DOCSLIB.ORG

Translation and Adaptation of Uncle Vanya

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Translation and Adaptation of Uncle Vanya TRANSLATION AND ADAPTATION OF UNCLE VANYA _______________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of San Diego State University _______________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Theatre Arts _______________ by Ksenia P. Vanyan Summer 2010 iii Copyright © 2010 by Ksenia P. Vanyan All Rights Reserved iv DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this work to my mother. You have been a source of strength for me in more ways than I could ever explain to you. Your love and persistence to push me to be a better person will never be forgotten. You have always inspired me to go beyond what I think I could achieve. I dedicate this to you, you have my heart. Thank you for never giving up but loving me, I love you. Ya Tebya Ochen Lyblyu! v ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS Translation and Adaptation of Uncle Vanya by Ksenia P. Vanyan Masters in Theatre Arts San Diego State University, 2010 Studying foreign plays and translating them from the original language is a work of art. Understanding original language is a process and a dissection of grammatical rules, subtext, idioms, and sentence structure. The Russian language is rich with words that don’t always have a literal translation into English. The translator is able to use her or his knowledge of both languages to come up with a word that best fits the original. In this thesis, I am translating Uncle Vanya from Russian into English. The play was written in 1897, in an older, classical language that might seem unnatural to a modern reader. In this translation, the focus is on creating a translation of Uncle Vanya that will be accessible to a modern audience, preferably a younger audience, college level and higher. Classical plays have a way of not reaching a modern day theatre enthusiast because of the language barrier that exists between the cultural context in which they were written and the context in which they are read or performed today. In Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, the action takes place over one hundred years ago. Not only is the language different, but culturally and socially there is a vast difference between then and now that needs to be shown on stage. By translating using a modern dialogue, that gap can be bridged. In this version of Uncle Vanya, I have edited sentences, as well as some words. The translation that is done is not a literal translation therefore: this play is an adaptation of the original into a modern voice, with additions to the dialogue and eliminations of certain words and phrases. It is important not only to understand the cultural context in which the play was originally written, but the author’s personal style of writing. Even if the translation is not word for word, the themes and ideas that the playwright intended to have in the play should not be lost, but on the contrary should be made accessible to the audience. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ABSTRACT ...............................................................................................................................v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 Background on Chekhov....................................................................................... 1 Chekhov’s Inspiration for Writing His Plays ........................................................ 3 Chekhov’s Characters and Plot Summary in Uncle Vanya .................................. 5 2 WHY TRANSLATING IS IMPORTANT ............................................................... 10 3 WHY UNCLE VANYA: HOW DOES THIS PLAY RESONATE WITH A MODERN AUDIENCE? ................................................................................................ 12 WORKS CITED ................................................................................................................... 16 APPENDIX UNCLE VANYA ........................................................................................................ 17 vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my committee chair, Dr. D.J. Hopkins: Thank you for being the chair on my committee. You have been such a great source of help and support throughout this process. I have learned a great deal from you during my time as San Diego State University and I must say that having worked with you in undergrad as well as grad school has been a real honor. Thank you for all your work with me on this thesis, encouraging me to pursue what I love in theatre but also cautioning me to not get overwhelmed. I would not have been able to do this without your support. Thank you very much. The Wooster Group will always have a special place in my heart and who knows; maybe one day I will be submitting a script I translate for them to produce! Carolyn Keith: Thank you for your faith in me. I have been so honored to have had you as my teacher and counselor. You have been there to support me from day one, and I would not have been able to get through my years at SDSU without your help. Thank you for being a member of this committee. Thank you for having an open door any time I needed to talk and share ideas and get feedback. Thank you for your support and encouragement. Dr. Veronica Shapovalov: Spasibo Vam Ogromnoe! Thank you so much for taking me under your wing and allowing me to learn from you. I have been most fortunate to have had the pleasure of working with you over the last two years. Thank you for being flexible with my schedules and class needs. I would not have been able to translate this play if it was not for your guidance on how to approach this translation, where to begin and how to work through it. Thank you for reminding me why Russian is so important to me. It has been a great pleasure working with you on this project. Your encouragement and support has been needed and appreciated. Thank you for everything! Robin Goret: Thank you so much for all your help! You have been so incredible throughout this process, a great friend, and amazing support system. The work you have done in helping me with formatting is incredible! You are forever loved by me and I am always here for you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! You are a true inspiration! 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND ON CHEKHOV Anton Pavlovich Chekhov created a place in theatre where life was performed on stage and the audience was allowed to look at themselves in the reflections of the characters before them. His approach was simple: to show characters and plot lines that would ring true to the viewers. His characters engaged the audience because they were life like: the obstacles his characters faced were everyday issues that people can relate to no matter what their social status, cultural background, age, or gender. Chekhov’s plays had a tremendous effect on the theatrical community in Russia when his plays started being performed. His plays are accessible, and in that is the magic of his work and the necessity to keep translating his work to pass it on to new generations of theatre enthusiasts. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born on January 29, 1860 in Taganrog, on the Sea of Azov.1 After his family moved to Moscow, due to his father’s going bankrupt, he followed them there to study medicine after high school. While studying medicine, which he finished in 1884, he worked on his writing and had his first newspaper article published in 1881. Between the years of 1881and1885, he had two volumes of short stories published. Ivanov was the first play that was professionally produced on by The Korsh Theatre in 1887, and a year later it was performed in St. Petersburg. That year he was awarded the Pushkin Prize2 by the Imperial Academy. In 1888 he wrote The Wood Demon, which was performed at a private theatre in Moscow. The play failed in its first production, and Chekhov moved on to working on a different project. He wrote The Seagull in 1896 which also experienced some setbacks initially but eventually received great reviews and became a successful show. After 1 Also called the old Black Sea Port of Taganrog. Anton Chekhov, Melchinger. 2 The Pushkin Prize was established in 1881 by the Russian Academy of Sciences to honor Alexander Pushkin. Since then the prize has been awarded to writers who have achieved the highest standard of literary excellence. The prize was discontinued during the Soviet period, but has since been restored in the 1990s. 2 seeing how well The Seagull was received, he went back to The Wood Demon, and rewrote it creating the play that we know today as Uncle Vanya.3 Chekhov wrote four major plays that have become icons in Russian as well as Western theatre: The Sea Gull, The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sisters, and Uncle Vanya. Of his four plays, Uncle Vanya is the least known, yet it is a play to which a modern viewer is able to relate. In 1899 Chekhov gave a revised version of Uncle Vanya to the Moscow Art Theatre, run at the time by Konstantin Stanislavski. Having Chekhov’s plays produced at the Moscow Art Theatre brought fame both to the theatre company and Chekhov, but the artistic relationship between Stanislavski and Chekhov was not always an easy one. Chekhov considered his plays to be satirical, and did not always agree with the way Stanislavski directed them, but none the less both Chekhov and Stanislavski had great success at the Moscow Art Theatre. Chekhov kept practicing medicine all his life, but as his writing progressed he focused more on his theatrical work than medicine. Chekhov was a complex Russian writer; although not as complex as Dostoevsky, or as focused on personal torment as Tolstoy. He was a man who was known as a kind, gentle writer but who lived in such privacy that even his closest friends did not know him at times (Kirk 2). He was not loud, he did not make scenes, he was not involved in politics (for which he received a fair amount of criticism), yet his plays resonated with critics as well as the public, mainly because his plays, which do not have monumental dramatic action, were able to penetrate people’s subconscious and show on stage a mirror of their own lives.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies 2016-17 Module Name Chekhov Module Id (To Be Confirmed) RUS4?? Course Year JS
    Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies 2016-17 Module Name Chekhov Module Id (to be confirmed) RUS4?? Course Year JS TSM,SH SS TSM, SH Optional/Mandatory Optional Semester(s) MT Contact hour per week 2 contact hours/week; total 22 hours Private study (hours per week) 100 hours Lecturer(s) Justin Doherty ECTs 10 ECTs Aims This module surveys Chekhov’s writing in both short-story and dramatic forms. While some texts from Chekhov’s early period will be included, the focus will be on works from the later 1880s, 1890s and early 1900s. Attention will be given to the social and historical circumstances which form the background to Chekhov’s writings, as well as to major influences on Chekhov’s writing, notably Tolstoy. In examining Chekhov’s major plays, we will also look closely at Chekhov’s involvement with the Moscow Arts Theatre and theatre director and actor Konstantin Stanislavsky. Set texts will include: 1. Short stories ‘Rural’ narratives: ‘Steppe’, ‘Peasants’, ‘In the Ravine’ Psychological stories: ‘Ward No 6’, ‘The Black Monk’, ‘The Bishop’, ‘A Boring Story’ Stories of gentry life: ‘House with a Mezzanine’, ‘The Duel’, ‘Ariadna’ Provincial stories: ‘My Life’, ‘Ionych’, ‘Anna on the Neck’, ‘The Man in a Case’ Late ‘optimistic’ stories: ‘The Lady with the Dog’, ‘The Bride’ 2. Plays The Seagull Uncle Vanya Three Sisters The Cherry Orchard Note on editions: for the stories, I recommend the Everyman edition, The Chekhov Omnibus: Selected Stories, tr. Constance Garnett, revised by Donald Rayfield, London: J. M. Dent, 1994. There are numerous other translations e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • FULL LIST of WINNERS the 8Th International Children's Art Contest
    FULL LIST of WINNERS The 8th International Children's Art Contest "Anton Chekhov and Heroes of his Works" GRAND PRIZE Margarita Vitinchuk, aged 15 Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, Russia for “The Lucky One” Age Group: 14-17 years olds 1st place awards: Anna Lavrinenko, aged 14 Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, Russia for “Ward No. 6” Xenia Grishina, aged 16 Gatchina, Leningrad Oblast, Russia for “Chameleon” Hei Yiu Lo, aged 17 Hongkong for “The Wedding” Anastasia Valchuk, aged 14 Prokhladniy, Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia for “Ward Number 6” Yekaterina Kharagezova, aged 15 Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, Russia for “Portrait of Anton Chekhov” Yulia Kovalevskaya, aged 14 Prokhladniy, Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia for “Oversalted” Valeria Medvedeva, aged 15 Serov, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia for “Melancholy” Maria Pelikhova, aged 15 Penza, Russia for “Ward Number 6” 1 2nd place awards: Anna Pratsyuk, aged 15 Omsk, Russia for “Fat and Thin” Maria Markevich, aged 14 Gomel, Byelorussia for “An Important Conversation” Yekaterina Kovaleva, aged 15 Omsk, Russia for “The Man in the Case” Anastasia Dolgova, aged 15 Prokhladniy, Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia for “Happiness” Tatiana Stepanova, aged 16 Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, Russia for “Kids” Katya Goncharova, aged 14 Gatchina, Leningrad Oblast, Russia for “Chekhov Reading Out His Stories” Yiu Yan Poon, aged 16 Hongkong for “Woman’s World” 3rd place awards: Alexander Ovsienko, aged 14 Taganrog, Russia for “A Hunting Accident” Yelena Kapina, aged 14 Penza, Russia for “About Love” Yelizaveta Serbina, aged 14 Prokhladniy, Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia for “Chameleon” Yekaterina Dolgopolova, aged 16 Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia for “The Black Monk” Yelena Tyutneva, aged 15 Sayansk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia for “Fedyushka and Kashtanka” Daria Novikova, aged 14 Smolensk, Russia for “The Man in a Case” 2 Masha Chizhova, aged 15 Gatchina, Russia for “Ward No.
    [Show full text]
  • The Good Doctor: the Literature and Medicine of Anton Chekhov (And Others)
    Vol. 33, No. 1 11 Literature and the Arts in Medical Education Johanna Shapiro, PhD Feature Editor Editor’s Note: In this column, teachers who are currently using literary and artistic materials as part of their curricula will briefly summarize specific works, delineate their purposes and goals in using these media, describe their audience and teaching strategies, discuss their methods of evaluation, and speculate about the impact of these teaching tools on learners (and teachers). Submissions should be three to five double-spaced pages with a minimum of references. Send your submissions to me at University of California, Irvine, Department of Family Medicine, 101 City Drive South, Building 200, Room 512, Route 81, Orange, CA 92868-3298. 949-824-3748. Fax: 714-456- 7984. E-mail: [email protected]. The Good Doctor: The Literature and Medicine of Anton Chekhov (and Others) Lawrence J. Schneiderman, MD In the spring of 1985, I posted a anything to do with me. “I don’t not possible in this public univer- notice on the medical students’ bul- want a doctor who knows Chekhov, sity; our conference rooms are best letin board announcing a new elec- I want a doctor who knows how to described as Bus Terminal Lite. tive course, “The Good Doctor: The take out my appendix.” Fortunately, The 10 second-year students who Literature and Medicine of Anton I was able to locate two more agree- signed up that first year spent 2 Chekhov.” It was a presumptuous able colleagues from literature and hours each week with me for 10 announcement, since I had never theatre.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mercurian Volume 3, No
    The Mercurian A Theatrical Translation Review Volume 3, Number 4 Editor: Adam Versényi ISSN 2160-3316 The Mercurian is named for Mercury who, if he had known it, was/is the patron god of theatrical translators, those intrepid souls possessed of eloquence, feats of skill, messengers not between the gods but between cultures, traders in images, nimble and dexterous linguistic thieves. Like the metal mercury, theatrical translators are capable of absorbing other metals, forming amalgams. As in ancient chemistry, the mercurian is one of the five elementary “principles” of which all material substances are compounded, otherwise known as “spirit”. The theatrical translator is sprightly, lively, potentially volatile, sometimes inconstant, witty, an ideal guide or conductor on the road. The Mercurian publishes translations of plays and performance pieces from any language into English. The Mercurian also welcomes theoretical pieces about theatrical translation, rants, manifestos, and position papers pertaining to translation for the theatre, as well as production histories of theatrical translations. Submissions should be sent to: Adam Versényi at [email protected] or by snail mail: Adam Versényi, Department of Dramatic Art, CB# 3230, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3230. For translations of plays or performance pieces, unless the material is in the public domain, please send proof of permission to translate from the playwright or original creator of the piece. Since one of the primary objects of The Mercurian is to move translated pieces into production, no translations of plays or performance pieces will be published unless the translator can certify that he/she has had an opportunity to hear the translation performed in either a reading or another production-oriented venue.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sea Gull Is Set in Russia in 1893
    The School of Theatre’s production of The Sea Gull is set in Russia in 1893. Growing up Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born on Find out what was happening around the world at the time! January 17, 1860 in Taganrog, a small town in the Sea of Azov in southern Russia. His April 8 - The first recorded college basketball game occurs father led a strict household, with the in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania between the Geneva College children’s time divided among school, Covenanters and the New Brighton YMCA. working in his grocery store, and strict daily observance of Russian Orthodox Church May 5 - Panic of 1893: The New York Stock Exchange worship. crashed, leading to an economic depression in America. The Chekhov attended school at the local Depression of 1893 was one of the worst in American history with the gymnazija (which is a government middle and high school). When his father’s unemployment rate exceeding ten percent for half a decade. grocery store business failed, his family moved to Moscow, leaving Anton behind to finish school. He supported himself for July 1 - U.S. President Grover Cleveland is secretly oper- several years by tutoring other students. ated on to avoid further panic that might worsen the financial In 1879 Anton joined his family in Russia depression. Under the guise of a vacation cruise, Dr. Joseph Did you know? and enrolled in Medical School at Moscow Bryant removed parts of his upper left jaw and hard palate. The The Russian name of the play actually translates into State University.
    [Show full text]
  • Curriculum Vitae [PDF]
    Curriculum Vitae 1. Brian McEleney Professor (Clinical) of Theatre, Speech and Dance, Brown University Head of the M.F.A. Acting Program, Brown/Trinity Rep Consortium 2. Home Address 93 Arnold St. Providence, RI 02906 (401) 521-1100 x270 (w) (401) 274-8279 (h) 3. Education B.A., Trinity College, Hartford, CT (English and Theatre), 1974 M.F.A, Yale University, School of Drama (Acting), 1977 4. Professional Appointments 2005 – present Professor (Clinical) of Theatre, Speech and Dance, Brown University 2002 – present Head of M.F.A. Acting Program, Brown/Trinity Rep Consortium 1995 – present Associate Director, Trinity Rep Company 1984 – present Acting Company member, Trinity Rep Company 1984 – present Theatre Associate, Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury College 2002 – 2005 Visiting Professor of Theatre, Speech and Dance, Brown University 1990 – 2004 Co-Director, Trinity Rep Conservatory 1995 – 2003 Adjunct Faculty, Rhode Island College 1985 – 1989 Master Acting Teacher, Trinity Rep Conservatory 1981 – 1985 Instructor of Voice and Acting, Trinity Rep Conservatory 1982 – 1990 Lecturer in Theatre and Dance, Princeton University 1983 – 1985 Guest Artist, Princeton University 1983 – 1985 Master Acting Teacher, Educational Testing Service, ARTS Program 1978 – 1983 Acting Instructor, AMAS Repertory Theatre, New York City 5. Acting and Directing Experience 2005 – 2006 The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Chairman Trinity Rep Company Hamlet, director Trinity Rep Company 2004 –2005 Richard II, Richard Trinity Rep Company Henry IV, Bardolph, York Trinity
    [Show full text]
  • The Seagull Uncle Vanya Three Sisters the Cherry
    UNCLE CHERRY THREEGULL or THE DOCTOR IS LATE © 2012, Joe Zarrow - [email protected] - http://www.joezarrow.com NOTES: This play is an adaptation of Chekhov's four major plays. It is designed to highlight the harmonies between the texts, their musical four-act structure, and Chekov's evolution over his writing career. All four scripts are performed at once; moments and lines that are horizontally aligned are very roughly simultaneous. All text is taken from public domain translations of the plays. The actor playing the DOCTOR is the same across all four plays. Same true for SERVANT. Other actors may or may not double, depending on the director's wishes. [Lights up. The DOCTOR, a handsome man, is alone onstage. He addresses the audience.] DOCTOR: How long have we known each other? Have I changed much since then? [A bell rings.] FIRST MOVEMENT: ARRIVING THE SEAGULL UNCLE VANYA THREE SISTERS THE CHERRY ORCHARD [outside, in front of a [in the yard of a [the sisters are in the [in the nursery] theater] country estate.] dining room] TREPLEV: The play [VANYA enters, will soon begin. yawning] [He sets up the OLGA: It's just a year [LUBOV enters with curtain,takes a flower since father died. her entourage.] and pulls off petals one LUBOV: The nursery! by one.] [NINA enters. [DOCTOR sits down ANYA: [to SERVANT] Awkward moment to read newspaper and Some coffee, quickly. when TREPLEV tries SERVANT: Light the ignore everyone.] to kiss NINA.] samovar! TREPLEV: Places! [DOCTOR exits to get samovar.] [The audience of DOCTOR: [enters [VARYA and ANYA sit characters comes to with samovar]Will together, have a [Military men come in watch TREPLEV's they be here long? hushed conversations.
    [Show full text]
  • Fabian Bevan Cv
    FABIAN BEVAN [email protected] Spotlight pin: 3332-4508-9542 Pronouns He/Him Height 6’1”/185 cm Eyes Brown Hair Brown Nationality British Theatre Productions Title Date Type Role Company/School Director Romeo & Juliet 2021 Stage Capulet Théâtre Municipal Kirsty Bushell de Fontainebleau Summerfolk 2020 Stage Bassov Théâtre Municipal Joseph Blatchley de Fontainebleau Every Brilliant Thing 2020 Stage Ensemble Théâtre Municipal Christian Burgess de Fontainebleau Badenheim 1939 2020 Stage Leon Samitzky Théâtre Municipal Christian Burgess de Fontainebleau As You Like It 2020 Stage Orlando Théâtre Municipal Ed Sayer de Fontainebleau Projects at Fonact Uncle Vanya 2020 Project Astrov Fontainebleau Christian Burgess School of Acting Lungs 2020 Project M Fontainebleau Laurent De School of Acting Montalembert Other Experience York realist 2017 Stage George Newcastle Harriet Rawson University Theatre Society Witness For The 2019 Stage Leonard Vole Newcastle Gracie Catchpole Prosecution University Theatre Society Kurl Up and Dye 2018 Stage Multi Role Newcastle Connor O'Hara University Theatre Society, Edinburgh Fringe From Morning Sun Till 2017 Stage Paul Affable Dr Ian Freddie Robarts Dine Skills Languages French (basic) Accents Natural accent : RP (Shropshire) Good ear for accents: RP, Northern Standard, Yorkshire, Irish, Republic of Ireland, New York, American (General, Southern), Cockney, Scottish (Standard), Australian, French Performing Arts Drums (intermediate), Beatboxing, Contact Improvisation, Mask, Devising, Laban, Poetry Reading, Voice Acting, Screen Actor training (Jeremy Banster), Radio Training (Becky Ripley), Sketch Comedy, Improvisation Sports Tennis, Downhill mountain biking, Football, Rugby Other Full UK Driving Licence, Shotgun Licence Voice Reel Showreel.
    [Show full text]
  • Roman Khayrullin Cv
    Roman Khayrullin [email protected] Pronouns He/Him Height 5’9”/175 cm Eyes Brown Hair Brown Nationality Russian/American Theatre Productions Title Date Type Role Company/School Director Romeo & Juliet 2021 Stage Benvolio Théâtre Municipal Kirsty Bushell de Fontainebleau Summerfolk 2020 Stage Peter Suslov Théâtre Municipal Joseph Blatchley de Fontainebleau Every Brilliant Thing 2020 Stage Ensemble Théâtre Municipal Christian Burgess de Fontainebleau Badenheim 1939 2020 Stage Mandelbaum Théâtre Municipal Christian Burgess de Fontainebleau As You Like It 2020 Stage Orlando Théâtre Municipal Ed Sayer de Fontainebleau Projects at Fonact Uncle Vanya 2020 Project Uncle Vanya Fontainebleau Joseph Blatchley School of Acting Lungs 2020 Project M Fontainebleau Laurent de School of Acting Montalembert Collection of Political 2020 Project Ensemble Fontainebleau Christian Burgess Pinter Plays School of Acting Other Experience Ovo 2015, 2017 Stage Scarab/Foreigner Cirque du Soleil D Colker (understudy) Pippin 2015, 2017 Stage Ensemble Broadway D Paulus Pippin Japan 2019 Stage Ensemble Fuji TV D Paulus Seven Fingers 2019 Stage Ensemble Seven Gingers G Shnider M.Circus 2007 Stage Flyer Moscow Circus S Mikityuk Daihatsu Ovo 2015 TV Commercial Scarab Fuji Television Dance Productions Nutcracker 2016, 2017 Stage Russian/Mice Chicago Ballet Rurh Page & B Baradocite Tryst 2016 Stage Titania Fairy Ardent J Kelly Paul 2017 Stage Raven Ardent J Kelly Skills (*=highly skilled) Languages English*, Russian*, French*, Japanese*, Ukrainian* Accents Natural accent : General American, French, Polish, Russian Performing Arts Baritone, Pantomime, Laban, Poetry Reading, Voice Acting, Screen Actor training (Jeremy Banster), Radio Training (Becky Ripley) Sports Ballet, Contemporary Dance, Hip Hop, Swimming, Boxing, Tumbling, Flying act, Chinese Pole, Hand Balancing Other Full USA Driving Licence Special Awards Distinguished Master of Sports, Two time best athlete of Kuban State, Two time absolute world champion in Acro Sport Voice reel Showreel.
    [Show full text]
  • Mood, Beauty, Impression, and Work in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya
    Mood, Beauty, Impression, and Work in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya Mood "I am describing life, ordinary life, and not blank despondency. They either make me into a cry-baby or into a bore. They invent something about me out of their own heads, anything they like, something I never thought of or dreamed about. This is beginning to make me angry" 1. Chekhov understood his plays to be comedies. By this he meant a particular delicate mixture of optimism and pessimism that focused on the humor that ordinary people exemplify in real life situations. 2. He rejected the theatre of action for a more character-centered and impressionistic work of plot and dialogue. Such an emphasis can be seen in a) emotionally-charged moments where characters react to their circumstances or b) atmospheric moments where a certain wistfulness, despair, loss, and/or hope dominates. 3. He believed in a high form of verisimilitude that included the random and muted action of actual life. In his later plays, this resulted in a form of drama that tended to stress compressed, tight plays. They always tended to climax in the third act, but not so much that the fourth lacked any power to still move. 4. As a result of all of the above, Chekhov's later plays have often been labeled "lyrical". "In accordance with your orders I hasten to reply to your letter where you ask about the last scene of Astrov and Elena. You write that Astrov in that scene behaves with Elena as with someone madly in love, that he clutches at his feeling as a drowning man for straw.
    [Show full text]
  • Waiting and Russian Utilitarianism in Chekhov's Three Sisters
    Waiting and Russian Utilitarianism in Chekhov's Three Sisters Mr.Naser Najafi Shabankare PhD Candidate Department of English Literature Shiraz University Fars province, Iran Dr.Amrollah Abjadian Full Professor of English Literature Department of Foreign Languages and Literature Shiraz University Fars province,Iran Abstract: Waiting is the central theme in Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters. Exploration of the theme of waiting and its attributes with regard to the historical and social discourses at the time of play's writing is the main focus of the present article. The absurd waiting for future and its manifestation in different characters of the play is brought under scrutiny in the first part of the play. Furthermore, in order to delineate an explanation of the purposeless waiting, Foucault's concept of episteme helps to highlight the dominant discourses in the Russian society, including utilitarianism and pessimism which shape such depiction of waiting. The concept of episteme, as defined by Foucault can further elaborate the nature of waiting in Chekhov's Three Sisters and the causes that make such waiting a useless, senseless and devoid act. Key Words: Chekhov, Three Sisters, Waiting, Foucault, Episteme. Introduction Considering the central theme of waiting in Chekhov's Three Sisters, the present article is an attempt to add a new type of analysis of the play with an eye on Foucault's ideas of episteme and social discourse in order to shed more light on the impacts of social factors in the formation of this play. The issue of social discourses helping the formation of this type of waiting cannot be ignored.
    [Show full text]
  • A Graph-Based Analysis of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya
    Journal of Humanistic Mathematics Volume 9 | Issue 2 July 2019 A Graph-Based Analysis of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya Stanislaw Zawislak University of Bielsko-Biala Jerzy Kopeć University of Bielsko-Biała Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons, and the Mathematics Commons Recommended Citation Zawislak, S. and Kopeć, J. "A Graph-Based Analysis of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 9 Issue 2 (July 2019), pages 157-186. DOI: 10.5642/ jhummath.201902.11 . Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol9/iss2/11 ©2019 by the authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. JHM is an open access bi-annual journal sponsored by the Claremont Center for the Mathematical Sciences and published by the Claremont Colleges Library | ISSN 2159-8118 | http://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/ The editorial staff of JHM works hard to make sure the scholarship disseminated in JHM is accurate and upholds professional ethical guidelines. However the views and opinions expressed in each published manuscript belong exclusively to the individual contributor(s). The publisher and the editors do not endorse or accept responsibility for them. See https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/policies.html for more information. A Graph-Based Analysis of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya Stanisław Zawiślak Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Bielsko-Biała, POLAND [email protected] Jerzy Kopeć Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Bielsko-Biała, POLAND [email protected] Synopsis We analyze the famous Anton Chekhov play Uncle Vanya by means of graph theory.
    [Show full text]