“The Lady with the Dog”, also referred to as “The Lady with the Little Dog”, is a short story written by Anton Chekhov. It follows the lives of a middle-aged Russian banker, and a young lady he meets while on holiday in Yalta. It is one of the most successful works by Chekhov, and has been translated to many languages. The story has two main characters; Dmitri Gurov (the banker), and Anna Sergeyevna (the young lady). In the first part of the story, the two meet in Yalta. In part II, they consummate their affair, and remain on vacation in Yalta. Gurov returns to Moscow in part III, and visits Anna’s town. The final section of the story, part IV, Anna visits Moscow.
Plot
Readers are introduced to banker Dimitri Gurov, a married man from Moscow taking a vacation in the resort town of Yalta. He meets and courts a young married lady, Anna Sergryevna, who is also on vacation in Yalta. Gurov is successful at seducing Anna, and she regularly visits him in Moscow over the subsequent months. Anna resides in a provincial town with her husband who is described in the story as a government official.
The story is separated into four parts, each skilfully dramatizing a distinct phase of the affair between Gurov and Anna. The first part introduces the characters, and their meeting in Yalta.
In part 2, their affair becomes more intimate. They are walking on the pier in one instance, and later retreat at their hotel room. Anna exhibits remorse over her infidelity, Gurov does not show such penitence. Girov’s mood in the story alternates steadily between cynicism and euphony. He does observe Anna’s shame and regret as genuine, and react sympathetically. When Anna travels back home to the provincial town, both lovers assume that their affair has ended.
Gurov returns to his busy life in Moscow in part III. His brief affair with Anna had ended, and expects to forget about it after some time. However, he discovers that he has fallen in love with her. The narrator describes Gurov as “clipped and wingless (41)”. He decides to visit Anna’s town in the hope of a reunion. He does not succeed in accessing her house. The author uses Anna’s provincial town to symbolize sadness, and difficulty between the two lovers: the fence around Anna’s house, a grey carpet at the hotel, grey covers on the bed, and a grey desk with dust.
Gurov succeeds in finding Anna in a local theatre. Chekhov introduces dramatic tension during the reunion. Gurov is bolder now, and uses the opportunity to lure Anna back to Moscow; which she does in the final part of the story.
Analysis
The story is one of the most successful works by the author. It has gained global recognition for its style, and technique. One of the notable aspects to the work is that the author elaborately defines the feelings of the characters. He is able to vividly convey emotional complexities to the readers. A fitting illustration of this is when Gurov visits Anna’s town and sees her in the theatre;
“She, this little woman, in no way remarkable, lost in a provincial crowd, with a vulgar lornette in her hand, filled his whole life now, was his sorrow and his joy … He thought and dreamed (43).”
Chekhov engages the readers in dramatic tension through this passage; and many others throughout the story.
He introduces color to denote the changing mood, and feelings of the characters from being elated to being muted. For instance, it is possible to tell the age of Gurov from the description of grey hair, and suits he wears. In the same passage, the sea in the resort town of Yalta is described as “soft warm lilac hue, with a golden streak (33)”. The same tone is used to describe the city of Yalta; “a place of color”.
Chekhov presents an implicit belief that the characters in the story only exist in his narrative plot. They exhibit apparent disregard of their past disappointment and future hopes, and concentrate on their present desires. The author separates the real world from the fantasy portrayed in the story. There is no obvious progression to the plot, the author incorporates a lot of open ended passages to most parts of the story; leaving the reader in doubt of what might have occurred outside what is inscribed. It is also not clear what is likely to happen to the character in the subsequent parts.
There is little focus on other character other than the two lovers. A lot of what might have happened before their affair, and after it is vague. Gurov can be viewed as a middle-aged man, and the protagonist in the story. He is unhappy with his marriage, and is described to be adulterous in many instances. One of those is with Anna. It is not obvious that the author views Gurov’s misdemeanors as iniquitous since he is also portrayed as a man searching for conviction. This is one of the instances that exemplifies the ambiguity that riddle the entire story.
Anna is one of the clarities in Gurov’s life; she rekindles his interest for life and he becomes an entirely new character. After meeting her in Yalta, he comes to dislike Moscow and view his home city as endlessly dreary. He starts to show interest in women, but not in an obvious manner. His view of the “lower race (1)” is not straightforward. Even at the end, the narrator leaves an open-ended conclusion. Gurov is portrayed as having a double-personality; “one open, seen and known by all who cared to know” and another “running its course in secret (45).”
Themes
There are a number of themes in the story.
Love
One of the most obvious themes in the story is love; it would appear that love is involuntary. The two main characters become victims of it, and for most part lose control of their actions. Some of these times are improper-such as the scene at the theatre. Gurov, as the protagonist, embodies the influence of love on the story; if fundamentally changes him. His character and mindset is completely changed throughout the story. As a reader, love in the story causes infidelity. However, the author also introduces the aspect that love can overcome all the inconvenience, difficulties, and pain. For the two main characters, love represents new beginnings.
Dissatisfaction
The plot is riddled with dissatisfaction. This theme is utilized in the story as a big factor for action. It is evident in marriages, work, family, and life. The two main characters start an affair because they are both dissatisfied with their lives. It is not obvious that the affair will solve their discontent, but they both appear to be willing to take the chance. In one instance, Anna expresses remorse over her actions. It presents the view that the affair does not entirely satisfy their discontent. Rather, it presents other concerns. For Gurov, love is the outcome.
Isolation
A closely related theme to that of dissatisfaction is that of isolation. However, there are many forms of isolation highlighted in the story. One is linked to love. The two lovers feel isolated from the rest of the busy world when they are together. However, the two are also separated from each other by distance; Gurov lives in Moscow while Anna lives in a provincial town. Another prevalent form of isolation is that of an individual from the rest of the population. Each of the characters appears to be lost in their own world; an isolation that leads them to meet. In the final stages of the story, the author presents the view that everyone is isolated from all other men.
Reputation
The affair between Gurov, and Anna has to be kept secret; it is important not to ruin one’s reputation. When the author describes the reunion of the two in the theatre, he expresses their disregard of the other people watching them as they embrace. This is likely as a result of the love they feel for each other. However, it also highlights their concern about other people. The relationship has been kept a secret all through the plot with the view of keeping a desirable reputation.
Determinism/Free will
The theme of fate/free will is closely integrated into the short story. The meeting of the two character on vacation in Yalta can be viewed as a coincidence. However, they are both in unhappy marriages, and are able to instantly kick things off. There is an intimation that the affair is made possible by the unlikely coincidence. It is not apparent whether their meeting was a result of fate, or that of free will.
Literary Tools
Anton Chekhov has incorporated various literary devices in the story.
Symbolism
Just opposite the house stretched a long grey fence adorned with nails. […] “One would run away from a fence like that,” thought Gurov, looking from the fence to the windows of the house and back again. […] He walked up and down, and loathed the grey fence more and more, and by now he thought irritably that Anna Sergeyevna had forgotten him (41)
The fence around Anna’s house is used to symbolize the nature of their affair. They both feel confined to a life they would like to overcome. The fence keeps Anna on the inside, while Gurov is intimidated by it.
Genre
The story can be categorized in a romantic genre. For most part, the author defines the affair between the two. Although symbolism is used in the story, it is done conservatively. Rather, the plot is presented in a very straightforward manner. The author is keen to emphasize and describe the feelings of the main characters. The ending, despite its ambiguity, also adopts a realism tone.
Tone
Although the story is about two married people having an affair, the narrator does not adopt a moral tone. Rather, the narrator prefers to be objective. The story narrates the alteration in mood, and feelings of the main characters. Both Gurov, and Anna are adulterous and do not appear to be very keen on moral conduct; neither is the narrator. When Gurov meets Anna at the theatre, the narrator dramatizes the scene by concentrating on the mood and feelings of the two. Anna’s husband is also in the theatre, but little attention is paid on him. The tone employed in the story is devoid of condemnation.
Writing Style
The narrator uses minimal words to present complex situations. It can also be viewed as a way to leave open-ended scenes where the reader has to guess what might have transpired. In truth, the short story does not include a lot of information about the setting and other characters. It is for most part a depiction of the romance genre; feelings, desires, and convictions. Other information such as the names of other characters other than the two main characters is not included; it is not the goal of the story. It is very brief on important issues. It is one of the ways the story manages to captivate its readers.
Narrator
Although the plot mainly follows the adventures of the two lovers, the narrator has absolute omniscience. The thoughts of each character are elaborately presented. The setting in each part is also vividly detailed. It is not clear what the narrator’s part in the story is.