Description of the Locations in the Short Story
There are three distinct settings in the story The Lady with the Pet Dog, Yalta, Moscow, and S–. Moscow has been described as a city in the North that is routinely cold “It’s time for me to go north…at home in Moscow everything was in its winter routine” (Chekov 85). The setting at S– is described with so many objects that Gurov encounters when he visits the location to look for Anna.
Moscow, according to the story is usually covered in snow even when the temperature moves slightly above the freezing point. When the snow begins to fall, the view of white roofs and white earth becomes pleasant to the eyes. The reality of the place is covered with white snow. It is even said that “the old birches and limes” (Chekov 85) covered with white frost is nigh to the heart than palms and cypresses. This scenario has some similarities with the relationship between Anna and Gurov. There is a lot of secrecy in their relationship nothing is left in the open. The reality about their relationship was covered with several things that are pleasant to perceive with the eye. They both have to lie to their spouses every time they intend to meet each other in secret.
S– is a very dull location and it appears as though it is small and people would easily get to know its dwellers. It is dull since there are a lot of things that Gurov considered as cheap and he was very critical about most things. He gets to the best hotel S– town and becomes critical about his room and the items in it. He even criticizes the fence surrounding Anna’s home. This scenario is similar to the state of mind of Anna where she hardly finds happiness while at home and she has to travel to other locations in pursuit of relaxation and happiness (Flanders).
How Locations Correlate to Anna and Gurov, the State of Their Relationship and Minds
The relationship of Gurov and Anna makes Gurov completely change as a character from his problems. One of his major problems that appear in the story is the problem of having multiple sex partners (Steve Wood). He just cannot stick to his wife and deeply love her. In as much as he considers women as a lower race, he cannot live without them. Every time he meets a woman, he thinks that it would be a good thing to make the acquaintance of her. The writer even describes that there was something about Gurov that “disposed women in his favor” (Chekov 78). This unique quality is what he used to not only make them acquaintances but also drag them in bed with him.
He was afraid to commit himself to a woman including his wife. However, this seemed to change the moment he met Anna. For once he acted like he was truly in love although he did not want to show it whenever he was around her (Robert 91). For him to go out of his way looking for her in her home town and almost daring to challenge the husband is a brave move that shows he was truly ready to change and commit himself to this woman Anna. Even when Anna showed discomfort in the secret operations in their relationship, Gurov promised her that they are going to find a way to avoid doing things in secret.
Gurov was tied down by a marriage that was not based on love. The author writes that Gurov was afraid of his wife since she was severe and forbidding. However, this fear changed and he was able to express his feelings for Anna confidently to his wife. It was out of this confidence that he was also able to lie to his wife and go seeking Anna.
Works Cited
Chekov, Anton. “The Lady with the Pet Dog” The Short Story: An Introduction To Short Fiction. Ed. J. Dennielle True. New York: Pearson, 2011. 78-92.
Flanders, Jefferson. Summer reading: Anton Chekhov and “The Lady with the Pet Dog”. 2007. Web.
Roberts, Edgar. Writing Themes About Literature. New York: Prentice Hall, 1991.
Steve Wood. A written analysis of Anton Chekhov’s Lady with the Pet Dog. 2007. Web.