Background of the Story
The Huntsman is written by Anton Chekhov. It was first published on 1st August 1885 in Peterburgskaya Gazeta. Chekhov has mostly written about the issues of social class distinction, delusion and reality and women’s bereavement of their basic rights in Russia.
This story is written in times of social crisis in Russia. It gives an insight to the perturbed condition of rural sides in the early 1900s. Women were pushed aside in every aspect. They were not given the option of their choice in marriage. Also, they were suppressed under the patriarchal society. Moreover, social distinction in those times was at its peak. As well as, chaos was spreading in Russia as it was more focused on the war and territorial gains.
The Huntsman by Anton Chekhov Summary
Yegor Vlassitch is a handsome, slim and blonde man of forty years. He is appointed as a hunter by a landowner in Dmitry Ivanitch. He met his wife while hunting. Pelagea , Yegor’s wife, is a poor serf of thirty years. She has lost her charm due the laborious works. They encountered each other in a forest when Yegor was hunting animals. She becomes blissful to see him after the span of twelve years.
She is abandoned by Yegor because he looks down upon her and the village. After their encounter, he asks about her presence over there. In contrast to Pelegea, he shows apathy towards her. She tells him the reason for being in Dmitry Ivanitch. She tells him that along with other village women she has come as a labourer. Pelegea timidly requests him to come back to the village. In response, he replies rudely that there is nothing for which he should go back.
After that, she reminds him of their marriage that it’s been twelve years since he last visited. Yegor doesn’t care about her feelings. He responds to her bitterly that they didn’t get married out of their wills. Rather he scolds her that he was drunk and she could have stopped the marriage from happening. He considers her inferior to him for which he says that they are unmatched partners. He being a hunter is superior and deserves something better.
She inquires about his extra-marital affairs which she has overheard. Though, he remains silent despite her asking. However, his silence gives her an indication of his involvement with a lady named Akulina. In spite of all the disrespect he shows towards her, she persistently asks him to return to the village. On which he asserts that he will never come to village Sober. Whenever he is drunk he beats her. He bids her farewell and walks away from her. Although in the end of the story he shows a little pity for her by giving her a trouble. She bids him farewell as well and stands there until he completely disappears in the forest.
The Huntsman Characters Analysis
Yegor Vlassitch
Yegor is a blonde, slim and handsome hunter of about forty years. He is shown as a cruel and greedy man. He runs after the false concept of progress and wants to gain money and luxuries. For this, he abandons his wife. He is also exhibited as a drug addict who beats her wife out of rage. Also, in the story Chekov portrays him as an immoral man being involved in an extra-marital affair.
Readers can observe him as a dynamic character. At first, he shows apathy towards Pelagea. However, in the end, one can find him a little compassionate towards her. Particularly, when he gives her a rouble for her help.
Pelagea
Pelagea is a poor serf of thirty years. She is the wife of Yegor but he has abandoned her. Due to which she works as a labourer to make her ends meet. She is a woman of dull and pale appearance. Readers may find her as a round character. Despite all the unkind things Yegor did to her, she loves him till the end.
Akulina
She is a woman with whom Yegor has an extra-marital affair. He has built a house for her. Even though he despises his wife and doesn’t help her wife financially.
Themes in The Huntsman
Drug addiction
Drug addiction is evident through the character of Yegor. He repeatedly said about being drunk in the story. Through this, readers may also explore the moral values of that time. It shows the penchant of people towards immoral things and decline of moral values. Due to alcohol consumption he beats his wife. Besides, it drives him towards extramarital affairs.
Marriage
The issue of marriage is constantly discussed by both characters to accentuate its importance. Loveless marriage cannot survive for long. That’s what is shown in the short story.
Both of the characters make a relationship that lacks its fundamentals. Marriage was considered a security and survival for women of that time. Yet it is also proved how drastic it could be if one gets married to a wrong person. It also shows how women were subjugated in this regard especially by marrying by their own choice.
Greed and ego
Yegor is depicted as a greedy man. Throughout the story, readers find him running after luxuries and wealth. In order to get this, he even leaves his wife. Moreover, he also brags on himself. He looked down upon his village and wife for being poor. He considers himself superior above them. Readers may find it the image of society through this character. It shows how the respective society was engulfed in false concepts. People were more focused on gaining wealth rather than on gaining true progress.
Love
Pelagea is a character who is shown as a seeker of love throughout the story. She wants her husband to love her back. On the contrary, he scolds and even beats her. It mirrors the pathetic situation of society in which the element of love was vanishing from within. Readers may find it a loveless marriage built on a false notion. It is evident how people were getting selfish and ignoring others’ problems by making excuses. That is the point where readers can see the diminishing of love.
Social class distinction
Through the character of Yegor Vlassitch, it is evident how this false concept was prevailing in the society. Instead of helping the vulnerable people, aristocrats looked down upon them. Rather, they took advantage of their needs and used it for their own beneficial purpose. The concept of superior and inferior was wearing away society. It is evident from the dialogues of Yegor Vlassitch that how he considers her wife inferior.
The Huntsman Literary Analysis
The Huntsman is written by Anton Chekhov. It was first published on 1 August, 1885 in Peterburgskaya Gazeta. It revolves around a Russian couple, who got married against their will. Yegor is a huntsman while Pelegea is a serf. Their marriage is lacking the fundamental quality of love. Besides this, the husband is shown rude and haughty, who leaves his wife. Despite this, his wife still loves him and wants him to return to the village.
Setting of the Story
The time period in the story is set in the 19th century in Russia. From the story, it is obvious that countryside location-Dmitry Ivanitch is used. The story opens up in the forest on a hot day with no signs of clouds.
Imagery
Chekhov has used incredible imagery in the very beginning for the description of the countryside. He describes the view as the hot day with no signs of clouds in the sky. The forest is listless and gloomy and exhibits scarcity of rain “even if there were rain it could never be green again”. Although, the forest gives him the sign of the arrival of someone like his wife.
Moreover, Chekhov depicts the posture and countenance of Yegor in a unique way. He views him as a blonde, slim and handsome man of forty years being donned in a red shirt and patched trousers. He was walking his dog beside himself. Moreover, due to extreme sunlight he is sweating and being exhausted. Readers can pinpoint Yegor as a hunter when they find him with a “double-barrelled gun cocked”.
Likewise, Pelagea is also represented with the same tactics of imagery by Chekhov before the readers. He describes him as a woman of thirty years. Pelagea seems to have lost her charm due the laborious works. She is shown as a labourer when readers find her “with a sickle in her hand”.
Symbolism
Throughout the story, readers can find hunting as a symbol of running after a false concept of progress. As well as, it throws light on the prejudices on the basis of social classes. It depicts how the Russian communities were hunted down by false concepts and norms.
Similarly, It highlights the Russian community that how people were in search of ways to gain abundant wealth. While the search, they themselves sometimes become prey to the wrong concept of progress.
Likewise, the story pinpoints the aforementioned issue through the character of Yegor. He leaves his village and wife. He pursues hunting as a career instead of doing something else. Due to this hunting, he considers himself superior over his wife. He thinks that he is higher in standard to his wife, for which he brags “I am pampered” . Therefore, he starts to look down upon her. However, through the single character, Chekov symbolizes the Russian society of the 19th century.
Their false norms and notions were affecting the society as a whole. Instead of helping, they were looking down upon them. Moreover, hunting for a landowner also symbolizes the exploitation of poor classes at the hands of elites “That’s not proper work you’re doing, Yegor Vlassitch. . . . For other people it’s a pastime but with you it’s like a trade . . . like real work.”
Moreover, Pelagea is used as a symbol for the subjugation of women under the patriarchal rule. Pelagea symbolizes the women of that era. Her act of requesting and speaking timidly shows the dominance of males. All their basic rights were taken away from them. They were not allowed to marry the person of their choice.
Furthermore, when she takes the rouble from Yegor it depicts her financial dependence. It is shown despite the unhappy marriage women were bound to men for their financial needs. Moreover, it also tells the miserable condition regarding divorcees and a spinster. Society looked down upon such women
Similarly, readers can also find Pelagea as an illiterate woman, who makes her living by working in fields. As well as, how they are dependent on the man for their survival. Readers can also explore the issue of domestic violence particularly when Yegor said how he has beaten her.
Despite Yegor’s extra-marital affair, she persistently asks him to come to the village. On one hand, it shows her request for survival while on the other hand, it shows her love for him.
Tone of the story
This short story is narrated in the third-person narration. Moreover, it is written in a detached and doleful tone. It assists the readers to grasp the idea about their sufferings.
Literary devices
Chekhov has employed the use of certain literary devices in the short story such as irony, personification and similes.
In the beginning, Chekhov personifies the grass with hopelessness “The sun-baked grass had a disconsolate, hopeless look”.
In addition, Chekhov has employed the use of similes such as “like” for the Pelagea. He compares her with a silly girl “Pelegea laughed like a silly girl”.
Yegoer considers himself as ”free spirit” is an irony because in actual he is enslaved by his master.
