swan song-第1章

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Swan　Song

by　Anton　Checkov






PLAYS　BY　ANTON　TCHEKOFF


TRANSLATED　FROM　THE　RUSSIAN；　WITH　AN　INTRODUCTION　BY　MARIAN　FELL




CONTENTS

Introduction
Chronological　List　of　Works
The　Swan　Song




INTRODUCTION

ANTON　TCHEKOFF

THE　last　years　of　the　nineteenth　century　were　for　Russia　tinged
with　doubt　and　gloom。　The　high…tide　of　vitality　that　had　risen
during　the　Turkish　war　ebbed　in　the　early　eighties；　leaving
behind　it　a　dead　level　of　apathy　which　lasted　until　life　was
again　quickened　by　the　high　interests　of　the　Revolution。　During
these　grey　years　the　lonely　country　and　stagnant　provincial　towns
of　Russia　buried　a　peasantry　which　was　enslaved　by　want　and　toil；
and　an　educated　upper　class　which　was　enslaved　by　idleness　and
tedium。　Most　of　the　〃Intellectuals；〃　with　no　outlet　for　their
energies；　were　content　to　forget　their　ennui　in　vodka　and
card…playing；　only　the　more　idealistic　gasped　for　air　in　the
stifling　atmosphere；　crying　out　in　despair　against　life　as　they
saw　it；　and　looking　forward　with　a　pathetic　hope　to　happiness　for
humanity　in　〃two　or　three　hundred　years。〃　It　is　the　inevitable
tragedy　of　their　existence；　and　the　pitiful　humour　of　their
surroundings；　that　are　portrayed　with　such　insight　and　sympathy
by　Anton　Tchekoff　who　is；　perhaps；　of　modern　writers；　the　dearest
to　the　Russian　people。

Anton　Tchekoff　was　born　in　the　old　Black　Sea　port　of　Taganrog　on
January　17；　1860。　His　grandfather　had　been　a　serf；　his　father
married　a　merchant's　daughter　and　settled　in　Taganrog；　where；
during　Anton's　boyhood；　he　carried　on　a　small　and　unsuccessful
trade　in　provisions。　The　young　Tchekoff　was　soon　impressed　into
the　services　of　the　large；　poverty…stricken　family；　and　he　spoke
regretfully　in　after　years　of　his　hard…worked　childhood。　But　he
was　obedient　and　good…natured；　and　worked　cheerfully　in　his
father's　shop；　closely　observing　the　idlers　that　assembled　there；
and　gathering　the　drollest　stories；　which　he　would　afterward
whisper　in　class　to　his　laughing　schoolfellows。　Many　were　the
punishments　which　he　incurred　by　this　habit；　which　was
incorrigible。

His　grandfather　had　now　become　manager　of　an　estate　near
Taganrog；　in　the　wild　steppe　country　of　the　Don　Cossacks；　and
here　the　boy　spent　his　summers；　fishing　in　the　river；　and　roving
about　the　countryside　as　brown　as　a　gipsy；　sowing　the　seeds　of
that　love　for　nature　which　he　retained　all　his　life。　His　evenings
he　liked　best　to　spend　in　the　kitchen　of　the　master's　house　among
the　work　people　and　peasants　who　gathered　there；　taking　part　in
their　games；　and　setting　them　all　laughing　by　his　witty　and
telling　observations。

When　Tchekoff　was　about　fourteen；　his　father　moved　the　family　to
Moscow；　leaving　Anton　in　Taganrog；　and　now；　relieved　of　work　in
the　shop；　his　progress　at　school　became　remarkable。　At　seventeen
he　wrote　a　long　tragedy；　which　was　afterward　destroyed；　and　he
already　showed　flashes　of　the　wit　that　was　soon　to　blaze　into
genius。

He　graduated　from　the　high　school　at　Taganrog　with　every　honour；
entered　the　University　of　Moscow　as　a　student　of　medicine；　and
threw　himself　headlong　into　a　double　life　of　student　and　author；
in　the　attempt　to　help　his　struggling　family。

His　first　story　appeared　in　a　Moscow　paper　in　1880；　and　after
some　difficulty　he　secured　a　position　connected　with　several　of
the　smaller　periodicals；　for　which；　during　his　student　years；　he
poured　forth　a　succession　of　short　stories　and　sketches　of
Russian　life　with　incredible　rapidity。　He　wrote；　he　tells　us；
during　every　spare　minute；　in　crowded　rooms　where　there　was　〃no
light　and　less　air；〃　and　never　spent　more　than　a　day　on　any　one
story。　He　also　wrote　at　this　time　a　very　stirring
blood…and…thunder　play　which　was　suppressed　by　the　censor；　and
the　fate　of　which　is　not　known。

His　audience　demanded　laughter　above　all　things；　and；　with　his
deep　sense　of　the　ridiculous；　Tchekoff　asked　nothing　better。　His
stories；　though　often　based　on　themes　profoundly　tragic；　are
penetrated　by　the　light　and　subtle　satire　that　has　won　him　his
reputation　as　a　great　humourist。　But　though　there　was　always　a
smile　on　his　lips；　it　was　a　tender　one；　and　his　sympathy　with
suffering　often　brought　his　laughter　near　to　tears。

This　delicate　and　original　genius　was　at　first　subjected　to　harsh
criticism；　which　Tchekoff　felt　keenly；　and　Trigorin's　description
in　〃The　Sea…Gull〃　of　the　trials　of　a　young　author　is　a　cry　from
Tchekoff's　own　soul。　A　passionate　enemy　of　all　lies　and
oppression；　he　already　foreshadows　in　these　early　writings　the
protest　against　conventions　and　rules；　which　he　afterward　put
into　Treplieff's　reply　to　Sorin　in　〃The　Sea…Gull〃：　〃Let　us　have
new　forms；　or　else　nothing　at　all。〃

In　1884　he　took　his　degree　as　doctor　of　medicine；　and　decided　to
practise；　although　his　writing　had　by　now　taken　on　a　professional
character。　He　always　gave　his　calling　a　high　place；　and　the
doctors　in　his　works　are　drawn　with　affection　and　understanding。
If　any　one　spoke　slightingly　of　doctors　in　his　presence；　he　would
exclaim：　〃Stop！　You　don't　know　what　country　doctors　do　for　the
people！〃

Tchekoff　fully　realised　later　the　influence　which　his　profession
had　exercised　on　his　literary　work；　and　sometimes　regretted　the
too　vivid　insight　it　gave　him；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　he　was
able　to　write：　〃Only　a　doctor　can　know　what　value　my　knowledge　of
science　has　been　to　me；〃　and　〃It　seems　to　me　that　as　a　doctor　I
have　described　the　sicknesses　of　the　soul　correctly。〃　For
instance；　Trigorin's　analysis　in　〃The　Sea…Gull〃　of　the　state　of
mind　of　an　author　has　well　been　called　〃artistic　diagnosis。〃

The　young　doctor…writer　is　described　at　this　time　as　modest　and
grave；　with　flashes　of　brilliant　gaiety。　A　son　of　the　people；
there　was　in　his　face　an　expression　that　recalled　the
simple…hearted　village　lad；　his　eyes　were　blue；　his　glance　full
of　intelligence　and　kindness；　and　his　manners　unaffected　and
simple。　He　was　an　untiring　worker；　and　between　his　patients　and
his　desk　he　led　a　life　of　ceaseless　activity。　His　restless　mind
was　dominated　by　a　passion　of　energy　and　he　thought　continually
and　vividly。　Often；　while　jesting　and　talking；　he　would　seem
suddenly　to　plunge　into　himself；　and　his　look　would　grow　fixed
and　deep；　as　if　he　were　contemplating　something　important　and
strange。　Then　he　would　ask　some　unexpected　question；　which　showed
how　far　his　mind　had　roamed。

Success　was　now　rapidly　overtaking　the　young　author；　his　first
collection　of　stories　appeared　in　1887；　another　one　in　the　same
year　had　immediate　success；　and　both　went　through　many　editions；
but；　at　the　same　time；　the　shadows　that　darkened　his　later　works
began　to　creep　over　his　light…hearted　humour。

His　impressionable　mind　began　to　take　on　the　grey　tinge　of　his
time；　but　much　of　his　sadness　may　also　be　attributed　to　his
ever…increasing　ill　health。

Weary　and　with　an　obstinate　cough；　he　went　south　in　1888；　took　a
little　cottage　on　the　banks　of　a　little　river　〃abounding　in　fish
and　crabs；〃　and　surrendered　himself　to　his　touching　love　for
nature；　happy　in　his　passion　for　fishing；　in　the　quiet　of　the
country；　and　in　the　music　and　gaiety　of　the　peasants。　〃One　would
gladly　sell　one's　soul；〃　he　writes；　〃for　the　pleasure　of　seeing
the　warm　evening　sky；　and　the　streams　and　pools　reflecting　the
darkly　mournful　sunset。〃　He　described　visits　to　his　country
neighbours　and　long　drives　in　gay　company；　during　which；　he　says；
〃we　ate　every　half　hour；　and　laughed　to　the　verge　of　colic。〃

His　health；　however；　did　not　improve。　In　1889　he　began　to　have
attacks　of　heart　trouble；　and　the　sensitive　artist's　nature
appears　in　a　remark　which　he　made　after　one　of　them。　〃I　walked
quickly　across　the　terrace　on　which　the　guests　were　assembled；〃
he　said；　〃with　one　idea　in　my　mind；　how　awkward　it　would　be　to
fall　down　and　die　in　the　presence　of　strangers。〃

It　was　during　this　transition　period　of　his　life；　when　his
youthful　spirits　were　failing　him；　that　the　stage；　for　which　he
had　always　felt　a　fascination；　tempted　him　to　write　〃Ivanoff；〃
and　also　a　dramatic　sketch　in　one　act　entitled　〃The　Swan　Song；〃
though　he　often　declared　that　he　had　no　ambition　to　become　a
dramatist。　〃The　Novel；〃　he　wrote；　〃is　a　lawful　wife；　but　the
Stage　is　a　noisy；　flashy；　and　insol　ent　mistress。〃　He　has　put　his
opinion　of　the　stage　of　his　day　in　the　mouth　of　Treplieff；　in
〃The　Sea…Gull；〃　and　he　often　refers　to　it　in　his　letters　as　〃an
evil　disease　of　the　towns〃　and　〃the　gallows　on　which　dramatists
are　hanged。〃

He　wrote　〃Ivanoff　〃　at　white…heat　in　two　and　a　half　weeks；　as　a
protest　against　a　play　he　had　seen　at　one　of　the　Moscow　theatres。
Ivanoff　（from　Ivan；　the　commonest　of　Russian　names）　was　by　no
means　meant　to　be　a　hero；　but　a　most　ordinary；　weak　man　oppressed
by　the　〃immortal　commonplaces　of　life；〃　with　his　heart　and　soul
aching　in　the　grip　of　circumstance；　one　of　the　many　〃useless
people〃　of　Russia　for　whose　sorrow　Tchekoff　felt　such
overwhelming　pity。　He　saw　nothing　in　their　lives　that　could　not
be　explained　and　pardoned；　and　he　returns　to　his　ill…fated；
〃useless　people〃　again　and　again；　not　to　preach　any　doctrine　of
pessimism；　but　simply　because　he　thought　that　the　world　was　the
better　for　a　certain　fragile　beauty　of　their　natures　and　their
touching　faith　in　the　ultimate　salvation　of　humanity。

Both　the　writing　and　staging　of　〃Ivanoff〃　gave　Tchekoff　great
difficulty。　The　characters　all　being　of　almost　equal　importance；
he　found　it　hard　to　get　enough　good　actors　to　take　the　parts；　but
it　finally　appeared　in　Moscow　in　1889；　a　decided　failure！　The
author　had　touched　sharply　several　sensitive　spots　of　Russian
lifefor　instance；　in　his　warning　not　to　marry　a　Jewess　or　a
blue…stockingand　the　play　was　also　marred　by　faults　of
inexperience；　which；　however；　he　later　corrected。　The　critics
were　divided　in　condemning　a　certain　novelty　in　it　and　in
praising　its　freshness　and　originality。　The　character　of　Ivanoff
was　not　understood；　and　the　weakness　of　the　man　blinded　many　to
the　lifelike　portrait。　Tchekoff　himself　was　far　from　pleased　with
what　he　called　his　〃literary　abortion；〃　and　rewrote　it　before　it
was　produced　again　in　St。　Petersburg。　Here　it　was　received　with
the　wildest　applause；　and　the　morning　after　its　performance　the
papers　burst　into　unanimous　praise。　The　author　was
enthusiastically　feted；　but　the　burden　of　his　growing　fame　was
beginning　to　be　very　irksome　to　him；　and　he　wrote　wearily　at　this
time　that　he　longed　to　be　in　the　country；　fishing　in　the　lake；　or
lying　in　the　hay。

His　next　play　to　appear　was　a　farce　entitled　〃The　Boor；〃　which　he
wrote　in　a　single　evening　and　which　had　a　great　success。　This　was
followed　by　〃The　Demon；〃　a　failure；　rewritten　ten　years　later　as
〃Uncle　Vanya。〃

All　Russia　now　combined　in　urging　Tchekoff　to　write　some
important　work；　and　this；　too；　was　the　writer's　dream；　but　his
only　long　story　is　〃The　Steppe；〃　which　is；　after　all；　but　a
series　of　sketches；　exquisitely　drawn；　and　strung　together　on　the
slenderest　connecting　thread。　Tchekoff's　delicate　and　elusive
descriptive　power　did　not　lend　itself　to　painting　on　a　large
canvas；　and　his　strange　little　tragicomedies　of　Russian　life；　his
〃Tedious　Tales；〃　as　he