In Anton Chekhov's short story "Gooseberries," part of a
unique trilogy including "The Man in the Shell" and "About Love," the gooseberries are
part of complex theme that is both metaphysical and practical and is summed up in Ivan
Ivanovich's plea, "Don't be calm and contented! Don't let yourself be put to
sleep!"
Nicolay has managed to improve his position in life
after his wife's death and buys himself the estate he has always dreamed of owning
complete with bushes of luscious gooseberries. Years later when Ivan Ivanovich visited
Nicolay, he found that Nicolay was corpulent and happy in his vast enjoyment of his
country life and gooseberries.
Chekhov introduces
contemplation of the woes and miseries of life as represented in drunkenness, pain,
degenerate living, poverty and its attendant hunger and these contemplations stand in
stark contrast to the luxurious happiness of gooseberries. Chekhov thus equates
gooseberries with luxury, contentedness, self-serving happiness, and obsession with
personal dreams.
Gooseberries prevent a person from
recognizing and contributing to the solution of pain and evil in the world. Thus
gooseberries symbolize a two-part theme. Firstly, they symbolize the metaphysical theme
of truth and meaning in life: Is individual contentedness and happiness the truth and
meaning in life? Secondly, they symbolize the practical theme of human responsibility to
alleviate suffering in life.
No comments:
Post a Comment