What is the theme of the story "The Darling" by Anton Chekhov?

Anton Chekhov's "The Darling" has several overarching
themes, all centering in some way on love. The Darling's capacity for love and her need
for love can be viewed as desperate, shallow, or even silly -- all characteristics that
reflect in some way her society's view of a woman's place, her worth, and her
duty.

The seemingly random choice of her love-objects hints
that the Darling is more infatuated with the idea of love than the actual person for
whom she declares her affection; love fills her up and gives her a purpose. This can be
seen both negatively and positively. Love gives her life and encourages her to share her
kindness and good nature. Her caring is motherly, whether it is expressed toward a
husband, a lover, or a child, and in that way she can be seen as an ideal woman (in
Chekhov's time) -- she fully commits herself to others. On the other hand, her need for
love and her apparent willingness to attach to anyone show us that she cannot stand on
her own. She has no opinions or purpose without a man to direct her -- even her young
ward shapes her personality and makes her feel secure in a way she cannot achieve on her
own. This is a weakness, and it is in her relationship with the boy that we can see some
of the negative effects of her love. When he cries out at the end of the story, we
realize that Olga's love can be smothering, and her need to be completely fulfilled by
her love-objects places a terrible burden upon them.