— Anonymous
On first read, The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekov seemed to be a poignant commentary on the reality of love and sex. More often than not, people seem to end up in relationships that do not make them happy. Now what to do in this kind of situation is what made The Lady with the Dog uncomfortable at times. Instead of fighting the urge to cheat, the protagonist, Gurov, wholeheartedly engages in multiple affairs. The story is then framed to make it seem that Gurov acts in a typical and healthy way. At first, I was taken aback as well. From youth, most of us are told that loyalty is of the utmost importance especially to those you are in a relationship with. We were told that infidelity made us unethical people that should receive no sympathy from others. Chekhov turns this on its head and asks the reader to consider the very human and understandable feelings behind Gurov’s decision to follow his heart and his other actions however morally despicable they may be. Such an idea is largely alien to most people, creating a clear sense of unease among readers. This specific feeling seems to be exactly what Chekov set out to do in writing The Lady with the Dog. Chekov, in his life, followed that same idea of following his heart as emphasized by one of his quotes: “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress.” Once I learned of this quote from my class presentation group members, I began to ponder Chekov’s true intent in writing about this subject. On a side note, I found discussing this work as a group and creating a quizlet for the rest of the class to be extremely crucial in my understanding and eventual appreciation of Chekov’s great work. Of course, this activity helped me gain certain perspectives regarding the work that I would not have arrived upon by myself. And, being made uncomfortable furthered my desire to discuss with others about the text. It was as if maybe I should not be uncomfortable with the text and the only way to conquer this was through discussion. Nevertheless, through discussion with my peers and professor, we all arrived with a new and more comfortable perspective regarding Gurov’s actions and behaviors. At first, most of the class, including me, regarded Gurov as a hypocrite, through and through. He would make misogynistic comments such as women are “the lower race” in the text. Yet, he also found the greatest happiness and freedom with women. The narrator explains, “In the society of men he was bored and not himself, with them he was cold and uncommunicative; but when he was in the company of women he felt free, and knew what to say to them and how to behave.” This actually demonstrates Gurov’s inner conflict. He seems to be expected to think and act a certain way in the patriarchal society he lives in, even though this does not reflect Gurov’s true feelings. As such, we learn that Gurov actually lives a life of secrets and pain, having to put on a facade for the rest of society and sacrificing his true happiness at the same time. When Anna comes along, he finally sees a chance to be true to himself and achieve happiness. Can we really judge a man for wanting to be happy, free, and true to himself?
