Sunday, May 22, 2011

AGAFYA


Why not title the story Savka? He seems to be the main character. 

Agafya is the married woman who can't resist the charms of the bad boy Savka. And she's not the only one in the village.

He's got the looks -- the body -- and most of all -- the attitude: he just doesn't care.

He tells it to you straight -- no pretense -- no false words. You can't own him -- and he doesn't want to own you.

Many wonder why women are attracted to bad boys. Chekhov doesn't answer this question. He only portrays the bad boy Savka -- and his contempt for women.

Agafya seems pathetic -- she is helpless -- a mouse in the paws of a cat -- there is no logic -- no reason -- nothing can be made sense of -- it just is. 

And it was in Chekhov's day and it continues to be so. 

The formula for sexual attraction -- or passion -- or human emotion -- still eludes us. Thankfully so. 

Let robots be robots. Let humans be humans.

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