The Cherry Orchard

A detailed Summary of The Cherry Orchard

The Cherry Orchard: Critical Analysis

The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov is about a Russian family that is unable

to prevent its beloved estate from being sold in an auction due to financial problems.

The play has been dubbed a tragedy by many of its latter producers. However, Chekhov

labeled his play a farce, or more of a comedy. Although this play has a very tragic

backdrop of Russia's casualty-ridden involvement in both World Wars and the

Communist Revolution, the characters and their situations suggest a light-hearted tone,

even though they struggle against the upcoming loss of the orchard. Apathy and passivity

plague the characters and contribute often to the comic side of things. Sometimes,

however, the passivity erupts the tragic flaws of the characters as they fail to save the

estate. Another theme of The Cherry Orchard is the thin line between reality and outer

appearance between which the characters cannot distinguish. Although indirect, this

confusion provides the play yet again with comedy. On the contrary, the confusion is

also seen as another tragic flaw of the characters contributing to the downfall of the

estate and its orchard. Another theme Chekhov portrays is the effect of choice and free

not show their despair possibly because they think if the problem isn't evident, it is not

estate is now going to be lost because of Mrs. Ranevsky and Varya not being able to pay

there. They conceal their situation by throwing mass parties, keeping servants, and

characters in each of these surcumstances.

clerk Yepikhodov, also known as "Twenty-two Calamities." In his entrance he stumbles

Madame Ranevsky is a foolish woman only too anxious to return to a worthless

the extravagant life she has led up until the current dilemma. The family is compelled to

This quote shows the comic elements of the character's personalities and how they are

belief, is even more passive than his nieces:

small talk is exchanged and an interruption intrudes. Obviously by the end of the end of

nagging about making a decision, preferably his own, is constantly pacified and brushed

confused and unhappy; Epihodov a clumsy idiot; Dunyasha a foolish girl; Yasha

the next to add comic elements as he hobbles across the stage also talking to himself. As

Approximate Word count = 1855
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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