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Research problem and working thesis
Anton Chekhov is often regarded as “the father of both the modern theatre and the modern short story” who opened up new horizons for fiction and broke many rules in literature (Fulford 331). His realistic but, at the same time, very romantic fiction reveals one of the most interesting, transitional period of human history, a time of great changes. There can be no surprise that the place of women in the society was also transforming which was also depicted in Chekhov’s works in his precise manner. For instance, one of his most famous short stories “The Lady and the Dog” highlights the essence of women’s position in society within a few pages. The short story portrays that women were hidden in small shells of their family lives which is often unhappy with no opportunities, but the Lady is a personification of the opening options for women to achieve something more, to see some bigger life. There is quite a lot of information on the life of Chekhov or his unique literary techniques which enable to see a bright episode rather than the whole story, but there is not much discussion of Chekhov’s unique realistic-romantic depiction of the actual change of women’s status and life.
Brief summary of the future research
To understand the depth of Chekhov’s vision it is possible to focus on the short story “The Lady with the Dog” considering the description of Anna’s life and even appearance articulated by Gurov and Anna herself. The present research will take into account every detail of such descriptions, paying much attention to the atmosphere created by Chekhov and his magnificent literary techniques. By all, means it will be helpful to use some background knowledge on Chekhov’s life, his works and the overall situation in the world in the very end of the nineteenth century. It is essential to define how the artist determined the place of women in the society and whether his point of view coincided with the conventions which reigned ate that period.
A brief overview of the annotated bibliography
It goes without saying that such background information cannot be found in the short story only, so it is essential to use some supporting sources. The present research will refer to the latest sources considering the life and the literary works of Anton Chekhov. It is necessary to point out that there are plenty of works providing Chekhov’s biography, so there was not difficult to find the necessary information about the great writer’ life. Likewise, a lot of works considering Chekhov’s style can be found. However, as far as the precise short story and the place of women in society is concerned it is necessary to admit that there is quite little discussion in this field. The most relevant sources in this respect which will be used in the present research are works by Fulford and Smith which pay much attention to the description of women, love, relationship, marriage. Of course, the further research is necessary to have the better understanding of the issue by analyzing various (perhaps, even opposite) viewpoints.
Annotated Bibliography
As has been mentioned above the major resources used in this research will deal with Chekhov’s life and his beliefs in particular, and literary work, his unique style and the short story “The Lady and the Dog” in particular.
Finke, Michael C. Seeing Chekhov: Life and Art. New York: Cornell University Press, 2005.
One of the most substantial works on the artist’s biography referred to in the research is the book by Finke. In this work many interesting details of Chekhov’s personal life are depicted. The book is very valuable for the research due to an interesting passage revealing the writer’s attitude towards women and their role which is actually quite contradictory. Chekhov stresses the “sexual dominance” and the supremacy of man, whereas admitting some spheres where women can be successful (Finke 103). Of course, such information will help to understand why the artist depicted Anna in that way and what place in the society is suitable for her.
Smith, Virginia Llewellyn. “Love”. Anton Chekhov. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2003.
The work by Virginia Llewellyn Smith is also concerned with Chekhov’s attitude towards women. However, this work considers love in the life of the writer and its impact on his works. Of course, this source inevitably pays much attention to the relationship between Chekhov and his future wife Olga Knipper. In fact, this remarkable woman played a crucial role in the creation of his famous short story “The Lady with the Dog”. So, such information about the artist’s attitude towards the woman who he continued to assure of “his devotion” for the rest of his life will shed more light on the place of women in Chekhov’s works and in the overall society (Smith 98).
Antsyferova, Olga. “The Ideology of Loss in Chekhov and James.” American Studies International (2003): 124-139.
As far as the description of women in Chekhov’s works is concerned the work by Antsyferova is very illustrative. In this work the inner world of Chekhovian women is analyzed. Antsyferova emphasized that his characters are enclosed in their own “shells” and they are doomed to be unhappy because they “are inextricably tied by the banality and emptiness of their daily routine” (Antsiferova 132). This peculiar feature of Chekhov’s people is revealed in Anna who wanted to get something more from her life. Thus, it is a very helpful source which helps to understand Chekhov’s point of view about the ideal and real life of women.
Daniels, Anthony. “Chekhov & Tolstoy.” New Criterion 23.8 (2005): 31-36.
Since the purpose of the research is to consider not only the place of women in the society but the way Chekhov portrays that, it is essential to consider the outstanding literary solutions of this writer. One of the sources referred to in this research focusing on the artist’s unique style is the work by Daniels. This work is concentrated on Chekhov’s realism. Daniels is concerned with Tolstoy’s influence on Chekhov depicting “many parallels with Tolstoy’s” (Daniels 35). Though, later on Chekhov worked out his own unique style this impact could be still traced in his numerous works.
“Reading Chekhov: A Critical Journey.” The Atlantic Monthly 289.1 (2002): 126-131.
Another work dealing with the great Russian writer’s style which will be used in this research is the work “Reading Chekhov: A Critical Journey” where the specific Chekhov’s style is analyzed. The work claims that the artist’s stories are full of “the physical details” which are “lavish and specific” (Reading Chekhov: A Critical Journey 129). This source pays special attention to the genius ability to create the right atmosphere to reveal one’s ideas. By all means, the information stated in this source is helpful for the present research since it helps to see the variety of Chekhov’s literary techniques.
Fulford, Robert. “Surprised by Love: Chekhov and “The Lady with the Dog.” Queen’s Quarterly 111.3 (2004): 331-341.
Finally, the basic work for the present research which provides precise but comprehensive information on the short story under discussion revealing some details from the artist’s life is the work by Fulford. This source provides thorough analysis of the short story mentioning the role of women in the society. Of course, Fulford pays a tribute to Chekhov’s literary talent rightfully claiming that the great writer was “striding onto the bright plains of modernity, shaping a literature without limits’ ‘ (Fulford 331). The comprehensiveness of this source makes it extremely valuable for the present research.
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