The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekhov is a story about two separate, married lovers, Dmitri and Anna, having an affair with each at a resort town called Yalta. During their first encounters together, Dmitri and Anna are passionately attached by the hip. But, their affair doesn’t last because of Anna’s insecurities and jealousy for Dmitri and Dmitri’s inability to present himself truly as a person. For example, Dmitri mistakenly presented himself to Anna as a “kind, exceptional, and lofty man” even though he only thinks of Anna as a “common woman”, misleading Anna in his intentions to be with her Chekhov, 5). Additionally, during their last encounters in Yalta, Anna cried out of jealousy that Dmitri wouldn’t love her like other women (Chekhov, 4). Both sides have different expectations and intentions for each other, therefore causes them to falter in their relationship.
The significance of the location, a resort town called Yalta, summarizes the point of love having strings attached because it symbolizes short lived, unrealistic expectations. Like any vacation, the thrill and happiness is temporary, but one must always return back to reality. Anna and Dmitri both had different intentions and expectations, which caused them to return back to their regular lives, just like how one comes back home from vacation. Therefore the author tells us that love has its stages of unconditional support, but in order to be long lasting, love must fit into both parties’ expectations of the relationship.
I agree with the points you made. My analysis was similar in the way I interpreted the story. Everyone would love to live in a resort forever, but that is just not realistic.
You analysis of Yalta being a temporary bliss in the lives of Gurov and Anna is very spot on. I was hesitant on thinking so because of all the secrets they kept in their relationship, even while in Yalta. For example, making sure no one was around whenever Gurov went in to kiss Anna. But once the both left Yalta and Gurov sought her out, he did not care about keeping it a secret anymore, telling his friends he played cards with, and kissing her at the theater when there were people that saw them.