Chekhov's Life and Works - Report Example

Your Anton Pavlovich Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian playwright, physician, and one of the greatest modern short story writers this world has ever seen. Chekhov’s work is a remarkable combination of the impartiality of a scientist and physician and sensitivity and psychological understanding of a creative artist. Chekhov often portrayed life in small Russian towns and tragedy as an intrinsic part of life. The characters in his stories are passive by-standers for their own lives, occupied with the feelings of despair and barrenness of their efforts (Liukkonen).Chekhov laid the foundations of modern short story and revolutionized not only Russian but international theater. He was writer, playwright, and a physician. It would not be wrong if I say that he knew the pulse of Russian society in particular and human nature in general. This research paper studies the life, achievements, and legacy of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. Chekhov’s Early Life Born in a provincial and remote city on the shores of the Sea of Azov, Chekhov experienced philistine poverty under supervision of a suppressed mother and tyrant and religious zealot father (Bunin 4) who was a grocer and son of a serf (Liukkonen).Chekhov’s grandfather bought freedom for himself and his three sons in 1841, and taught himself reading and writing. Chekhov’s early life is shadowed by his father’s suppression and strict behavior (Liukkonen).Frenzied father forced his sons to sing in evening church choirs. He not only tormented Chekhov and his brothers with late-night rehearsals, but also asked them to play their roles as “master’s eyes and ears” in his shop. Antonsha was soon discovered to be more reliable than his brothers; therefore, father relied on him frequently. However, this compulsion proved to be productive for Chekhov and the world in the form of stories like; “The Sacred Night,” “The Sacred Mountains,” “The Student,” “Perhaps,” “and The Archbishop.”Chekhov would have never aware of the religious services and people with simple souls without these exercises (Bunin 4). Chekhovs Education and Profession Chekhov attended a Greek school in Taganrog (1867-68 and then Taganrog grammar school (1868-79).Hid father’s bankruptcy forced the family to migrate to Moscow. Tutoring made Chekhov independent enough to support himself and spend some time alone in his hometown. In 1879, Chekhov got enrolled in Moscow University Medical School. He supported himself and his family by publishing hundreds of comic stories. Subjects of Chekhov’s stories were nonsensical social situations, marital issues, absurd encounters between husbands, wives, lovers, and mistresses, and whimsical young women. Though Chekhov had much knowledge of these issues, he was shy even after his marriage (Liukkonen). Chekhov worked as a physician in most of his life as adult. He gave credit to his medical profession for his power of observation and sense of direction in literary work (Loehlin viii).He often stated that, “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress” (qtd. in Loehlin viii). Writing and Achievements Nenunzhaya pobeda (1882) was Chekhov’s first novel, written in Hungarian context, this novel parodied famous Hungarian writer Mor Jokai’s novels. Jokai was also ridiculed for his ideological optimism during that time period. Chekhov established himself as a famous writer by 1886. The Shooting Party, Chekhov’s second full-length novel was translated into English in 1926.Its characters and atmosphere was also used by Agatha Christie’s mystery novel, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd in 1926(Liukkonen). Chekhov’s first story book was a success which transformed him into a full-time writer. His denial to join ranks of social critics annoyed liberal and radical intelligentsia. Their wrath appeared in the form of criticizing Chekhov for dealing ad raising social and moral issues and avoiding answers. However, Chekhov won the support of preeminent writers, such as, Leo Tolstoy, and Nikolai Leskov (Liukkonen). Chekhov’s journey took another turn when his play, The Wood Demon (1889) failed. In addition, problems with his novel urged Chekhov to withdraw from literature for a certain time period. For his doctoral dissertation, he travelled across Siberia to a prison island called Sakhalin. He carried out a thorough census of 10,000 convicts and settlers who lived on the harsh island. It is very likely that Chekhov’s own health was affected by living on the island. This journey produced his popular travel book The Island: A Journey to Sakhalin (1893-94).Chekhov was a remarkably fast when it comes to writing short stories. His mastery to the craft resulted in a little sketch or a joke while he just visited a newspaper office. He produced several hundred tales during his career (Liukkonen). Chekhov’s Plays and Theater Chekhov invented a new form of theater that deviated from the conventional realism of Tolstoy and Aleksandr Nikolayevich Ostrovsky towards impressionistic drama. While rejecting traditional drama, he crafted meticulous plots, central heroes, and delineated relationships between characters which personified human weakness. His impressionist theater with detailed observation and human understanding transformed theater. Furthermore, his collaboration with Moscow Art Theater not only invigorated Russian theater at that time but revolutionized today’s theater (Bossy, Thomas, and John 41). In contemporary times, Chekhov’s popularity primarily relies on his plays. His first full-length play was not successful. After Chaika’s (The Seagull’s) revision in 1898 by Stanislavsky at Moscow Art Theater, Chekhov also became popular as a playwright. Though, The Seagull was written as a comedy, but it ends with the suicide of a young poet. Dyadya Vanya (1900 Uncle Vanya), Tri sestry (1901, The Three Sisters) and Vishnyovy sad (1904, The Cherry Orchaid) were his other masterpieces. These three plays mixed humor and tragedy and left room for imagination. His plays and stories opposed the perception of an artist as a promoter of social or political change. However, in later years, Chekhov supported a director who was an experimental and supporter of revolutionary theater (Liukkonen). Honors In 1988, Chekhov was awarded with Pushkin Prize, soon after that, he was an elected member of the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature. He got membership of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg; however, protesting against the cancellation of Gorky’s election to the academy by authorities, he resigned after two years of membership (Liukkonen). Chekhov became popular after his death when his status at the centre of the Silver Age of Russian literature (18990s to 1917) was secured. He transformed the Russian short story tradition from closed plots to open ended narratives, dramatic, and lyric techniques (Bossy, Thomas, and John 41). Legacy Betrothed was Chekhov’s last story in 1903.He died of tuberculosis at Badenweiler on June 3,1904(Bossy, Thomas, and John 41).Chekhov’s influence on short fiction is radically distinctive and unique (Loehlin 174). He gave a new direction to Russian drama by introducing it to an international audience (Bossy, Thomas, and John 41).Contemporary short story writers including; John Cheever, William Trevor, Alice Munro, and Eudora Welty revealed Chekhov’s influence in their writing work. Cheever and Welty wrote and published essays in order to reveal their associations with Chekhov’ work. Modern authors frequently get engaged with their debt to Chekhov. Joyce Carol Oates’s story “The Lady with the Pet Dog” riff’s on Chekhov’s modern feminist perception in a story of adultery. Raymond Carver is often regarded as most “Chekhovian” writers in modern times. He presented an eerie act of literary acknowledgement to Chekhov’s work. Even the last story “Errand” was written before his death was a fictionalized account of Chekhov’s death (Loehlin 174).Chekhov’s legacy is the product of a short but remarkably productive life. Hundreds of his stories, thousands of letters, several works in dramatic forms which revolutionized modern theater (Loehlin viii) are his real legacy which is constant source of inspiration for readers and writers not only in past but in contemporary time as well. Work Cited Bunin, A.Ivan.About Chekhov: The Unfinished Symphony.USA: Northwestern University Press, 2007.Print. Bossy,Michel-Andre, Thomas,Brothers,and John,C. McEnroe, eds. Lives and Legacies: An Encyclopedia of People Who Changed the World, Artists, Writers, And Musicians. Connecticut: The Oryx Press, 2001.Print. Loehlin, N.James. The Cambridge Introduction to Chekhov. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010.Print. Liukkonen, Petri. “Anton (Pavlovich) Chekhov - b. Jan. 17, 1860 (Jan. 29, New Style); d. July 1/2, 1904 (July 14/15, New Style).”kirjasto.sci.fi.Ari Pesonen. Kuusankosken kaupunginkirjasto, 2008.Web.3 June.2011. Read More