What is the meaning of the story of the man in the case. The essay “The symbolic meaning of the image of Belyakov in the story of A

A man in a case... What a seemingly strange expression, but how accurately it reflects the human essence. When I try to imagine this image, I see a little man locked in a tight little black box. And the most interesting thing is that this little man does not try to escape from the walls surrounding him, he feels good there, cozy, calm, he is fenced off from the whole world, a terrible world that makes people suffer, suffers, confronts them with complex problems, for the solution of which it is necessary to have a certain decisiveness, prudence. Chekhov paints a man who does not need this world, he has his own, which seems better to him. Everything there is covered in a cover, covered both inside and outside. Let us remember what Belikov looked like: even “in very good weather” he “walked in galoshes and with an umbrella and certainly in a warm coat with cotton wool.” Both his umbrella and his watch were in a case, even “... his face, it seemed, was also in a case, since he kept hiding it in his raised collar.” Belikov always wore “dark glasses, a sweatshirt, stuffed his ears with cotton wool, and when he got on the cab, he ordered the top to be raised.” That is, the desire to retreat into a case made itself felt always and everywhere.

The present caused true disgust in Belikov; he “always praised the past and what never happened.” Even his profession - a teacher of the Greek language - corresponds to Belikov’s worldview: it seems to take us many centuries ago, into the distant past. What about his thinking? It, too, is all clogged and sewn up. He even hid his thoughts in a case. “Only circulars and newspaper articles were clear to him in which something was prohibited.” Why? Yes, because everything in the ban is clear, definite, and understandable. Everything is in a case, nothing is allowed! This is an ideal life in Belikov’s understanding.

But something else is scary: it would seem that you live in your own case - please, continue to live. But Belikov was not like that. He hung his chains, the chains of rules, unquestioning submission, true love for his superiors, on the entire world around him. And the most interesting thing is that he achieved his goal, oppressing everyone with incredible caution, case-like considerations, he put pressure on people, as if enveloping them in his dark cover. Belikov is against everything new, bright, constantly afraid that something might not work out, that it might not reach the authorities! Indeed, there is a feeling of congestion, even lifelessness. The case “envelops” his brain, serving as a “lightning rod,” suppressing positive emotions in the bud. This “black case” cannot withstand bright light, so away with everything, even the most innocent, but not prescribed by the circular, entertainment.

Working in a team, Belikov realizes that it is necessary to maintain relationships with colleagues, and therefore tries to show friendliness and be a good friend. This is, of course, wonderful, but how do these feelings find expression? He comes to visit someone, sits quietly in the corner and is silent, thereby, as he thinks, fulfilling the duty of a true comrade.

It is quite natural that no one loves this timid “gray mouse”, and no one expects love from him. But even in such a person some feelings awaken, even if they are very weak, one might say, “still in the very embryonic stage,” but they are there. And these feelings arise in relation to Varvara Savvishna Kovalenko, the sister of the new history and geography teacher. But even here Belikov “hides his head in the sand”: everything needs to be thought over and checked. “I like Varvara Savvishna... and I know that every person needs to get married, but... all this, you know, happened somehow suddenly... We need to think about it.” Even Belikov’s wedding must be strictly “regulated,” otherwise “you get married, and then, what good, you’ll end up in some kind of story.” It is very difficult for Belikov to make a responsible decision. He needs to prepare for a long time, get ready, and then, lo and behold, the problem will be solved by itself, everything will be quiet and calm again.

But Belikov’s reaction to these problems is very painful; behind the case, closed from the outside world, a very vulnerable person is hidden. Let us remember how the caricature affects him, what he experiences when Varya sees him falling from the stairs. These shocks break through the case, and for Belikov this is tantamount to death in the literal sense of the word. But when the Greek teacher dies, it seems as if this was the moment he lived for. “Now, when he lay in the coffin, his expression was meek, pleasant, even cheerful, as if he was glad that he was finally put in a case from which he would never come out.” Yes, Belikov will not come out, but “how many more such people are left in the case, how many more will there be!”

Perhaps there will be many more, but let’s try to think about what awaits a person who leads a case lifestyle in old age. After all, probably, at the end of life’s journey, you need the feeling that it was not in vain that you lived in this world, you need someone who would take care of you, give you, so to speak, “water to drink.” And if a person lived in a case, a case “without windows, without doors,” then what awaits him? Loneliness, I think, the reluctance of others to take any part in his fate. And loneliness is scary, even for those who are covered from head to toe.

Composition

A.P. Chekhov is one of the Russian writers who understood that money, rank, authority, power are all just external ways of enslaving the human personality. The real instrument, the all-pervading instrument, is fear.

Some kind of manic fear of life completely dominated the soul of Belikov, the central figure of Chekhov’s story “The Man in a Case,” published in 1898. Belikov is a man in a case, an absurd, insignificant creature who, however, managed to intimidate the whole city: “We, teachers, were afraid of him. And even the director was afraid. Come on, our teachers are all-thinking people, deeply decent, brought up on Turgenev and Shchedrin, but this man... held the entire gymnasium in his hands for fifteen years. What a gymnasium! The whole city!"

Among Chekhov's characters there are many influential people: generals, governors, secret councilors, millionaires. But there is only one hero who holds the whole city in his hands - “the man in the case.” The power of fear comes into contact with the dominion of nothingness. The purpose of this story by A.P. Chekhov, it seems to me, is to convey to people the essence of fear: “Under the influence of people like Belikov, over the last ten to fifteen years in our city people have become afraid of everything. They are afraid to speak loudly, send letters, make new acquaintances, read books, they are afraid to help the poor, teach them to read and write.”

The revelation of Belikov's image is facilitated by a compositional technique that Chekhov often resorted to in his work - a story within a story. The hunters who settled down for the night in the barn of the elder Prokofy told different stories. One of them, by the name of Burkin, told about a resident of his city, a Greek language teacher, Belikov. What was remarkable about this man? Only by the fact that “even in very good weather he went out in galoshes and with an umbrella and certainly in a warm coat with cotton wool.” In addition, “his umbrella was in a case, and his watch was in a gray suede case, and when he took out a penknife to sharpen a pencil, he also had a knife in a case.” His face also seemed to be in a cover, since he kept hiding it in his raised collar.

Belikov, according to the narrator, wore dark glasses, a sweatshirt, stuffed his ears with cotton wool, and when he got on the cab, he ordered the top to be raised. Whether this is a quirk or Belikov’s way of life, Burkin does not explain. However, he notes that this man had a constant desire to “surround himself with a shell, to create for himself, so to speak, a case,” which supposedly protected him from the outside world and secluded him.

Belikov lived in constant anxiety, fearing the irritants of reality. Belikov praised the past, expressing disgust for the present, and the ancient languages ​​that he taught were the same umbrella and galoshes where he hid from real life. And this strange man struck fear into everyone. Those around him seemed to feel that Belikov was hiding his thoughts in a case: “Only circulars and newspaper articles in which something was prohibited were clear to him.” If, for example, the circular forbade students from going out after nine o'clock, for him this was clear and definite. Belikov always doubted the resolution of anything and was afraid “that something might not work out.”

The furnishings of his home added to his appearance and way of thinking. Belikov's bedroom was small, like a box, the bed had a curtain. When going to bed, the hero covered his head. But this could not protect Belikov from the fears that haunted him; he was always afraid of everything.

One day, the director of the gymnasium had the idea to marry Belikov and the sister of the new geography and history teacher Kovalenko, who, however, hated Belikov at first sight. Kovalenko could not understand how people tolerate this fiscal, “this vile face.” And this “vile face” also blamed the young man: he wears an embroidered shirt, is always on the street with some books, and then he also got a bicycle. Belikov's threats to report this entire conversation to the director brought Mikhail Savvich out of balance. Kovalenko grabbed him “by the collar from behind and shoved him.” And when Belikov fell down the stairs, he saw that just at that moment Varenka (the same sister) entered with two ladies. He became a laughing stock - it was better to “break his neck, both legs.”

Varenka, recognizing Belikov, could not contain her laughter: “... with this rolling, pouring “ha-ha-ha” it all ended.” Belikov became very ill and died a month later. As if his whole life, the weather on the day of the funeral was cloudy. And the hero, as in life, was in a case, which now became his coffin. The people who buried Belikov hid their pleasure that they were freed from the vigilant supervision of this man.

Concluding his story, Burkin expresses a deeply philosophical thought: “Isn’t the fact that we live in a city in a stuffy, cramped environment, writing unnecessary papers, playing vint - a case?” Case life is just existence. And Chekhov in his work always advocated a full life.

With the story “The Man in a Case,” the author wanted to say that fear of reality can imprison a person in a case he himself created. Moreover, the “case” has a clearly socio-political overtones: here Chekhov gives a brief, precise, satirical, and sometimes grotesque, characterization of the life of the entire Russian intelligentsia and Russia in general during the just-ended reign of Alexander III.

Other works on this work

The theme of the “case man” can rightfully be considered a cross-cutting theme in Chekhov’s work. The writer takes the first step in revealing this topic in his early work “The Literature Teacher,” but in 1898 three stories appeared, the so-called “Little Trilogy,” which can be combined into a cycle based on their common themes.
The author gives the most grotesque picture of “case” life in the first story of the trilogy, where the theme is already stated in the title. Chekhov draws a clearly exaggerated image, which is an artistic generalization of the social phenomenon of that time. So, Belikov appears before us - a man with a very interesting and even “remarkable” character and habits: “in very good weather” he “went out in galoshes and with an umbrella and certainly in a warm coat with cotton wool. And he had an umbrella in a case, and a watch in a gray suede case, and when he took out a penknife to sharpen a pencil, his knife was also in a case; and his face, it seemed, was also in a case, since he kept hiding it in the raised collar.” It is no coincidence that the author pays special attention to the portrait of the hero. He strives, with the help of characteristics of Belikov’s everyday life and costume, to reveal his soul, inner world, to show his true face.
So, already from the portrait description we see that the Greek teacher has completely fenced himself off from living life, tightly locked himself in his “case” little world, which seems to him better than the real thing. The case “envelops” the brain, controls the hero’s thoughts, suppressing positive principles. Thus, he is deprived of everything human, living, and turns into a mechanical machine of rules and circulars.
But the worst thing is that he imposes these rules and prejudices on the entire world around him, in which all goals are set and achieved only out of necessity. Oppressing everyone with his caution, Belikov puts pressure on people, makes them afraid: “Our teachers are all-thinking people, deeply decent, brought up on Turgenev and Shchedrin, but this little man, who always walked in galoshes and with an umbrella, held the entire gymnasium in his hands for fifteen years. years! What about high school? The whole city!" Developing Chekhov's thought, we understand that the “case” is a generalized image of all of Russia with its state regime. The image of Mavra brings a new twist to the understanding of the problem. The darkness and ignorance of people among the people is also a “case” that covers all major aspects of life.
But the trends of a new time are penetrating the city. Independent, free individuals appear (Kovalenko, his sister), revealing with merciless force the “suffocating atmosphere” of such a life. They find the key to solving the problem, which is contained in the main phrase of the work: “No, it’s impossible to live like this anymore!” Indeed, with the arrival of such people, Belikov’s dominance ends. He is dying. But one gets the impression that this is exactly what the hero lived for; he finally achieved his ideal: “Now, when he was lying in the coffin, his expression was meek, pleasant, even cheerful, as if he was glad that he was finally put in a case , from which he will never come out.” Yes, Belikov died, but “how many more such people are left in the case, how many more will there be!” During the funeral, the weather was rainy and all the teachers at the gymnasium “were wearing galoshes and umbrellas,” as if continuing the traditions of the deceased.
What awaits people who lead a “case” lifestyle? Of course, inevitable loneliness, worse than which there is nothing in the world.
But what helped the author create such an original grotesque image that the reader remembers for a long time? Of course, these are various artistic means of expression.
Taking an interest in the hero's everyday life and costume, the writer gives a complete, detailed description of his nature, and draws an accurate portrait of his soul. For such a description, Chekhov uses complex syntactic constructions with a large number of homogeneous members that expand the panorama of reality.
The phonetic composition of the work is striking in its diversity. But we note that the sound “o” (assonance) is often found, which also conveys the isolation of the hero’s life, going in a circle, his distance from the world.
Many Belikov household items are symbolic in nature. Thus, a case, glasses, galoshes and an umbrella are indispensable attributes of a “case” human existence. It is no coincidence that the story begins and ends with their mention.
The lexical composition of the story also surprises us with its richness. It contains both commonly used and outdated words (“cabman”, “sweatshirt”, “batman”, etc.) that convey the atmosphere of the era.
I would like to note that in the most important, key phrase of the work there is an inversion: “It is impossible to live like this anymore.” It seems to attract the reader’s attention to these words, making them think about their deep meaning.
Chekhov's language is particularly lively, emotional and at the same time simple, which makes his stories accessible and understandable.
The subtleties of the author's craftsmanship amaze us even at the first reading of the story; the true intention of his works is revealed to us.
It seems to me that the problem that Chekhov touches on in the story “The Man in a Case” will always remain relevant. The writer warns about the dangers of philistinism and everyday vulgarity. Unbeknownst to yourself, everyone can fall into the “case” of their own prejudices, ceasing to think and reflect, search and doubt. And this is really scary, as it leads to spiritual devastation and personality degradation.

Man in a case

Man in a case
Title of the story (1898) by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904).
The main character is the provincial teacher Belikov, who is afraid of any innovations, actions not permitted by the “boss,” as well as reality in general. Hence his favorite expression: “No matter what happens...” And, as the author writes, Belikov “had a constant and irresistible desire to surround himself with a shell, to create for himself, so to speak, a case that would seclude him, protect him from external influences."
The author himself began to use this expression as a common noun. In a letter to his sister M.P. Chekhova, he wrote (November 19, 1899): “The November winds are blowing furiously, whistling, tearing roofs. I sleep in a hat, in shoes, under two blankets, with the shutters closed - a man in a case.”
Playfully and ironically: a timid person, afraid of bad weather, drafts, and unpleasant external influences.

Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”. Vadim Serov. 2003.

Man in a case

This is the name for a person who is afraid of all innovations, drastic measures, very timid, like the teacher Belikov, depicted in the story by A.P. Chekhov's "Man in a Case" (1898). Belikov “he was remarkable in that he always, even in very good weather, went out in galoshes and with an umbrella and certainly in a warm coat with cotton wool... When a drama club, or a reading room, or a tea house was allowed in the city, he shook his head and spoke quietly : “It is, of course, so and so, all this is wonderful, but no matter what happens” It is interesting to note that the expression “man in a case” was jokingly used by Chekhov himself; in a letter to M.P. Chekhova dated November 19, 1899, he wrote: “The November winds blow furiously, whistle, tear the roofs. I sleep in a hat, in shoes, under two blankets, with the shutters closed - a man in a case.”.

Dictionary of catch words. Plutex. 2004.

See what “Man in a Case” is in other dictionaries:

CASE. MAN IN A CASE. In Chekhov’s story “The Man in a Case”: “This man had a constant and irresistible desire to surround himself with a shell, to create for himself, so to speak, a case that would seclude him, protect him from external... ... History of words

- “MAN IN A CASE”, USSR, SOVIET BELARUS, 1939, b/w, 84 min. Drama. Based on the story of the same name by A.P. Chekhov. Cast: Nikolai Khmelev (see KHMELEV Nikolay Pavlovich), Mikhail Zharov (see ZHAROV Mikhail Ivanovich), Olga Androvskaya (see ANDROVSKAYA Olga... ... Encyclopedia of Cinema

This term has other meanings, see Man in a Case (meanings). Man in a Case (true incident) ... Wikipedia

Man in a case- Iron. (A person) living by his own narrow interests; isolated from people, from life; inert and closed. You are a man in a case, a cardboard soul, a folder for affairs! (B. Lavrenev. A story about a simple thing). He reminds her of something like Chekhov’s man in... ... Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Literary Language

Man in a case- wing. sl. This is the name given to a person who is afraid of all innovations, drastic measures, very timid, like the teacher Belikov, depicted in A.P. Chekhov’s story “The Man in a Case” (1898). Belikov “was remarkable in that he always, even in very good times... ... Universal additional practical explanatory dictionary by I. Mostitsky

Razg. Disapproved About a person who is isolated in a circle of narrow philistine, petty-bourgeois interests, has isolated himself from real life, is afraid of innovations and changes. /i> Based on the title of the story by A. P. Chekhov (1898). BMS 1998, 619; BTS, 1470; FM 2002, 609; ... Large dictionary of Russian sayings

man in a case- about someone who has closed himself in a circle of narrow, bourgeois interests, has isolated himself from real life, is afraid of innovations and changes. The expression goes back to the story of the same name by A.P. Chekhov. The main character of this work is Belikov, a teacher of ancient languages,... ... Phraseology Guide

man in a case- About someone who is isolated in a circle of narrow, philistine interests, afraid of any innovations From the title of the story by A.P. Chekhov... Dictionary of many expressions

"Man in a Case"- A MAN IN A CASE story by A.P. Chekhov (1898), ch. The hero is afraid of life and tries to hide from it in a case, a shell of regulations and stereotypes... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary

This term has other meanings, see Man in a Case. Man in a Case ... Wikipedia

Books

• Man in a Case, A.P. Chekhov. The hero of the story “The Man in a Case” is Belikov, a high school Greek language teacher. His main fear is “that something might not work out.” With the arrival of a new teacher, Mikhail, in the city...

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is the author of many innovative works, where the reader sees not only subtle satire, but also a detailed description of the human soul. When you get acquainted with his work, it begins to seem that he is not only a prose writer, but also a very gifted psychologist.

"The Man in the Case" is one of three stories in the "Little Trilogy" series, which the author worked on for about two months in 1898. It also includes the stories “Gooseberry” and “About Love”, which Anton Pavlovich wrote in Melikhovka, where he lived with his family. He barely managed to finish working on them, because he was already suffering from tuberculosis and wrote less and less.

It is impossible to be sure that Chekhov wrote about a specific person; most likely, the central image of “The Man in a Case” is a collective one. The writer's contemporaries put forward several candidates who could serve as prototypes for Belikov, but all of them had only a slight resemblance to the hero.

Genre, conflict and composition

It is quite easy for the reader to get acquainted with the work, because it is written in simple language, which, nevertheless, is capable of causing a huge number of impressions. Style is expressed in compositions: the text is divided into small semantic fragments, focusing attention on the most important thing.

In the story we see conflict between two heroes. The author contrasts Kovalenko (life-affirming, active position, positive thinking) and Belikov (passive and lifeless vegetation, internal slavery), which helps him to further reveal the problem posed. The case becomes an artistic detail that describes the entire essence and meaning of the work and shows the inner world of the hero.

Literary genre- a story that is part of a “small trilogy” of three separate stories, but combined with one idea. “The Man in the Case” is written with an obvious satirical overtones; with this technique the writer ridicules the very essence of the “little man” who is simply afraid to live.

Meaning of the name

In his story, Chekhov warns us that absolutely any person, without wanting to, can imprison himself in a “case,” which is where the name came from. A case is understood as a fixation on an unwritten set of rules and restrictions with which people constrain themselves. Dependence on conventions turns into a disease for them and prevents them from getting closer to society.

The secluded world of prohibitions and barriers seems much better to the inhabitants of the cases; they surround themselves with a kind of shell so that the influence of the outside world does not touch them in any way. However, living locked up with your own routines and attitudes is cramped; another person will not fit there. It turns out that a resident of a stuffy, clogged corner is doomed to loneliness, so the title of the story is fundamentally given in the singular.

Main characters

1. The main character of the story is Belikov- Greek language teacher at the gymnasium. He sets certain rules in his life, and most of all he is afraid that something will not go as planned. Belikov, even in the clearest and warmest weather, is dressed in galoshes and a warm coat with a raised collar; he hides his face behind dark glasses and a hat in order to protect himself as best as possible from the influence of the environment: not only natural, but also social. He is frightened by modern reality and irritated by everything that happens around him, which is why the teacher puts on a kind of case both externally and internally.
2. Mikhail Kovalenko is a new history and geography teacher who comes to work at the gymnasium with his sister. Mikhail is a young, sociable and cheerful man of tall stature, a great lover of laughing and even laughing heartily.
3. His sister Varenka- a 30-year-old woman, very cheerful and happy, loves to have fun, sing and dance. The heroine shows interest in Belikov, who, in turn, devotes time to her and agrees to go for walks in order to discuss the fact that marriage is too serious a thing. The woman still does not lose hope of stirring up her gentleman, which reveals in her such qualities as perseverance and determination.

Themes

1. The main theme of Chekhov's story is closed and isolated human life who is shy of the surrounding world and shuns any manifestation of feeling. He hides his eyes from the people around him, constantly carries all his things in a case, be it a small knife designed for sharpening a pencil, or an ordinary umbrella, which is so convenient to hide his face. Many spiritual values ​​were strange to the main character, and emotions were incomprehensible. This expresses his limitations, which poison his existence.
2. Love theme in the story it is revealed in Varenka’s attitude towards Belikov. The girl is trying to interest the hero and return him to a full life. She believes to the last that he can still change for the better. But he also closes himself off from her, because the prospect of marriage and his colleagues’ obsessive conversations about their marriage begin to frighten him.
3. Chekhov explains to the reader that the worst thing that can happen to a person is indifference to life. Belikov became so withdrawn into himself that he stopped distinguishing the colors of the world, enjoying communication, and striving for something. He no longer cares what happens outside his case, as long as numerous decencies are observed.
4. The man in the case is a collective image of timid people who are afraid of their own feelings and emotions. They abstract themselves from the world around them and withdraw into themselves. That's why theme of loneliness is also important in the story of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.

Main problems

1. Conservative. The author realizes with horror and pity that some of his contemporaries create a shell for themselves in which they perish morally and spiritually. They exist in the world, but do not live. People go with the flow, moreover, they cannot even allow fate to intervene and change something for the better. This fear of new events and changes makes people passive, inconspicuous and unhappy. Due to the abundance of such conservatives in society, stagnation forms, through which it is difficult for young shoots capable of developing and developing the country to break through.
2. The problem of the meaninglessness of life. Why did Belikov live on earth? He never made anyone happy, not even himself. The hero trembles over his every action and constantly echoes: “No matter what happens.” Bypassing fictitious sorrows and suffering, he misses happiness itself, thus, its price of psychological comfort is too high, since it destroys the very essence of people’s existence.
3. It appears before the reader the problem of happiness, more precisely, the problem of its achievement, essence and price. The hero replaces him with peace, but, on the other hand, he himself has the right to determine what is the highest value for him.
4. The problem of fear of love. The people who surround him are just as unhappy, they find themselves on the other side of a fictional case, Belikov simply cannot open up and let someone closer. The hero was never able to develop his feelings for the girl he liked, he was simply afraid of them and was left with nothing.
5. The Problem of Sociopathy. The teacher is afraid of society, despises it, isolates himself, not allowing any of the people around him to help himself. They would be happy, but he himself does not allow this.

the main idea

Chekhov was not only a doctor by training, but also a healer of souls by vocation. He realized that spiritual illness is sometimes more dangerous than physical illness. The idea of ​​the story “The Man in a Case” is a protest against lonely, closed vegetation under a shell. The author puts into the work the idea that the case must be mercilessly burned in order to feel freedom and approach life with ease.
Otherwise, the fate of a closed person may be disastrous. So, in the finale, the main character dies alone, leaving no grateful descendants, no followers, no achievements. The writer shows us how the earthly path of a “case” person can end in vain. Colleagues and acquaintances who attend his funeral are mentally happy that they have finally said goodbye to Belikov and his importunity.

Anton Pavlovich puts socio-political implications into his work, emphasizing the importance of social activity and civic initiative. He advocates a rich and fulfilling life, endows the main character with repulsive character traits in order to prove to people how pathetic and pathetic the inhabitant of the “case” looks, wasting himself.

Thus, Chekhov describes the lot of many clerks who lived sadly in a stuffy city, sorting out pieces of paper that no one needed. He ironically plays with the type of “little man,” breaking the literary tradition of depicting him in idyllic tones. His author's position is not contemplative or sentimental, but active, not tolerating compromises. The inhabitants of the case should not savor their insignificance and wait for pity, they need to change and squeeze out a slave.

What does the author teach?

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov makes us think about our own lives and ask an interesting question: “Aren’t we building for ourselves the same case that the main character Belikov had?” The author literally teaches us to live, showing by example how a personality that grovels before conventions and stereotypes can fade and disappear. Chekhov was really able to instill in people a disgust for a gray, worthless life, to show that inaction and indifference are the worst things that can happen to us.

The fear of discoveries and accomplishments destroys a person’s personality; he becomes pitiful and helpless, unable to show even the simplest feelings. The writer believes that human nature is much richer and more capable than what fear and laziness turn it into. Happiness, according to Chekhov, lies in a fulfilling life, where there is a place for strong emotions, interesting communication and individuality.

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