THE LADY WITH THE DOG

The Lady with the Dog

The story begins in Yalta. A young woman walks her dog every where. She is noticed by an older man. They meet. He makes his moves and she goes along. She seems to have a very negative image of herself and thinks he will now lose all respect for her. She also confesses to him that she doesn't love her husband and she is trapped living a life that affords no true happiness. All this confession stuff bores him and almost destroys his feelings for Anna Sergeyevna. Her mystique starts to fade and she is in danger of becoming like many of the other women he's been with before which he categorizes as the "lower race".

Somehow that doesn't happen and the scenery and the moment and Anna Sergeyevna combine to make him see life in a new way or an old way -- but in a way that makes him appreciate nature and beauty in a serene and comforting way. They spend a number of pleasant days together. Then she is called home by her husband. And that should be the end of the story. Gurov, after all, has had a number of affairs; that's what he does and this should mean very little to him.

He goes home to Moscow and in no time the whole Yalta adventure should naturally fade. But it doesn't. Seems like the old fellow really fell in love with Anna Sergeyevna. No matter how hard he tries to forget her he can't. Not only that, but his whole life in Moscow now seems utterly trivial, meaningless. He can't stand it any longer and goes to the town where Anna Sergeyevna lives to find her. And when he does -- she feels the same way about him. They are in love.

This love remains their secret joy. Gurov has a public life where he plays a certain role -- but that life truly doesn't represent him. The best of him is hidden in the secret life he has with Anna Sergeyevna. And he wonders what Anna Sergeyevna sees in him. He notices he is graying and not the man he once was -- yet Anna Sergeyevna still loves him. In her -- he sees everything beautiful and lovely that he pretends not to see in his public life. And Anna Sergeyevna also sees him the way she wants to see him -- her frustrations -- her unhappiness in her own life disappear when she is with him -- to her he represents a new future -- a future where she can be herself and live life fully.

The question now is whether the love the lady has with her "dawg" will still hold its mystery, its truth, once the secret life becomes public.