Anton Chekhov- The Princess
“‘I have an aversion for people?’ smiled the princess, shrugging her shoulders in astonishment. ‘I have!’”
In this passage, when the princess is accused of having an aversion for people, her natural reaction is a smile. This reaction is troubling as it demonstrates her awareness of mistreatment towards others, and furthermore, shows her smugness about it all. Her lack of sympathy and remorse for the people she has inconvenienced is nonexistent. The smallest bit of agitation that she does feel, is the result of being spoken to by a lowly commoner. The prioritization of her own feelings over everyone else’s allows for readers to grow a distaste for the protagonist. By comparing the sufferings of the princess to everyone else, Chekhov is able to emphasize the princess’s oversized ego.
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