There are several things in this short story by Anton Chekhov that jumped out to me within the first two pages: conflict, character and structure.
The conflict in this story seems to focus more on Anna Sergeyevna than Gurov. While Gurov is already accustomed to affairs, Anna is more distraught over the idea that she is being unfaithful to her husband. She also cares about what Gurov thinks of her near the beginning of their affair and whether or not he will ever respect her again. Her entire marriage is at stake because of this affair and Gurov, but she cares if he, a stranger when they first begin their affair, will look down on her. She decides to leave him when her husband requests that she come home, however. She reveals that she’s unhappy in her life with her husband once Gurov travels to see her and begins to lie to him about trips out of town to meet with Gurov. In the end, they both have to make a sacrifice to be together, and although they disucuss how they can finally be together in the open, it’s clear that the conflict in their being together is not resolved.
As far as characterization goes in this piece, from the beginning I was under the impression that I would not care for Gurov. He thinks of women as the “lower race,” yet he finds them necessary to live and feels more comfortable around them than men. Eventually, through his struggle of being apart from Anna, I did start to feel some empathy for him. Although he isn’t in the right in this situation, he is after all having an affair and can’t bear to be at home with his wife, for once he is showing true human emotions: love and longing. Parts III and IV, especially IV, of this piece changed my feelings on this character immensely.
The structure of this piece paces the story in such a way that the reader can naturally begin to feel for the characters, even if their first impressions are that they are just completely wrong in their thoughts and actions. Reading as Gurov, for example, goes from a man simply wanting to get away from his family because he doesn’t like being at home and is used to affairs that never lasted, to a man who falls in love and feels that fate has led him to someone. The way that the story is set up, in four different sections, leads the reader on a journey with Gurov, and Anna Sergeyevna, as they go from strangers to people who feel that they belong with one another and will do anything to stay together.
As far as characterization goes in this piece, from the beginning I was under the impression that I would not care for Gurov. He thinks of women as the “lower race,” yet he finds them necessary to live and feels more comfortable around them than men. Eventually, through his struggle of being apart from Anna, I did start to feel some empathy for him. Although he isn’t in the right in this situation, he is after all having an affair and can’t bear to be at home with his wife, for once he is showing true human emotions: love and longing. Parts III and IV, especially IV, of this piece changed my feelings on this character immensely.
The structure of this piece paces the story in such a way that the reader can naturally begin to feel for the characters, even if their first impressions are that they are just completely wrong in their thoughts and actions. Reading as Gurov, for example, goes from a man simply wanting to get away from his family because he doesn’t like being at home and is used to affairs that never lasted, to a man who falls in love and feels that fate has led him to someone. The way that the story is set up, in four different sections, leads the reader on a journey with Gurov, and Anna Sergeyevna, as they go from strangers to people who feel that they belong with one another and will do anything to stay together.
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