About love story analysis. What is the meaning of the love story

The story of A.P. Chekhov was written in 1898, it is an important and final part of the "Little Trilogy". Published in the journal "Russian Thought".

The genre of the story involves the short duration of the depicted events and a small number of characters. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov knowingly chose this way of presenting the complex ups and downs of the life of his heroes and describing their state of mind. After all, the features of the story are also the depth of subtext and the capacity of the detail. The last nuance is very well traced in all the small works of the author.

The "Little Trilogy", created by A.P. Chekhov, was based on three stories told by friends to each other on the hunt. These are Burkin, Chimsha-Gimalaysky and Alekhin - a poor landowner who told his friends the unfortunate story of his love.

It so happened that the father of the hero owed a lot, in particular, to pay for the education of his son. Alekhin, returning to his homeland, decided to partially repay the debt. To do this, he had to work hard, but the efforts were not in vain. In the first year, he was chosen to be an honorary magistrate. Alekhine had a lot of meetings and acquaintances, among which a special place in his life was occupied by an acquaintance with the chairman of the district court by the name of Luganovich. On the same day, Alekhine meets his wife, Anna Alekseevna, with whom he falls in love at first sight.

Alekhin became a regular guest in the Luganovich family. But, despite this, at each new meeting, Anna Alekseevna and Alekhin were lost, shy in front of each other and coldly said goodbye. The hero felt an incredible closeness of feelings, but was afraid to admit it.

But everything comes to an end. Once Anna Alekseevna left for treatment in the Crimea, and the hero realized that perhaps this was their last meeting. He decided to confess, but it was too late. The lovers parted forever.

As in the previous stories of the trilogy, the main idea of the story "About Love" is that the heroes of the works closed themselves off from their real feelings, instead of giving free rein to emotions, fearing nothing. The "case" of each of them ruined their lives and the opportunity to love happily and disinterestedly. They killed love with their own hands, lowered it to base feelings and needs, making themselves unhappy forever.

The story "About love" can be called the pinnacle of human evolution, depicted in all three works of the trilogy. This is a hero who is far from old, he did not die, he just realized his mistake and moves on. He does not give up, but walks, even if he does not know where, but still he does not stand still.

Two hunters, a veterinarian and a gymnasium teacher, are caught in heavy heavy rain with no end in sight. And they decide to go to the village of Sofyino, which is not far away.

The owner, Alekhin, was very happy with them: he had not seen intelligent people for a long time. Spending the evening in a hospitable house, the veterinarian tells the sad story of his brother, who dreamed of saving money, buying an estate and living freely as a gentleman. And make sure he has a gooseberry. The official's dream came true, but the story did not satisfy the listeners. It was already late and they went to bed.

morning conversation

And the next day, after breakfast, they began to talk about love. Chekhov (a summary of his stories is always very succinct) told the reader a story, echoes of which can be found in his later story "The Lady with the Dog". There are many parallels to be found. Pavel Konstantinovich philosophically approached the delicate issue of love. Chekhov began the summary of this story with a question about the strangeness of the relationship between the beautiful maid Pelageya and the cook Nikanor. She loved this man, but she did not agree to marry, because his temper was violent and pugnacious. Nikanor did not recognize anything but a church wedding. So this story could not be resolved in any way. Both were just in pain. Then Alekhine continued to talk about love. Chekhov understands the summary of his thoughts to the subtleties. Loving, a Russian person constantly asks himself questions that only irritate him: how will it all end, is it good or bad.

There are no answers. Alekhin continued to talk, and it was clear that he wanted to tell a story about love. Chekhov summed up the narrative in the first person.

The life of Pavel Konstantinovich Alekhine in the village

Alekhin led a calm, unhurried and, as it were, detached story. The weather was normal, gray and rainy, and there was nothing more for his listeners to do. Alekhine came to the village a long time ago. She had a large debt left over from her father. And the hero of the story decided to put the economy in order at all costs. At first, as befits a gentleman, he lived in the upper rooms and tried to bring the new village life into line with his cultural habits. But the system quickly failed: working hard like a peasant, he began to sleep in the hayloft, eat in the people's room, stop washing, not to mention reading something. But he was elected to the magistrate and on business he had to visit the city, and oh, how nice it was - sometimes to turn again into a cultured person.

Dating in the city

He was warmly welcomed there, and he made many pleasant acquaintances. So, to his own misfortune, or maybe not, he met with the Luganovich family. Luganovich's wife, Anna Alekseevna, made an unusually warm, sweet impression on Alekhine and evoked the feeling that he had known her for a long time. It was clear that this was a friendly family, even by the little things, how they brewed coffee together, how they understood each other without needing words. Alekhin left, but the memory of the lovely woman was unobtrusive with him. In the autumn he happened to meet Anna Alekseevna again. And again she evoked the same feelings - extraordinary closeness and eye-catching beauty and grace. Love is an existential feeling. If you can experience it, then you can understand something. If it passed by, then no best works will help. Alekhin began to visit the Luganoviches quite often and became “his own”, “household person”: he was offered money on credit, presented with gifts, he was loved by children and servants.

Anna Alekseevna

For some reason, a simple woman seemed inexplicably beautiful and necessary - and the movement of her hand, and the wave of her eyelashes, and even silence next to her were necessary. Time passed. Alekhin was full of bitterness, because in the city he saw that Anna Alekseevna was also waiting for his arrival.

But both were silent. What could they change in their lives? Both of them lacked determination, such as the heroes of L. N. Tolstoy, Anna Karenina and Alexei Vronsky had. What did Chekhov himself think about love? He gave an analysis of a feeling that simultaneously brings joy, and bitterness, and torment, and inexpressible happiness, in this story. The heroes were tormented by questions about the family, about lies and truth, about the passing of youth. Could the happiness built on the destruction of everything they had continue to continue? In their relationship, Anna Alekseevna became irritable. This can only be explained by constant uncertainty, which is both desirable and scary to change.

End

Everything ended simply, as it happens in life. Luganovich was transferred to serve in another province. Anna Alekseevna went first to the Crimea, where she was sent by doctors, and then to her husband. Thus ends Chekhov's story. The love of heroin was finally spoken out loud in the compartment. Tears flowed, there were hugs and kisses, it was immediately understood what petty and unnecessary feelings stood in front of them as an obstacle, that all their well-intentioned reasoning was empty. Virtue was not to be thought of at all. But the train picked up speed, and forever the heroes went in different directions.

If the Luganoviches had not left, then love, perhaps unspoken, timid, would never have ended. Anna Alekseevna would slowly grow old and cry. Alekhine's life would fade and wither. But that would be love. Now she left memories and gratitude that it happened.

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is a Russian writer of the late 19th century, a genius of short form, the author of the well-known saying “brevity is the sister of talent”, the author of many concise stories, novels and plays. One of the most popular creations of Chekhov is the cycle "Little Trilogies". The final work of this cycle is the work "About Love".

The history of this story, written by A.P. Chekhov in 1898, originates in the biography of the writer. In the image of Anna Alekseevna, with whom the main character, Alekhine, is in love, the personality of Lidia Alexandrovna Avilova, a Russian writer and memoirist, is guessed. She was introduced to Chekhov by Sergei Nikolaevich Khudyakov, the publisher of the Petersburg newspaper. At that time, as Lydia Alexandrovna herself wrote in her memoirs, she knew everything written by Chekhov by heart.

At the time of the first meeting with Chekhov, Avilova was the wife of Mikhail Fedorovich, who could not understand her passion for writing and literature. She chose her husband "as a thing" and had deep respect for him, but love was out of the question. Avilov knew about the correspondence between his wife and Anton Pavlovich, and even read some of the letters. Chekhov helped Anna Alekseevna in the publication of her works, acted as a reviewer and personal critic. Warm correspondence gave way to rare and often unexpected meetings. The whole depth of the relationship between Chekhov and Avilova is revealed by her memoirs in A. P. Chekhov in my life”, published only in 1940. The love experiences of the writer are reflected in his work. The story "About Love" is an artistic expression of a deep and irresistible feeling that Anton Pavlovich Chekhov felt for Lidia Alexandrovna Avilova.

Genre and direction

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, as already mentioned, is a master of the short literary form. His favorite genre is a capacious miniature story, which contains a deep philosophy of the author's thought. The genre feature of Chekhov's works helps in revealing the realistic method. As you know, the writer worked in line with realism. Detail - the most important element of Chekhov's story, helped the prose writer to achieve harmony between the small "story" form and deep realistic content.

The story "About Love" ends the cycle "Little Trilogy" (the title is not author's, given by the researchers), united by the through Chekhovian theme of the life of "a man in a case". The main characters are the narrators of their stories, each of them is the main one in his part of the cycle.

essence

What does this creation of Chekhov tell about? Surprisingly, the title exhaustively reflects the main line of the work - love.

The plot is based on the story of one of the heroes of the "Little Trilogy" - Pavel Konstantinovich Alekhine. Pavel studied at the university, and after the death of his father, he was forced to take over his estate in Sofyino in order to pay off his father's debts. Work on the land, with the peasants, weighed heavily on the young man, accustomed to a cultural society. Gradually, Alekhine refused luxury, which was reflected in his everyday habits. Soon the main character was promoted to justice of the peace, and at one of the courts he met the kind and ingenuous Dmitry Luganovich. At a dinner with a new friend, Alekhine met Dmitry's wife, Anna Alekseevna, who left a vivid impression of herself in the mind of a nobleman. As he communicated with a beautiful and intelligent woman, Alekhine began to understand that his love for her was by no means unrequited. At the same time, the protagonist was tormented by a sense of guilt before the Luganovich family, because both the husband and wife were very supportive of him. However, neither Anna nor Paul confessed their feelings to each other.

The feeling of the unattainability of happiness in forbidden love began to torment Anna Alekseevna as a result. She was easily irritated and even treated for a nervous breakdown. Her attitude towards Alekhine has changed. At that time, Anna's husband received a promotion to the chairman of one province, the spouses were to move. In the scene of seeing off Anna Luganovich, the denouement of this tacit romance came. In the train compartment, a tearful explanation took place between Pavel and Anna, after which they parted forever, and the main character came to the realization of missed happiness.

Composition

The compositional characteristic feature of Chekhov's narrative is considered to be the "story within a story" technique, which the creator often refers to. This technique allows the author to achieve both the objectivity of the presentation and the economy of language means.

A similar structure of composition is characteristic of many of Chekhov's works: first, they talk about a specific situation or a case from life. The mention of this situation serves as an impetus for an associative transition to the main narrative (usually a monologue) of the protagonist.
For example, the text we are analyzing begins with Paul's mention of the history of the relationship between the drunkard cook Nikolai and the beautiful Pelageya, who suffered from the first insult and beatings. A small lunch sketch flows into Alekhine's reasoning about the meaning and questions of love. This technique allows you to smoothly introduce the reader into the fabric of the work and only then begin the main narrative.

The ending serves as a frame for the artistic center of the work. The mood markers of the protagonist are skillfully woven into the literary border - the change in the weather outside the window. Alekhine began his love story when “the gray sky and trees were visible through the windows”, but at the end of the story “the rain stopped and the sun came out”, testifying to the spiritual purification of the man.

Main characters and their characteristics

The short form of the narrative involves a small number of characters. A.P. For Chekhov, two or three characters are important for the plot. Often a narrator is chosen, whose description the author's pen draws in detail.

Alekhin Pavel Konstantinovich- the protagonist. In the story "About Love" there is no detailed description of the portrait of a man. It is given by Chekhov in The Gooseberry. The author describes Pavel as a forty-year-old man, more reminiscent of an artist or scientist, rather than a representative of the landowner class. By origin, Pavel is a nobleman, but his father's debts leave him without a livelihood. "Beloruchka", not accustomed to physical labor, Pavel is weary of working on the estate. Life in Sofyino makes Alekhine forget about culture and education. One of the characteristic qualities of Paul is diligence, which helps him to become a justice of the peace in his locality. Thanks to this position, Alekhin meets Dmitry Luganovich, with whose wife he falls in love further. In general, the image of Pavel Alekhine is the image of an unfortunate and lonely landowner who cannot decide on a responsible step, because he is afraid of losing his good reputation.
Dmitry Luganovich- a good friend and friend of the protagonist, a friend of the chairman of the district court and a wealthy nobleman. At the beginning of the story, Alekhin describes his benefactor as a kind and simple-hearted person, but already in the middle he reflects on why Anna Alekseevna married such an unremarkable and boring person.
Anna Alekseevna Luganovich- Dmitry Luganovich's wife, landowner, mother of two children. The portrait of Anna Alekseevna is also given through the eyes of Alekhine. According to his description, it becomes clear that such a woman as Anna Alekseevna, he had never met before. He "immediately sensed a close being in her." The heroine, like her husband, is kind and takes care of Alekhine. Unlike Mr. Luganovich, Anna is young and smart. The feeling of Pavel Alekhine does not remain unrequited - he always saw in Anna's eyes that she was waiting for a meeting with him. Just like the main character, she did not give free rein to her feelings, fearing the loss of her position, husband, children, and, in the end, a lie that would be inconvenient for both of them.

Themes

One of the main themes of the story "About Love" is the theme of human happiness and its unattainability. Chekhov's heroes live a settled, comfortable life. The fetters of such an image, not even of life, but of existence are so strong that even such a strong feeling as love is not able to force the characters to leave their comfort zone. Both Alekhin and Anna Alekseevna experience suffering - this is evidenced by the emotional scene of their farewell, but happiness for the heroes remains forever lost.

Paul's reflections provide an answer to the question "why was happiness in love impossible for these two heroes?". They wondered too much about the right way to love, either by being in love with someone's wife, or by being married to a good and kind person and having two children. Only later does Alekhine understand that the boundless feeling that dominates him does not give in to laws, does not fit into the framework and does not tolerate numerous questions. Happiness is outside the categories of sin and virtue. Reasoning is only a hindrance to a higher feeling, but for Chekhov's characters this truth is revealed too late.

Problems

The problematics of the story "About Love" reflects the well-known Chekhov theme of "a man in a case". Revealing from an unusual side, "case" is present in the images of all the heroes of the work.

Pavel Alekhin is a nobleman who settled in his father's estate. Village life gradually changed the perspective mind and abilities of the young man. The ingrained habits also influenced the character. The protagonist, it turns out, is weak in making a fateful decision and refuses the huge responsibility that the confession of his feelings entails. It is easier for Paul to lose the woman he loves than to break the shackles of his own case.
Mr. Luganovich is also a modification of the image of a "case" person. Luganovich's "case" is manifested in the limitedness of his mind and indifferent attitude towards an intelligent society. The type of person that Luganovich personifies is not condemned or rejected by society. On the contrary, Dmitry is a successful businessman, but the lack of spiritual development contrasts with the sensuality and intelligence of his wife Anna, creating the impression of him as a person who is accustomed to go with the flow and is indifferent not only to secular society, but also to family happiness.
Anna Alekseevna also prefers a "case" existence to radical changes in the name of her own happiness. The heroine, feeling love for Pavel, does not want to sacrifice a life that is close and understandable to her, love for children, reputation, family ties ... New life, as a synonym for the unknown, frightens her, and Anna, like Alekhine, also does not have enough strength to make a decision. Painful love results in the heroine's neurosis, and she manages to covertly reproach Pavel in everyday dialogues.

Thus, in the problematics of the story “About Love”, the main theme of the “Little Trilogy” is very subtly emphasized - the problem of the “man in a case”, the main characteristics of which in this case are indecision and the lack of impulse for change to cultivate one's own happiness.

Meaning

What did Chekhov want to say with the story "About Love"? The idea of Chekhov's thought lies in exposing human weaknesses that do not allow the hero to follow the voice of his heart himself. The author shows people whose will is constrained by external circumstances, but the person himself can be strong enough to overcome generally accepted norms and sacrifice a good position in society. The main characters, on the contrary, are weak and follow generally accepted morality.

The main idea laid down by Chekhov reveals the idea of how a person can kill a high, bright feeling, following social laws. Integrity does not guarantee happiness, and happiness can seem like just a ghostly feeling of love and leave without leaving a trace. The writer, showing the representatives of the society of the late 19th century, passes judgment on the very way of the social system, which does not allow people to express their desires even in such a personal and deep feeling as love.

Conclusion

What does the work of A.P. Chekhov? A short story brings to the surface the problems of the unattainability of happiness, human weaknesses and the philosophy of love. The work is contradictory, ambiguous, as its characters are ambiguous. The duality of characters and circumstances forces the reader to reflect on the images and actions of the characters, giving them their own subjective assessment.
The author's position here remains unmarked. It can be assumed that the words of the author were put into the mouth of Alekhine, and then one can approximately judge the attitude of A.P. Chekhov to his characters. And yet, the ending of the work remains open, presenting the reader with the opportunity to draw his own conclusion.

One thing can be said with accuracy: “About Love” is a story-warning of the reader that love cannot obey any laws.

Criticism

Chekhov's contemporaries appreciated the last part of the trilogy.

A. Izmailov noted the dramatic atmosphere of the work, which is typical for Chekhov's works of the late 1890s. The critic wrote that in the work of the famous writer, a turning point begins, through which all the major literary figures of the 19th century passed - Gogol, Dostoevsky, Leskov, Tolstoy.

A. Bogdanovich described Pavel as a man without "pride, strong will and energy", who missed two wonderful opportunities in his life - the opportunity to follow his calling and be happy with his beloved woman.

A. Skabichevsky saw the reason for the failed happiness in the empty existence of the heroes. Life without a goal is the main executioner of the case man, who are Pavel Alekhine and Anna Alekseevna in the story "About Love".

The story "About Love", written by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, was first published in the journal "Russian Thought" in 1898. Earlier that year, two more stories were published in the same magazine: "The Man in the Case" and "The Gooseberry". These three stories make up a "small trilogy" in which three heroes - two hunters Pavel Konstantinovich Burkin and Ivan Ivanych Chimsha-Gimalaysky and a poor landowner Alekhin - tell each other stories from their own and other people's lives. In the story "About Love", the main character becomes the very poor landowner who told his two guests the story of his love.

Alekhin inherited not the best fate - his father owed him, but since this happened partly because a lot was spent on his son's education, Alekhin decided to pay off the debt. He had to stay to work in this huge estate and, "spin like a squirrel in a wheel, and not do science or anything else that would make his life more pleasant."

In the very first years, Alekhin was elected an honorary justice of the peace. Sometimes he had to go to the city, where he was received very cordially, and where Alekhin was very willing to get acquainted. Probably his most important and thorough acquaintance was the acquaintance with Luganovich, the chairman of the district court, as well as part-time husband at that time, “a young, beautiful, kind, intelligent, charming” woman Anna Alekseevna. Having met her, Alekhin fell in love at first sight.

Years passed. Alekhin had already become "one of his own" in the Luganovichs' house, they got used to him, and if he did not come for a long time, the husband and wife were very worried. But oddly enough, despite the love that arose even at the first meeting between Alekhin and Anna, they were silent and shy, afraid to confess to each other; despite the fact that Alekhin “felt that she was close to him, that she was his, that they couldn’t live without each other, leaving the theater, they always said goodbye and dispersed like strangers.”

Fortunately or not, sooner or later everything comes to an end. Anna Aleseevna was leaving for the Crimea, where doctors sent her. Realizing that this might be their last meeting, and they would never see each other again, Alekhin and Anna opened up to each other, but it was too late. Alekhin saw her off and "then went to his place in Sofyino on foot ..."

As in the two previous stories of the trilogy, the main theme of the story "About Love" is "case". Alekhin and Anna, having fallen in love with all their hearts purely and disinterestedly, instead of opening their feelings, being afraid, they begin to think and invent, while discarding real feelings aside. Excluding love itself, they reduce love to the level of only material problems and values, where it ceases to exist; Naked logic and stupid, rigid rationalism enter the "scene".

It was not by chance that A.P. Chekhov ended the Little Trilogy with this very story. In The Man in the Case, the protagonist dies, his environment does not change in any way, and the people who directly worked with him were even glad of his death; in "Gooseberry" the main character fulfills his dream, he is sincerely happy, but does not understand, simply does not see at what cost he got it all .... In turn, in “About Love”, the main character does not die, and realizes his mistake, besides, he is not quite old yet, and there is a so-called “ray of hope”. Alekhin's story ends with an ellipsis, and the image of a man walking on the way home, in my opinion, symbolizes a wanderer who is looking for his own path. It is not known exactly where he will come, but at least he is still going, still looking.