A.P. Chekhov was known for his stories and plays, which amazed readers with how subtly the writer noticed the features human nature. For Anton Pavlovich it was important to show the experiences of the heroes and how they influence their actions, because first of all he was interested in personality, and then all social and political issues. Chekhov's play "Uncle Vanya", a summary of which is presented below, talks about how a person can experience when his idea of the personality of another person completely changes.
Characters
Characters from Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" are simple people, not outstanding in anything, but who, like everyone else, rejoice and worry. There are two characters in the play that deserve attention: Professor Serebryakov and his brother-in-law, Uncle Vanya. It is their conflict that occupies a central place in the play. Let's name the main characters of the work:
- Serebryakov Alexander Vladimirovich - retired professor.
- Elena Andreevna is the second wife of the professor, a young lady of 27 years old.
- Sonya is Serebryakov’s daughter from his first marriage.
- Voinitskaya Maria Vasilievna is the mother of the first wife of the professor and uncle Vanya.
- Voinitsky Ivan Petrovich - known in the play as Uncle Vanya, manager of Serebryakov's estate.
- Astrov Mikhail Lvovich - doctor.
- Telegin Ilya Ilyich - a poor landowner, lived with the Voinitskys.
- Marina is an old nanny.
Conversation while drinking tea
The play is described as "scenes from village life in four acts." The entire story takes place in one estate. The writer tells us about how life works away from the hustle and bustle big city. All actions take place on the estate of Professor Serebryakov.
Alexander Vladimirovich arrives there with his young wife, Elena Andreevna. The estate was managed by his brother-in-law, the brother of the professor’s first wife, Voinitsky. For his family, he is just Uncle Vanya. Serebryakov’s daughter, Sonya, helps him in this.
Summary Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" begins with a tea party at the Voinitsky estate. Nanny Marina talks with Astrov, a doctor and friend of Voinitsky. He came at the request of Elena Andreevna, because her husband began to complain about his health. While waiting for them to return from their walk, Mikhail Lvovich complains to Marina about the doctor’s fate. He talks about the unsanitary conditions in peasant huts, about how you have to go to the sick at any time of the day.
Voinitsky comes out to them. He also complains, but this time about the fact that with the arrival of the Serebryakov couple, his entire daily routine has changed. Uncle Vanya says that he is doing nothing now. He just grumbles, eats and sleeps. Voinitsky is disappointed in the professor: he used to admire him and his ideas, but now he realized that Serebryakov did nothing significant.
Uncle Vanya does not understand how his old brother-in-law can enjoy success with the opposite sex. Voinitsky is delighted with his wife. Uncle Vanya argues with his mother at a tea party because she adores the professor. Elena Andreevna reproaches Voinitsky for his incontinence. He confesses his love for her, but she rejects his advances. Ivan Petrovich urges her not to destroy her real feeling.
Important Confessions
Further actions of the play "Uncle Vanya" by Chekhov, a brief summary of which will help you understand the meaning and plot of the work, continue in the Serebryakovs' dining room. The professor and his wife live on income from the estate of his first wife. After Alexander Vladimirovich retired and came to the Voinitskys, he only grumbles and complains about old age and health. His grumbling is already annoying everyone, even his wife.
Only nanny Marina feels sorry for the aging professor. Ivan Petrovich again confesses his feelings for Elena Andreevna, but she rejects him. Uncle Vanya, Telegin and Astrov get drunk and talk about life. Sonya tries to confess her love for Astrov, but he does not reciprocate her feelings.
Elena Andreevna and Sonya talk frankly. The professor's wife admits that her love for Serebryakov turned out to be just an illusion. The girl confesses to her that she is in love with the doctor, but knows that she is ugly, so he does not love her. Elena Andreevna decides to help her.
Growing conflict
It seems that nothing special happens to the heroes of the play “Uncle Vanya” by Chekhov. The summary of the third act, however, shows that a conflict is brewing between those present at the tea party. The professor's young wife understands that Voinitsky is right. The woman does not feel happy. Having married a professor, seduced by his scholarship and position, she did not find that family comfort, which I was waiting for. Elena wants a real feeling, she is in love with Astrov.
She excitedly agrees to talk to him about Sonya. But the woman realizes that the doctor is in love with her. Astrov confirms her guesses. He tries to kiss the woman: at that moment Uncle Vanya sees them. Elena Andreevna, fearing moral condemnation, says that she will leave the estate with her husband.
The professor's personality is revealed: he turns out to be a selfish and selfish person. It seems to him that the income from this estate is insufficient, so he decides to sell it. Place part of the money in the bank and live off the interest. Uncle Vanya is terrified: where should he, the old mother and Sonya go? After all, they worked for him for so many years, tried more money send it to him.
The professor says he will think about it later. Sonya cannot believe that her father is putting his close relatives out on the street. Shocked by such injustice, Uncle Vanya shoots at the professor twice, but misses both times.
Departure of the Serebryakovs
The last act of Chekhov's play shows how all the heroes' hopes for a better life are destroyed. Uncle Vanya is in a dejected state and decides to commit suicide. Therefore, he secretly takes morphine from Astrov’s medicine cabinet. The doctor discovers the loss and asks Voinitsky to return it. Uncle Vanya agreed only thanks to Sonya's persuasion.
Mikhail Lvovich is trying to persuade Elena Andreevna to stay with him. But she does not dare to take this action because of bookish ideals. Elena says goodbye to Uncle Vanya and the doctor with warm feelings. Voinitsky outwardly reconciles with the professor. He promises to send him the same amount of money as before.
Everyone except Telegin leaves the estate. Upset Sonya calls on her uncle to take care of business. Ivan Petrovich complains to his niece that it’s hard for him. Then the girl pronounces her monologue about how their purpose is to work. And then they will be rewarded for their efforts.
Uncle Vanya's personality
In Chekhov's play one of the central characters- Ivan Petrovich. At the very beginning, the reader is shown that previously this man had impressionability, sublimity, and faith in ideals. But gradually, becoming more and more involved in everyday affairs, he becomes callous and realizes that all ideals are empty.
The play shows the growth of the hero's internal conflict, which ends with his suicide attempt. Voinitsky is a man who is disillusioned with life, but has not yet completely lost faith in the best. There is still justice and love for others in his heart, unlike his brother-in-law.
Tragedies of other heroes
In the play "Uncle Vanya" by A.P. Chekhov shows that not only main character strived to improve his life. Elena Andreevna, mistaking infatuation for love, married a selfish and empty man. But she was afraid that all her “book” foundations would be destroyed, so she did not dare to leave the professor.
Astrov is a talented person, but due to difficult conditions it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to maintain his talent and ability to feel. Sonya hoped that Elena would help her in her relationship with Astrov, but she herself fell in love with him. All these heroes hoped that their lives would improve, but these hopes did not come true. Therefore, everyone can live as before.
It was brief analysis the work “Uncle Vanya” by Chekhov, which shows how a person’s fear of change can prevent him from building happiness. They had the opportunity to set new goals for themselves and change their lives. But their far-fetched ideals prevented this from happening. It also talks about how important it is to have a goal and work to achieve it - then your thoughts will be purer and your life will be more correct.
Astrov Mikhail Lvovich from the play "Uncle Vanya" - a doctor. From his appearance, Chekhov singles out his long mustache, about which Astrov himself says with bewilderment and irony: “Look, a huge mustache has grown... Stupid mustache.” Over the past ten years, he has aged a lot, explaining this by the fact that he worked too hard, from morning to night on his feet. Astrov is tired, his feelings, according to him, have become dull, he doesn’t want anything and considers himself an eccentric. Life seems boring, stupid, dirty to him.
However, this hero’s laziness is somewhat feigned. Although he is not satisfied with life, at the same time, he is active and takes on functions that he is not at all obliged to perform. As it turns out, he has a small estate, about thirty acres, which has an exemplary garden and nursery, the likes of which cannot be found “a thousand miles around.” In addition, he actually manages all affairs in the neighboring state forestry, whose forester is old and constantly ill. Astrov plants new forests every year, for which he was even awarded a bronze medal and a diploma. Mikhail Lvovich is a romantic in his own way. He delivers a sublime monologue about the need to save forests and his contribution to a better future, as well as the famous monologue that “everything in a person should be beautiful: face, clothes, soul, and thoughts.” According to Sonya, who is in love with him, he believes that people do not create, but only destroy what is given to them from above. Although Astrov says that he does not expect anything for himself and does not like people, nevertheless he has a thirst for life. He is attracted to beauty. He confesses to Serebryakov’s wife Elena Andreevna that he is infatuated with her and proposes to meet.
Voinitskaya Maria Vasilievna - widow of the Privy Councilor, mother of the first wife of Professor Serebryakov and Ivan Petrovich. She adores Serebryakov and worships him, but she reproaches her son for having changed a lot. Previously, according to her, he was a bright person with convictions, but failed to realize them because he did not do the work. She constantly takes Serebryakov’s side.
Voinitsky Ivan Petrovich (Uncle Vanya) - the main character of Chekhov's play "Uncle Vanya". He is 47 years old. When asked by Astrov what’s new, he answers about himself that he has become worse because he has become lazy, does nothing and only grumbles. His sister, “a beautiful, meek creature,” was Serebryakov’s first wife. Voinitsky laments that he didn’t see real life, because he misled his eyes with scholasticism, and foolishly wasted his time. He is in love with Serebryakov’s wife Elena Andreevna, does not hide his feelings and is ready to love her even without reciprocity. He constantly argues with Serebryakov, who was once his idol and whom he now hates, blaming for the collapse of his life. In response to Serebryakov’s offer to sell the estate, Voinitsky explodes and accuses him of ruining his life. “If I had lived normally,” says Uncle Vanya, “then I could have been a Schopenhauer, a Dostoevsky...” The scandal reaches its climax: Uncle Vanya shoots at Serebryakov twice, but misses.
Another underlying motive for Voinitsky’s rebellion is that he accidentally witnesses Doctor Astrov’s love affair with Elena Andreevna. After everything that happened, he is painfully ashamed. He dreams of starting a new life and asks Astrov where to start, to which the doctor replies with annoyance that their situation is hopeless. Uncle Vanya steals morphine from Astrov to commit suicide, the doctor tries to take it away. Ivan Petrovich gives it back only after Sonya’s intervention. From tormented soul The hero breaks out: “But we must work quickly, do something quickly, otherwise I can’t... I can’t...” Final scene- Uncle Vanya and Sonya are working, and Sonya consoles him with the fact that they will still see “a bright, beautiful, graceful life.”
Elena Andreevna - wife of Professor Serebryakov. Born in St. Petersburg. Graduated from the conservatory. Her image appears in the play even before she appears on stage - Voinitsky dreams about her, he talks about her with Astrov, wondering how she could give Serebryakov “youth, beauty, freedom, her shine.” Elena Andreevna acutely feels the tense, dysfunctional atmosphere in the house, suffering from this and powerless to bring peace. Putting up with Serebryakov’s daughter Sonya, who was angry with her for a long time and did not want to talk, she swears that she married Serebryakov not at all out of convenience, but because she was carried away by him as a scientist and famous person. The heroine herself understands that her love was artificial, but then it seemed to her that it was real. She calls herself occasional person and feels unhappy. After the scene with Astrov declaring his love to her, of which Voinitsky becomes an accidental witness, she asks her husband to leave as soon as possible. Before leaving, Elena Andreevna admits to Astrov that she was a little carried away by him and will remember him with pleasure.
Marina (Marina Timofeevna) - old nanny. Correlates with the type of old servant in other plays by Chekhov. Constantly remembers the past. In an atmosphere of mutual discord and discontent, she alone does not seem to notice this, connecting everyone with heartfelt warmth and sympathy. She is, in fact, the main keeper of the hearth, other characters turn to her in the most tense moments, she is able to console and pacify with disinterested and selfless attention or kindly scold, calling quarreling men “ganders.”
Serebryakov Alexander Vladimirovich - retired professor. The son of a simple sexton, who became a famous person in science. This hero of the play “Uncle Vanya”, even on a hot, fine day, wears a coat, galoshes, an umbrella and gloves (the motif of the case, Chekhov always has a negatively colored image). As Voinitsky bitterly characterizes him, “a man has been reading and writing about art for exactly twenty-five years, understanding absolutely nothing about art... And at the same time, what conceit! What claims!
With his arrival, everything in the house, according to Voinitsky, went out of whack. From morning until late at night, Serebryakov sits in his office and writes. At night he is tormented by gout and the melancholy of old age. It seems to him, and not without reason, that he annoys everyone in the house. Serebryakov cannot live in the village and proposes to sell the estate in order to turn the proceeds into interest-bearing securities and receive interest on which it will be possible not only to live, but also to buy a dacha in Finland. This infuriates Voinitsky, who put a lot of effort into the estate so that it would be debt-free and generate income. With his proposal, Serebryakov gives Uncle Vanya a reason to express to his face everything that he thinks about him. The ensuing scandal ends with Voinitsky shooting at him twice, but missing. At the end of the play, the hero reconciles with Voinitsky and, before leaving for Kharkov, gives instructions to everyone: “... We must, gentlemen, do the job! We have to do something!”
Sofya Alexandrovna (Sonya) - Serebryakov’s daughter from his first marriage. She is in love with Doctor Astrov, hardly hides her feelings and suffers because of his indifference, and also because she considers herself ugly. Together with Uncle Vanya, she does the housework, takes care of haymaking and other matters, she is also tormented by dissatisfaction with life. She agrees with the proposal of Serebryakov’s wife Elena Andreevna to carefully find out how Astrov treats Sonya and, if he does not love her, tell him to stop visiting them. Sonya consoles Uncle Vanya and says that she is also unhappy, but will endure it until the end of her life. And she also advises him to endure. The final scene, where Sonya and Uncle Vanya work after the departure of Serebryakov with his wife and Astrov, ends with the famous lyrical monologue of the heroine comforting Uncle Vanya, a monologue full of light sadness and sincere inspiration.
Telegin Ilya Ilyich (Waffle) - an impoverished landowner, a hanger-on, lives on Serebryakov’s estate. From his story about himself it is known that his wife ran away from him the day after the wedding because of his unattractive appearance, but he nevertheless does not violate his duty, loves her as before and gave his property to raise the girls whom she took with her. another person. “I lost my happiness, but I still have my pride,” he says. At the same time, he is perceived as an eccentric, unsettled and deprived of personal happiness, although he tries to accept life as it is and even considers it bliss.
Chekhov's dramaturgy is a revolutionary breakthrough in the history of Russian theater. The writer moved away from classical tradition and began to create in line with modernism, experimenting with the form and content of his works. One such example is a play dedicated to the bleak life and existential rebellion of Ivan Voinitsky.
In 1889, the playwright wrote the comedy “Leshy,” but soon decided to radically remake the play. Although it had already been staged in this form, and the premiere was successful, the author was not satisfied with the result. “Leshem” was clearly missing something. This is how the version known to us “Uncle Vanya” appears. Chekhov finally completed the work in 1896.
The new text made extensive use of excerpts from Chekhov's diary. He entered observations from life there, and then transferred them to artistic reality. In addition, he completely changed the structure of the play. So, with “Leshy” the story of the creation of “Uncle Vanya” began. “The first pancake” seemed to him unsuccessful work, so he immediately after the premiere removed it from the repertoire and made it into something new, original, what critics would later call “ best job Chekhov." But this will not happen immediately. The author’s fresh view of the theater was criticized and not accepted in society: the production of “The Seagull,” for example, failed in the same 1896. After this, the writer decided to remake “Uncle Vanya” into a story, but hesitated, and it was published in the form of a play. However, despite the resonant and controversial career of the playwright, offers began to flock to him to stage a new comedy.
In Sumy they can point you to Chekhov’s heroes... They’ll name Sonya, Professor Serebryakov, Wafer...
M.P. Chekhov saw Serebryakov’s daughter as their sister Maria Pavlovna. He reports his guesses in the epistolary genre:
Oh, what an excellent play this is! As much as I don’t like “Ivanov,” I like “Vanya.” What a great ending! And how in this play I saw our dear, poor, selfless Masheta!
V. Ya. Lakshin claims that Serebryakov is the spitting image of the populist S. N. Yuzhakov.
The meaning of the title of the work indicates the simplicity, ordinariness, ordinariness of the tragedy depicted. Ivan Petrovich remained “Uncle Vanya”, realizing himself only as a family member and guardian of his niece. Only for Sonya did he exist as a person. Everyone else saw him solely as a clerk. The hero simply did not deserve to be called anything else in their eyes. Hidden in this non-recognition is the psychological drama of the protagonist, which was resolved with a shot, a miss and resignation bordering on despair.
Main issues
In the play "Uncle Vanya" the problem of ecology is especially acute. The author's views on it are conveyed to the reader by Astrov, a subtle connoisseur of nature and a romantic at heart. He is outraged that forests are being cut down for profit, and not for the benefit of people. They are not getting better from progress: typhus is still widespread, children live in poverty, their mothers get sick, and their fathers work too hard and die from backbreaking hard work. Social problems the population is not resolved, but the financial interests of the masters are satisfied uncompromisingly.
The hero sincerely worries about the death of the beauty of all living things and inner beauty souls. He sees an indissoluble connection between them. Progress promises only the comfort of existence, but not the energy of life that people draw from nature.
The problem of disappointment in the ideal and the vain service of a false goal is also obvious. The realization of the futility of worship before an insignificant idol took the hero by surprise, and at an age when nothing could be corrected. He could not shake off this service even in the extreme degree of disappointment. The imaginary chosenness enslaved his will, and he realized that life could not be turned back, which means nothing should be changed. The hero has lost faith in himself - and this psychological problem, middle age crisis. Critically assessing himself, he realized his insignificance and... submitted to it.
The problem of spiritual poverty and practical inactivity inherent in the nobility also did not go unnoticed in the comedy “Uncle Vanya.” In the images of Elena and her husband, the author exposes sybaritism and inner emptiness, which are covered only by arrogance. In such colors the “support of the state” and “the pride of the country”, the noble class, are depicted. Chekhov fears that such “supports” only undermine the foundations of statehood and cannot be useful to their country.
Topics
The semantic richness of Anton Pavlovich's drama is a unique feature of his work. Therefore, the range of topics he touched on in his work is extremely wide.
- Tragic self-sacrifice little man in the name of falsehood - main topic"Uncle Vanya" by Chekhov. This expresses continuity in Russian literature, where authors continue to describe global and universal issues from generation to generation. Both Akaki Akakievich from “The Overcoat” and Samson Vyrin from “ Stationmaster", and Makar Devushkin from Dostoevsky's Poor People. Unhappy and underestimated destinies were defeated, but only Chekhov’s Voinitsky dared to rebel. He became more relaxed than his predecessors, but still failed to bring the rebellion to its logical conclusion, since he could not overcome the natural timidity of his soul. This would be his moral failure.
- Perishing beauty and its special aesthetics pervade the entire book. The topic of ecology is also connected with it. Forests are mercilessly cut down, all living things that found refuge there die irrevocably. People like Astrov understand the enormity of this barbaric destruction of nature, they suffer along with it, but they cannot do anything.
- The attitude towards nature is for the author an indicator of spiritual wealth. The professor and others like him see nothing but themselves. Chekhov contrasts the indifference and selfishness of these blind people with the sensitivity, naturalness and gentleness of real people - Sonya, Ivan and Astrov. They conceal true spiritual nobility, without which a person plunges into the abyss of selfishness and ceases to notice the world around him. Losing the ability to love something other than himself, he sows only a destructive emptiness around him, comparable only to a cut down forest. After all, people also destroy nature due to internal poverty.
Characters
Chekhov's list of characters is never accidental: in a dry list of names and positions, a conflict is already hidden, a drama is already emerging. So in “Uncle Vanya” the professor contrasts with the “honest clerk” Ivan Petrovich.
The ending of the work can be called hopeless. Everyone leaves the estate, and everything returns to normal: Sonya and her uncle are left alone, their work resumes as before. The heroine broke up with Astrov forever and came to terms with her position following her guardian. His rebellion did not produce any results; on the contrary, living with the awareness of the meaninglessness of life became unbearable.
What then did Chekhov want to convey to us? Why didn’t you help, didn’t you elevate your own? positive characters over cruel reality? Ivan's rebellion did not even give readers the feeling of just revenge. But the essence of the finale of the play is different: the mention of “a bright, beautiful, graceful life” should inspire us to look around and finally notice those who deserve it, and together with them make the world around us better in order to come to this new life renewed people. Many unnoticed workers who give all their energy for the happiness of others deserve a better life. This is a call to realize justice in life before it’s too late, and not in books, where the writer’s punishment is still late: it’s too late for Voinitsky to start living differently.
Most of all, the author values in a person the ability to create and the beauty of the soul, which are impossible without purity of thoughts. Only such a citizen can change the country for the better with his work, only such a family man is able to raise new people in joy and love, only such a person is able to develop harmoniously and inspire others to progress. Each of us should strive for this.
Innovation of Chekhov playwright
During his lifetime, the author was often reproached for violating the established canons of the theater. Then they blamed it, but now they extol it. For example, the innovative composition in Uncle Vanya - a narration without dividing the play into phenomena - refers to Chekhov's discoveries. Previously, playwrights did not violate the compositional rules of design and conscientiously formed the list characters involved in each phenomenon. Anton Pavlovich did the same, but over time he was not afraid to experiment with a conservative art form, introducing into the Russian theater a wind of change, the spirit of the era of modernism, corresponding to the times. The innovation of Chekhov the playwright was not appreciated during the writer's lifetime, but was fully rewarded by his descendants. Thanks to him, Russian literature did not lag behind the global cultural trend, and was even ahead of it in many ways.
As for the content, here Chekhov also reflects new trend- crisis of realism. In his dramas, the action dissolves in everyday life, the characters - in endless digressions from the topic, the meaning - in the deliberate absurdity of the depicted existence. For example, “Uncle Vanya” - what is it about? The author depicts some kind of chaotic story without morality and ending, where a timid and meek hero, seemingly for no reason at all, tries to kill a relative and take possession of his wife. From a logical point of view, this is complete nonsense. But life is much broader than what we try to force it into, and a person is sometimes driven by more subtle and less obvious mental processes, which we are sometimes unable to understand.
Dialogues directed to nowhere also do not contribute to understanding. Chekhov's heroes speak without hearing, responding only to their own thoughts. Their words should not be taken literally: what is important in them is what is not said. The real conflict is also hidden, because the characters are not black and white. Thus, the playwright reveals personality problems in the play “Uncle Vanya” in a new, non-trivial way, forcing us to more acutely perceive what is happening on stage and think more deeply about it.
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Characters
“Serebryakov Alexander Vladimirovich, retired professor.
Elena Andreevna, his wife, 27 years old.
Sofya Alexandrovna (Sonya), his daughter from his first marriage.
Voinitskaya Maria Vasilievna, widow of the Privy Councilor, mother of the professor’s first wife.
Voinitsky Ivan Petrovich, her son.
Astrov Mikhail Lvovich, doctor.
Telegin Ilya Ilyich, impoverished landowner.
Marina, old nanny.
Worker" (13, 62).
And again, all the characters stated in the list of characters are labeled as members of socium - a world created by man. That is why author's description each character includes only his family-related or social role (professor, doctor, landowner, wife, daughter, son). Characteristic in this sense is the presence in the list of characters of a character without a name, but with a clearly defined social function- worker. However, unlike the previous play, many of these roles are immediately designated by the author as no longer valid at the time of the stage events, remaining in the past: a retired professor, a daughter from his first marriage, an impoverished landowner, an old nanny. The technique is taken to the point of absurdity. Particularly indicative in this sense is the “double” description of Maria Vasilievna - “the widow of a privy councilor, the mother of the professor’s first wife.” Signs that are significant for the ideology of a strictly hierarchical system (privy councilor, professor), in the chronotope of a drama, which by its generic nature depicts an event occurring in the present continuous time, turn out to be absolutely formal, and the character, as a result of this circumstance, seems to not exist.
Thus, the list of characters that precedes the dramatic action captures the author’s conviction that the essence of a person is not determined only by his place in the system called society. The plot (internal) conflict of the play will depend on some other circumstances. As the further action of scenes from village life will show, it is determined by the collision of different models of self-perception of every person in the world, different pictures of existence.
And indeed, a person’s role in the social world and/or his ideas about himself do not always coincide with his essence and purpose in the world of existence, with the logic of life in relation to it. This is evidenced by the appearance in the system of characters of a whole group of so-called suffering characters who never manage to find themselves: Elena Andreevna, Doctor Astrov, and, in particular, Ivan Petrovich Voinitsky. By the way, they are the ones stated in the list of characters as existing in this moment: son, wife, doctor. Their internal discord, explicated by the plot, is due precisely to the discrepancy between the role they play or are forced to play, and that true purpose, which they are only vaguely aware of:
“Voinitsky. Life is gone! I am talented, smart, brave... If I lived normally, then Schopenhauer, Dostoevsky could come out of me” (13, 102).
Thus, Dr. Astrov speaks of his work as a zemstvo doctor as a painful and very burdensome duty, from which the only feeling left is constant fatigue: “From morning to night on your feet, I don’t know any peace, and at night you lie under the blanket and are afraid, as if they didn’t drag the patient” (13, 63). He remembers not about the treatment process and not about the patients he cured, but about a patient who died on the operating table: “They brought a switchman from the railway, I put him on the table to perform the operation on him, and he just died under chloroform. And when it was not necessary, feelings awoke in me, and my conscience was pinched, as if I had deliberately killed him” (13, 64).
Also curious in this regard is the caustic remark of Professor Serebryakov, a gout patient, who refuses the services of Dr. Astrov on the grounds that Astrov “understands as much in medicine as I do in astronomy” (13, 77). The punning play on the name of the doctor, who is by no means engaged in studying the stars, once again emphasizes the random, non-essential nature of his professional activity, his role in society. With great pleasure and extraordinary seriousness, Doctor Astrov replaces the forester and grows the forest, taking care of the change in the Russian climate: “And perhaps this is, in fact, eccentricity, but when I pass by peasant forests which I saved from being cut down, or when I hear the noise of my young forest, planted with my hands, I realize that the climate is somewhat in my power” (13, 73).
The reason for such a strange, atypical, at first glance, attitude of the doctor towards the performance of his professional duty is quite serious. Chekhov's doctor, by the very nature of his activity, has an understanding of deep imperfection human life, human nature itself: “Life is boring, stupid, dirty” (13, 63). There is also a direct indication in the play of the reason for this particular attitude towards life. “I love life, but our life, the district, Russian, philistine, I can’t stand and despise it with all the strength of my soul” (13, 83) - this statement by Astrov outlines the eternal contradiction between the life that a person is forced to live and the possible, but an unattainable way of life that his individual consciousness pictures for him. The tragedy of a person in this case lies in the fact that he is forced to assimilate into real life, because it is impossible to constantly live in dreams: “There are only eccentrics around you, all eccentrics, and you will live with them for two or three years and little by little on your own, unnoticed by yourself, you become a weirdo. An inevitable fate" (13, 64).
The mental crisis and subsequent rebellion of Voinitsky is the explication and subsequent implementation of the contradiction outlined by Astrov. The character realizes the futility of the life he has lived and tries to shift the blame for his tragedy onto Professor Serebryakov, who deceived his expectations and deprived him of the meaning he himself had invented. own life- sacrifices in the name of genius. The talented professor turned out to be a myth, which means that life in the name of his brilliant career did not happen. Uncle Vanya connects the search for a way out of this situation with his love for Elena Andreevna; it is she who must return to him a sense of purpose and the necessity of his existence on earth. It is no coincidence, according to the author’s commentary, that Voinitsky not only kisses Elena Andreevna’s hand, he “falls to her hand” (13; 79, 80), as if to the source of life. Although it is obvious that this is in this case it is only about a new illusion, about a new self-deception of the character:
“Voinitsky. Here's my life and my love: where should I put them, what should I do with them? My feeling perishes in vain, like a ray of sun falling into a hole, and I myself perish.
Elena Andreevna. When you tell me about your love, I somehow become dumb and don’t know what to say. Sorry, I can’t tell you anything” (13, 79).
Elena Andreevna herself, who thought that she loved the professor, but who realized that her love was not real, secretly suffers and dreams of real love. Nevertheless, partly for the sake of one’s own calm and prosperous existence, but mainly out of deep inner decency, to a sufficient extent developed sense debt, she prefers to do nothing at all and not think about anything, accepting the situation as it is. This, if a folklore parallel is allowed, is a sleeping princess who is too lazy to live and doesn’t want to live and who was not awakened by Doctor Astrov’s kiss.
So, the awareness of the fallacy of the current scenarios in one’s own life is realized in three variants of the characters’ reactions to this circumstance. Their appearance and collision, in fact, predetermines the development of plot events. Firstly, this is an attempt to change the course of events with a strong-willed one-time effort ( story line Uncle Vanya). Secondly, cynical humility (Dr. Astrov’s line) and, thirdly, ideological humility (Elena Andreevna’s line).
The second group of characters is formed by actors of the same role - Professor Serebryakov and Maria Vasilievna. Their roles remain unchanged throughout the play. It is no coincidence that the author’s commentary, which accompanies, say, every appearance of Maria Vasilievna, is semantically repeated: “Maria Vasilievna enters with a book” (13, 68); “Maria Vasilievna writes something in the margins of the brochure” (13, 74); “Maria Vasilievna writes in the margins of the brochure” (13, 116). This explanation perfectly correlates with the assessment of the character that Voinitsky’s remark sets and which, in fact, exhausts the character of a person of certain beliefs: “My old jackdaw, maman, is still babbling about women’s emancipation; with one eye he looks into the grave, and with the other he looks for the dawn of a new life” (13, 67). Her admiration for the professor, taken to the point of absurdity in the third act, remains unchanged throughout the play:
“Voinitsky. Mother, I'm in despair! Mother!
Maria Vasilievna (sternly). Listen to Alexander! (13, 102).
The professor is just as constant:
“Voinitsky. And the professor still sits in his office from morning until late at night and writes” (13, 67).
It is precisely the fundamental static character (“I want to live, I love success, I love fame, noise, but here it’s like being in exile” - 13, 77) that becomes main reason his irritation and subsequent departure from the estate, the inability to adapt to the changed living conditions, that is, to change himself. The role of Professor Serebryakov ended earlier than his life. The essence of the characters in this group is thus explicated in the list of characters and is exhausted by their ideas about themselves, about their own place in society; it is closed to them.
Three characters occupy a special place in the play: Sonya, Marina and Telegin. Sonya is a person of unconditional faith. Astrov's unrealized dream of love and the realization of the impossibility of its fulfillment only strengthen her initial conviction that everyday work, and not happiness, is man's destiny. She finds a way out for herself (and potentially for Uncle Vanya) in total acceptance of life-suffering, in bearing her cross and... in a new dream - now about “the sky in diamonds.”
Social role, marking the images of Marina and Telegin (nanny and impoverished landowner) in the poster, is formal: the children have long grown up, and the landowner has turned into a hangover. Both characters in the play become bearers of a fundamentally different – existential – point of view, defamiliarizing current, momentary events. As noted above, Marina with yarn in her hands personifies a person’s compliance with the measured and calm flow of life. It is she who sees in Serebryakov not a defeated or still existing idol, but who he really is: an old, sick man who has nothing else to do in life and who suddenly felt lonely and useless:
"Marina. The old ones are small, I want someone to feel sorry for them, but no one feels sorry for the old ones (Kisses Serebryakov on the shoulder). Let’s go, father, to bed... Let’s go, little light... I’ll give you some linden tea, I’ll warm your feet... I’ll pray to God for you...” (13, 78).
In turn, Telegin, whom no one in the play except Sonya and Marina takes seriously, personifies a person’s unconditional acceptance of the established plot of his life. However, in this acceptance there is no complex of sacrifice or suffering, actualized by Sonya:
“Telegin. Whether I'm driving across the field, Marina Timofeevna, whether I'm walking in the shady garden, whether I'm looking at this table, I experience inexplicable bliss! The weather is charming, the birds are singing, we all live in peace and harmony - what else do we need” (13, 66).
Here there is only a joyful feeling of communion of individual human life with the calm and, ultimately, reconciling and harmonious existence of nature. However, even in this case it is impossible to talk about a complete coincidence of the ideological position of the author and any of his characters. The eternal return of life to normal, recorded in the repeated remark “Marina is knitting a stocking,” is reduced and transferred to an everyday – comic – plane by another repeated remark: “Maria Vasilievna writes in the margins of the brochure.”
Scenes from village life in four acts
Act one
The action takes place in the estate of retired professor Serebryakov. Doctor Astrov tells nanny Marina about the difficulties of his work: the mass of patients, epidemics, unsanitary conditions in peasant huts, the horror of death. Voinitsky (Uncle Vanya), the brother of the professor’s first wife, complains that since Professor Serebryakov and his second wife Elena Andreevna arrived at the estate, all life in the house has been “out of whack.” Uncle Vanya criticizes the professor for selfishness, for constant complaints, for the fact that he has been writing about art for twenty-five years without understanding anything about it. Astrov is worried about the fate of the Russian forest, which is being senselessly cut down. He himself finds time to save peasant forests from felling and plant young trees. This is a real ascetic. He is very nice to Sonya, the professor’s daughter from his first marriage, who lives on the estate and runs the household together with Uncle Vanya.
Voinitsky expresses his feelings to Elena Andreevna, who brushes him off.
Sonya tries not to be angry with her stepmother and tells Elena Andreevna about her love for Astrov.
Act three
Sonya calls her stepmother a witch - she infected everyone with her idleness: everyone became lazy. Uncle Vanya follows her like a shadow; the doctor abandoned his forests and medicine. Sonya complains to Elena Andreevna that the doctor does not notice her feelings. The stepmother suggests talking to the doctor. Astrov shows Elena Andreevna his map, which records how the flora and fauna of the region are becoming poorer. The destruction of the forest and the degeneration of the people worries and angers him.
The woman is occupied with completely different thoughts; she tries to find out from the doctor about his feelings for Sonya. The doctor calls Elena a predator, because she cannot help but guess that Astrov does not go to the house for the sake of Sonya. He hugs the woman, kisses her hair, makes an appointment with her in the forestry. Uncle Vanya sees this scene. He is confused and scared. Elena Andreevna wants to leave.
Serebryakov gathers everyone and announces his decision to sell the estate and invest the money in securities that will give him and his wife the means to live in the city. He did not think about where and how Sonya and Voinitsky would live. But the estate belongs to Sonya! It was inherited from her late mother. Uncle Vanya announces to Serebryakov that he ruined his life - he is forty-seven years old, but he did not live! Didn't live! I just worked for an ungrateful and self-righteous man. A scandal breaks out. Uncle Vanya with the ridiculous exclamation “Bam!” shoots at the professor with a revolver, but misses.
Act four
Astrov and Uncle Vanya talk about the hopelessness of their lives. Serebryakov and his wife are going to leave for Kharkov. Everything remains the same. Sonya and Voinitsky check running accounts. Sonya dreams of better life: “We will rest! We will hear the angels, we will see the whole sky in diamonds... We will rest!”