The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekov (Questions with Answers)

Social Realism in The Cherry Orchard.

    The history of the early twentieth century Russian society is the history of social transition, transformation. The late 19th century Russian society was struggling to be free from the shibboleth of the dying feudal aristocracy. In parallel to this struggle there was also progressive change which hastened the dawn of a mercantile middle class. At every time in the chapter of social history, a single class can’t maintain its supremacy and privileged status. With a passage of time the old social order has to die yielding place to the new emerging social order. No society remains unchanged. Every society has to transform. Each society is bound to undergo change as time passes by. It is the very nature of society to undergo change. This law of social change is applicable universally in the world.
    The late 19th century Russian society witnessed the soaring success of the capitalistic middle class. At very step the middle class was on the rise. At all point this class was successful. The progressive march of this class was so strong that no obstacle was going to disturb it. Furthermore the old feudal aristocracy was not only on the immediate decline, but on the verge of extinction without leveling any remnant of it. The old feudal social order was no longer in a tenable position to dictate its ethos and to impose its ideals and norms. Surprisingly enough, this class was totally ignorant and un- habituated to adaptive evolution. A new emerging class was head over heel in love with change, with progressive social transformation. But the old dying aristocratic class was allergic to change, antipathetic to change, and unprepared to embrace the costly social transformation.
    In the play The Cherry Orchard Lyobov and Gayev represent the dying aristocracy. Their heavy debt forced them to put their Orchard in auction. Their orchard was sure to be lost. However, their was a route to save it by letting it on lease for the construction of summer cottage. There was a chance for the virtually dying class to live a life of adaptation and compromise. But this class was too proud to let their orchard on lease. Lyubov and Gayev were rather ready to leave the place that to see others possessing it. They fought their last battle in their hopeless and unsuccessful attempt to save the orchard. Finally they failed. The orchard fell into the much more practical and sensible man, Lopakhin.
    Lopakhin represents the victoriously emerging middle-class. A man of action he believes in the necessity to take quick action man of vision he is far busier in the plan to rise above the underprivileged class through financial and practical success. Once he belonged to the working class. He was a servant in Lyubov’s house when he was a child. Through hard- work and practical line of thinking he succeeded in earning money. With the huge amount of money he earned, he succeeded in changing himself from the working class to the middle class. Economically he became so strong that he bought the Cherry Orchard of Lyubov in auction on the highest purchase. Even the aristocratic was attracted towards him. Lyubov offered her daughter Varya’s hand to him but Lopakhin hesitated. If Lopakhin represents the practical middle class, Trofimov represents the theoretical and visionary ideals of the class committed to embrace. Read More...

The habits of mind of Lybov Andreyevna in The Cherry Orchard.

      Lyubov Andreyevna represents the aristocracy in the play, The Cherry Orchard. She is the owner of the cherry orchard. Though aristocracy is on the brink of coming to an end, she feels nostalgic for the past and is very ideal and tragically impractical. The days of the aristocracy are gone but she is still acting according to the system that is about to become history. She is guided by the ethos of the order that is fast departing so she is inviting her own ruin.
    Renevskaya is unable to pay the mortgage on the cherry orchard. She is a very spendthrift woman. She has not money and is deep in debt but still has servants. When she goes to a restaurant she gives tips to waiters. She gives a lot to beggars. When she hasn’t sufficient money for herself she spends unnecessarily. Giving tips to beggars could show one as belonging to upper-class but her position is completely different. Though she is not rich in reality she doesn’t stop spending money like an aristocrat. It is shockingly impractical to see her do so. Read More...

    William Congreve: The Way of the World     Restoration drama had to depict the contemporary times. There was a moneyed class with a search for pleasure. Money became the main concern of the people. Read More...

    Sophocles: Oedipus Rex       Oedipus Rex vividly dramatizes the tension between individuals and their interdependences as well. As the city of Thebes has been paralyzed by a plague the people expect something from the king to end their suffering. Read More...

    William Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream     Shakespeare explores the issues of inconsistency in human nature and relation by creating a world of dream where the characters behave in an irrational way by running after dreams, fantasies and romance that lead to anarchy, chaos, and confusion. Read More...

      William Shakespeare: Hamlet       Hamlet is a revenge tragedy written in the line of Roman senecan tragedy. It is the tragedy of reflection and moral sensitivity. The protagonist is very reflective and too sensitive thus unfit for taking revenge. Read More...

    William Shakespeare: The Tempest     The play’s major focus is on Prospero’s quest for perfection, knowledge and power. He devotes himself to learning even to the extent of neglecting his duties as a ruler. Read More...