Chekhov’s symbolism of the lights within “The Lady and the Dog” delivered a message about what Gurov’s love for Anna meant. An instance of this was when Anna was departing Yalta and Gurov watched the train depart the station, specifically watching how “its lights soon vanished from sight” leading to him being left “gazing into the dark distance” (Chekhov 5). Spending days with Anna, and then having to watch her, the light within Gurov’s life, depart led to Gurov’s sadness once he too left Yalta. Chekhov purposely makes Gurov return to the cold winter of Moscow, to further show that the light that left him represented his happiness that he shared with Anna at the resort. Although they concealed their relationship from others, being at the resort with her was the light that he had in his life, once gone his surroundings showed misery, such as the winter he had to live through.
The irony in this situation is that in the beginning of the story, Gurov refers to woman as “the lower race,” potentially referring to how dependant they are on men for everything. If true, then the role switches and Gurov’s yearning for Anna makes him feel as if he needs her, without her his surroundings are bleak and meaningless. This changes his perception of women being the lower race because he chooses to risk his life in order to be with her, hoping to find a solution where this would be possible.