"When they got out of the carriage at Oreanda they sat down on a bench not far from the church, and looked down at the sea, without talking. Yalta could be dimly discerned through the morning mist, and white clouds rested motionless on the summits of the mountains. Not a leaf stirred, the grasshoppers chirruped, and the monotonous hollow roar of the sea came up to them, speaking of peace, of the eternal sleep lying in wait for us all. The sea had roared like this long before there was any Yalta or Oreanda, it was roaring now, and it would go on roaring, just as indifferently and hollowly, when we had passed away. And it may be that in this continuity, this utter indifference of life and death, lies the secret of our salvation, of the stream of life on our planet, and of its never-ceasing movement toward perfection"
The short story, lady with a pet dog, is of a passionate, but forbidden love affair. The narrator, Dmitri, meets a young lady in the vacational town of Yalta.Both married, they begin an affair founded on on past disappointments and future hopes, as well as on present desires.
As the get out of the carriage, the sit in complete silence, which relates to their relationship. Anna and Gurov are both searching for peace, peace within themselves and their actions.Its almost as if they stepped out of their lives and are observing how monotone and boring it was without that moment.As the sea begins to roar, both Anna and Gurov find salvation or meaning that change their lives. They find excitement and a break from routine as they fall in love with each other. Gurov even reevaluates his personal understanding of their world.
The narrator addresses the reader by using the words “us” and “our” in this part of the story because he wants to grasp our attention and wants us to know that what he is referring is true for all of us. We are bound to reach the point where death takes over our lives, but he is hopeful that through moments we can reach salvation. Moments of love that have excited before us, and will continue past us give the reader a sense of hope, but also one that "life goes on"
Checkhov paints a beautiful picture with his depiction of nature."He morning mist, and white clouds rested motionless on the summits of the mountains. Not a leaf stirred, the grasshoppers chirruped, and the monotonous hollow roar of the sea came up to them," This provides a sense of calmness, a sense of peace which evokes the love between Anna and Gurov. The natural changes around us, reflect the changes within our selves, we also transform as the beauty around us does too. I believe Checkhov to want us to connect with nature, to find our own characters within it and find peace within it.
No comments:
Post a Comment