The Goal: Read. Reflect. Respond. Over two hundred Chekhov stories. Constance Garnett translations.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
A LADY'S STORY
This is the first Chekhov story that I've read which has a female narrator.
Lamenting the passing of youth -- reminds me of George Bernard Shaw's quote: Youth is wasted on the young.
Allowing rank and wealth to come between her and the man which she very well might have loved -- Natalya Vladimirovna realizes years later that she has wasted her life.
Walls that could have been broken down by her lover Pyotr Sergeyitch and herself stayed upright -- the will and force of love was contained by the prudence of rank and class.
And the result of all that meekness -- all that propriety is unhappiness. Not to go quote happy -- but John Greenleaf Whittier said it best: "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'It might have been!'"
Moral of the story: Don't let walls stand in the way of love or life.
Edith Piaf: I have no regrets.
Natalya Vladimirovna: I only have regrets.
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She claims that walls stood between them, but is that what really happened? She also expressed doubts whether she loved him. Rereading this, I don't think she ever did. What she's really in love with is the time of her youth when the world was her oyster including a fella who was crazy about her. That's what she's lamenting and not the fact that she and Pyotr never got together, I think.
ReplyDeleteGood point. The passing of youth when all seemed possible is something which we can never recover. Thanks.
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