The Man in a Case - CHEKHOV

1. Summary
“The Man in a Case” chronicles the story of a narrow-minded schoolteacher named Belikov.
Narrated by Burkin, a fellow teacher, to his friend Ivan Ivanych Chimsha-Himalaisky, after a long
day spent hunting in the countryside, this tale provides a sobering view of pettiness and paranoia in a
provincial Russian milieu. In Burkin’s description, Belikov—a teacher of Greek—emerges as a
highly insecure individual obsessed with following official rules and fearful of any suspicion of
permissiveness in his environment. From the very way he dresses (in a pair of galoshes and a heavy
coat even in the warmest weather), it is clear that Belikov seeks to isolate himself and protect himself
from the outside. Unfortunately for his colleagues, Belikov constantly strives to impose his own
paranoia on everyone else. Not only does he cling to whatever official regulations he encounters, but
he insists that others do so as well. Moreover, even if an activity is not expressly forbidden by some
regulation, Belikov is wary of it, because one can never tell what harm might come from it. Because
of his incessant criticism and intimidation, he almost always succeeds in getting his way. As Burkin
recounts, not only are all of his fellow teachers afraid of Belikov, but the whole town lives in fear of
him, too.
However, Belikov’s life of unswerving routine and eternal vigilance eventually receives an
unforeseen modification. A new teacher named Mikhail Kovalenko is assigned to Belikov’s school,
and he brings with him his lively and cheerful sister Varenka. Within a short time, the townspeople
conceive of arranging a match between Belikov and Varenka, assuming perhaps that marriage would
make the dour man’s life more complete. Thus, Belikov begins to pay visits to Varenka, and she
appears to welcome his attentions; he even begins to speak of marriage. Belikov’s courtship,
however, does not make him more sociable or relaxed; on the contrary, he becomes even more rigid
and retiring.
Burkin believes that Belikov would have gone through with the marriage if it were not for a
sudden, unexpected turn of events. Someone in the town draws a caricature of Belikov in his
galoshes and umbrella with Varenka on his arm. This caricature is sent to all the teachers and town
officials. Humiliated and angry, Belikov soon afterward catches sight of Varenka and her brother
riding bicycles on the way to a school outing. For some reason, this strikes him as a shocking
deviation from propriety, and he decides to stop in at the Kovalenkos that evening to convey his
disapproval. Varenka is not at home, so Belikov begins to reproach Mikhail for his unseemly
behavior. Mikhail, however, reacts indignantly to this interference in his personal affairs, and he
rebukes Belikov in return. Horrified at Mikhail’s evident lack of respect, Belikov declares that he
will inform the school principal of his insubordination. Thoroughly aroused, Mikhail shoves Belikov
toward the staircase leading down to the apartment house entrance, and Belikov tumbles headlong
down the stairs. At that moment, Varenka returns. Seeing Belikov in such a ridiculous position and
not knowing the cause of his fall, she bursts into innocent laughter. Although physically unhurt,
Belikov is devastated by this final humiliation. He returns home, takes to his bed, and dies a few
days later.
Burkin concludes his tale with an account of the consequences of Belikov’s death. At first,
everyone in the town feels an exhilarating sensation of freedom. Sadly, this atmosphere of freedom
quickly evaporates, and before a week has passed, life has resumed its former routine: stern,
tiresome, and senseless. As Burkin notes, although Belikov is buried, there remain many more such
“men in cases.” Burkin’s friend Ivan Ivanych reacts to this story with dismay, and he delivers a
disconsolate denunciation of the way people lie, endure humiliation, and abuse themselves all for the
sake of a secure position or income. “No,” he declares, “one cannot live like this any more.” While
Burkin himself retires for the night, Ivan Ivanych cannot sleep, and the story ends with him going
outside to smoke his pipe.

2. Themes and Meanings

“The Man in a Case” provides a vivid illustration of one of Anton Chekhov’s major
concerns: humanity’s essential need to be free from tyranny and coercion. He once wrote that his
“holy of holies” included “the human body, health, intelligence . . . and the most absolute freedom
imaginable, freedom from violence and lies, no matter what form the latter two take.” In the
character of Belikov, he created a memorable portrait of a social tyrant, a mean-spirited individual
who not only maintains rigid control over himself but also suppresses impulses toward liberation in
others. To oppose this shabby tyrant, Chekhov created the characters of Mikhail and Varenka
Kovalenko, two strong, healthy youths whose determination to live life to the fullest cannot be
thwarted by the threats and imprecations of the oppressor. Unfortunately, as Burkin’s narrative
indicates, such free spirits as the Kovalenkos are relatively rare in Russia. The Belikovs of the world
are much more numerous, and they have proved frighteningly successful: Burkin’s entire town is
enslaved to public opinion and to an ineradicable anxiety over social or professional success. Aside
from the salutary effect of Kovalenko’s defiance and Varenka’s laughter, Chekhov’s story provides
no clear-cut program to break the pernicious pattern set by Belikov and his meek followers. Instead,
his tale serves as a kind of sober warning to his readers of a profound yet insidious threat to human
freedom and fulfillment.

3. Style and Technique

This story appeared as the first of three works published by Chekhov in 1898 and linked
through a number of structural and thematic elements. One such element is the use of the “frame
tale” narrative technique, in which one character relates a personal anecdote to another character.
This technique enabled Chekhov to provide the reader with some commentary on the narrated event
through the reactions of the person who listens to the tale. Here, Ivan Ivanych’s indignation works to
underscore the seriousness of the negative portrait of Belikov sketched by Burkin. Also evident in
the frame of the narrative are deftly nuanced descriptions of nature.
After Burkin concludes his story, Chekhov focuses on the nocturnal landscape, creating a
palpable aura of peace and calm that contrasts with the grim vision of human weakness and vice
evoked earlier. As it does so often in Chekhov’s work, the world of nature offers a mute commentary
on human life. The freedom and spaciousness found in the natural world expose by contrast the
constriction and pettiness of everyday life.
Throughout this tale, one notes Chekhov’s characteristic reliance on symbolic or telling
detail. It is ironic that Belikov is a teacher of Greek—a dead language—and that his favorite Greek
word is anthropos (man); he himself is completely cut off from the world of humanity. It is also
telling that Belikov shows a predilection for wrapping himself and his possessions in cases and
boxes. Not only does this indicate his essential insularity, but it also foreshadows his ultimate resting
place: a coffin. Chekhov’s entire narrative is constructed from such meaningful details as these.