Three years
Three years ( Russian Три года , tri goda) is a story of Russian writer Anton Chekhov , 1895 in January and February edition of the Moscow magazine Russkaya Mysl appeared.
In seventeen chapters the first three years of marriage of the wealthy Moscow merchant Aljoscha Laptew, a wholesaler of haberdashery, are described with his wife Julija. The first four chapters deal in the province and the rest mainly in Moscow.
Translations: 1905 into Polish ( Trzy lata ), 1917 into English ( Three Years ) and 1926 into German.
action
- 1
The 39-year-old Nina Feodorovna lives in an unnamed provincial town. She was married to the landowner Grigori Nikolajitsch Panaurow for seventeen years. The marriage had five children; two survived - ten-year-old Sascha and the younger Lida. Panaurow married Nina because of the dowry and works in the government administration because he had to sell his estate and also because he has long since passed the dowry. Nina adores her husband and is jealous of his concubine. Nina has breast cancer . Her brother, the 34-year-old skinny, short, ugly Aljoscha, actually Alexej Fyodorowitsch Laptew, goes to that provincial town and looks for Nina's doctor, Dr. Sergei Borisych Belavin. During the visit, Aljoscha made the acquaintance of his 22-year-old, slim, pale and delicate daughter, Julija Sergejewna Belavina. Alyosha falls in love with the skinny girl with the broad face. He had to send this news to his Moscow friend Kostja Kochevoi by letter. In addition, the writer reveals that Alyosha has lived with the "person" for the last year and a half; an equally ugly, no longer young woman. But what Aljoscha does not announce to the friend: Presumably his newest love will not be returned by Julija.
- 2
Aljoscha makes a marriage proposal and receives a basket from the surprised half-orphan Julija.
- 3.4
Julija thinks about it, changes her mind and wants to be Aljoscha "a loyal, devoted wife". Julija, who was kept briefly by her poorly paid father, finally has her own money. Anton Chekhov writes: "His [Aljoschas] love grew stronger every day ... but the love in return was lacking, and the crux of the matter was that he bought and she [Julija] sold herself." The couple marries.
In the event of her death, Nina asks, may her new sister-in-law Julija take the two girls with her. Julija promises.
- 5
In Moscow, the couple is welcomed in a friendly manner by Alyosha's brother Fyodor Fyodorych Laptev and the tall, sturdy 80-year-old father Fyodor Stepanytsch Laptev. The blind father can no longer run the business, but works in the background with the first two salespeople of his large company.
- 6th
Julija regrets the marriage. On top of that, the father-in-law proves to be a bigot who dominates not only in business but also in the church. Nonetheless - Julija feels comfortable in this environment over time. But Aljoscha tells her about the beatings he received from his father until he was 22 years old. Then, at the university, everything changed, because it was there that he met the scholar Yarzew.
- 7th
During the break in a concert conducted by Anton Rubinstein , Aljoscha meets the 30-year-old "person", that is, his former partner Polina Nikolajewna Rassudina. In her own way, Polina decrees that Alyosha should spend the rest of the evening with her in her modestly furnished apartment. Alyosha obeys. Julija goes out with her new friends. Polina looks after the rival "with disgust, hatred and pain". Polina has not lived with her husband, a teacher, for a long time. She gives music lessons, works in quartets and is involved in academic circles. Polina realizes that the "porcelain doll" Julija has definitely caught her Aljoscha for the money. Polina says irritably to Alyosha: “ There is a privilege among the working class to which I belong: the awareness of incorruptibility, the right not to owe merchants anything and to despise them. No, you don't buy me! ... It is just ... bitter that you are just as a scoundrel like everyone else, that you do not need an intellect from a woman ... but the body, the beauty and the youth. ”When asked, Alyosha freely admits that he was not happy with Julija because he was not loved, but he loved his wife “madly”. The honeymoon is over and he still doesn't know who his wife is.
Polina clings to the lover one last time. Then the case is "settled" for you.
- 8th
Nina succumbs to her illness.
- 9.10
Aljoscha evades his wife six months after the wedding and spends the evening with his friend Yarzew, who is three years his senior. Ivan Gawrilytsch Jarzew graduated from the Philological Faculty with Aljoscha , switched to natural sciences , got a master's degree in chemistry and became a high school teacher . Aljoscha, who met Polina years ago at Jarzew's, makes Julija a scene at home - the motto: “Why did you marry me?” Aljoscha demands a break. Julija is supposed to spend three weeks with her father in the provinces, so that she longs for Alyosha.
- 11
Panaurov, who accompanies Julija, ruthlessly analyzes the Laptews on the train ride to Julija's father. Fyodor Fyodorych Laptew is a "complete fool". Julija lets Panaurov kiss her on the lips. The aging gentleman can no longer achieve much more.
- 12
Anton Chekhov writes: “In May the Laptews moved to their country house in Sokolniki ; at this time Julija was already pregnant. "
- 13
A year later - Julija's daughter Olga is eight months old - the young mother Jarzew confesses: “Olga is actually my first love.” Olga dies of diphtheria .
- 14th
While Julija is mourning in a side building, Polina, with her hair in a disorderly coiffure, rushes to Aljoscha and, in her unsurpassable and direct manner, demands Aljoscha's financial support for five students in need. Aljoscha gladly complies with the request of the somehow charming woman.
Polina moves in completely with her friend Yarzew. The chemist is pleased with it.
- 15th
Julija lives modestly and more modestly; needs - as once in the provinces - almost no money. Aljoscha's father is now blind and still pulls the strings in his company. Panaurow and his concubine are constantly and independently begging for money from Aljoscha.
Fyodor wants to distinguish himself as a publicist. The doctors diagnose Aljoscha's brother with a mental illness .
Aljoscha explains to Julija that he has lost the desire to have children : "... I fear everyone, because I was born to a harried mother and I was discouraged and intimidated from childhood."
- 16
Aljoscha's father does not want to know anything about his granddaughters Sascha and Lida because he had refused Nina the blessing about the connection with Panaurov. Julija brings the three together and realizes that Aljoscha has to take over the management of the company.
- 17th
Alyosha complies. The first two salespeople cannot be looked at at first. Aljoscha struggles to deal with his subordinates to a certain degree, finally understands the business processes and realizes that he is a rich man. Business is flourishing.
Julija, meanwhile "a mature, beautiful, stately woman", makes Aljoscha a declaration of love.
Moscow
The author gives some clues about the setting in Moscow. Laptev, who was born there, lives on Nikitskaya Street on Malaya Dmitrowka near Stary Pimen. When he and his wife go to see their father on Sundays, they take a carriage down Pyatnitskaya Street. The shop is in Samoskvorechye, in the historical heart of Moscow. When Laptew is visited by his brother Fyodor, he accompanies him on his way home to Strastnoi Monastery and then takes a cab to the Jar restaurant. As summer visitors, Laptew and his friends visit the area around the Red Pond from Sokolniki and look across to the Alexejew Monastery. Julija spends the summer not only in Sokolniki, but also in Butowo .
Before Polina moved in with Yarzew, she lived on Ostoshenka in Savyolov Street.
Self-testimony
On December 4, 1894 to the writer Jelena Schawrowa on the story Drei Jahre : "The idea was one thing, but the result was something else, rather sapless and weak, not made of silk as I wanted it to be, but of batiste."
background
Although Anton Chekhov's father, a rather unsuccessful businessman from Taganrog in Moscow , was anything but wealthy, experts say that the author should use him as a role model for the old Fyodor Stepanytsch Laptew - at least the strict hierarchy in business and the inhuman treatment of him Regarding personnel - have taken. Many contemporaries thought that Polina Rassudina's role model was Anton Chekhov's admirer Olga Kundasova. The author contradicted both views.
reception
- In a letter dated April 1, 1895 to Pyotr Perzow, the symbolist Valeri Bryusov spoke out against the critics of the text in the following way: The critic should not primarily look for errors, but rather read carefully and with a talented author - as in this case - try to see the beautiful in the text.
German-language editions
Used edition
- Three years. Translated from the Russian by Ada Knipper and Gerhard Dick , pp. 454–556 in: Anton Chekhov: Weiberwirtschaft . Master stories , volume from: Gerhard Dick (Ed.), Wolf Düwel (Ed.): Anton Chekhov: Collected works in individual volumes. 582 pages. Rütten & Loening, Berlin 1966 (1st edition)
Web links
- The text
- Три года (Чехов) (Russian)
- online in FEB (Russian)
- online at litmir.co (Russian)
- Chekhov bibliography, entry Powesti (Russian Повести) No. 15 (Russian)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gerhard Dick (ed.) In the edition used, p. 570, 9th Zvu as well as Russian reference to first publication
- ^ Polish Trzy lata
- ↑ eng. Three Years , Translator Constance Garnett Biography and Works
- ^ Translator Richard Hoffmann
- ↑ Gerhard Dick (Ed.) In the edition used, p. 571, 10th Zvu
- ↑ Edition used, p. 481, 22. Zvo
- ↑ Edition used, p. 496, 17. Zvo
- ↑ Edition used, p. 497, 22. Zvo
- ↑ Edition used, p. 498, 12. Zvo
- ↑ Edition used, p. 517, 3rd Zvu
- ↑ Edition used, p. 527, 12. Zvo
- ↑ Edition used, p. 543, 20. Zvo
- ↑ Russian Никитская улица
- ↑ Russian Малая Дмитровка
- ↑ Russian Пятницкая улица
- ↑ Russian Замоскворечье
- ↑ Russian Страстной монастырь
- ↑ Russian Яр (ресторан)
- ↑ Russian Krasny Prud Красный пруд
- ↑ Russian Алексеевский монастырь (Москва)
- ↑ Russian Остоженка
- ↑ Russian Савёловский переулок
- ^ Anton Chekhov cited in Gerhard Dick (ed.) In the edition used, p. 571, 9. Zvo
- ↑ Source: Russian heroes and possible role models
- ↑ Russian comments and ratings
- ↑ Russian Перцов, Пётр Петрович
- ↑ Russian. From: History of Early Symbolism ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
