The journey of life is marked by myriad twists and turns, experiences that are universal to all individuals regardless of background or circumstance. Amidst these fluctuations, one constant remains: the profound and timeless emotions of love and attachment that define the human experience. These sentiments, intrinsic to our nature, transcend cultural boundaries and shape the essence of our existence, binding us together in the shared tapestry of humanity.
Intro
Introducing the novel "The Darling," which portrays the life of a woman who lives relying solely on the object of her affection, eagerly seeking someone to love, is the work of Anton Chekhov, the second most performed playwright in the world after Shakespeare. Published in 1899, this work allows us to feel the essence of Russian literature, characterized by the delicate harmony of laughter and tears, compassion, and criticism, depicting the true nature of humanity.
Born in 1860 in Taganrog, a port city in southern Russia, Anton Chekhov's grandfather was a liberated serf. He spent his unfortunate childhood after his father, who was a merchant, went bankrupt. After enrolling in university, he wrote short stories to support himself. He was also known for his many social contributions, including his work as a physician.
As a writer, Anton Chekhov left behind many short stories that objectively depict human life, earning him a high reputation as a short story writer. In his later years, he also wrote excellent plays.
His masterpiece, "The Darling" was highly praised by Tolstoy. Despite its seemingly brief description of the life of a woman named Olenka, the work gives a unique feeling by portraying many aspects in a simple yet profound manner.
characters
The protagonist is a woman named Olenka. Fated with a tumultuous destiny, she has two husbands and one lover. Her first husband is a theater owner named Kukin, while her second husband is a warehouse manager named Vassily. After the deaths of both husbands, Olenka falls in love with Smirnin, a veterinarian who boards at her house. Smirnin has a son named Sasha.
Plot summary
The protagonist, Olenka, meets a man named Kukin, the owner of the open-air theater Tivoli, but unfortunately, his business does not thrive. Olenka, who finds it difficult to live without loving someone, eventually falls in love with Kukin and marries him.
After marriage, Olenka assists with administrative work in Kukin's office and fully supports her husband's opinions, often conveying their thoughts on theater and business to others. She gets along well with the actors, who affectionately call her "the darling lady."
One day, Kukin travels to Moscow in search of new actors but tragically dies there. Devastated by her husband's death, Olenka mourns for a long time.
Later, Olenka meets and falls in love with a warehouse manager named Vassily. They marry, and Olenka, just as she did with Kukin, assists Vassily in his work at the warehouse.
Olenka fully adopts Vassily's thoughts and feelings, and they lead a diligent life focused on their home and work. Their marriage is happy, and they take in a boarder named Smirnin, a veterinarian, and his son Sasha, who are experiencing marital problems.
After six years of marriage to Vassily, he falls ill with a cold and soon passes away, leaving Olenka widowed once again.
Following Vassily's funeral, Olenka becomes close to Smirnin, who boards at their house, and their relationship becomes the subject of gossip among their acquaintances. Olenka starts adopting Smirnin's thoughts and feelings as her own, often sharing his opinions with others.
Their unconventional but happy cohabitation comes to an end when Smirnin's military unit is relocated, and he leaves. Olenka is left feeling empty and unable to find joy in anything after Smirnin's departure.
As time passes, one summer day, Smirnin unexpectedly returns. He announces that he has reconciled with his wife and suggests staying here. Olenka simply urges him to stay as a boarder again, delighted to see him once more.
Thus, Smirnin, his wife, and their son Sasha begin boarding at Olenka's house. Olenka's affection shifts entirely towards Sasha, whom she cares for as if he were her own son, even though his parents neglect him. Sasha's mother has left for a distant city and has not returned, while his father, Smirnin, often leaves the house for days at a time, showing little interest in Sasha. Despite this, Olenka lavishes care on Sasha, eagerly listening to his school stories and sharing them with others.
One night, someone knocks on Olenka's door, and she momentarily fears it's news that Sasha's mother has called him back to the distant city. However, it turns out to be Smirnin returning late from a club, and Olenka breathes a sigh of relief before going back to bed.
Review
It seems that everyone needs affection. The protagonist Olenka experiences two marriages, a cohabitation with a lover, and an attachment to another person's son. Despite living with men of completely different backgrounds and occupations, such as a theater director, a warehouse manager, and a veterinarian, Olenka consistently exhibits the same behavior. She unquestioningly accepts and adopts the thoughts and opinions of her beloved, as if they were her own.
When she lived with her first husband, Kukin, she often interacted with the actors of the theater. The narrative depicts how whenever she expressed her thoughts, she always seemed to echo her husband's thoughts.
The actors liked her and called her "Bonitchka and I" or "The Darling Woman."
Bonitchka is Kukin's nickname. Olenka habitually referred to herself as "Bonitchka and I" when expressing her thoughts, which led to this nickname. Through Olenka's portrayal, the story suggests that when people fall in love, they inevitably become influenced by that person. Reflecting on past loves, I couldn't help but wonder if I had been like Olenka, becoming completely aligned with the thoughts and opinions of my beloved. It made me smile, realizing that I, too, might have been similar.
We all, whether male or female, may at some point find ourselves completely aligning with the thoughts and opinions of our beloved, accepting them in any form and eventually making them our own.
In today's era that emphasizes autonomy, Olenka's behavior may seem frustrating. Surrendering oneself completely to love and blindly echoing the thoughts of the beloved can appear confining. However, I believe her behavior reflects the universal aspect of human beings becoming infatuated with love. Perhaps we all live as beings attached to affection.
Moreover, Olenka's love extends beyond her lover Smirnin to his son. After Smirnin suddenly disappears with his unit, leaving Olenka without her object of attachment, she leads a despondent life. Then, as time passes, Smirnin unexpectedly returns, and she resumes living under the same roof with his son Sasha.
Olenka develops an attachment not to Smirnin but to his son, Sasha. It's intriguing how she busily involves herself in Sasha's school life, almost like a mother figure. The reason the author portrays her pouring affection onto Sasha, rather than someone of her own age and romantic interest, is worth considering.
As time passes through three marriages and cohabitations, Olenka undoubtedly ages. The novel never explicitly mentions Olenka growing old or describes her appearance. However, by demonstrating Olenka's shift in the object of her affection, the narrative subtly suggests her aging. In reality, as people age, they often lose interest in past attachments and begin pouring affection onto new targets. Reading this work, I realized how the author could artfully express the fact of a character aging through changes in their affectionate targets.
The story is not lengthy, yet its content and message are profound. After reading it, one contemplates what life truly is. Olenka's life is depicted as capricious. Summarizing the structure, it can be described as a cycle of rise and fall. Just when it seems she's leading a happy married life, misfortune strikes, only to find happiness again, followed by plunging into despair.
In reality, our lives are similar. We experience ups and downs, gains and losses, joy and sorrow, repeating the cycle. We may anticipate a positive future, but the outcome remains uncertain. Like changes in weather, the twists and turns of life cannot be controlled by human effort. This is symbolically depicted in the opening scene of the novel.
Olenka's first husband, Kukin, laments while looking up at the sky on a rainy day when their theater business is not doing well. He says:
"This is how our lives are. Wailing and gnashing of teeth, we do our best. We stay awake at night, tormented by thoughts of how we could do better, until our heads ache, but what's the result?"
This scene encapsulates what I believe to be the core message of the work.
Olenka, too, faithfully does her best, pouring affection onto her beloved for her happiness. Then one day, her loved ones suddenly die or leave her.
Through this short work, we come to realize that despite giving our best for the good things in life, the outcome remains uncertain. Everyone navigates through life's twists and turns. No one can live a smooth life. Hardships and crises come, followed by joy and happiness. So when faced with adversity and hardship in my life, instead of giving up, I contemplate how to navigate it wisely.
Final thoughts
Initially, upon encountering the work, I judged Olenka as a spineless woman devoid of her own opinions and perspectives, merely following others. It brings to mind women who, even today, lack understanding of social issues and blindly adhere to their husbands' thoughts without forming their own opinions.
However, Tolstoy substituted Olenka in this work for the Russian people of that time, declaring this novel as the pinnacle of Russian literature. He viewed Olenka as the epitome of purity and thus envisioned the Russian populace as a target for enlightenment, considering Olenka as an ideal portrayal of these Russian people. Upon reflection, Olenka accepts the opinions of her loved ones without prejudice, unconditionally embracing them. There is no hint of doubt or judgment. She truly believes and sincerely treats them with trust. In this light, I realize that my biases may not solely be judged from a feminist perspective.
