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“Gooseberries”
p. 202
(First published in 1898)
By
Anton Chekhov
(1860-1904)
Anton Chekhov
http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/chekhovbio.html#PersonalInformation

Born in Taganrog,
Russia

Considered to be
the father of the
modern short story
and play

Took a medical
degree from
Moscow University
Anton Chekhov
"All I wanted was to say
honestly to people: 'Have a
look at yourselves and see how
bad and dreary your lives are!'
The important thing is that
people should realize that, for
when they do, they will most
certainly create another and
better life for themselves. . .
I will not live to see it, but I know
that it will be quite different, quite
unlike our present life. And so long
as this different life does not exist, I
shall go on saying to people again
and again: 'Please, understand that
your life is bad and dreary!'"
—Anton Chekhov
Types of Conflict in
“Gooseberries”

Person vs.
environment
– social
—and natural
Movement

Identify the moves:
– Exposition
 Walking through the fields of Russia
– Complication
 Rain and seeking shelter
– Climax
 The story within the story
– Denouement
 Falling asleep in clean sheets with rain
Physical Setting

Fields of Russia outside a village
– Natural setting—both friendly and hostile
– Beautiful and inspiring until rain begins
– Technology (man-made) is in background
 Train
 Telegraph wires

Alehin’s house
–
–
–
–
–
Man-made
Big, two stories
Warm
Carpeted
Pictures of officers and ladies on the wall



Protagonists = Ivan
Ivanovitch and Burkin
Ivan
– Veterinary surgeon
– Developing character
– Epiphany is swimming
in the millpond and the
decision to tell the
story
Burkin
– Begins to change as a result
of Ivan’s influence
– His awareness is raised
Antagonists =Alehin and
Nikolay
 Alehin remains unmoved
by Ivan’s story
 Nikolay Ivanovitch

– Longs for the country
– Gentle and good-natured in
beginning
– Fat and in denial at the end
– Wealthy landowner
– Static
Characters span two stories

First plot
– Ivan Ivanovitch
– Burkin—a high
school teacher
– Alehin—landowner
with whom Burkin
and Ivan take
shelter
 Doesn’t wash much
– Pelagea—Alehin’s
beautiful maid

Second plot
– Ivan Ivanovitch
– Nikolay Ivanovitch
 Ivan’s younger
brother
– Nikolay’s fat cook

Title
– Highlights the story’s central symbol
– What clues does this give to the author’s
intent and emphasis?

Point of View
– Plot 1=Omniscient point of view
– Plot 2=Third person limited
 From Ivan Ivanovitch’s perspective
 Find evidence
– Why are these the most effective choices?
Water

Rain
 Causes wetness,
messiness,
discomfort
 Reminder of
suffering

Watermill (p. 203)
 Symbol of
success
 Drowns out rain
 Cold and
malignant water

Bathhouse
– Brown water

Millpond
– Ivan swims in the
pond in the rain

What does water
symbolize for
Chekhov?
Other Symbols

Gooseberries
– The realization of a
dream of wealth
– Bitter and unripe
– Savoured in spite of
this

Fatness
– Dog
– Cook
– Nikolay

All aspects of the
setting
–
–
–
–
–
Warmth of house
Brown water
Beautiful maid
Bad smell of pipe
Hammering of rain
Doing good is more important
than being happy.
– “Without that silence [of the
suffering], happiness would be
impossible.” (p. 209)

Is artistic unity achieved?