The Chemist's Wife
An unhappy woman living in the boonies. Wasted potential. She is beautiful, lively, desiring to be surrounded by people -- yet she lives with a dull chemist (pharmacist). Love the way Chekhov captures him in a few strokes: "A few paces behind her Tchernomordik lay curled up close to the wall snoring sweetly. A greedy flea was stabbing the bridge of his nose, but he did not feel it, and was positively smiling, for he was dreaming that every one in the town had a cough, and was buying from him the King of Denmark's cough-drops."
An unhappy woman living in the boonies. Wasted potential. She is beautiful, lively, desiring to be surrounded by people -- yet she lives with a dull chemist (pharmacist). Love the way Chekhov captures him in a few strokes: "A few paces behind her Tchernomordik lay curled up close to the wall snoring sweetly. A greedy flea was stabbing the bridge of his nose, but he did not feel it, and was positively smiling, for he was dreaming that every one in the town had a cough, and was buying from him the King of Denmark's cough-drops."
With a husband like that -- no wonder she can't sleep and is incredibly bored. Trapped. A victim of circumstances. Why did she marry the dull chemist? Most likely she was induced by her family or her economic condition. Yet she wants to live -- to feel joy -- to be fully human -- and she never will. Like many -- she is a prisoner and all she can do is admire the sun rising beyond the cage.
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