Women (Chekhov)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anton Chekhov

Women , yes, the women too ! ( Russian Бабы , baby), is a short story by the Russian writer Anton Chekhov , which appeared on June 25, 1891 in the St. Petersburg newspaper Novoje wremja . The author had completed the text on June 15, 1891 and sent it to the newspaper mentioned the following day.

Tolstoy counted the text among the best Chekhovs.

Korfiz Holms Transmission Yes, the women! published by Albert Langen in Munich in 1901 . Other translations: 1898 into Hungarian ( Falusi asszonyok ) and 1901 into Serbo-Croatian ( Baby ).

overview

In terms of time, the text breaks down into the two levels of past and present .

Present: A city dweller, the traveling house owner and merchant Matvej Sawwitsch, stays with his foster son Kusjka, who is about seven years old, in the country in the modest hostel of the very enterprising Filip Ivanov Kashin, known as Djudja. The villagers love to hear stories from those in town. Sawwitsch complies with the request and, before going to bed, tells how he came to see the foster child. Djudja, his wife Afanasjewna and their daughters-in-law Sofja and Varvara are listening. Before the marriage, Sofja worked in a factory.

The text is also structured in a person-related manner; in this respect also consists of two levels: the level of women - represented by Afanasjewna, Sofja, Varvara and Savvich's lover Maria Semenovna, called Maschenka, and the level of men. The male level includes Sawwitsch, Kusjka, Kusjka's father Wasja, Djudja, his sons Fjodor (Sofja's husband) and the hunchback Alexej, called Aljoschka (Warwara's husband), and Sofja's son Grischutka.

content

Sawwitsch recounts: The neighbor Wasja lives with his wife Maschenka in harmony for six months until the father-to-be is called up for military service. Savvich falls in love with Maschenka. The two live together like a husband and wife. When the soldier returns, Savvich confesses his sin to him. But Maschenka does not want to give up Sawwitsch. This speaks in vain to Maschenka against it. Wasja forgives his rival, although he would also like to forgive Maschenka, but when she felt too obviously drawn to Sawwitsch, he beats her green and blue. For this Maschenka poisoned her husband with arsenic . The poisoner is exiled to Siberia for thirteen years for forced labor . Maschenka, who fell ill while in custody, died in prison before - still in her Russian homeland. The merciful Sawwitsch wants something for his soul healing to do and takes the little orphan Kusjka under his wing.

In Savvich's tale, Anton Chekhov gives scanty but significant information about the further course of events: Warwara's husband, the hunchbacked Aljoschka, is a good-for-nothing, drifter and drunkard. Varvara listens entranced to the evening singing of the Popensons and the audience comment on Sawwitsch's speech. Djudja says: “The woman is subject to the man to whom she is married.” And Warwara's criticism of the above-mentioned beatings scene: “This is how they treat us, the cursed.” Varvara leaves the group and disappears into the darkness. The travelers go to sleep.

Afanasjewna and Sofja look at the sleeping Kusjka. Sofja, who has to think of her son, is crying. Djudja and Fyodor snatched her from Grischutka and put them in the factory with one of the masters who beat her.

Varvara comes back and confesses to Sofja that she quickly cheated on the priest's son once. Sofja, who - working like a horse for Djudja - has aged, envies her sister-in-law because she herself missed such fusses in her younger years. Varvara wants to poison her Aljoschka too. Sofja reacts horrified. Varvara remains with it. Djudja wants to kill her right away.

When dawn breaks, Sawwitsch urges Kusjka to tense up. A discrepancy between Sawwitsch's story and reality becomes apparent. The foster father is not as merciful as he asserted the night before. Anton Chekhov closes his text with: "Kusjka ... shyly ... climbed onto the car with an expression of horror on his face, as if he were afraid of being hit from behind."

filming

reception

Yevgeny Lyatski has praised the text in the highest tones: Despite the "monochrome lighting" with which Chekhov illuminates the scenery, a true work of art can be admired. Lively, natural images would find easy access to the reader's brain.

German-language editions

First edition

  • Anton P. Čechov: Yes, the women! and other short stories . Albert Langen, Munich 1901

Used edition

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Russian entry at fantlab.ru
  2. ↑ Russian remarks on the text, p. 5
  3. ↑ Russian remarks on the text, p. 6, 9. Zvu
  4. ↑ Entries on translations
  5. ↑ Russian Главный свидетель (фильм, 1969)
  6. ↑ Russian Манасарова, Аида Ивановна
  7. ↑ Russian Evgeni Lyazki and Russian biography Evgeni Ljazki (1868–1942)
  8. ↑ Russian remarks on the text, p. 6, 6th Zvu

annotation

  1. ↑ What is meant is the European part of the Russian Empire .