I believe Chekov captures Russian life very well in this story.

There is infinite
boredom, caused by life in an endlessly large country with a harsh climate and a
very monotonous landscape. It's set in the 19th century, an era when in Europe
divorce was socially disastrous for your life, status and career. For this reason
the lovers Anna and Dmitri can not be together, thus being forced to consider in
full the fate of their unhappy marriages and their missed chances in life. The
story has a dark and gloomy undertone to it, but that is much how life was in that
place and time. I do think that Dmitri is refreshed by Anna's young and happy
nature, one that he is not accustomed to from any of his older, former lovers.
He is detached from the people around him. Hes surprised that he falls in love
with Anna. I believe because of this, he learns to feel love and grows a certain
respect for a woman that he has not felt before. The secrecy of their relationship
is not sustainable. Its making them miserable. Yet if the relationship were not
secret, I cant help but think it would lose its appeal to Dmitri.
1. Chekov writes about charming and intellectual people. Do you agree or not
and why?

The characters in the play speak in lofty, intellectual terms about moral
philosophy and the role of work in the new Russia; but Chekhov himself
seems somewhat conflicted
4) What is the climax of this quiet, subtle story? That is, what is the turning point
or key moment, in your opinion?
The climax happens when When Anna leaves, Gurov thinks it has been just
another episode or adventure in his life, nothing left but a memory that would visit
him only from time to time. But she haunts him, and he imagines her to be
lovelier and himself to be finer than they actually were in Yalta.

5) When Gurov describes his two lives, which one is more meaningful?
Do you think this is true for most of us or is his life very different from other

people's?
6) Is there something Chekhov wants us to learn from this story? What is
it?
Gurovs gradual metamorphosis: subtle details of action and dialogue illustrate a
profound revision of his rather cynical and egocentric attitude toward
relationships with women. He no longer thinks of women as childlike and a
waste of time.

Here are my answers and thoughts about Chekhov's to The Lady

and The Dog.

I believe Chekhov captures Russian life very well in this story. There is infinite
boredom, caused by life in an endlessly large country with a harsh climate and a
very monotonous landscape. Like most of his stories, this is set in the Russian
countryside during the 19th century, an era when in Europe divorce was socially
disastrous for your life, status and career. For this reason the lovers Anna and
Dmitri can not be together, thus being forced to consider in full the fate of their
unhappy marriages and their missed chances in life. The story has a dark and
gloomy undertone to it, but that is much how life was in that place and time. I do
think that Dmitri is refreshed by Anna's young and happy nature, one that he is
not accustomed to from any of his older, former lovers. He is detached from the
people around him. Hes surprised that he falls in love with Anna. It's because of
this that he learns to feel love and grows a certain respect for a woman that he
has not felt before. The secrecy of their relationship is not sustainable. Its
making them miserable. Yet if the relationship were not secret, I cant help but
think it would lose its appeal to Dmitri. The story ends ambiguously, but one can
gather that the relationship will not work out due to the circumstances.
1. Chekov writes about charming and intellectual people. Do you agree or not
and why?
I agree that Chekov's characters are intellectual and charming. This is evident by
the language they use and the descriptions of the characters that he gives.
Having said that, I do not believe that he portrays his characters with little
emotion or an air of snobbery. You feel emotion in his characters. There is also a
moral dilema faced by most of the people in his stories.
2. List all of all of the things in the story that are grey. And what you think they
mean.
- Her eyes are grey. "lonely grey eyes"
- His hair is grey. (Which also contrasts his wife's black hair.)
- The clothes are grey.
- The house is grey (which can represent sadness.)
3. The story is divided into 4 parts. What's the setting and what role does it play?
-The seaside spa in Yalta where he meets Anna. He is bored, yet becomes
excited at the prospect of having a new affair with Anna.
-The hotel room - The affair takes place and lust turns again to complacency and
boredom for Dmitri and guilt for Anna.
-His home in Moscow. He is unhappy with his life and his marriage.

-St. Petersburg - Anna's hometown. He feels a flame and excitement rekindled in

his heart.
4) What is the climax of this quiet, subtle story? That is, what is the turning point
or key moment, in your opinion?
The climax happens when When Anna leaves, Gurov thinks it has been just
another episode or adventure in his life, nothing left but a memory that would
visit him only from time to time. But she haunts him, and he imagines her to be
lovelier and himself to be finer than they actually were in Yalta.
5) When Gurov describes his two lives, which one is more meaningful?
Gourav's reality with Anna was more meaningful because it did not feel like a lie.
He was able to feel life. At home, at his job and with his wife and mistresses he
felt like he was living an unsatisfied lie.Do you think this is true for most of us or
is his life very different from other people's?I think most people live a life that
they must rather than the one they yearn for. For example, there are many artists
whose passion it is to draw or create music, but they cannot sustain a living
doing those things so they might have to work in a factory. There are people who
do not marry for love but becauseeit makes sense financially or morally to
partner with that person. I think we as people are never truly 100% satisfied with
our lives and wonder what it might be like to be with a different lover or a
different lifestyle. It is human nature.
6) Is there something Chekhov wants us to learn from this story? What is it?
We see Gurovs gradual metamorphosis in subtle details of action and dialogue
illustrate a profound revision of his rather cynical attitude toward relationships
with women. He no longer thinks of women as childlike and a waste of time.