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Is there a “case” in the story, A.P. Chekhov's “The Man in a Case”

O.V. Bogdanova
$2.50

 

https://doi.org/10.20339/PhS.2-17.059

 

Bogdanova Olga V.,

Doctor sciences in Philology, Professor,

Leading Researcher of the Institute of Philological Studies

St. Petersburg State University

e-mail: OlgaBogdanova03@mail.ru

 

In the article from a new perspective considers the system of images of the story of A.P. Chekhov “Man in a case”. The article establishes the correspondence between the contrasted (seemingly) characters: Belikov — Kovalenko, Belikov — Barbara, Belikov — Burkin, Belikov — teachers of the school. The article shows that Chekhov deliberately does not oppose, but maps the “paired’ characters. In the course of the narrative, the writer removes and eliminates antithethical images, brings them together and balances their characteristics. Ultimately antinomic heroes are balanced and likened by Chekhov. As a result the dominant idea of “case life” is enriched by the motif of human loneliness. The social perspective of the story has features of Chekhov’s itself narrative – philosophical, thoughtfully and ambiguous.

Keywords: A.P. Chekhov, short story “Man in a case”, tradition, image system, poetics.

 

References

1. Bogdanovich A.I. (1898). Kriticheskie zametki [Critical notes]. Mir boghiy, no. 2, p. 2.

2. Skabichevskiy A.M. (1898). Tekuzhaya literature. Novye rasskazy A.P. Chekhova “Chelovek v futlare”, “Kryghovnik”, “O lubvi” [Current literature. New stories of A. Chekhov: “Man in a case”, “Gooseberry”, “About love”]. Syn otechestva, no. 238, 4 seрt., p. 2.

3. Chekhov, А.P. (1977). Full collec. works in 30 vols. [Complete works and letters]. Vol. 10. Rasskazy i povesti, 1898–1903 [Stories and novels, 1898–1903]. Moscow, pp. 42–54.