Upon realizing he has wasted his life furthering the professor's ambitions, Vanya experiences a surge of anger, an emotion he is not accustomed to. Throughout the play, Vanya's underlying dissatisfaction simmers quietly, but it erupts into violence when Serebryakov announces his plan to sell the estate to buy a villa in Finland with Yelena. In a fit of rage, Vanya tries to shoot the professor but fails, underscoring the futility of his rebellion. Vanya's full name, Voynitsky, hints at his latent aggression, as the Russian word for "war" is "voyna."

Vanya criticizes Serebryakov's ostentatious display of intellect, recognizing that the professor's claims of wisdom are misleading. Vanya exclaims, "You were to us a creature of the highest order and your articles we knew by heart. But now my eyes are open! I see everything! You write about art, but you understand nothing of art! All your works, that I used to love, are not worth a brass penny! You fooled us!" While some of Vanya's criticisms contain truth, Chekhov's message is more complex. Serebryakov is not as deceitful as Vanya suggests; instead, he is a self-absorbed, frail old man who has become wary of Vanya's furious outbursts.

Vanya's mother, Maria Vasilyevna, scolds him for complaining about his circumstances while making little effort to change his life's trajectory. She tells Vanya, "It looks as if you are challenging your former convictions, but they are not guilty, it's you who are guilty. You keep forgetting that a conviction in itself is nothing, it's a dead letter. . . . You should have been doing something." As Serebryakov departs, he echoes these thoughts, saying, "One must, ladies and gentlemen, do something." Though his remarks are ironic considering his own lack of accomplishments, they still contain a nugget of truth.

Vanya claims that Serebryakov has deceived him, yet Chekhov also suggests that Vanya has misled himself. If Vanya has been reading the professor's writings for twenty-five years, why has it taken him so long to realize that the professor's work is empty and the man is "a soap bubble"? In several scenes, Vanya deludes himself. When he encourages Yelena to engage in an affair, he is partly motivated by his own self-interest. He states, "Faithfulness like this is false from beginning to end; it has a fine sound but no logic." However, one could argue that Vanya's justification for infidelity is equally questionable.

Work is a key theme in Uncle Vanya. Vanya, Sonya, and Astrov express their frustration over Yelena's laziness, which has distracted them from their responsibilities, causing them to waste time with her. When Sonya suggests that Yelena should find something to do, Yelena responds, "It is only in sociological novels they teach and cure sick peasants, and how can I suddenly for no reason go to curing and teaching them?" Sonya replies, "And in the same way I don’t understand how not to go and not to teach." Although Chekhov may criticize laziness, he also disapproves of meaningless work. Serebryakov's shallow intellectual activities are just a cover for his demands and arrogance, while Maria Vasilyevna uses her tasks as a way to escape, ignoring her family's emotional needs.

Chekhov frequently explores the human condition, highlighting how people often experience deep unhappiness and personal dissatisfaction. The struggles faced by many characters seem inescapable. When Astrov says goodbye to Yelena, it underscores the inherent sadness of human existence: "It's odd somehow," he notes, "We have known each other, and suddenly for some reason— we will never see each other again. And that’s how it is in this world." Sonya’s concluding speech offers a clear insight...