THE PRINCESS

The Princess

This story confirms why I will always come back to Chekhov. Princess Vera Gavrilovna returns to N____ Monastery. She loves it there. She is unhappy with her life outside the monastery. By chance she encounters a doctor she knows. She forces him tell her what he really thinks of her. She begins to cry. The doctor leaves. The princess goes to sleep. The next day the princess wakes up and leaves the monastery very happy.

The story is simple like many of the best Chekhov stories. But the more you think about the story the more you realize how insightful it is about human nature. The princess as first introduced by Chekhov seems like a caring and sensitive person who comes to the monastery for a spiritual retreat. After we listen to the doctor we come to realize that the princess is completely selfish and treats others crudely and doesn't contribute to society in any positive way.

One would think that after hearing the truth the princess would try to reform herself -- really look in the mirror and see the truth -- in fact, that doesn't happen at all. The princess lives in her own world -- she is never going to look outside of that world -- and in her world everything that happens somehow pertains to her and her happiness. She will go on doing what she does and never realize how it impacts others.

When I think of the princess I think of many of those of higher ranks in our society -- Politicians -- CEO's -- Celebrities -- who like the princess live in a world of deception believing they are helping others -- while the rest of us suffer.