Anton Chekov

I will be doing a reflection over Anton Chokov's "The Darling". The story is based mainly on the life, love life for that matter, of a women named Olkena, also referred to in the book as Olga Semyonovna. The story starts out talking about how fantastic and lovable the women is to everyone. In the story it says, "At the sight of her full rosy cheeks, her soft white neck with a little dark mole on it, and the kind, naïve smile, which came into her face when she listened to anything pleasant, men thought, "Yes, not half bad," and smiled too, while lady visitors could not refrain from seizing her hand in the middle of a conversation, exclaiming in a gush of delight, "You darling!"" (Chekov)This displays how she truly infatuated those who were around her. The women had many loves because she was such a good hearted women and loving to others, who then would return the love tomorrow. Her first marriage was to a man named Kuklin who she truly fell in love with. Their love made her change to view his ways over her own. This made her slightly changed, then one day she received a notice that he had died. The story then says how she , "as soon as she got indoors, she threw herself on her bed and sobbed so loudly that it could be heard next door, and in the street." (Checkov) This was a sad and gruesome time for the light hearted women until she met Vasily Pustovalov, who would soon become her second husband. As she did with Kuklin, she adapted the ways and lifestyle of her new husband changing the views she had adopted with Kuklin. Though the love does end yet again when Pastovalov dies. She met a man named Smirnin when she was with Vasily, who of which she told preached to him to work on his marriage. When Vasily dies all Olga has is Smirnin and soon they too become lovers, though since he is still married they do not wed. Smirnin leaves for a while and upon his return he reveals that him and his wife have reconciled their relationship, but Olga insists they move in with her and she will live in the guest house. This is when something very odd happens. The book says, "Ah, how she loved him! Of her former attachments not one had been so deep; never had her soul surrendered to any feeling so spontaneously, so disinterestedly, and so joyously as now that her maternal instincts were aroused. For this little boy with the dimple in his cheek and the big school cap, she would have given her whole life, she would have given it with joy and tears of tenderness. Why? Who can tell why? " (Chekov) This is describing how she found a new love for Smirnin's young son Sasha. This to her was very confusing. The story ends hinting that Sasha too would be leaving Olga as all the other had before him. The story is kind of an unfortunate one, but still is so great that it makes it a good story. This writing style is much like Thoreaus writing because of the ups and downs. It relates to Emerson through it extreme amounts of little details that bring the story to life.


Chekov, Anton. "Short Stories: The Darling by Anton Chekhov." East of the Web. Web. 07 Mar. 2012. .