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| Chekhov as a young man. |
Anton Chekhov’s stories are rich, compelling, and highly
detailed. Chekhov is an early practitioner of minimalist writing. Instead of
telling the reader how to feel and where to find meaning, Chekhov lets his work
suggest a number of different readings depending on the reader. He accomplishes
this through a measured use of language that captures immense detail in few
words. Re-reading Chekhov is important because it allows one to find those
details that stick out and assign meaning to them.
“Gooseberries”
raises several questions about how to achieve satisfaction and happiness in
life. The story opens with two men, Ivan Ivanych and Burkin, walking on a
seemingly endless plain. Without any context for this situation, the reader
must conjure up their own reasons as to why the two men are together. While the
sky is overcast and both men are tired, they are “filled with love” for nature
and its beauty. The connection between man and nature is a theme that appears
multiple times in “Gooseberries”. The men grow increasingly dirty and wet until
they seek shelter at their friend Alyohin’s farm. Alyohin seems excited to
greet his friends and offers them fresh clothes and a place to stay the night.
After
taking a pleasant dip in the river, Ivan Ivanych tells a story about his
younger brother Nikolay, who dreams of having his own land in the country.
Nikolay works a government job for years until he saves enough money to buy a
three-hundred acre plot in the countryside. Rural living is a fantasy for
Nikolay that results from his childhood spent in a idyllic peasant family. Ivan
Ivanych says bluntly that his brother was unhappy working in the city for
years. Nikolay’s farm fantasy fuels his motivation to keep working because
eventually he can retire to the peaceful countryside. When this finally
happens, Nikolay is still unsatisfied in life. He’s offended when the local
villagers don’t refer to him as “your honor” and his ego and body inflate
immensely. Despite having reached his goal, Nikolay can not escape the dissatisfied
feeling that accompanied him in the city. The formerly soft-spoken Nikolay now
has grandiose opinions about societal issues and carries himself in a
boisterous manner.
The
unhappiness of Nikolay contrasts with the chill vibe of his brother Ivan
Ivanych, who finds pleasure wherever he can get it. Nothing suggests Ivan is a
bad person. His concept of happiness involves the truth and accepting the
things he can’t control. Yet Ivan also laments his current predicament: “I can
only grieve inwardly, get irritated, worked up, and at night my head is ablaze
with the rush of ideas and I cannot sleep. Oh, if I were young!”. Even Ivan
Ivanych has his moments of despair.
Chekhov’s
“Gooseberries” is an interesting portrait of a particular moment in the lives
of three ultra-realistic men. I hope to return to this story in the future so I
can hopefully find more ambiguities in this rich story.
