The Goal: Read. Reflect. Respond. Over two hundred Chekhov stories. Constance Garnett translations.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
THE SHOEMAKER AND THE DEVIL
Be careful what you wish for.
The poor shoemaker makes a bargain with the devil.
He becomes rich and the devil gets his soul.
But quickly the shoemaker realizes that what he wished for might not be what he really wanted.
Being rich has responsibilities and obligations which he doesn't want to deal with.
The grass is always greener on the other side.
Being happy has nothing to do with being rich or poor but with how well you handle your inner self.
Of course, we all want to fantasize about being rich and having all the benefits we imagine comes with wealth. However, if like this story we became rich in an instant -- without truly earning it -- we'd feel just as unsatisfied as the shoemaker.
Studies repeatedly have shown lottery winners who became rich overnight -- their happiness quota doesn't in fact go up in the long run. They'll eventually be just as happy or unhappy as they were before hitting it big.
I think if you do become rich because you worked hard and truly made it with your sweat -- then you'll probably enjoy what you made -- but real happiness depends on love -- friendships -- family -- intangibles that money just can't buy.
Sounds naive and childish to think that money can't buy happiness -- we'd all love to be handed millions -- but the truth is if you want to be happy then work on being happy -- not on envying the rich or anyone else -- develop your inner being -- and then your happiness will be genuine and not measured by how many cars you own and no one will be able to take it away from you.
Still -- if you have a few million to spare -- as long as I don't have to sign anything -- no -- forget it.
That hurts.
There's a side to us that no matter how much we realize that money won't buy happiness -- won't believe it.
And that's why this story hits home.
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what is the conflict in the story I need help asaps
ReplyDeleteConflict: Sell soul = Become rich
ReplyDeleteGreat and true words ,Thanks
ReplyDeleteThis story disappointed me at first because the moral seemed so obvious. Reading Chekhov's stories always requires some reflection and several rereads to figure out what he's saying.
ReplyDeleteNow, it's true money doesn't automatically bring happiness and just because you're rich doesn't mean you're happy. But, is there something else going on?
Fyodor is a wretched man, spiteful, envious, sullen, always complaining, overall just not a nice guy. He gets a chance to change identities, essentially become another person who has wealth. And, yet, Fyodor behaves the same as he did before. What Chekhov seems to be saying is that a person's character and personality remain the same regardless of his lot in life. An unhappy person will be unhappy with whatever life and circumstance.
But, there's a twist at the end. Fyodor decides the rich and poor are equally badly off and that they all die in the end. He lacks the self-awareness to understand that it's his own character that's the root of it all. Consistent with his character, he looks outward and not inward.
Cual es el punto de vista
ReplyDeleteLo que parece estar diciendo Chéjov es que el carácter y la personalidad de una persona siguen siendo los mismos independientemente de su suerte en la vida. Una persona infeliz estará infeliz con cualquier vida y circunstancia.
ReplyDeletePero hay un giro al final. Fyodor decide que los ricos y los pobres están igualmente mal y que todos mueren al final. Carece de la conciencia de sí mismo para comprender que es su propio carácter la raíz de todo. De acuerdo con su carácter, mira hacia afuera y no hacia adentro.