Irresponsible Love in Anton Chekhov’s The Lady with the Dog

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Anton Chekhov’s The Lady with the Pet Dog can be said to be one of the most controversial fictions in the way it the extramarital affairs and the mystery of love that plagues the 21st century families. By the use of imaginary characters, Chekhov explores the theme of immorality and irresponsible behaviors among married couples who seek real satisfaction in secrete yet intimate relationships with other married partners. Whereas the likes of Gurov poses as the spoilt seed of the collapsing society, other innocent seekers of real satisfaction such Anna Sergeyevna find themselves confused and dancing to the same tune of marital unfaithfulness. To some extent, the book can be labeled as immoral however, if anyone understands the role of literature to be the society’s mirror then the book’s readers can be persuaded to take it as a simple reflection of the social happenings. In order to rationally judge the irresponsibility and immorality of both the book and its characters, this paper ventures into itemized analysis of the two love birds and the author’s treatment of the themes of immorality and irresponsible behavior. It would be satirical to refute the assertion that Dmitri Gurov, in Anton Chekhov’s The Lady with the Dog, behaved selfishly and irresponsibly. However, it needs more critical analysis to refute or approve whether Anna Sergeyevna’s behavior was selfish, irresponsible, or just immoral. The morality of the book itself can also be given the readers’ benefit of doubt at the onset of the story until the narrator’s point of view is given an objective and critical analysis. In support of the ongoing argument, it is necessary to note the glaring differences between author’s opinion and the characters’ point of ... ... middle of paper ... ...rting the irresponsible behaviors of his characters or he is undecided on this topic. The theme of immorality and irresponsible behavior as depicted in Chekhov’s book is such a controversial one which needs utter objectivity in its analysis. The only verdict that anyone can pass with finality is that Gurov is irresponsible to a great extent and as such he influences the behavior of his mistress. Works Cited Chan, Elaine and Jaideep Sengupta. “Observing Flattery: A Social Comparison Perspective”. Journal for consumer research, inc. 2013. Print Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich and Constance Garnett. The lady with the pet dog and other stories. London, England: Fairfield, 2005. Print. Shmoop. The Lady with the dog: Shmoop literature guide. Los Altos: Shmoop University, 2010. Print. Sleeper, C. Freeman. The Bible and the moral life. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox

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