring a cast that included Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright, Rosemary Harris, and Michael Redgrave. Olivier also directed the stage version of the play at the Chichester Drama Festival.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Bentley, Eric. "Craftsmanship in Uncle Vanya" in Critical Essays on
Anton Chekhov, G. K. Hall, 1989, pp. 169-85.
Eekman, Thomas A. Introduction to Critical Essays on Anton Chekhov, G. K. Hall, 1989, pp. 1-7.
Nabokov, Vladimir. "Chekhov’s Prose" in Critical Essays on Anton Chekhov, G. K. Hall, 1989, pp. 26-33.
Pitcher, Harvey. The Chekhov Play, University of California Press, 1985.
Timmer, Charles B. "The Bizarre Element in Chekhov’s Art" in Anton Chekhov’s Plays, W. W. Norton, 1977, pp. 272-85.
Further Reading
Bordinat, Philip. "Dramatic Structure in Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya" in
Chekhov’s Great Plays, New York University Press, 1981, pp. 47-60.
This essay explores the structural elements of Chekhov’s plays.
Gilman, Richard. Chekhov’s Plays: An Opening into Eternity, Yale University Press, 1997. This work analyzes each of Chekhov’s full-length plays, placing them within the broader context of Russian and European theater and Chekhov's personal life.
Koteliansky, S. S., editor and translator. Anton Tchekhov: Literary and Theatrical Reminiscences, Benjamin Blom, 1965. A compilation of literary and theatrical reminiscences about Chekhov from authors Leo Tolstoy and Maxim Gorky, as well as theater directors V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko and Konstantin Stanislavsky, including excerpts from Chekhov’s diary.
Magarshack, David. "Purpose and Structure in Chekhov’s Plays" in Anton Chekhov’s Plays, W. W. Norton, 1977, pp. 259-71. This essay examines how Chekhov’s plays were interpreted by the Moscow Art Theater and discusses the construction of his works.
Melchinger, Siegfried. Anton Chekhov, Frederick Ungar, 1972. This book offers a biographical essay and analysis of all of Chekhov’s significant plays.
Rayfield, Donald. Anton Chekhov: A Life, Henry Holt, 1998. A thorough and well-organized biography of the author. Rayfield is recognized as a prominent Chekhov scholar.
Vitins, Ieva. "Uncle Vanya’s Predicament" in Chekhov’s Great Plays, New York University Press, 1981, pp. 35-46. An essay focusing on Uncle Vanya.
Bibliography
Bentley, Eric. “Craftsmanship in Uncle Vanya.” In Anton Chekhov’s Plays, translated and edited by Eugene K. Bristow. New York: Norton, 1977. Bentley shows that Chekhov’s naturalism in Uncle Vanya is grounded in his mature psychological vision that life has no real endings.
Bordinat, Philip. “Dramatic Structure in Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya.” In Chekhov’s Great Plays: A Critical Anthology, edited with an introduction by Jean-Pierre Barricelli. New York: New York University Press, 1981. Bordinat argues that Uncle Vanya follows classical dramatic construction if the protagonist is seen as “the individual” embodied in the four major characters. The conflict then becomes the individual’s desire for happiness in the face of the provincial Russian “wasteland.”
Melchinger, Siegfried. “The Wood Demon and Uncle Vanya.” In Anton Chekhov, translated by Edith Tarcov. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1972. Melchinger analyzes how Chekhov reworked his unsuccessful 1889 play, The Wood Demon (Leshy) into the groundbreaking 1897 Uncle Vanya. He focuses particularly on the parallel situations of Astrov and Vanya in the later play.
Peace, Richard. “Uncle Vanya.” In Chekhov: A Study of the Four Major Plays. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1983. Peace focuses on the symbolism of Uncle Vanya and discusses the significance in the play of tea drinking, the forest, the storm, birds and animals, and work.
Yermilov, V. “Uncle Vanya: The Play’s Movement.” In Chekhov: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Robert Louis Jackson. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1967. Discusses the use of musical and weather imagery in the play. Yermilov points out the cyclical movement of the play: The external situation at the end replicates the situation at the beginning, but internally everyone has changed.