Ariadne
The story begins on a ship where Shamohin, a Moscow landowner shares his musings on love and women.
It seems this Shamohin has become a hostage to love. He is madly in love with Ariadne -- who is a charming young woman who lives nearby -- she is of noble stock but is rather broke. By all accounts he should marry Ariadne and live happily ever after.
But this Shamohin can't get himself to propose to Ariadne. He feels totally smitten with her, however, he also realizes she doesn't love him. He acknowledges how beautiful and vivacious Ariadne is -- yet he also sees she is selfish, hedonistic, a social climber, a pleaser -- in fact when he breaks down her character he doesn't think very highly of her at all.
If only he wasn't so in love with her -- if only he could break away from her.
Ariadne finally takes off with an older married man to Italy -- Shamohin tries to shrug it off but he is racked by jealousy and when she contacts him he runs off to her only to escape in disgust -- and when she writes to him again some time later -- he can't resist again and off he goes to Rome to see her.
Finally, he becomes her lover and for a month or so he lives in total rapture -- although little by little this physical attraction to her begins to wear off and the more he sees her at close range the more she begins to repel him.
We hear everything from Shamohin's perspective until the end when the narrator actually describes Ariadne as quite a beguiling creature.
Is this just a story of a simple man who couldn't appreciate the talent and beauty of Ariadne -- who because he felt so insecure about his own worth thought that Ariadne couldn't possibly love him?
Is this a story of a man who could have been extremely happy with an exciting woman but who uses his brain so much to analyze the situation and instead of living and enjoying himself -- has made his life a hellish one?
Shamohin might've been too afraid to confront head on a great character like Ariadne -- so instead he makes up excuses for why she's not worth his time. Granted, taking care of a woman like Ariadne is a lot of work -- and seems like it would cost a lot of money -- but as that MasterCard commercial would put it: True Love -- Priceless.
In the end Shamohin will go back to the country and live most likely alone and unhappy. And he will feel free.
Poor man!
The key to this story is its title and the name of the woman, Ariadne.
ReplyDeleteIt is a study of human beings and their relationships, but also a retelling of the Greek myth. Shamohin is caught in the labyrinth, partially of his own making and who he is, and can never escape. He keeps going around and around and around. The Chekhovian twist is that Ariadne is both the princess and the Minotaur, who eats him up.