The Seven Basic Plots - Christopher Booker [310]
In the final act, two years later, we see Trepliov recounting how Nina had followed Trigorin to the city. They had an affair, she had given birth to a child which died, Trigorin abandoned her and she had become an unsuccessful actress. Then Arkadina and Trigorin arrive at the house. Trigorin is patronisingly complimentary about a story Trepliov has had published in a magazine. When the great man presents him with a copy, he finds Trigorin has cut the pages of a story written by himself but has obviously not even read Trepliov's contribution, the pages of which are still uncut. Nina turns up, and tearfully recalls to Trepliov their lost youth and those happy, innocent days when they were putting on their play. As Arkadina, Trigorin and others are heard approaching from outside the room, Trepliov quietly leaves and, when they have all come in, there is a shot offstage. The crushed and humiliated boy has committed suicide. So ends what Chekhov described as `a comedy in four acts, although anything further removed from the archetype of Comedy would be hard to imagine.
In Uncle Vanya (1899) the dominant figure is Serebriakov, a distinguished arthistorian, who has returned to live on his country estate in his retirement with his second wife Yeliena. But the central character is his brother-in-law by his first marriage, Voinitsky (`Vanya') who has for years worked tirelessly to run the estate while Serebriakov lived away in the city. Vanya has cheerfully sacrificed his life under the impresssion that his late sister's husband was a respected scholar, even a genius. But now Serebriakov has come back home, Vanya belatedly realises the man he has given his life for is a fraud, a nonentity who knows nothing about art: ,not a word of his writings will survive him'. Among those in the shadows cast by Serebriakov's egotism is the young local doctor Astrov, who despairs at the way, thanks to the stupidity and laziness of the Russian people, their beautiful land is going to rack and ruin ('The Russian forests are literally groaning under the axe, the homes of animals and birds are being laid waste, the rivers are getting shallow and drying up, the wonderful scenery is disappearing for ever.': ). Yeliena notes that Sonia, her husband's daughter by his first marriage and Vanya's niece, is falling for Astrov. But when she tactfully tries to suggest a proposal, Astrov embarrassingly proclaims his love for Yeliena herself. Serebriakov then suddenly shocks everyone by announcing that he intends to sell the estate which Vanya has devoted his life to building up, even though it is Sonia's inheritance from her mother. This revelation of Serebriakov's mindless selfishness (even he himself recognises he is `an egotist, a despot. But haven't I the right to be selfish in my old age? I love success. I like being a well-known figure') is finally too much for Vanya. He pours out his contempt for Serebriakov and tries to shoot him. But, for the first time, the act of violence is not the end of the story. A final act shows everything apparently back to normal, as Serebriakov and Yeliena prepare to leave the estate. When they are gone, all that is left is for young Sonia, left alone with her uncle, to conjure up a vision of how, after they have worked thanklessly and without rest for many more years, they will finally arrive in heaven:
`we shall hear the angels, we shall see all the heavens covered with stars like diamonds, we shall see all earthly evil, all our suffering swept away by the grace which will fill the whole world, and our life will become peaceful, gentle and sweet as a caress. I believe it. I believe it ... we shall rest ... we shall rest!'
But of course Chekhov is only mocking Sonia's self-deluding religiosity. What he is really conveying about human existence is that, behind such sentimental make-believe, there is nothing left but that black and empty void.