Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard

The Cherry Orchard is a realistic play written by Anton Chekhov, and it depicts the transitory stage in Russian history late 19th century, where the setting takes place, and violation of the unity of time and place can be observed. As Chekhov borrows the context of the real likeness of the 19th century, instead of mythology or any historical event, he concentrates on the problems people encountered at that time.

The Cherry Orchard is populated with characters, each having their struggles and unique dynamics. The lifelikeness of the play also allows the audience to identify themselves with the characters. The audience is first introduced to Ranevskaya and her family, who are landowners. They also own the cherry orchard, but due to the debts of the family, it has to be sold through an auction. Therefore, there is an interest that needs to be paid, as they experience a serious financial struggle.

As the protagonist, Ravneskaya is an upper-class figure who experiences many difficulties and tries to escape the realities of life. She is an extravagant individual motivated by her impulses and she cannot adapt herself to the environment and its changing conditions. The other protagonist is Lopakhin, who is a successful merchant and a self-made man. He is conscious of the passage of time, and as a realistic person, he makes a plan and manages to buy the orchard. Lopakhin, in this sense, represents the middle-class, capitalistic economy.

As a realistic play, its main plot features a main conflict, a tragic dilemma, whether the orchard is going to be sold or not. Being an unconventional comedy play, it also employs comic sub-plot and elements such as love, romance, and comedy, including various occasions like obstacles preventing the union of lovers. Chekhov also experiments with traditional style and classifies his plays as a comedy, but it doesn’t claim a happy resolution. In this regard, one can say Chekhovian Drama is a combination of both tragic and comic situations.

Russia as a country becomes the embodiment of feudal values and ideology. In this sense, Ravneskaya and her family represent the feudal values and understanding of life, and the Cherry Orchard symbolizes exploitation, especially that of the labor class by the Aristocrats. Since the 19th century is a transitory stage in Russian history, where land ownership loses its significance, the transition from Feudalism to Bourgeoisie and finally socialism holds an important place. This leads to the construction of a new civilization, which is represented by Lopakhin as one with a Cartesian ego.

Throughout the play, there are many criticisms directed at the society at that time such as corruption among the people, ignoring the suffering of other people, and the need for change. These include the so-called intellectuals who only drink vodka, and criticize. The Cherry Orchard, in this sense, unites everyone and symbolizes that Russia will be owned by everyone. Themes include Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest, as in some people’s inability to adapt, and the Marxism understanding of social progressive change. The believable dialogues add up to Chekovian realism. The short speeches, pauses, and the interruption of the dialogues further show the lack of communication.