Women and their men.
The Cook’s Wedding
1. As he
observes the scene in the kitchen Grisha asks himself a number of questions.
What are they? Are these important and valid questions or are they just
misunderstandings of an uninformed observer? What does he find puzzling?
The Huntsman
2. Why does this story touch us?
Where does its appeal come from?
Agafya
3. Why do
women choose Savka over their own men? What attracts them?
4. Why did
Agafya disregard the dire consequences of revealing her adultery to her
husband?
5. The
story discusses Savka as much as it does Agafya, yet the latter name gives it
the title. Do you believe it is justified?
Sorrow
6. What
urged Grigory to re-examine his entire life?
Peasant women
7. How do
Mashenka and Matvei Savvich view the end of their affair?
8. How do
the lovers express their thoughts and concerns? (see their vocabulary,
references, opinions)
9. Why was
Mashenka convicted? Was her guilt beyond any reasonable doubt?
10. What
does Matvei Savvich’s story (its style and tone) tell us about himself? Do all
the members of his audience support his opinion regarding the story’s outcome
and the justice?
11. What is
the connection between the story about Mashenka, Matvei Savvich and Kuzka and
the lives of the members of Dyudya’s household?
Witch
12. Why
does deacon Savely believe that his wife is a witch? What does this claim tell
us about Savely, his wife and their marriage?
The Chorus girl
13. What
does the conflict between Pasha and Mrs. Kolpakov reveal about their social
status, personalities, values?
14. What
are the unexpected turns in this short story?
Class 3
Mature Chekhov
A Boring Story (1889)
1. What are
Nikolai Stepanovich’s discoveries, problems and challenges? What is his main
concern?
2. How
would you interpret his predicament?
3. What, if
anything, makes Nikolai Stepanovich a sympathetic character?
4. Why does
Chekhov include in this story a detailed account of Nikolai and Katia’s
encounter in Kharkov? What is the significance of the failure of their
relationship?
5. When
Chekhov was working on “A Boring Story” in Yalta, he wrote, ”As a result of the
heat and my wretched, melancholy mood, the story is turning out rather boring.
But at least the subject is new, so perhaps people will find it interesting to
read” (August 3, 1889). Do you agree with this statement?
6. Why, in
your opinion, is this work considered to be one of Chekhov’s masterpieces?
Rothschild’s Fiddle (1894)
7. What is
Yakov’s reaction to his wife Marfa’s illness?
8. How does
she view her own illness and imminent death?
9. The
leitmotif of Yakov’s imaginary losses goes throughout the entire short story.
What do Yakov’s regrets tell us about his life, views and personality?
10. What brought
about Yakov’s epiphany? What was its outcome?
11. Why
this title?
Anna on the Neck (1895)
12. What
does the opening of the story (the first paragraph) tell us about the bride and
the groom? What can we anticipate after having read such an opening?
13. Socially,
Anna and her husband belong to different worlds. How are these worlds presented
in the story?
14. What
kind of couple do Anna and Modest Alexeich make?
15. Who
represents the power in this short story? What are the attributes of power?
16. Do you
see Anna’s story as a story of assent?
The Black Monk (1894)
17. The
protagonist of this story, Kovrin, died in a state of happiness, with a
blissful smile on his lips. How does his life, thoughts and demise compare to
those of Nikolai Stepanovich, the protagonist of “A Boring Story”?
Class 4
Later Masterpieces
Ward #6 (1892)
1. What
kind of person is Gromov? How does the narrator explain the causes of Gromov’s
mental condition and hospitalization?
2. What are
Dr. Ragin’s views on the town hospital, his job, his obligations as a doctor,
people’s suffering and medicine in general?
3. Why does
Dr. Ragin say that Gromov is kept in the asylum by chance? Do you agree with
him?
4. What are
the causes of Dr. Ragin’s apathy?
5. Dr.
Ragin believes that in reality there is no difference between a Vienna hospital
and his own hospital. Why does he come to this conclusion?
6. What do
you think about Dr. Ragin’s advice to embrace the Stoic values? Is it a valid
advice? Is Gromov willing to follow it? Does Dr. Ragin follow it himself?
7. What, according to Dr. Ragin, brings
people together?
8. Why does Gromov deny Dr. Ragin his
friendship? Do you agree with his claim that they have nothing in common?
9. What do you make of the story’s
ending?
In
Exile (1892)
10. This short story offers yet another
discussion of different approaches to human happiness, Semyon’s and the Tatar’s.
How does this discussion compare to the ones presented in “A Boring Story” and
“Ward #6”? Who in your opinion is right?
The Student (1894)
11. Trace
the protagonist’s, Ivan Velikopolsky’s, course of thoughts. Why does he first
think about Russian history and Russian rulers? What are his conclusions?
12. What
circumstances and/or details of the setting/environment prompt the student a
different train of thoughts? Why does he recall and start telling the story of
Peter?
13. Why did
Vasilisa weep? And why did her reaction to the story matter to the student?
14. How do
you understand the title of this story?
The
House with the Mezzanine
(1896)
15. Why is Lida contemptuous of the
narrator?
16. The narrator argues that the peasants
of Malozyomovo need nothing. He says, “The people are fettered with a great
chain, and you don’t cut the chain, you merely add new links to it.” (290) What
does he mean? Do you agree with him?
17. Why does the narrator say that under
the present conditions “an artist’s life has no meaning, and the more talented
he is, the more strange and incomprehensible his role”? (293)
18. What does the ending of the story
tell us about its characters?
The
Man in a Case (1898)
19. What urged the narrator, Burkin, to
tell the story of Belikov?
20. Would you say
that Burkin is a reliable narrator and that his account about Belikov is
accurate? Which, if any, of his statements seem questionable to you?
21. Why did Belikov
begin to court Varenka?
22. Why did the
narrator, Burkin, state that Belikov’s death did not bring about any changes?
What kind of changes did he expect?
23. Why, in your
opinion, is “The Man in a Case” one of Chekhov’s best know short stories? What
makes it a masterpiece?
Class 5
Later Masterpieces
Gooseberries
1. Why does Ivan Ivanovich disapprove of his brother Nikolai’s
choices and opinions? Why does he question and even condemn Nikolai’s
happiness?
2. Why was the story
about Nikolai (and gooseberries) a disappointment? Why was it not appreciated
by the audience (Burkin and Alekhin)?
3. Is Ivan Ivanovich
a reliable narrator?
About Love
4. What does the
guilty verdict in an arson case tell us about Luganovich and his wife, Anna
Alekseevna?
5. Can we take
Alekhin’s story of unrequited love at face value? What makes us question his
statements?
6. Is there a
connection between the three short stories, The
Man in a Case, Gooseberries and About
Love? Why are they considered a trilogy?
7. Comment on the
endings of these three stories. What kind of ‘conclusion(s)’ do the narrators
provide to their stories?
8. Where is Chekhov
in these stories? Do we have an access to the author’s voice?
The Lady with the Dog
9. Was there any
particular reason why the main characters of the short story The Lady with the Dog became lovers?
10. How did their
love affair grow to become love?
11. What, if
anything, makes them attractive to the reader?
12. In the end we are
told that Gurov and Anna Sergeevna “loved one another … as husband and wife.”
How do you understand this statement, especially in the light of both
characters’ failed marriages?
The Fiancée
13. Nadia abandoned
her family, fiancé and her native town in order to find new happy life. Did she
succeed?
14. What does she
await in the end of the story?