Transformation through Love in The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekhov
The short story The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekhov reflects the life journey of the protagonists, Anna Sergeevna and Dimitri Dimitritch Gurov, who lastly experience love through feelings of despair and misery. Chekhov focuses on the fate of each character to emphasize the involuntary feelings that gradually turn them into the victims of circumstances. In fact, both a man and a woman lack moral power and physical strength to control their life positions in society as they are married. However, when love penetrates their boring existence, they manage to change their previous attitude towards society and themselves. Thus, love as a contributing factor positively affects the protagonists destiny and their slow transformation as they realize the meaning of life.
In The Lady with the Dog, Chekhov illustrates love as power that has a deep influence on the characters transformation and the way they perceive the conception of love. Observing the plot and its setting, the reader notices that the primary events happen in Yalta as one of the most fascinating places with a natural harmony. In fact, the Black Sea and fresh air from the mountains play a vital role as these conduce to the relaxation and allow the protagonists to get rid of their problems. Nevertheless, being unable to value the beauty of nature, nothing comforts their souls as they feel unhappy; both consider life uninteresting and senseless. When the narrator begins to introduce the lady with the dog, her image emits tenderness and even compassion. He portrays a young woman who always walks with her dog in a cute city associated with joy and constant pleasures. In fact, she spends all her free time alone but with the dog as a precise symbol of her solitude and true love. That is why, the author describes her saying, She was walking alone, always wearing the same b?ret, and always with the same white dog. The womans loneliness emphasizes that love has no place in her life, and therefore, she simply accepts reality. Only the ladys dog can make her mood higher as her husband is far away. Therefore, the reader may assume that the image of the dog and its presence are meaningful.
Love as the protagonists salvation and medicine brings them hope, despite the fact that they initially leave each other to return to their ordinary life. According to their passive actions and behavior, the reader understands that neither Anna Sergeevna nor Dimitri Dimitritch dares to oppose a severe reality and the injustice of the external world. Being in the marriage, both cannot escape their trap as they lack enough braveness to break their family bonds. However, some facts concerning the life of the woman are missing, and its gives hope for changes to unite Anna and Gurov. This foreshadowing might reinforce the readers feelings and emotions as their relationship causes some compassion for their misery. Although their love becomes painful and brings no moral satisfaction, Gurov and Anna cannot get rid of it due to its delicious taste the taste of freedom. Unfortunately, Gurovs perception of love completely differs from Annas one because he possesses no morality.
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A romantic relationship depicts the protagonists characters and their being through the revelation of their experience. The reader examines Gurovs nature and realizes that the mans behavior is based on wrong principles, and his attitude towards the surrounding is also inappropriate. The words Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him…every intimacy, which at first so agreeably diversifies life and appears a light and charming adventure reveal that he is a light-minded person who is far from spirituality. His numerous love affairs just enhance his inability to appreciate the sense of true love he might experience to Anna. According to Purves, Gurov is the disenchanted cynic who in matters of the heart takes the dimmest view, finds affection outside of the marriage. He definitely used to receive and accept for the sake of own pleasure but not to give to make somebody happy. Perhaps, namely, this feature of his character defines his ego and masculinity with all his vices. As for the lady, she starts hesitating whether she makes a right choice, or her decision is wrong. It is obvious that Anna has no feelings to her husband and betrays him on one side, but, on the other hand, this betrayal confuses and bothers her mind. Being unable to accept this opposition, Anna indicates, I have been deceiving myself for a long time… now I have become a vulgar, contemptible woman whom any one may despise. These words show female sufferings and her decency somehow as she blames herself for her dishonesty. In fact, she has committed a sin. Eventually, Anna and Gurov find enough strength to follow their feelings which might change them as personalities.
Even though Anna and Gurov have families, life with all its consequences motivates them to continue their close connection. The point is that they do not take into account that society may disguise and condemn them because of neglecting their status. Gradually, the reader understands that the protagonists become unsatisfied with their lives but cannot alter them. However, love slowly overwhelms their hearts and souls with warmth as a precise reflection of happiness even if it is not enough to affect their perception positively. Certainly, they begin to experience a new life that brings them something more important than just intimacy. Their new life has nothing in common with sexual satisfaction; it turns them into other people. Perhaps, Gurov and Anna are still unaware of the fact that it might be the end of their endless isolation even if it causes some new difficulties and separation from society. It is evident that their love contributes to their salvation as they can withstand different hardships in spite of along distance. Of course, Anna and Gurov understand that society will never accept their feelings because people depend on stereotypes and high morality. That is why they try to hide their sincere feelings from a human eye As for Gurov, the man does not expect to gain love but still falls in love with the object of his adoration, Anna Sergeevna. Then, the narrator shows that this love affair becomes a significant part of Gurovs life as it takes away his previous self-confidence. The man starts experiencing peace and even tenderness in spite of his male dignity and past arrogance. Then, he proves this idea while saying, he felt profound compassion, he wanted to be sincere and tender. Eventually, Gurov begins to perceive life in another way, and Anna Sergeevna as a weak creature dares to love.
In conclusion, the story The Lady with the Dog by Chekhov presents the life of two individuals who fall in love and experience some kind of transformation. Even though they are just lovers, they gain freedom thanks to an incredible feeling called love. That is why love as a driving force encourages them, and therefore, they start valuing the meaning of life in spite of a social segregation. Lastly, as Anna as Gurov becomes stronger and more powerful while longing for love as the fulfillment of their dreams. Undoubtedly, their true love might exist forever as life has taught them to appreciate its gifts the gifs of destiny.
