Three Chekhov Tales

[Mr. Neary]

As part of our Russian literature unit, you are asked to read three stories from the following Chekhov site: http://chekhov2.tripod.com. (Do not read "Vanka" or "The Cossack"  of "Misery" though.)

After reading, write a short response that includes the following:

    A) a brief summary of the story (without giving away any endings);

 

    B) an identification of the main literal conflict and then state the conflict on the figurative level 

    C) a brief discussion with an example of the characterization of one major character mentioned in B (similar to the way we examined how Chekhov made Vanka an innocent or pitiful character)

 

    D) a personal reaction to the story

 

 

Respond to this post all at once or at intervals (though the former is preferred).

Due: Monday, April 16

[Ben Cohen]

"A Tragic Actor"
A) "A Tragic Actor" was about a police captain's daughter leaving him
to marry an actor who she admired the first time she saw a play. The
father disowned her after she married him, and things did not work out
well for her and the actor.

B) The main literal conflict is Masha loves Fenogenov, but he treats
her terribly and does not want to be married to her. The figurative
conflict seems to be between family and personal desires. Masha
blindly falls in love with an actor despite barely knowing him. She
ruins her relationship with her father to make a stupid decision.

C) Fenogenov makes Masha seem like a victim of love at first sight.
After seeing him perform at a play, Masha would do anything to remain
with Fenogenov . Fenogenov tries to desert her, but she pleads she
will do anything to stay with him. she thinks she cannot live without
him.

D) This story was pretty uneventful. Masha makes a foolish mistake by
marrying Fenogenov because it was obvious from their previous
interactions that their relationship was not a product of their
personalities fitting, it was forced by her love for his acting.

"Children"

A) "Children" is a story about children playing a game similar to
bingo for money. The kids come from different places. One is the cooks
son, some live in the house they're playing in, and others are just
friends.

B) The literal conflict is the children fighting sometimes, but there
is not a serious conflict present in the story. On the figurative
level this story is about childrenf rom different classes who are
cooperating. Their innocence eliminates any standing of class and they
easily deal with money despite some children lacking it by simply
sharing the money.

C) when Andrey runs out of money (the cook's son) Sonya, a six-year
old, volunteers to pay for him so he can play. Sonya represents the
innocence of children because she is caring regardless of what the
situation is. Most adults would not pay for someone else to gamble
their money away.

D) I believe this story is a great observation by Chekhov. He conveys
that adults need to ignore what society considers proper and just do
what their heart tells them, such as what Sonya did when she paid for
Andrey.

"A Joke"
A) Nadenka and the main character (a boy) go tobogganing down a
fierce hill and every time they go the main character says " I love
you Nadenka". Nadenka was originally afraid of tobogganing, but she is
not sure whether the main character or the wind said "I love you", so
she goes tobogganing with the main character over and over again and
can never tell who says "I love you".

B) The literal conflict in this story is Nadenka trying to figure out
who said "I love you". The figurative conflict is Nadenka trying to
feel excepted. Even after she stops sledding with the main character
she feels rejected because she does not know anyone who loves her.

C) Nadenka is an example of loneliness. She cried because she felt
like no one loved her. The main character had to keep saying "I love
you" to make her happy. She started depending on sledding to be told
that she is accepted and loved.

D) this story seemed sort of weird to me. the main character pretty
much plays with Nadenka's feelings by accident and it shows how
dependent some people are on being accepted by others. I think the
story does accurately portray many people though because their are
countless numbers of people who feel the need to be accepted by other
people.



On Apr 11, 1:34 pm, "Mr. Neary" <tjne...@gmail.com> wrote:
> As part of our Russian literature unit, you are asked to read *three *stories

> from the following Chekhov site:http://chekhov2.tripod.com. (Do not read
> "Vanka" or "The Cossack"  of "Misery" though.)
>
> After reading, write a short response that includes the following:
>

>     *A) a brief summary of the story (without giving away any endings);*
> **
> *    B) an identification of the main literal conflict and then state the

> conflict on the figurative level

> *
> *    C) a brief discussion with an example of the characterization of one

> major character mentioned in B (similar to the way we examined how Chekhov

> made Vanka an innocent or pitiful character)*
> **
> *    D) a personal reaction to the story*

[James Lofton]

"A Classical Student"

A. This Chekhov tale tells the story of a 13 year old boy, Vanya, who fails a Greek exam in high school. His mom sees this as a major disappointment and as an indication of her son's uselessness. As a result she gets her son beaten.

B. The literal conflict evident in this story is between Vanya and his mother. The figurative interpretation reveals a conflict between hard work (Vanya) and expectations (the Mother). 

C. I see a crucial instance of characterization on Vanya is when he describes the work he puts into his studies. He says, "I was working all night. . . I've been getting up at four o'clock all this week . . . " however his mom sees this as no consolation for failure. She goes on to lament how his apparent lack of intelligence is the reason for her "unfriendliness" with God. But the fact that Vanya worked at his studies shows that he is just a hard-working young man. And the punishment imposed on him by his mother was unjust.

D. I found this story very interesting and insightful (much like other Chekhov pieces) and like how this particular case applies to even our lives on the main line since we all go to high school. "Vanka" may not make the same impression as this story since none of us will ever apprentice a shoemaker, but this setting surely applies.

"An Enigmatic Nature"

A. This piece tells the story of a woman who gained wealth by marrying an aging general and after his death, using his fortune as she wished. She is on a train telling this odd story to a newspaper writer; however, he seems sarcastic and spiteful.

B. The literal conflict in this piece exists between the Provincial Secretary and the author, Voldemar. The figurative translation shows a conflict between greed and happiness. 

C. I feel that the one part of the story that really emphasizes the conflict is near the end when Voldemar asks the woman what is stopping her from being happy and she responds, "Another old general, very well off----". I interpret this as showing that the woman really just wants wealth, and only achieves it after marrying an aging general.  After describing a childhood of poverty, it seems that the only thing that can make her happy is a future of freedom and wealth. But it seems that the only way to obtain her wealth is to sacrifice some of her freedom in marriage (at least until the old man is in the ground).

D. This story was not as thought-provoking as some other pieces. I fear I may have failed to fully grasp the concept completely, and that my interpretation may be off.

"Fat and Thin"

A. This is a story of two childhood friends who coincidentally meed each other at a train station after not meeting for many years. They tell their peer of their accomplishments.

B. The main conflict is between the fat man and the thin man. The figurative conflict is between humility and arrogance. 

C. After the fat man announces his current position in the civil service "The thin man turned pale and rigid all at once" which really shows his surprise at this statement. Throughout the beginning of the confrontation, the thin man made his life story of sorts seem like he was the greatest thing to walk the earth. He repeated several times that  his wife was of class and that he was "living the life" so to speak. I assume that he expected the fat man to be living a lowly, unmarried life; however, he was of a higher position in the civil service. All of a sudden the thin man had to change his demeanor to a more agreeable, submissive mood, since he was in the company of a powerful man. One undercurrent that plays through the whole scene (as well as the title) is the societal idea that fat people are often not as successful as the thin. As if being fit is supposed to make you better. This story really shows that you "can't judge a book by its cover."

D. I enjoyed this piece. I think that the message that it brings along is very profound and is communicated in a positive way. I also like how Chekhov weaves some humor into this piece. I love humor.

[Melissa Lee]

"The Oyster"

A. “The Oyster” is about an eight year old boy and his father who struggle to find money and have come to Moscow to beg. One day, when the boy sees the word "oysters" through a restaurant window, and after his father told him it is a sea creature and a food, he dreams of meals including this foreign animal. He then calls out for oysters and is given an oyster in the restaurant by two gentlemen.

B. The main literal conflict is the boy and his father versus the men who gave him the oysters. The gentlemen give the boy one oyster in aims to embarrass him. Although the boy and his father both wanted to eat, the men may have seemed to be helpful, but ultimately exposed their impoverished statuses. They caused the boy to be sick by egging him on and challenging him. This conflict figuratively put forth a poor versus rich dynamic.

C. The father is characterized as self-consciously desperate as he requests help from the gentleman. After they make fun of the boy for not eating the oysters, his father questions himself claiming, “I believe I have caught cold”. This “cold” seems to be similar to the “disease” the boy had in the beginning, possibly a concern associated with their hopelessness. The father of the boy physically wears ragged clothing and is self-conscious about it, as he used goloshes to cover his bare feet. He is a “vain man” in this way he is aware of how his economic conditions make him appear. He also values being like the others, as when his son asked him about oysters, he was distracted by the moving crowd, something he would want to be part of. Especially after the gentlemen laugh at his son, he is more ashamed or regretful than sorry for his son and wishes he could have taken advantage of the rest of the oysters.

D. I thought the portrayal of the son was interesting because even though his father told him about the oyster he immediately thought of delicious soups and dishes. However, when he heard it was eaten alive, he thought of a frog in the way it is slimy and gross. It was ironic because in some places frogs are more of a delicacy than oysters, and yet he still wanted the animal to eat.

"The Lion and the Sun"

A. “The Lion and the Sun” is about a Russian mayor, who wants to impress a Persian official, especially in order to attain the Persian order of the Lion and the Sun. He goes to the Japan Hotel to meet the magnate and discusses the countries’ relationships with one another.

B. The main literal conflict of the story is Kutsyn versus Rahat-Helam because Kutsyn conditionally receives what he wants from Rahat-Helam, without the satisfaction. The figurative conflict is of the mayor’s superficiality and the Persian man’s genuinity. The Persian official does believe the Russian mayor is interested in his customs, like their food, but the mayor is simply using the opportunity. Therefore, when he is able to show off is new metal, it is to no one in the cold Russian winter.

C. The characterization of the Russian mayor, Stepan Ipanovitch, is that he is determined in the things he wants, particularly new medals. However these medals and his constant assertions of his leadership represent his egotistical focus. He in turn, values power and personal superiority. However, when a cartoon makes him look as if he was looking up to the Persian official. It reads, “Myself I’d slaughter a lamb, But, pardon me—for I’m a donkey!”, displaying how the people think the mayor is acting towards the magnate in a fake manner and using his power as a political figure for his own image and personal gain.

D. I thought this story was interesting, as it focused on self-interest between two countries. Because the mayor wanted the Lion and Sun badge, he was willing to create negotiations with someone else to get what he wanted. This lesson seemed to be common among even diplomacy today.

"Art"

A. “Art” is about two peasants, Seryozhka and Matvey, who have differing views about their work and their art. The two are competitive when working on “the Jordan” and later Seryozhka even asks Matvey to do his work as the public view the process. Confident in his talent, he expects much appreciation from the people from the church on Epiphany Morning.

B. The main literal conflict of the story was Seryozhka versus Matvey. Although both servants, Seryozhka embraces his “talent”, or the work that Matvey does for him behind the scenes. The figurative conflict is more along the lines of Seryozhka’s claim to fame that is not truly his and his contradictory stances on religion. At first he tells Matvey, “I am not obliged to work for you! You are employed in the church, you do it!” and yet later he embraces the church on Epiphany Morning to admire his art important to their religious tradition.

C. Seryozkha physically appears to be short, ragged, and angry-looking. Similarly he is grumpy when always looks for someone to blame, usually Matvey, when others aren’t around to blame him. If something goes wrong, Seryozkha wants to separate any form of blame or guilt from him self. Although he claims his “talent” is advanced, he doesn’t do any of the work, making him lazy and self-promoting. Ultimately, Seryozkha robs the reward of appreciation for the work put into the art project from Matvey, making him hungry for recognition by the public. Also, Matvey is the more religious one of them both, but Seryozkha was willing to become involved in the church with his art after denouncing Matvey using the church as his excuse.

D. This story also seemed to have themes of rich and poor as Seryozkha and Matvey both want to prove their worth, likely due to their social classes as peasants, just like many other stories. However, regardless of class, I noticed many Russian characters, as in this story, incorporated self-awareness of one’s status and the public’s perceptions.

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012 1:34:04 PM UTC-4, Mr. Neary wrote:

[Leigh]

"Overdoing It"
A. This story was about a surveyor trying to get to his job site. He had to cross an area he was afraid of and started lying to feel safer, which eventually backfired.
B. The literal conflict is the man vs. the hypothetical robbers but the figurative conflict is the man vs. his fear
C. The cart driver was painted as respectful and shy. He treated his customer like was the most important person around, calling him "your honour." His timidness was shown when he ran into the woods when he was frightened.
D. I thought this story was simple. It really wasn't too special, but it wasn't agonizing to read either.

"The Looking-Glass"
A. This story is about a girl named Nellie who wants to be married very badly. She looks into a looking-glass and has a vivid dream that makes her think very differently.
B. The literal conflict was Nellie vs. the doctor but the figurative conflict was Nellie's dream vs. Nellie's nightmare
C. The doctor was made out to be heartless and lazy. Even though he had helped other patients he was too exhausted to help Nellie's husband and kept trying to justify the fact that he wouldn't save Nellie's husband.
D. I liked this story. I thought it was interesting how Nellie's dream made her realize the future won't be perfect either, so you need to focus on making the present better.

"A Story Without a Title"
A. This story was about an old man who all the monks idolized, until a townsman went on and on about how monks are useless, and the old man was overcome with wrath.
B. The literal conflict was the old man vs. the townsman but the figurative conflict was the old man vs. his beliefs
C. The old man seemed to be perfect because everyone loved him. But once he told his secret everyone's opinion of him changed.
D. I thought this story was a little confusing. To me, the ending didn't make much sense. Overall, the story wasn't bad, just not quite clear enough.

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012 1:34:04 PM UTC-4, Mr. Neary wrote:

[Shefain Islam]

"Small Fry"

A. "Small Fry" is about a petty clerk who is working in dim and dull office on Easter, while everyone else celebrates outside. He is discontent in his life and rank and hopes/ploys to rise rather in the ranks so he will not have to live such a bleak life. However, he continuously finds obstacles that obstruct his path to a better life.
B. The literal main conflict is between Nevyrazimov and his boss (the man to whom he's writing the letter to). The figurative conflict is between between the will to rise and the devils we create within ourselves that stop us from doing so.
C. Nevyrazimov is essentially characterized as an uneducated petty man who, while dreams of great things, lacks the initiative to move forward. He complains throughout the story of how bleak his life is in contrast to the lives of the people outside his window but fails to even write a letter. The lamp and the cockroach are symbols of his frustration and at the beginning, Chekhov "The lamp, in which was the kersone was getting low, was smoking and smelling. A stray cockroach was running about the table." The kersone running low is a symbol for the main character's patience with his status running low and the cockroach represents weakness and poor status. The main character has not reached the climax of his anger and frustration yet so the lamp is only smoking slightly. However, when the main character become increasingly discontent with his life after seeing the joy of almost everyone around him, Chekhov writes "The lamp in which the kerosene had quite run dry was smoking violently and threatening to go out. The stray cockroach was still running about the table and had found no resting-place." The kersone, his patience, is at its end here and his anger, the flame, is reacting violently. Low status, the cockroach, cannot restless and is looking for change. At this point we are lead to believe that the clerk has some power in him. However, towards the end, his true character comes out when he the lamp fired and spluttered finally but only by crushing something beneath him. His anger and frustration, the lamp, finally reached his climax and relief not by achieving what he wanted to do but by crushing something underneath him. Thus, the pettiness of the clerk is brought out and he remains the same uneducated and unmotivated man who did nothing to change his situation.
D. I think this was a very interesting story because unlike many other stories, it told a realistic account of what most people do when they are discontent with their status or position in life. They become anger and plot ways to get out but in the end, they become petty and do absolutely nothing to solve the real issue. Most people just bring down others in order to make themselves feel stronger just like the main character did to the cockroach. In other stories, the authors would not have been so honest about human nature and amount of motivation that most people actually have.

"Oysters"

A. "Oysters" is about a boy and his father who are very poor and have come to look for work in Moscow but are left out hungry. The boy sees a sign with the word "oysters" on it at a restaurant and after his father explains to the boy that oysters are a type of seafood, the boy, although disgusted at first, is so hungry that he begs the restaurant owners for some and becomes sick,
B. The literal conflict is between the boy and restaurant owners. The figurative conflict is between the desperation and the hungry of the poor (represented by the boy and his father) and the cruelty and harshness of the rich (represented by the owners). The owners give the boy "charity," but only in the name of amusement for themselves which ends up seriously hurting the boy. This much like how many richer people give poor people "charity" to have a good laugh about how wealthy they are compared to the poor or to make themselves feel better about themselves.
C. The characterization and transformation of the father is most prominent here even though the boy is the main character. Chekhov writes, "Afraid, vain man, that people wouldsee that his feet were bare under his goulashes." The father refused to let anyone see his weaknesses at the beginning and longed to join the middle class by acquiring work. He his transfixed on people who are living their normally instead of begging for alms to feed his son (the goal of that day). The father then says at the end, "Why didn't I go up to them and ask them...to lend me something?" He is regretting his "vanity" here after he realizes his hunger and his son falls ill. I interpreted this sentence in two ways. The father could have either regretted not asking for alms or food and therefore, his son would not have been sick or he regrets not asking for oysters like his son had done because he has begun to feel the full effects of poverty. The latter interpretation is more selfish view of the man who only thought of his hungry instead of his son's and the first interpretation is a man who is blaming himself for the misfortune of himself and his son.
D. The desperation of this boy was very saddening. Even after being thoroughly disgusted by the oyster, the boy leaves all his shame behind and begs for something that he was revolted by. The fact that the father was not able to give up his humility in the same way for the welfare of his son is very sad as well.

"Fat and Thin"

A. "Fat and Thin" is about two old friends, one who is thin, working class, and with his family, and the other, who is a fat and rich man of much status and prestige. They meet in the train station and are at first jovial but as the thin man learns of his friend's status, the behavior of the thin man becomes formal which upsets the fat man.
B. The literal conflict is between the thin man and the fat man. The figurative conflict is between the lower classes and the dynamic that must be observed in the presence of the higher classes. In other words, humane nature vs. social customs.
C. The characterization of the thin man is one of a man who is very proud of himself, but not overly, and is very jovial. Chekhov writes, "Began the thin man after kissing." The thin man is very loving and shows off his accomplishment in his career and in having a family but still recounts fun times spent at school. This shows the boyhood innocence and fun between two friends however, towards the end, Chekhov writes "There is no need of this official obsequiousness." The thin man has lost his boyhood laughter and fun that came naturally at first, and now all his actions are dictated by society. This basically shows how pressure from society can draw out the natural joy in life and replace joy with sternness, just like it has in the man.
D. I found the fat man's response to the thin man's reverence interesting. The higher classes are the ones who created the social customs that the lower classes must follow and yet, the higher classes (the fat man) are realizing the true effects of such strictness. The higher classes often enjoy basking the glow of their status while others bow down. However, this man is seeing the bleakness that society can bring to a once lively friendship. 

[Connor]

"A Classical Student"

A: A boy named Vanya fails his Greek exam. This causes his mother to yell and curse at him for a long time before getting the lodger to whip him for punishment.

B: The literal conflict is between Vanya and his mother. The figurative conflict is between the actual effort put into work by Vanya and the Vanya's perceived effort in the mother's eyes.

C: I see the characterization of the mother as one who wants the best for her son, but only is concerned with the end result, rather than the amount of effort applied. This is in contrast to the popular notion today that as long as hard work is put in, the grade is less important. The mother refuses to accept that Vanya could have worked hard and still failed, so she makes up the realization that he must have not tried hard.

D: I think that although it was fairly uneventful, this story still captures a sentiment felt amongst students that cannot live up to parents expectations.

"The Album"

A: This story is about Zhmyhov being presented an album of photos by his grateful subordinates. When he returns home his children deface the album and Zhmyhov doesn't care about it.

B: The literal conflict is between Zhmyhov and his subordinates. The figurative conflict is between Zhmyhov's subordinates' good-willed and modest offering and Zhmyhov's lack of respect for it.

C: I see the characterization of Zhmyhov as a man that is respectful, but out of touch with the people working beneath him. He has no regard for the album that cost a lot to his subordinates because something of that price would be negligible to him.

D: I enjoyed this story because it illustrates the difference in perception due to different economic situations very well. The workers think highly of the album because it is worth something to them both financially and emotionally. Zhmyhov thinks that it is a kind token, but otherwise treats it with no respect.

"Children"

A: The story is about children playing a board game, all with different reasons for having an interest in playing.

B: The literal conflict is the children playing the game and fighting over it. The figurative conflict is the representations of each character as different socio-economic classes. 

C: The poor cook's son doesn't have any money to play with, so others decide to give so that he can play. The fact that the other children would give money to the poor boy is very contrary to what would happen in the real world and something that only children would do.

D: I really liked the characterization in the story. I thought that the descriptions of each child and how they were all playing the game for a different reason was interesting.

[Cat Mosier-Mills]

1. "At A Summer Villa"

A. A married man spending his summer at a villa recieves a mysterious letter from a woman asking to meet him at a certain place. He follows her instructions but, much to his avail, the woman never shows. Later he realizes something surprising regarding the letter's sender.

B. On the surface level, it appears to be a conflict between him and the man occupying the space where he's supposed to meet the woman; they argue for a while before the main character blames the other man for ruining his chances at meeting the mysterious woman. However, figuratively, it's a conflict between his own conscience (knowing he's a married man) and his desire to meet up with the temptress.

C. Pavel Ivanitch, the main character, represents guilt and confusion, as he both wants to meet the woman, yet feels horrible and that he's insulted his wife after the event occurs. He is both skeptical and an idealist, assuming that the "attractive woman" he's spotted walking around a few times is the letter's sender. 

D. I thought this story was very humorous (especially with the end twist), because all it took was a single letter to drive Pavel into a confused state of mind, in which he imagines scenarious which ordinarily wouldn't have crossed his mind. 

2. "The Requiem"

A. The story begins with Andrey, who is called up to the front of his church for referring to his own deceased daughter as a harlot in a prayer request. 

B. The conflict is between the angry priest, who thinks it's disrespectful to call his daughter Mariya, a renowned actress, such a spiteful name. However, the conflict is really an inner conflict, as Andrey recants how he was unable to accept his daughter's transformation from shy little girl into confident woman. 

C. The main character, Andrey, represents how inner stubborness can affect our actions -- he longed for a label to put on his daughter, since he couldn't accept her transformation (and therefore referred to her as a harlot.) It's not completely driven by ignorance, however, as we see he is internally wounded by his loss. 

D. I thought this story was very touching. When I first started it, I was a bit confused and offended that a man would call his daughter such a horrible name, but after delving deeper into his character and realizing his justification for the title, I was able to enjoy the story a bit more. 

3. "A Dead Body"

A. The story begins with two peasants attending to a dead body underneath a tree. A stranger approaches them and grows fearful, thinking that the body is a sign from God that he'll have bad luck.

B. The main conflict is between the traveler and the dead body, as he's very afraid of it and considers death to be his biggest fear of all. However, the figurative conflict is between the men and their duty to religion; they're supposed to guard it for three days, as is customary, but the man is terrified of walking alone. The men face a conflict similar to the one in "The Cossack" -- will they abide by the strict religious rules of the otherworld, or will they play by the rules of the material world and break off from their guarding?

C. The traveller represents the conflict between religion and reality in a very worrisome character -- he fears he can't go on, fearing that the lord is chastising him, and that if he continues on his journey he will be punished. He claims that "no one will ever know", and that the Lord will thank the man that walks; but would the man prefer to be thanked for that, or for guarding the body?

D. I was a bit confused by this story at first, but after understanding the religious themes in it, I found it to be very dimensional and insightful. Usually, stories about dead bodies are frightening -- but in this one, the conflict was entirely internal, irrational, and therefore religious (if not driven by fear.)

[Zoe Bermudez]

From the Diary of a Violent-Tempered Man

A) This story was about a Russian man who is trying to write his
dissertation on dogs but is constantly being pulled away by a group of
(rather uneducated) ladies, one of which is convinced he is in love
with her. The way she hangs on him all the time and her sheer
stupidity push his 'violent temper' to the edge and puts him in a
constant state of annoyance and misery since he is always longing to
finish his paper.
B) The main literal conflict of the story is the man's physical
struggle to get away from the overly-clingy ladies and get back to his
paper as when as his inner struggle to remain polite and control his
temper. The figurative conflict is this man does not want love, oddly
enough and is constantly struggling with the social contact.
C) The group of ladies make Nikolay seem like a very burdened man,
always being weighed down by other people, Varenka in particular since
she is so intent on him. He describes feeling 'like a peg with a heavy
cloak hanging on it' and expresses Varenka's desperation as always
'clinging to one's side like a leech'.
D) This story was easy to read but hard for me to find the underlying
meaning to it. Nikolay Andreitch was a very hard character to analyze;
to decipher him as an element in the story was difficult.

A Story Without a Title

A) This story is about an extremely isolated monastery in the middle
of nowhere, that somehow gets a visit from a drunk man. After being
fed by the monks, he asks them why they sit alone, living peacefully
while their neighbors ignorantly condemn themselves to hell. The most
superior monk is moved by this thought and sets off towards the
nearest town across the desert to teach them the ways of God so they
could be granted salvation as well.
B) The literal conflict of the story is that Father Superior is
disturbed to his core about what he witnesses during his stay in town.
The figurative conflict is the purity of being a monk is easily
shattered by the devil's sins and show how weak man really is.
C) Father Superior was the purest of all the monks. Everything he did
emitted beauty. His organ playing could make the elders cry. The songs
he played 'vibrated in his soul'. He brought passion to the monastery
and to me represented a kind of experienced innocence.
D) This story... made me laugh for sure... The ending was almost
predictable but still comical. With that said, at the same time, it
was a very deep, spiritual story when you focus on Father Superior.
Definitely confusing when I attempted to analyze it more.

The Husband

A) This story is about a small town that gets visited by a cavalry
regiment that's staying the night as they are passing through the
country. The women of this town got all excited and decided that a
dance must be held. During the ball, the story focuses on one
particular man, a sour old tax-collector who spitefully watches his
wife as she loses herself to the happiness and exhilaration of the one
night of her adult life when she could feel young again. This husband
decides it's disgusting for her to think that life was good and that
she had no right to feel so beautiful and happy.
B) The literal conflict of the story is that this husband doesn't like
the fact that his wife and the rest of the women in the town were
living in a fantasy world for the night. He thinks that life is too
solemn for such foolish things as dances. The figurative conflict of
the story is that the husband is a huge bully. For some reason he only
felt better when he knew that his wife was miserable. His inner hatred
for society is only expressed through controlling his wife. He is
selfish and despises being unhappy alone.
C) Chevok definitely made the husband the bad guy, if anything, in
this short story. He's described as 'a narrow, spiteful soul' and even
his physical appearance immediately makes the audience not like him.
At some point, it seemed that he was a more lively character that
could appreciate life but turned bitter towards the world somewhere
along the way.
D) The husband definitely got a reaction out of me. It's almost like
the wife's life was a parallel to my own, or so it felt. Honestly, I
just thought the husband was jealous because his wife still new how to
have a good time and had some self-hatred deep down that he took out
on her.

[Lizzy Hilt]

Fat and Thin

A)     A. At a train station, two men are reunited after going their separate ways as children. One, a fat man and the other, thin. They are very enthusiastic about seeing each other and discuss their accomplishments since they parted.

B)    B. The main literal conflict is the fat mans accomplishments vs. the thin man’s accomplishments. I believe this is representing the growing class struggles that Russians were faced with.  The reader finds out that the thinner man represents the lower class because he has fewer accomplishments, this may relate to the fact that he is skinny, and the fat man represents the successful and wealthier classes.

C)     C. While reading the story you find out that the two men were very good friends as children. The thin man goes on telling him all about how he has a wife and a child and how they mange to get by with what they have. You then find out that the fat man has accomplished his goals and more as he rose up through the ranks of the military. This causes the thin man to automatically change his tone and bow down to his childhood friend. This shows us that he represents the lower classes when he says, “Your Excellency, I . . . delighted! The friend, one may say, of childhood and to have turned into such a great man.”

D)    D. I did not enjoy this story very much because it was extremely repetitive and most of it was boring.

Old Age

A)     A.An old architect has returned to the town her grew up in to redo the cemetery in the church. When he returns he finds his old divorce lawyer and they talk about his divorce and what happened to his ex wife after the divorce.

B)     B.The main literal conflict is the architects ex wife and the divorce lawyer during the time of their divorce. The figurative conflict is within the architect about his past, which is represented by his wife. This is countered the cruelty of the future, represented by the lawyer. He never took responsibility for the divorce and when he visits the lawyer is forced to relive what happened.

C)     C.Chekhov made the divorce lawyer sly and ruthless during the time of the divorce. The lawyer states,“I was a sharp fellow, tricky and cunning, a desperate character. . . .” He represents the future and how is has turned into something completely different and foreign to what the architect knew in his past. In the beginning of the story, it gives a description how everything in the town has changed for the worst, and since the lawyer brought about the change in his life through the divorce, he represents the future.

D)     D.I liked this story because it was interesting to read about how things change and figure out the events that happened in this man’s past

Darkness

A)     A. A peasant has visited the doctor after he has finished work and asks the doctor to release his brother. The brother has committed a crime and the doctor is treating him because he is under arrest. The peasant says the family needs the brother home because he is their only source of revenue

B)     B.The main literal conflict is the doctor vs. the peasant. The doctor refuses to release the brother and the peasant is trying to get his brother back. I believe the figurative conflict is injustice, represented by the doctor, vs. the innocent people subject to it, represented by the peasant.

C)     C.The peasant represents the innoscent people subjected to injustice because, throughout the story, he has begged numerous authorities for the release of his brother. No one claims they can help him and it is all a jumbled confusion for him to get his brother.  The peasant says, "One says it is not his business, another says it is not his business. Whose business is it, then?” He has been turned away multiple times by the authorities, and no one is willing to help him.

D)     D.I didn’t like or dislike this story. It was interesting hearing about the brother and his crime and the doctor’s role in it. On the other hand, it was a little tedious at some points.

[Josh Klag]

"Oh! The Public"

A) A train ticket-collector, Podtyagin, wakes a man up to get his ticket, but the man starts a dispute, saying that he was an insomniac and had just taking medicine to go to sleep. He then goes to get the station-master to help him argue, and has to wake up the man again, while everybody else on the train is voicing their disdain towards the Potyagin. Later, a couple of men walk up to the ticket collector and force him to apologize. But when Potyagin has to wake the man up for a third time, the insomniac has a severe heart attack and (presumably) dies.

B) The main literal conflict is the dispute between Potyagin and the sleeping man, as well as the rest of the train. The conflict can also be expressed on a figurative level- that some people, and often the public in general, are impossible to please.

C) Through characterization, Chekhov made Podtyagin an unlucky character with good intentions. He did nothing maliciously, and was simply trying to do his job, but his unfortunate circumstances made him hated by the crowd on the train and implicated in a death.

D) I like the story a lot, and found it humorous due its irony. I also found myself feeling sorry for Podtyagin, as he was thrust into an unfortunate situation while doing his job, and eventually relapses into an alcohol problem at the end of the story as a result.

"A Chameleon"

A) A police superintendent is walking through town when he is approached by a goldsmith, Hryukin, who has been bitten by a dog and wants disciplinary action taken. The superintendent, Otchumyelov, agrees with the man initially, but then scolds the man when the dog is discovered to belong to a respected General's brother.

B)  The main literal conflict is that the dog's owner is unknown, and the debate over whether the goldsmith or the dog is guilty. The figurative conflict is that powerful people will always receive special treatmant, and are valued more than the average citizen.

C) Chekhov made Otchumyelov an unlikable suck-up, as he scolded the goldsmith in order to avoid faulting the General or his brother.

D) I liked the story, and thought that the message was made very clear, as the superintendent literally flip-flopped about 5 times, turning the blame onto Hryukin whenever it seemed likely that the dog was property of the General.

"The Album"

A) Zhmyhov, a civil councillor, in honor of his retirement, received a photo album with all the portraits of the people working for him. He then goes home, where his daughter replaces the portraits with photos of her own friends, and his son draws all over the portaits and pokes holes in them. Upon seeing this, Zhymhov laughs and tells his son to go show his mother.

B) The main literal conflict is that the photo album that the titular councillor and his colleagues had worked hard on and given to Zhymhov as a gift was destroyed my Zhymhov's children, which amused Zhymhov. The conflict expressed figuatively is that people in power don't care about their underlings, and that admiration is often blind.

C) Zhymhov is characterized as an insensitive man, due to his amusement at the destruction of his gift. 

D) I liked the story a lot, but I don't quite understand the way Zhymov was characterized. Although he laughs when the portraits are vandalized, he also cries at his ceremony when the speech and album are given.   

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012 1:34:04 PM UTC-4, Mr. Neary wrote:

[Alexa Lee]

Fat and Thin

A) Two old friends meet at a train station.  They discuss their accomplishments since they had parted.  The thin man is with his family so he introduces them to his friend.  Afterwards the thin man tells the fat man about his job.  The fat man shocks the thin man by telling him of his great accomplishments.  The friendship is somewhat strained because of the stark difference of classes between the two men. 

B) The literal conflict is that the thin man is envious of the fat man's accomplishments, which breaks their friendship.  The figurative conflict is that the wide gap between classes creates barriers between even the closest of friends.  

C) Chekhov shows the bitterness and jealousy of the thin man after he finds out about his friend's accomplishments.  Chekhov writes, ""Merciful heavens, your Excellency! What are you saying. . . ?" sniggered the thin man."  The over-the-top language "your Excellency" and formal "you" implies mockery and sarcasm.  This is also supported by the fact that the thin man "sniggered".  Additionally "thin man wore an expression of such reverence, sugariness, and mawkish respectfulness that the privy councillor was sickened".  The thin man is obviously jealous of the fat man, and thus mocking him.

D) Hm... I don't really have much to say about this one.  I guess it was okay? 

A Blunder

A) Parents are spying on their daughter, Natashenka, who is involved in a romantic relationship with her teacher.  They plan to bring out an icon to force the teacher into marrying her.  However, when the time arises the mother brings a picture of a writer by mistake and thus ruins the plan.  

B) The literal conflict is that the mother's blunder enables the teacher's escape.  The figurative conflict is that one small mistake of negligence can lead to a huge downfall.  

C) This story is very similar to that of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra (hence name Kleopatra).  Both Cl/Kleopatras made one mistake that led to disasters.  Kleopatra brought the wrong picture, ruining her daughter's chances of marriage and the family reputation (word would spread about this issue).  She figuratively lost the battle to the teacher Shchupkin.  Queen Cleopatra and Antony lost the Battle of Actium to Octavian.  Then both Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide.

D) This was an interesting but very odd story. 

The Darling

A) Olga goes through life clinging to different people.  She marries twice, and is widowed twice.  Later she becomes attached to a child, Sasha.  Olga watches him grow up and becomes happy again.  

B) The literal conflict is that Olga keeps losing the people dearest to her.  The figurative conflict is that Olga is a parasite.  

C) Chekhov shows Olga's parasitic behavior through the juxtaposition of Olga and her first husband, "Olenka grew stouter, and was always beaming with satisfaction, while Kukin grew thinner and yellower."  Although both Olga and Kukin are happily married, Olga definitely benefitted off of Kukin.  She lived off of him - taking his opinions and making them her own.  She gets disturbingly depressed when he left her and becomes unable to function.  This behavior was constant throughout all of her "hosts" from her father to Sasha.  She doesn't want to sleep at night when they are away and gets really stressed out over their separation.  

D) I was not at all expecting this kind of story when I clicked on the title.  I thought it would be a short light romantic tale.  Wrong.  I got a story about a psycho who steals people's souls so that she can live.  Great.  

[Steven Wood]

"Old Age"
    A) A man named Uzelkov returned after 18 years to his home town where he grew up and was married, and later divorced. Uzelkov returned to his home town to restore the church because of his job of Civil Councillor. Uzelkov returned and saw many changes throughout his town physically, but      Uzelkov noted "nothing -- neither fences nor houses -- had changed as much as the people". Uzelkov continued by saying "more than half of the people he remembered were dead, reduced to poverty, forgotten". Uzelkov continues to find a, previously devious, lawyer, Shapkin, who had divorced Uzelkov from his wife Sofya. He finds that Shapkin has started a very successful notary and is fairly wealthy. They continue to talk and find how Shapkin pocketed 15,000 Roubles, but follows this up by saying " It's all over and done with, though, it's no use concealing it ". This revealing of trickery continues for quite a while until they go to the cemetary, where the church lies, to meet with the priest. Uzelkov weeped over Sofya's tombstone for some time than continued to go talk to the priest.

    B)
        1. The literal conflict was Uzelkov learning the trickery of Shapkin.
        2. The figurative conflict was coming to peace with all the change that had occured in his town and with his decision of divorcing Sofya.

    C) I thought Sofya was made into a character to pity by the many anecdotes told by Shapkin of her pitiful life once Uzelkov had left. This characterization leads Uzelkov to feel even worse about the divorce.

    D) I personally loved the plot and though it was very interesting how the author placed pity upon Sofya and seemed to drain sympathy from Shapkin. What was most interesting was the scenery echoing the plot. One example of this was when Uzelkov was describing the cemetary " There was the smell there always is in cemeteries, the smell of incense and freshly dug earth. . . .". Freshly dug earth seems like an allusion to the comment saying a portion of the town had died.

"The Student"

    A)  A clerical student is trekking cross country when he comes a camp where two widows, mother and daughter, sit beside a fire.  The student tells the stories of the last supper, seeing as it is good Friday.  The mother weeps at the story and the student is filled with joy seeing a connection between past and future.

    B)

        1.  I am not sure what the literal conflict here was....

        2.  The figurative conflict was between The Student and his "hunger" for connections.

    

    C)  I believe the characterization of the mother was brilliant relating the widow to the Bible in many ways.

    D)  I thought the story was very interesting especially how it used the Students surroundings to describe the plot and using various allusions.

"Darkness"

    A)  The peasant brother of a blacksmith pleads a doctor to release his brother whom is held in custody in the hospital for breaking into an Armenian store to steal tobacco.  The peasant has no luck with petitioning the doctor or government.

    B)

        1.  The literal conflict is between the peasant and the government to release his brother.

        2. The figuative conflict is between the peasant and discovering how useless the government is.

    C)  I think the characterization of the doctor is especially interesting seeing as he is a "Zemstvo doctor" who is elected and focuses on autopsies, giving us the idea that he is even more useless in this situation.

    D)  I think this story does a great job at showing the gap between the people and the government by having the peasant try to find the government and convince them to release his brother.

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012 1:34:04 PM UTC-4, Mr. Neary wrote:

[Rachel Hochberger]

Fat And Thin:

A)   Fat and Thin is about two old school friends who run into each other at a train station. But the dynamic of their conversation takes a sudden shift when the fat man reveals to his friend that he is now quite powerful and successful.

B)   The literal conflict in this story seems to be the thin man’s envy of his friend’s success compared to his own. This represents the class struggles in Russia, and how the growing rift between socioeconomic classes could hurt even the closest of friends.

C)   Despite the fact that the fat man has changed so much with his high-power status, Chekov shows that it is the thin man who has really changed, contrasting his envy and submissiveness against the fat man’s humble and calm demeanor.

D)   While not particularly gripping, I liked that it seemed to have a twist and added meaning.

 

The Cook’s Wedding:

A)   In this story the cook of a wealthy family is finally persuaded to marry a cabman, despite initially protesting to the idea, written from the perspective of a seven-year-old boy.

B)   The conflict of this story is the cook’s initial resistance to getting married, and her unhappiness after doing so. This conflict shows how women in this time were often pressured to marry and feel dependent on their husbands. The child’s perspective also shows his loss of faith in marriage, and how he sees the cook’s marriage as a sort of imprisonment.

C)   Chekov makes the cook in this story seem powerless and weak, unable to fully assert herself, as well as almost objectifying her, making her seem like a prize to be won as opposed to a person, indicating the role of women in Russian society at this time.

D)   I thought the way this story was written made it somewhat confusing, but still interesting.

 

The Looking-Glass:

A)   A young girl named Nellie seems to only want to get married. But a vivid late night dream shows her that her sole desire might not be exactly what she had expected .

B)   The literal conflict in Nellie’s dream is herself versus the town doctor, who seems resistant to save her husband. But the figurative conflict seems to be what she thinks she wants, versus the reality of it, and the complications it comes with

C)   The doctor in this story at first seems cruel and unhelpful, refusing to aid Nellie’s sick husband, until she realizes that he is the one needing help, showing the contrast between perception and reality.

D)   I liked this story, particularly that I was surprised by how it ended.   

[Quincy Shuda]

“Fat and Thin”

1. This story is about two childhood friends (one fat and one thin) who see each other at a train station after many years. They quickly reminisce on their school days and exchange information about their current lives. At this point, the thin man realizes the prestigious status his friend has and he and his family become flustered and act awkwardly, changing their behaviors toward the man.
2. The literal conflict is between the fat man with the better job and the thin man with the family. Figuratively, the conflict is between modesty and showiness. The fat man may not have been as glamorous or been as popular as a child, but he turned out with a very successful job. The thin man seems to be bragging at first about his classy wife and child, but then the situation turns when he finds out about his friends life.
3. I really loved the way the fat man was characterized as being so down to earth and sincere. He was truly happy when he heard about his friends lovely life with his job (although it didn’t pay too well) and his family that he loved, and when asked about his job he was straightforward but didn’t boast at all. I thought it was sad when the thin man called him Your Excellency and I could tell that the fat man was saddened because he knew their relationship would never be the same.
4. I liked this story a lot for how short it was. I think it did a great job getting across ideas about classes and how divided they make people as well as giving truths about friendship and how once people grow up competition is inevitable. I also really liked the way the author described two men in detail to make you think the story would favor the thin man.

“A Classical Student”

1. In this story a young boy, Vanya, goes to take his Greek exam and fails because of the confusing manor of the language, although he studies all night so hard that it makes him ill. His mother reprimands him while his aunt comforts him and blames the mother who then tells the lodger to beat him before they all discuss what his future should really be.
2. The literal conflict is between Vanya and his mother. The figurative conflict is between hard work and expectations. Sometimes people put all of their effort into something  but still cannot live up to the standard someone else has placed for them. In this case Vanya’s effort is not recognized by his mother because she can only see the disappointment he brings her.
3. Vanya’s mother is characterized as being cruel and selfish. When Vanya, her only child, who should be the love of her life, fails his exam she sternly yells at him. She makes him feel worthless and complains about how she’d beat him if she had the strength and how hard she works to make money for him. She complains to him about the effort she puts into his life yet she doesn’t recognize the effort he put into the exam.
4. This story was really sad to me because I feel like parents who don’t love and appreciate everything about their children have something wrong with them. Kids should be kids and they cannot succeed at everything or else what would there be to work for. The aunt in this story did bring light to the situation thought which was nice.

“Drunk”

1. This story is about two men, one a rich business man (Frolov) and one his old lawyer (Almer). The two men go to a restaurant which they close to just themselves. As they begin drinking,  you can see Frovol’s temper growing as he yells at the waiters. He is drinking excessively but complains that he isn’t having fun and eventually opens up to Almer about his hatred for his wife which leaves him in great unhappiness. Almer says he never thought she was the right woman, but doesn’t give much insight to Frolov, which upsets him as they walk home and depart.
2. The literal conflict is between Frolov and his wife (who we do not meet). But the figurative conflict is between truly loving someone and loving someone for what the have or even more broadly truth and lies. Frolov is confused as to why he suddenly feels the way he does towards his wife and then he realizes she only married him for his money. You can love someone for their possessions but they can never truly love you back if its a one way street.
3. The author characterizes Frolov as lost. He wastes his nights aimlessly avoiding his wife and drinking away his sorrows. Throughout the story you can see the phases of his confusion: anger, boredom, confrontation, and using others to try and make himself feel better. When he confides his secret in Almer you can tell that all he really wants in life is someone to love even if it is just a friend, but life corrupts people and now he feels like he cannot trust anyone at all.
4. I liked this story because I think it showed the layers that a lot of lives have. There is a top layer as the exterior that everyone else sees and then there is a layer underneath that only yourself can feel, yet that is the layer that really influences your life. This story captured the pains life has and shows the content love and friendship can bring and how people long for it when it is missing.

[Claire Kirby]

"A Pink Stocking"
A:  This story is about a man named Somov, who is pacing around a room in his house when he notices his wife writing a letter. Curious about who the 6-page letter is to, he asks her is he can read it. After he reads the entire letter, he gets angry with his wife for being uneducated and making many grammatical mistakes, while writing a long letter of no substance.
B: Literal: Somov's point of view on his women's education and whether he agrees with it or not. Figurative: Women's rights in Russia, whether they deserve an education like a man gets or not.
C: Somov is meant to represent the opposing opinions on the oppression of women in Russia. For example, After he finishes her letter, he scolds her for making mistakes and for being uneducated, but when she talks about how she could get an education, he refuses, saying that women don't need educations because all they are meant to do is marry men, give birth to children, and make food for the family.
D: I didn't like this story that much. I felt that, ironically, the story lacked substance, just like the letter that Somov's wife writes in the story. Two out of the three pages of this story was solely describing the letter and Somov's expressions as he reads the letter, making it uneventful and tedious to read.

"The Lion and The Sun"
A: This story was about a Russian mayor, Kutsyn, hosting a Persian magnate in his town for a few days, and showing him around the town. On the side, while he is showing around the Persian, he points out a certain award he wishes to receive from the Persian and tries to drop hints.
B:Literal: Kutsyn's language and want of the award vs. Persian's language barrier and misunderstanding. Figurative: What's right vs. What is wanted.
C: I think Kutsyn is supposed to represent a greedy person who only has their own interest in mind. While his first priority should've been accompanying the magnate and making sure he enjoys the town, all that Kutsyn is worried about is recieving the reward.
D: I once again found this story very uneventful and boring. Not alot happened in the story, and it was slow and lacked substance.

"Fat and Thin"
A: This story is about old friends getting reacquainted with each other after they run into each other in a train station.
B: Literal: The thin man's casualty vs. the formality the fat man deserves. Figurative: Friendship vs. Respect
C:The thin man is supposed to represent a man with a perfect family and no money, who acts so happy to reunite with his long-time friend. But once he finds out that the fat man got promoted, he treated him in a completely different manner, almost forgetting about their friendship all together, representing conformity.
D: I liked this story, up until the end when the fat man revealed his occupation, alarming the thin man and making him act completely different towards his old friend. I didn't like the fact that even though they have known each other since they were young, everything is different now because the fat man has a higher respected job.

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012 1:34:04 PM UTC-4, Mr. Neary wrote:

[Jeremy Rhome]

NERVES

• A.     A grown man gets scared in the night and decides to go to a woman’s house and sleep in her bedroom for comfort.
  
• B.     The literal conflict is a mental conflict between Dimitri and himself.  He was terrified in the dark and couldn’t go to sleep.  On a figurative level the conflict is appearance vs. reality.  Appearance versus reality also appears in the conclusion of the story (I will not give away the specifics).
  
• C.     Dimitri is portrayed as an innocent character despite being a grown man.  He sneaks into a woman’s room and falls asleep on a trunk, unaware and too scared to notice the repercussions for his actions.  This could also be classified as stupidity.
  
• D.    At first I saw no direction to this story but after reading the entire thing I realized the humor in it. 

THE DEATH OF A GOVERNMENT CLERK

A.     A government worker sneezes on the back of another government workers head and the man won’t acknowledge the others apology

B.     The literal conflict is between Tchervyakov and Brizzhalov, the man that sneezed and the man that refused to accept the apology.  On a figurative level this conflict can be interpreted as an internal conflict within Tcheryvakov and guilt.

C.     Tcheryvakov is overly self-conscious.  He occupies his entire life after sneezing on the man with trying to apologize, even though the man will not acknowledge him.  He cannot move on from his past.

D.    I thought this story lacked depth and it ended too quickly.  I did not feel their was much closure to the plot.

 

BOOTS

A.     When a piano tuner named Murkin confronts an actor, Bluebeard, about the whereabouts of his boots, a misunderstanding incurs.

B.     The literal conflict is between Murkin and Bluebeard.  Murkin wants his boots from Bluebeard and Bluebeard interprets Murkin as offensive.  The figurative conflict was between men of two different social classes.

C.     The author portrays Bluebeard as unintelligent.  He cannot understand the intentions of Murkin at all and thinks Murkin is rude.

D.    I thought this story was quite comical especially at the end.

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012 1:34:04 PM UTC-4, Mr. Neary wrote:

[Alex Freedman]

Darkness
A) A peasant's brother is a convict and the brother begs a doctor for
him to be released, but he says no. He then returns with his old
father and begs again.
B) The main literal conflict is that the peasant vs the doctor, and
the figurative conflict is the peasants emotional obligation to save
his brother.
C) The peasant represents the minority, the people who always recieve
the short end of the stick.
D) I was confused by this story and why the peasant's brother was
working under the doctor.

Oh! The Public
A) Podtyagin, a ticket collector on a train, tries to collect a man's
ticket who was sleeping, and argues the ticket collector has no right
to demand his ticket, upsetting the train.
B) The main conflict is the man vs Podtyagin, the figurative conflict
is the entitlement of Podtyagin vs the entitlement of the man.
C) Podtyagin represents the innocent who, when looked in a certain
light, are seen as the enemy. He was simply doing his job until the
man turned the entire story around.
D) I liked this story. It showed how influential words are to a mob or
large group of people.

Oysters
A) A boy and his father go to Moscow for work, where the boy sees a
sign that says Oysters. He asks his father what they are, and after
the father explained, the boy became disgusted and eventually hungry.
He then becomes sick.
B) The main literal conflict is the boy and his father vs the
restaraunt owner, and the figurative conflict is privledged and rich
vs the poor and unemployed.
C) The boy is meant to represent desperation and poverty compared to
the wealthy, well-fed restaurant owner.
D) I found this story very depressing, and if its true it has a lot of
meaning behind it..

[Erica F]

"Difficult People"
A) This story is about a family that can't seem to get things right.
They argue all the time about nothing of importance, and all feel the
emptiness in their hearts because of it.
B) The main literal conflict is that Shiryaev can't seem to treat his
family with any respect, nor can he be with them for any amount of
time without blowing up in their faces. The figurative conflict is an
internal conflict that multiple characters seem to have- they all love
each other at heart, yet they can't seem to translate that into
anything whatsoever. They all want to change, but as a reader, I could
tell that Chekov was trying to say that they'd never change.
C) After having an intense argument with his father, Pyotr left his
house to walk back to Moscow for college. After being intent on not
going back home, he ultimately turns around and goes back to tell his
father that he's oppressive to everyone else, in an effort to make
amends and create a better family bond. This ends up turning into a
screaming match, thus starting the whole argumentative cycle all over
again, which is what Pyotr was trying to break.
D) This story wasn't much at face value, however it holds a very
powerful message regarding how a positive family life can make you a
better person. "Difficult People" has a self explanatory title, as the
characters all knew they should change, but they decided to be
stubborn.

"A Joke"
A) "A Joke" is about a man and a woman tobogganing down a snowy hill.
The woman, Nadenka, is extremely frightened of this hill, but keeps
going down it solely because she hears the words, "I love you, Nadya"
whispered each time she descends. Was it the man, or the wind that
declared this? She'll never know.
B) The main conflict of the story is Nadya debating whether to keep
tobogganing down the frightening hill, while the figurative conflict
is Nadya secretly trying to find out who declared their love for her.
C) At one point in the story, the man sees Nadenka going down the hill
by herself (they usually go together), trying to see if she would hear
the words 'I love you' without the man being there. As she finishes
her run down the hill, he says that he can tell by Nadya's expression
that even she does not whether she heard anything or not.
D) I found this story to be lighthearted on the surface, but solemn
when you dissect it's meanings. I think that Nadenka's determination
to find out who uttered those words came from the fact that perhaps
she's never felt loved.

"Hush!"
A) This story is about a writer who hates his job, only doing it for
the welfare of his family. Ironically, they're really not his cup of
tea.
B) The main conflict in this story centers around Ivan, a journalist,
writing hastily all through the night, doing nothing but complaining
and waking his wife to make him tea.
C) Ivan wakes his wife several times throughout the night, telling her
to make him this and make him that. Although the only reason he does
this is to support his family, Ivan doesn't even treat them with
kindness, which is ironic.
D) This story just saddened me; the idea of such a miserable home is
awful. Ivan does nothing but complain and order others around, and
nobody is happy in any way shape or form. This seems like a common
thread between all of these stories: bad family life leads to bad life
in general.

On Apr 11, 1:34 pm, "Mr. Neary" <tjne...@gmail.com> wrote:

> As part of our Russian literature unit, you are asked to read *three *stories

> from the following Chekhov site:http://chekhov2.tripod.com. (Do not read
> "Vanka" or "The Cossack"  of "Misery" though.)
>
> After reading, write a short response that includes the following:
>

>     *A) a brief summary of the story (without giving away any endings);*
> **
> *    B) an identification of the main literal conflict and then state the

> conflict on the figurative level

> *
> *    C) a brief discussion with an example of the characterization of one

> major character mentioned in B (similar to the way we examined how Chekhov

> made Vanka an innocent or pitiful character)*
> **
> *    D) a personal reaction to the story*

[Sarah M]

“An Enigmatic Nature”
A) A young author is having a conversation with a beautiful young
woman on a train. The woman describes her life’s dilemma; she wants to
have excitement and romance, but she is stuck with a boring old rich
man, waiting for him to kick the bucket so that she can get part of
his estate.
B) The main literal conflict is between the woman trying to explain
her story correctly and the author attempting to understand it in the
way she intends. The figurative conflict is between the woman’s
romantic desires and her material greed.
C) The woman is unhappy with the state of her love life, a loveless
relationship with a man that satisfies her material greed. And yet she
is unwilling to pursue her passion for thrill and romance. This woman
epitomizes the shallowness and vanity of the Russian bourgeoisie
during the revolution.
D) I found this story entertaining because she appeared to be a
helpless girl at first, stuck in a relationship that she didn’t want
to be in. But when we finally learn that she puts herself in this
situation purposefully by being unable to break up with her sugar
daddies, the twist adds a humorous ending.

“The Album”
A) Zhmyhov is presented an album by his loyal, hardworking
subordinates of portraits of themselves. Many celebrate the beautiful
album that his employees worked so hard to create, but when his
children ruin it for fun Zhmyhov finds it amusing.
B) The main literal conflict is between Zhmyhov and his workers. The
figurative conflict is between the subordinate’s devotion to Zhymhov
and his indifference to their hard work.
C) Zhmyhov maintains the appearance of a caring leader so that his
workers will keep working, but in reality does not care for their well-
being one bit. He only cares about how their work will benefit
himself.
D) I found this story interesting and a very accurate portrayal of the
disconnect between the two economic classes in Russia. The passion of
the penniless workers and the complete lack thereof from their boss
reflects the separation of the two people.

“Boots”
A) An ill man struggles to get back his boots after misplacing them so
that his feet will not get cold and he will become healthy again, but
the task proves to be far more difficult than anyone expected.
B) The main conflict is between Murkin and Blistanov over who is the
rightful owner of the boots. The figurative conflict is between
Murkin’s inability to come up with an effective tactic to win his
boots back and Blistanov’s intimidation and force.
C) Blistanov may be in the wrong, but he is able to skirt punishment
for his actions by intimidating his enemies with subtle threats of
violence (i.e. the loaded revolver) and staying unwaveringly faithful
to his own argument no matter who contests it.
D) I found this story interesting because the man who won was not the
man who was correct; it was the man that was able to bend the truth to
his favor. This skill is far more valuable than reason or justice in a
country such as Russia.

[Colin Castro]

A Classical Student

A. There is a boy named Vanya, Vanya studies very hard for his Greek
exam, but fails miserably. His mother is extremely disappointed with
him, but lacks the strength to physically punish Vanya for his
academic failures. She calls upon a lodger to punish him.

B. The literal conflict of the story is between Vanya's mother and
Vanya. Vanya's failures are characterized as totally unacceptable. The
mother feels greatly compelled to beat Vanya, and has a moral
emptiness toward the fact that Vanya hasn't ever had physical
punishment. However, Vanya worked very hard and seemingly did his
absolute best, and Vanya's mother is too weak to supply the pain. When
Vanya calls upon the lodger, he reluctantly punishes Vanya. The
figurative conflict is the moral dilemma of punishing Vanya
physically, suprisingly the mother's inner-conflict has her feeling a
more intense guilt for her failure to not punish Vanya earlier.
Vanya's inner-conflict seems to be coming to grips with his failure.

C. Chekov characteizes Vanya as an innocent child, he's almost
characterized as a hopeless, boy just trying his best to appease his
mother. Vanya's character is similiar to Vanka as both find themselves
on the verge of hopelessness. Vanya's also painted as very honorably,
he wakes up early every morning to study for his Greek exam and takes
extreme pride in his work. His failure hits him hard, but his fear is
equal.

D. I thought the story was sad, and the ending was horrifying. Vanya's
hard work was all for naught, and the last image Chekov leaves the
reader temporarily horrified for an almost lifeless Vanya.

Boots

A. The story is about a man named Murkin, Murkin is searching for his
boots because he's a rheumatic. Without his boots Murkin is in a state
of panic as he fear a health complication.

B. The literal conflict is Seymon's search for Murkin's boots.
Murkin's boots are nowhere to be found and the blame is placed on
Seymon. Seymon frantically searches the hotel to no avail, he even
finds 2 left boots owned by a special actor. The two later ask a man
for information about the boots and get into a confusing argument, as
Bluebeard feels disrespected. The figurative conflict is the guilt
felt by Seymon, and the fear of Murkin. The boots are needed
desperateky, and there's a high-level anxiety in both. A violent
escapade follows.

C. Bluebeard is characterized as an angered individual, who feels
greatly disrespected and confused about the boots. The story ends with
Bluebeard supposedly chasing Murkin to his eventual death.

D. I enjoyed this story because of its elements, and the dialogue.

Nerves

A. With his wife at an all-night service Vaxin is left home alone,
however he's been haunted by discussions and stories he's had with
younger people about the dead turning over in their graves. Vaxin is
in tremendous fear.

B. The literal conflict is Vaxin searchhing for Rosalia to comfort him
and make him feel safe, without Rosalia he can't sleep he's very
afraid of ghosts. The figurative conflict is Vaxin's inner-fear and
frustration. Vaxin doesn't know why's he's afraid of something
ridiculous like ghosts. But, his fear in controllable, he' cant's
sleep or get the haunting images out his brain.

C. Vaxin is described as a haunted individual, he's greatly unsure of
himself and in need of support.

D. I really enjoyed the theme of fear in this story.

On Wed, Apr 11, 2012 at 1:34 PM, Mr. Neary <tjn...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Colin Castro]

Boots
D. I found the dialogue very interesting as it weaved through the
story, I found the ending somewhat aprupt, but interesting. I liked
the story, and enjoyed the imagery.

Nerves
D. I enjoyed the element of fear, and the woven in imagery. I thought
the character of Rosalia was a good character, and found the idea of a
long, aging night as powerful elements.

[Allie Martin]

"Oysters"

A)This story was about a boy and his father who came to Moscow in search of work, but now find themselves begging in front of a restaurant. The boy is collapsing from hunger and dreaming about an unknown animal called oysters when he sees the word on a plaque inside the restaurant.

B) The main conflict is the boy and his father against hunger, while the figurative conflict is the poor versus the rich, shown when the people at the restaurant egg the boy on as he eats enough oysters to get sick.

C) Chekhov made the boy look young and ignorant by the way his dreams gave oysters "slimy skin" and "glittering eyes" and by the way he didn't have the slightest clue what oysters were.

D) I thought this story made good use of personification through the little boys dreams and really made the rich people in the restaurant look stereotypical by the way they laughed at a little boy.

"Boots"

A) This story is about a sick man whose boots get mixed up with another persons boots at the hotel both are staying at. He spends the morning looking for his boots when he must go to work, and just wears those of the man they were mixed up with. At the end of the day he gets backstage at the mans play and, explaining the situation, asks to switch boots with the man. This actor then chases the man through the park after becoming angry at the "accusations" of being at this hotel.

B) The literal conflict is this man looking for his boots, while the figurative conflict is young greedy people against old fashioned people.

C) Chekhov paints the man as a likable old guy who just wants his pair of boots. He can't wait until the actor comes back to the hotel because he is sick and needs to keep his feet warm. It paints the picture of a cute old man.

D) I thought this story had a random ending with the way the actor basically had a panic attack when it was mentioned he was at this hotel, implying he didn't want people to know where he was. I also likes how Chekhov used the same description he used for the old man in the beginning at the end.

"The Album"

A) This story is about a Councillor who is presented with a picture book with pictures of the people who work with him and he says he will never forget it. WHen he gives it to his daughter she replaces those pictures with pictures of her friends and the youngest son draws all over the originals. His father then exclaims how great his drawings are.

B) The literal conflict here is that the man forgot about the emotion behind his gift, which can be translated to people in power against those who work for them.

C) In the beginning Chekhov made the man seem sincere with the tearing up and the sincere thanks, but really he didn't care.

D) I thought this story was very realistic, but sad at the same time. I thought his staff would be very disappointed with him. 

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012 1:34:04 PM UTC-4, Mr. Neary wrote:

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012 1:34:04 PM UTC-4, Mr. Neary wrote:

[Addy]

"Boots"

A) A piano-tuner is staying at a hotel, and he wakes one morning to find his boots missing. He asks one of the waitstaff where his boots are. The servent thinks he misplaced them next door, but it turns out they were no there. The waiter then thinks they are in a different room, but the man who stays there is an actor and he is acting at the time. The piano tuner gains entry backstage to seek this man, and the man gets insulted and chases him with a loaded gun.

B) Murkin (piano tuner) vs. Alexandritch (actor)

C) Murkin was characterized as a pitiful character from the get go. Hes described as " close-shaven man with a yellow face, with a nose stained with snuff, and cotton-wool in his ears". He states many times that he has rheumatism and he limps around alot. We are supposed to feel sympathetic towards him.

D) I kinda felt like this story is kinda pointless. It isnt sending any deep messages, other then dont trust anyone with your boots. Its well written, but kind of a waste of ink.

"Fat and Thin"

A) Two men, one fat and one thin, reaquaint at a train station. They went to school together. The thin man hasnt been very successfull but the fat man has. Upon hearing this, the thin man becomes very formal and overly repectful.Then the fat man leaves.

B) Fat man vs. Thin Man---> Success vs. Poverty

C) The fat man is characterized to be a liked man. He is very humble and is kind when greating the thin mans family, and doesnt boast of his success, which is juxtaposed to the thin man boasting of his not so successful life.

D) I really didnt like the thin man. He was a strange character to get a handle on. He was arrogant over his meager life. But other then that, it was well written.

"The Album"

A) A high up in a civil servent system is retiring, and as a parting gift, his colleuges give him a photo album of all their pictures. He gets very emotional, and thanks them.

B) Zhmyhov vs. Kraterov---> Wisdom vs. Dicipleship

C) Zhmyhov is characterized as a ery smart, influential , but humble person who has touched alot of peoples lives with out really realizing it, and he never wuite understood what a profound impact he has on these people

D) I think that this short story is a great one. Its well written and tells a good story. I really liked it.

[Maureen McDermott]

The Schoolmaster

A.  Sysoev is a renowned teacher who is attending the annual faculty dinner, but, being older, is having trouble understanding and connecting with the younger generation of teachers. 

B. The main literal conflict is Sysoev vs. Faculty and their beliefs (especially towards teaching) The figurative conflict seems to be Young vs. Old or Despair vs. Hope. 

C. The way Chekov characterizes  Sysoev is really effective. He uses more indirect characterization to do so, and really encompasses his old age by showing how frail and sickly he is. After walking just a short distance to get to the dinner he is faced with a "violent fit of coughing" and after he was finished getting ready for the party he had to "lie down and have a drink of water." Both of those images indirectly made me picture a little frail old man, and I think that's what Chekov was going for

D. I did enjoy this story. I think it accurately depicted the despair of the elderly and just the huge difference in generational gaps, which was interesting to read about. It was kinda dry and boring, though.

Strong Impressions

A. A jury member describes to the rest of the jury how his lawyer friend tried to convince him that he didn't want to marry the love of his life, and how he didn't really love her at all. 

B. The literal conflict is the juror vs. the lawyer. The figurative conflict, I believe, is convictions/beliefs vs. knowledge/, or the pervasive need of knowing vs. the unknowable/things not intended to be known or tested. 

C. The way the juror characterizes his past self, I think, brings out the immaturity and innocence that the juror once had. He was convinced by the lawyer that he could simply be talked out of marrying the girl he loved. He didn't believe him, but was immature by trying to prove that he was right, and therefore was exploited by the lawyer. 

D. I actually really enjoyed this story (moreso than the one I just read before) It was really thought provoking and had an interesting concept that was quite intriguing.

The Huntsman

A. A hunter is in the woods and encounters his long lost wife and they talk about why their marriage didn't work out

B. The literal conflict is the hunter vs. his wife. The figurative conflict is between wilderness and civilization...I guess sort of freedom vs. confinement

C. This isn't really a person, but the way Chekov characterized just the forest where this story takes place was really profound. He describes the grass as "sun-baked" and the forest in entirety as hopeless. My favorite line was "even if there were rain it could never be green again." Not only do those descriptions set the mood for the entire book, but they also foreshadow the interaction between the huntsman and his wife, which I thought was really neat. 

D. I liked this story a lot because it was short at sweet. It wasn't boring or anything, but at the same time it wasn't really a nail biter. But I didn't mind reading it, and it did have some very well written parts that really stood out to me (particularly that one about the forest)