IB Reflective Statement: Chekov Short Stories

Chi Zama
3/12/15
5th Pd.
Word Count: 399
I was intrigued by Anton Chekovs profound use of imagery in his short stories; it was
evident that the imagery and details he used had a much larger meaning than to simply engage
the reader. Chekov uses imagery throughout his short stories and specifically Vanka and Sleepy
to describe the inhumane conditions and harsh treatment that the lower, working class in 19th
century Russia had to endure. By doing this Chekov brings awareness to the problems in the
former, non-industrial Russian society. Chekovs imagery exposes the mistreatment of child
laborers and poverty, which describes the lives of many Russians living during the late 19th
century. His use of imagery to describe the living situation of the working class helped me
understand and put images in my head of the harsh reality the lower class had to endure.
One other aspect of the Russian culture that I felt Chekov did a good job explaining was
the role of women in society. This aspect of the Russian society was exemplified the best in The
Darling. Written in 1899, during a time when society was dominated by men, The Darling
expresses the idea that women dont have the ability to be independent and think on their own.
This is clearly evident as the female protagonist, Olenka, never expresses her own point of view
on anything. She simply takes the ideas and viewpoints of the men she has relationships with
and calls them her own. The various mishaps that occur with the men she has relationships
followed by her relationships with new men suggest that during this time period women were
dependent on men.
Contrasting with The Darling, The Bishop shows the high roles males in the Russian
society could attain. The Bishop also included aspects of the religious culture, as the story takes
place during Easter. This gives the reader a taste of the Russian Orthodox culture as some of
the Easter festivities are described in the short story. Lastly, during The Bishop, the Bishop

longs for his youthful days after seeing his mother. Its important to understand that The Bishop
was written while Chekov had tuberculosis, the disease that ended up taking his life. Knowing
that he was going to die, I believe that Chekov was expressing his viewpoints through the
Bishop. Similar to the Bishop who longed for his youth, so did Chekov who knew his death
would occur soon.

Its also interesting how when she is a widow, she typically stayed alone without many friends
and a social life. However, during the times she was married she often had visitors and friends.
This led me to conclude that the social life of women in late 19th century Russia was also
dependent on men.