Paper-Perspective

5 October 2011 Perspective is the most dominant aspect of literature in “The Lady with the Dog.” Anton Chekhov vividly presents the search of one man looking for happiness in this intriguing short story. Through the main character Dmitri, he finds himself struggling with the constrictions that society has placed upon him, but if there was a different perspective, such as a feminist view on the situation at hand. This perspective would add a more sensitive point to the story, and probably make it less interesting for the plot, narration and the symbolism in the story. The plot of this Russian tale clearly depicts the interests of one man, Dmitri, who struggles with the lack of enthusiasm he feels in his marriage, until he turns toward a new woman, Anna. “She was a tall, erect woman with dark eyebrows, staid and dignified, and, as she said of herself, intellectual. She read a great deal, used phonetic spelling, called her husband, not Dmitri, but Dimitri, and he secretly considered her unintelligent, narrow, and inelegant, was afraid of her, and did not like to be at home. He had begun being unfaithful to her long ago” (Booth, and Mays 231). If this story was told in a feminist view it would begin with the lady that Dmitri sees at the resort, and it might depict a reason why she is there in the first place. Maybe she is stressed in her personal life and needs the same freedoms that Dmitri does? Maybe she is there for a business meeting? The lady uses the resort as more than just a get-away, she needs it, she can’t go back to real life without some sort of healing or excitement. “Time goes fast, and yet it is so dull here!” (Booth, and Mays 232), says the lady with a longing to be needed as more than just a wife, or lover. One of the main points of this story is that the lady and Dmitri find themselves sneaking away to be with each other, but each struggle with the societal pressures of staying with their original partners. Anna is in a constant panic of worry that Dmitri will lose all respect for her because she has been sleeping with him, but she is soon relieved and is called to return home to her husband. Anna struggles with the emotions she feels between her duty of being a wife, and the carefree living of being Dmitri’s lover. After their departure of each other, Dmitri finds himself going about his normal routine hoping that his thoughts of Anna would fade. If this story was told in a woman’s perspective, it would have been much of the same feelings but with more emotion. When this emotion does not subside Dmitri visits Anna and confesses his love for her, she in turn telling him her equally strong feelings for him and promises to visit him soon, but is mildly irritated that he has intruded on her in this way. Anna cannot push aside the feelings she has for Dmitri, but feels intensely guilty for lying so often. The narration is a huge portion of this short story, it is seen through a man’s eyes, Dmitri’s, and because of that the story is in sort of a depressed mood feeling like he is stuck in his life. If Anna was telling this story the whole tone of the short story would have a more emotional and dramatic feel to it which is shown in the readings when she speaks about her husband “My husband may be a good, honest man, but he is a flunkey! I don’t know what he does there, what his work is, but I know he is a flunkey! I was twenty when I was married to him. I have been tormented by curiosity; I wanted something better. There must be a different sort of life” (Booth, and Mays 234). Anna shows how emotional she can be which makes some parts of the original text interesting, and entertaining. The temperature of Russia has been warmed mildly because of the deep emotions that are being played out in “The Lady with the Dog” that enchant readers to see what is to come of the two lovers. There are many symbols that add to The Lady with the Dog that help add to the rich culture of Russia. One of the most

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