English Literature

Russian writer Anton Chekhovs short story, The Lady with the Pet Dog, demonstrates how a literary work -- which uses fluid, non-conventional structure and brilliant descriptive style to treat a topic deemed sensitive during the late 19th century -- can be very effective.

The story takes place in the nineteenth-century town of Yalta in Russia.  Using an ominiscient narrator, Chekhov tackles the topic of marital indiscretion of two seemingly mature individuals who have long been struggling to find meaning in their imperfect worlds but have not been in touch with their emotions  until their paths cross.  In the story, Chekhov presents the main characters, their innermost sentiments, and their predicament in the most objective manner.  Hence, the author does not come out as preachy. Instead,  the author succeeds in piquing the interest and eliciting readers sympathy for the main characters, who gradually get entangled in a situation that can very well happen in real life.

The Lady with the Pet Dog begins in a light, free-flowing manner, and the reader discovers the motives, dominant personality traits, and opinions about women of the main character, Dmitri Dmitritch Gurov,  through his musings at the beginning of the story.  As the story progresses, readers gain insight about the other central character, Anna Sergeyevna, but glean little about their respective spouse.  As such, readers are not able to sympathize with the other characters who are very much a part of the central characters lives but are only tackled in fleeting manner in the story. In so doing, the extramarital affair does not really come out as condemnable.  A cathartic effect is instead experienced by most readers, as the angsts of the couple who plunge into the extramarital affair are brought out in the open.

Anton Chekhovs mastery of the short story genre is showcased as he relates through a third person narrator the metamorphosis of Gurov from a philandering man of leisure to a sensitive human being who has been transformed by love.  Chekhov also employs numerous literary devices like similes, satire, personification, and symbols. There likewise a few lyrical passages that underscore the heightened emotions the main character goes through. When the narrator says, He felt compassion for this life, still so warm and lovely, but probably already not far from beginning to fade and wither like his own And only now when his head was grey he had fallen properly, really in love  for the first time in his life (Chekhov) the reader cannot help but empathize with the main character as the story gently reaches its climax. Because the author does not moralize but simply presents the circumstances as they unfold, readers are left to discern for themselves the takeaway message and to decipher the various symbolisms. An example of Chekhovs deft use of figures of speech like simile is readily gleaned when the omniscient narrator expresses Gurovs thoughts it was as though they were a pair of birds of passage, caught and forced to live in different cages (Chekhov).

Chekhovs intense focus on his characters, and the masterful way he makes them transcend the story, contribute to making The Lady with the Pet Dog a very effective essay. In true Chekhovian style, the plot originates from the inner force of his characters. His characters are seldom guided by the storyline (Jha par. 6).  The settings shift and symbolize the innermost desires or shackles faced by the main characters. The plot moves in well-organized manner, while utilizing methods as flashback, which less adroit writers could not have effectively done. As a storyteller Chekhov had genius for conveying the astonishing possibilities of human nature. His insight into human mind was profound and dynamic (Jha par.6).  This fact, to a large extent, made The Lady with the Pet Dog a very compelling literary work.

The elaboration of the things that drive the main character Gurov to engage in extramarital affairs - during an era when everyone considered it a major moral transgression -- is expressed through the characters thought processes. Dialogue is effectively used to convey the innermost sentiments of the central characters and to serve as jump-off point for other details. The female reaction to infidelity is shown through the stirring dialogues between Anna with Gurov, as shown in the portion in the story when Anna is preparing to return to her husband upon receiving a letter  Its a good thing I am going away its the finger of destiny (Chekhov). Personification is used in this line which underscores the central female characters sad acceptance of her fate as a wife who must go back and face her marital obligations.

By employing his trademark stream of consciousness narrative style, Chekhov lets readers gain a more profound understanding of the thoughts and actions of his two central characters Gurov and Anna, thereby arousing reader interest and holding attention up to the very end.  This approach also shows readers how two intertwined souls struggle to be true to their innermost longings and  to live above the mundane. Chekhov writes in a very compelling manner, thereby making his characters seem so alive. When the story ends with the line, it was clear to both of them that they had still a long, long road before them, and that the most complicated and difficult part of it was only just beginning (Chekhov), the author leaves it to the readers imagination to figure out the subsequent events and work out in their minds what they feel may be the most probable ending to the love story.

The Lady with the Pet Dog is, from all angles, a well-written literary piece that stands out for the authors unique writing style, brilliant use of literary devices, focus, organization and elaboration.  A short story like The Lady with the Pet Dog is highly absorbing not only because of the brilliant writers fluid and creative writing style but also because it presents aspects of real life without flourish. It proves that one need not adopt the traditional structure of a short story or essay to gain and hold the attention of readers, or in short, to be effective.