A DEFENSELESS CREATURE

OUTLINE
Lesson 1:
Part 1:
Parts of the story

- Setting
- Characters:
Kistunor, Madame Shtchukin, Boris Matveyitch (her son),
Alexey Nicolaitch (one of his clerks)
- Conflicts

Part 2: What happens in the story?

Part 3:
Author: Anton Chekhov
Genre: farce
Background knowledge
Basic elements
Lesson 2: Literary analysis:
Main characters:
Moral lessons:

Rhetorical devices:
- hyperbolical (exaggeration)
- iteration (repetition)
- Lesson 2: Literary analysis:

Lesson 3: Discussion, critical thinking

Guiding questions:
Why is the woman so upset?
Her husband has lost his job and they can no longer pay their bills.
Her husband has been sick with gout and she needs money for his treatment.
Her husband has a gambling problem and owes someone a lot of money.
Her husband’s salary has been reduced for the money he owes.

Why does Kistunov reject her petition?

because it's not the bank’s responsibility to deal with it
because the woman annoys him
because he does not believe she is telling the truth
because the woman is becoming unreasonable and upset
Why does Kistunov send her to Alexey Nikolaitch?
to have her call her husband for support
to have her removed from the building
to get rid of her so that he can properly work
to make sure she gets the help she needs

How does the woman affect Kistunov over time?

She has gained his sympathy and trust.
She saddens him with her confusion and distress.
She calms him by distracting him from his work.
She causes him to feel physically ill as she annoys him.

How does Kistunov finally solve the problem?

He has the woman removed from the bank.
He begins to break down and cry in front of her.
He hands over his own money to get her to leave.
He asks her to come back the next day, not expecting that she would.
Discussion:
1. Who is the protagonist in this short story? Who is the antagonist? Cite evidence from the
text and other literature to support your answer.
2. What is Chekhov’s message in “A Defenseless Creature”? What does it say about
women?
3. What can we learn from comedy? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and
other literature, art, or history in your answer.
Lesson 4: Quiz (handout), production (play)
1.PART A: Which of the following statements best expresses a theme of the story?

A. Greed can make people act in strange ways.

B. People can use different strengths to get what they want.

C. Kindness is wasted on people who do not deserve it.

PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?

A. ‘I’ve to settle with the lodgers and see to my husband’s affairs and fly round looking after the
house… I can scarcely keep on my feet... I haven’t slept all night…’” ( Paragraph 15)

B.‘We can’t make her see anything, Pyotr Alexandritch! We are simply done. We talk of one
thing and she talks of something else.’” ( Paragraph 24)

“Madame Shtchukin, as red as a crab, was standing in the middle of the room, rolling her eyes
and prodding the air with her fingers.” ( Paragraph 39)

D. “‘Only, your Excellency, do me the kindness, make me pray for you for the rest of my life, be
a father, protect me!’” ( Paragraph 46)aving one's pride is better than having to beg.

PART A: What does the word “lorn” most likely mean, as used in paragraph 15?

A. miserable

B.anxious

C. sick

D.faithful

PART B: Which of the following phrases best supports the answer to Part A?

A.“‘make me remember you in my prayers for the rest of my days’”

B.“‘I am worried to death, I’ve to settle with the lodgers’”

C.“‘and see to my husband’s affairs and fly round looking after the house’”

D.“‘I might as well not eat or drink... I can scarcely keep on my feet... I haven’t slept all
night…’”

How does the story’s structure contribute to the development of humor in the passage?

Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scence and stanza fits into the overall of the text and contributes to
the development of the theme, setting and plot/