My life (Chekhov)

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Anton Chekhov

Mein Leben ( Russian Моя жизнь , Moja schisn ) is a short story by the Russian writer Anton Chekhov , which appeared from October to December 1896 in the monthly literature supplement to the Saint Petersburg magazine Niwa . During the author's lifetime, the text was translated into Danish, German, Finnish, Swedish, Serbo-Croatian, Czech and Hungarian.

content

The young, tall, stocky, noble first-person narrator Missail Alexejitsch Polosnew is beaten up by his father, the “talentless” city architect, after he has given up a position again. Missail has to stand at attention during the whipping.

Carefree, enjoying his boldly acquired freedom, Missail paints stage sets for the amateur theater of the rich landowner family Ashogin and the radish - that is Andrei Ivanov, owner of a painter's workshop - pleasantly notices while painting. The sweet freedom doesn't last long. Missail's 26-year-old sister Cleopatra, appalled because of the recent release of her dear brother, wants to help. Through her friend Anjuta Blagowo, daughter of the long-serving deputy president at the district court, contact was made with the wealthy railway engineer Viktor Ivanytsch Dolzhikov. Missail goes politely to the agreed interview. Dolzhikov needs workers from the area to build the railway line. So he can only despise scribes like the supplicant. Fortunately, Missail once worked in the telegraph office; can use the Morse code. Missail is allowed to start at the future Dubechnya train station, where she meets Ivan Cheprakov, his school friend from high school. Ivan calls Missail by his nickname "small utility". Missail had received the latter from schoolboy when he could not sell captured siskins for a profit.

The pale, coughing Cleopatra, mostly concerned about her brother, see him - with Anjuta Blagowo and her brother, the doctor Blagowo - in the Dubechnja station. The doctor is the first educated man Missail met in town.

The engineer Dolshikow is very dissatisfied with Missail's "work" and dismisses the employee. Fortunately, the unemployed is hired by the master painter Radich as a worker. Missail works like a plow horse; mainly paints roofs. Anjuta Blagowo is ashamed when Missail approaches her in town with a bucket and a brush. Her brother, the doctor, on the other hand, respects physical work. At the instigation of the indignant father, the governor quotes Missail to himself. The top official in town explains to the young man, who smells of paint and turpentine, that his demeanor is unworthy of that of a nobleman. Let him go to another city. The father withdraws his blessing from the son Missail. Marija Viktorovna Dolzhikova, the 25-year-old daughter of the engineer, a beautiful, voluptuous blonde, dressed in the latest Parisian fashion, told Missail that he had become the most interesting man in town. A love relationship develops between the two. Marija, called Mascha, receives a good from her father in Dubechnja. Suddenly, engineer Dolshikov - apparently for the sake of his daughter - towards Missail is friendliness itself. The painter's journeyman Missail becomes a farmer in Dubechnja. He marries Masha. Cleopatra comes to the wedding. The father stays away, but agrees to the connection. Missail admits to Masha that not long ago he was beaten by his father. When the old architect Polosnew in Dubechnya wanted to see that everything was going well and only found his daughter-in-law, she sent him away, in view of the last flogging sentence.

During the hay mowing, Missail hurts her whole body from the unfamiliar work the next morning. The peasants in Dubechnja do not recognize the work of the city dweller Missail and cheat him and Mascha to the grain and breadth. Masha can't stand it any longer and goes back to town. Missail stays until he realizes that his marriage for more than half a year was nothing more than an episode in Masha's life. Masha is going to the States with her father .

Cleopatra carefully hides her life from her brother. She loves dr Blagowo - a married man who has children. Cleopatra revolted against the father. The architect threatens the daughter with the withdrawal of his blessing. Dr. Blagowo pregnant women were beaten by the father. Missail and Cleopatra find shelter with Radich without any means. Missail, the nobleman, continues to handle the pail and paint; rises to become the best radish craftsman in town. The customers greet him respectfully. Cleopatra gives birth to a girl and dies.

Years go by. On holidays, Missail takes his little niece by the hand and goes for a walk with her. Outside the city, both of them look for Cleopatra's grave in the city cemetery. Sometimes Aunt Anjuta accompanies the two walkers for a part of the way. As soon as the three approach the city again, Anjuta blushes farewell and goes home alone.

filming

  • 1972, Soviet Union , Lenfilm : My Life - Feature film by Grigori Nikulin and Viktor Sokolow with Stanislaw Lyubschin as Missail Polosnew, Alissa Freindlich as his sister Cleopatra, Wazlaw Dworschezki as their father, city architect Alexej Polosnew, Nikolai Sergejew as master painter Radich, Leonid Gallis as engineer Dolshikow, Margarita Terechowa as his daughter Mascha, Juri Solomin as Dr. med. Blagowo and Nonna Terentjewa as his sister Anjuta.

reception

  • December 13, 1897, Ilja Repin writes to the author: “How simple, how powerful, how surprising that is; this tone of gray everyday life, this prosaic contemplation of reality ... The people involved become familiar people ... What a language! "

German-language editions

  • My life. The story of a provincial resident. German by Michael Pfeiffer . Pp. 164–282 in Marga Erb (Ed.): Anton P. Chekhov: From the notes of an irate man . Stories. 412 pages. Philipp Reclam jun., Leipzig 1972 (1st edition, RUB vol. 35)

Output used:

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Russian Нива - The hallway
  2. ^ Annotations in the FEB under Mein Leben , pp. 496–508 (Russian) as well as the edition used, pp. 585–586
  3. ↑ Russian Моя жизнь (фильм, 1972)
  4. ↑ Russian Никулин, Григорий Георгиевич
  5. ↑ Russian Соколов, Виктор Фёдорович
  6. ↑ Russian Дворжецкий, Вацлав Янович
  7. ↑ Russian Сергеев, Николай Васильевич
  8. ↑ Russian Галлис, Леонид Павлович
  9. ↑ Russian Соломин, Юрий Мефодьевич
  10. ↑ Russian Терентьева, Нонна Николаевна
  11. ↑ Entry in the IMDb (English)
  12. ↑ Edition used, p. 585, 14. Zvo