Misery/ To Whom Shall I Tell My Grief? by Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov

          Anton Chekhov was born on January 29, 1860, in Taganrog, Russia. Through stories such as "The Steppe" and "The Lady with the Dog," and plays such as The Seagulland Uncle Vanya, the prolific writer emphasized the depths of human nature, the hidden significance of everyday events and the fine line between comedy and tragedy. Chekhov died of tuberculosis on July 15, 1904, in Badenweiler, Germany.

Source: https://www.biography.com/people/anton-chekhov-9245947

Vocabulary
mare- an adult female horse.
hunchbacked- having a back deformed by a sharp forward angle that forms a hump.
kopecks- a monetary unit of Russia and some other countries of the former Soviet Union, equal to one hundredth of a rouble.
epithets- an adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute regarded as characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

Characters
Iona Potapov- main character of the story, a sleigh driver who recently lost his son and wife.
Military Officer- a busy man who rode the sleigh of Iona. He was disinterested with Iona's story.
Three Young Men (One hunchbacked)- (I referred to them collectively since they were similar) They rode Iona's sleigh after attending a party. The hunchbacked one made fun of Iona's clothes and cursed at him.
Young Man- he drank with Iona in the yard.
Mare - Iona's horse.

Setting
The story was set in a twilight evening, somewhere in Russia.

PLOT
Exposition
       Iona was introduced as a sleigh driver who was waiting all day for someone to ride. The mare also appeared in here.

Rising Action
       Iona found customers, his first customer being a military officer, who didn't show compassion or interest when Iona tried to talk about his troubles, and was set on reaching his destination as fast as he can. Saddened by this encounter, Iona waits for another customer.

Climax
       Iona had his second set of customers, three young men who came from a party. The hunchbacked one ridiculed Iona's set of clothes, which Iona responded to positively. They then proceeded to throw curses at him. He tried to tell the story of his son who died, but the hunchbacked one responded that all shall die someday, not showing any sympathy. More of Iona's story was revealed, as he stated that his wife also died. They then rushed him, without trying to listen to Iona's story.

Falling Action
        Returning to the yard, Iona found a young man, to whom he offered a drink. He tried to tell his story to the young man, yet the young man fell asleep. He then tried to recall all of the events that occurred in his life.

Conclusion

         He then took care of his mare. Desperately wanting to tell his grief to someone, he then told his story to the mare, who stayed with him as he told his story.

Symbolism

         I believe that this story represents the current state of our society, where society turns a blind eye to what happens to unfortunate people. They show no compassion for those who are less fortunate, while they indulge in pleasure. Iona was ignored too much, only having a mare to listen to his stories.

         The night and the snow may represent Iona's sadness. He was truly in the dark moments of his life. His wife and son died, and he doesn't have anyone to share the burden to.

Theme

          I believe that the story's theme is "despair and sorrow". His story was filled with sadness and grief. He cannot even share his story to someone. In this story, he was only kept company by a horse, but aside from that horse, he was alone.

Moral

         Do not turn a blind eye to those who suffer.
         Have compassion for the less fortunate.
         Ignore your status in society and help those who are in need.