SLEEPY

Sleepy

Thirteen year old Varka is a killer.

A baby killer

So what should her penalty be?

A good lawyer would certainly describe the circumstances leading up to the crime.

She was not in her right mind.

Lack of sleep made her do it.

She was abused by her master.

Her father had recently died.

She was overworked.

Does it excuse Varka?

Of course not.

An innocent baby is dead.

So what should the penalty be?

This story makes you anything but sleepy.

It makes you angry at the injustice displayed in this world.

Varka is only thirteen. She has lost her childhood at some point and now is basically a slave. The oppression that dominates her existence is conveyed quite powerfully. You want to shout: Wait a minute! This is not right. When is this poor girl going to get a chance to rest? Have you people no compassion? What makes people so callous? So inhumane? How do you get to the point when a thirteen year old girl is being treated worse than animal?

And we know it's not just in this household -- there are thousands -- millions of other Varkas -- not just in the Russia of Chekhov's time -- but in all parts of the world this very hour -- and what should be done?

No one is paying any attention.

We are too busy watching the latest shenanigans of the beautiful people.

This story is titled Sleepy.

The real title is:

Wake up!

Okay. Okay. I'll calm down. Maybe Chekhov didn't intend to make a political sentiment. It's really a story about human nature which Chekhov brilliantly weaves using dreams and hallucinations -- and nothing more.

I don't know.

It's late.

I need to go to bed.

But I'm not sleepy.