Summary of Misery by Anton Chekov

-

Misery

-        Anton Chekov

Anton Chekov is a Russian short story writer, humourist and a realist. His stories are concerned about the plight of human life. His characters are drawn from real life. His short story Misery or Lament depicts the life of a sledge-driver.

Iona Potapov, a sledge driver encounters lack of sympathy, kindness, warmth and friendship. The old sledge-driver faces the misery of cold weather, the misery of poverty, misery of losing his young son and the misery of not having anyone to share his feelings.

Iona spends an entire evening among the crowded streets.

“Big flakes of wet snow are whirling lazily about the street lamps, which have just been lighted, and lying in a thin soft layer on the roofs, horses’ backs, shoulders, caps.”

 He is unable to share or communicate his thoughts to people. The first customer for the sledge-driver is a man in military uniform. The customer was not ready to listen the feelings and emotions of the driver.

The next customers are young men. They are rude, harsh, loud and argumentative. They treat him worse. He tries to disclose his feelings and share the details of his sons death. Iona moves to the yard where he lives. Even his people in the yard doesn’t care to pour warmth and companionship for Iona. The poor cannot help each other and the rich do not want to help.

People in the city are growing selfish. They are fulfilling their own needs and ignores the rest of the community. In this story not even a single soul is ready to listen to Iona. Unable to bear this sorrow he pours out his soul to his horse.

It is evident from the story that people seems to have lost touch with humanity and common decency. “Misery” highlights the theme of loneliness, isolation an

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Summary for the Play Strife by John Galsworthy

-
Image
                                                                                        Strife -        John Galsworthy Strife is a three-act play written by John Galsworthy. It is his third play and the play highlights the social issues. It was produced in the year 1909 at the Duke of York Theatre. The title “strife” has a biblical meaning which means bitter conflict. The theme in this play is capital and labour. The action takes place on 7 th february at the Trenartha Tin Plate Work. The factory workers involve in a prolonged strike. There arises a conflict between the company chairman John Anthony and the workers leader Roberts. Both are very stern and adamant to compromise. Anthony was the chairman for 32 years and he is determined to fight and win. In his thirty two years of experience he has won four strikes. He was certain that he could win the strike once more. The directors felt unfair about the stern nature of Anthony. The directors were aware about the outcome of this
Read more

Like an Old Proud King in a Parable A. J.M. Smith, Summary for BA Students.

-
Image
  Like an Old Proud King in a Parable A. J.M. Smith The Poem Like an Old Proud King in a Parable was written by the Canadian Poet, A.J.M Smith. This poem appeared in McGill Fortnightly Review in the year 1926. In this poem Smith narrates the story of an Old King who abandons his Kingdom to become a poet. This poem depicts the poetic career of Smith. Smith breaks some of the old poetic conventions and brings novelty into the society. A king is bored to forego the pleasure of the Kingdom. He renounces his kingdom, and leave his flattering courtiers and adoring wife. The king readily sacrifices the existing kingly life and moves to a lonely land, “a meadow in the Northern Stone”. Northern Stone is in the northern parts of Canada, a land of mountain, snow and forest filled with nature. The King rejoices to live his life along the meadow. In the meadow he feels like an uncontrollable swan, “the heart that controlled liked swan”. The King desires to give up his worldly life and aspir
Read more

SUMMARY OF THE ECSTASY OF RITA JOE

-
Image
   THE ECSTASY OF RITA JOE George Ryga’s , The Ecstasy of Rita Joe is a play about a young Indian girl who comes to the city with great dreams. Her dreams get scattered as she enters the city Vancouver.  Sh e becomes one of the victims of the white man’s violence and control. The Ecstasy of Rita Joe describes the cruel life in the city for the native Canadians, as experienced by Rita Joe. This play explores the supremacy of the Whites towards the native Canadians. The protagonist of this play Rita Joe faces a world of prostitution and abuse. In the beginning act the magistrate reads over the charges levied upon Rita Joe. She is charged for prostitution, assault, stealing, vagrancy, shop lifting and for transmitting sexual diseases. The action of the play develops through the character of Rita Joe. Ryga uses flashback technique to narrate the story of Rita Joe.        Rita has lived in the reservation during her childhood days along with her sister Elieen and father  David Joe.
Read more