Anton Chekov

It’s no surprise that women in this time were often considered inferior to men. They weren’t given a voice, and many struggled with this reality. However, Olenka, of Anton Chekov’s The Darling, was perfectly fine taking on the role of being a man’s woman. She married her first husband and quickly went to work for him. She took his values and opinions and used them as her own. It’s as if she came into the marriage a blank slate and became filled with her husband’s beliefs. Her first husband died and Olenka felt empty. She claimed, “Who’s going to look after your poor wretched Olenka now that you’ve abandoned her?” (Chekov 560). It is understandable that Olenka felt depressed by the loss, but it’s crazy that she does not have the confidence to live independently. She had a similar reaction when her second husband died. Throughout the story she relies on her husbands for her livelihood. Once married, Olenka would go to work for her husbands and live dependently on him. She would freak out when her husband went out of town for business, and she'd act as if she had no idea how to survive. It's depressing seeing how little self confidence Olenka had. Her constant needs and attention could have easily been a cause for the great amount of depression in her life. Chekov's essay differs from those of Thoreau and Emerson because theirs often tell of independent people going out and getting what they want. Their muses are inspired people who work towards something they believe in. Instead, Chekov's main character, Olenka, relies on those around her to survive. After the death of ther second husband, she said, "But the worst thing of all was no longer having any opinions. She saw objects round her and understood everything that was going on, but she could not form opinions about anything and did not know what to talk about" (Chekov 563). She shows very few aspirations or goals in life. It isn't until she gains maternal feelings that she finally feels necessary in the world. The narrator claims, "Not one of her previous attachments has been so deep, never before has she surrounded herself so wholeheartedly, unselfishly and joyfully as now, when her maternal feelings are being kindled more and more" (Chekov 565). It's nice to see Olenka finally find where she's meant to be.

Chekov, Anton. “The Darling". Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 557-565. Print.