Introduction
The nature of "The Cherry Orchard", in terms of the genre has always been controversial. Often the play is defined as a "tragicomedy", or an "an ironic tragicomedy." However, it is vital to understand what genre the play is as it defines the code of reading the play and the characters. What does it mean to see elements of tragedy in the play? This would mean to a certain extent agree with the characters’ originality, their sincere and true suffering. However, it is impossible to see any strong trait in characters that are "weak-willed", "aching", "whining", and have "lost faith". Anton Chekhov has created a controversial from the genre point of view text, making experts heatedly discuss whether the "Cherry Orchard" is a comedy or a tragedy, although the author himself has intended it as a lyrical philosophical comedy.
Genre confusion
The idea of the play is in the denial of the landed gentry and the bourgeois past and the present of Russian life. Simultaneously the playwright is looking forward into the future of Russia, which seems to the author happy and bright, although not coming very soon (Mays 1186). Thus, the theme and idea of the play are socio-philosophical, as the playwright offers his understanding of general issues of national development in Russia.
"The Cherry Orchard", has bright artistic originality, which is due to the desire of the author to bring theater as closely as possible to real life. Therefore, the playwright deliberately refuses to use many traditional theatrical techniques: the division of heroes into positive and negative characters, refuses the use of long monologs and unaddressed replicas. Chekhov rebuts the idea of the play being determined solely within one genre uniqueness. The genre of "The Cherry Orchard" is that of a comedy, although an unusual choice of a lyrical comedy., and not a tragedy as many would think
Presence of Tragedy
The lacrimal experiences of Gaev and Lyubov - the owners of the estate – may be taken at face value, contrary to the author's intention. Chekhov called his play a comedy and insisted on this definition. Why? Because it is impossible to believe the demonstrated behavior of Gaev and Lyubov. These people are incapable of deep and strong feelings.
In the play, Chekhov uses a conventional comic technique - a visible discrepancy between the external and internal appearance of the characters (Mays 1180). In the first act, Lyubov states that she loves her homeland, her cherry orchard, where her childhood and youth passed, that she loves her own daughter Anya and her adopted daughter Varya and that she is happy to return home from Paris. All this the character say enthusiastically, with tears in her eyes. However, subsequent events and actions prove conclusively that these assurances are for the most part only empty words and the heartfelt tears must be distinguished from the tearfulness of the sensitive landowner. Lyubov does nothing for the salvation of her family estate (Rayfield 243). She just endlessly borrows money from Lopahin spending this money as she pleases, and on the day of the trade agreement, she organizes a ball in her own house. Having gotten to know about the sale of the estate, she cried bitterly, not listening to any excuses made by Lopahin nor consolations from Anya (Rayfield 244). In the last act, when she leaves for Paris, that is, she again leaves her dear homeland and beloved daughters, she suddenly recognized that now her life has become calmer and her sleep improved: after selling the orchard her nerves got better. After all, he decided to accept things as they were, due to the fact that the sale as already been accomplished and nothing would change things back (Rayfield 244). The selfishness of Lyubov is demonstrated not only towards the orchard and the estate, but also towards her daughters. She took all the money that Anya’s grandmother from Yaroslavl had sent her granddaughter and left for Paris to spend them there with her unfaithful lover. She even forgets that her “dear Varya” wants to go to a monastery, but for this, she needs at least a thousand rubles of contribution (Rayfield 256).
Having looked at Lyubov from this perspective, can we seriously believe in the experiences and behavior performed by Gaev? After the sale, he comes home and says, with tears in his voice: " I have eaten nothing all day How much I have suffered! I am fearfully tired.” (Mays 1645). However, at that moment he hears the sound of billiard from the next room, and then the reader sees the author's remark: " gaev’s expression changes, he leaves off weeping" as a false gesture (Mays 1645).
At first glance, secondary characters as Charlotta Ivanovna can be perceived as melancholic, sensitive and miserable. In the park she sadly reflects on her life: no parents, no family home, where she would be loved and expected, she does not know her age, nor place of birth, " But where I came from, and who I am, I don’t know” (Mays 1629). It really is a monolog full of misery of a poor, and lonely servant. However, the author does not emphasize the sad impression of the words of the character and even warns with an unexpected remark: "Takes a cucumber out of her pocket and eats,” (Mays 1629). In the play, Epihodov is complaining about his life all the time but is it possible to take his groans that are needed mainly for hitting on Dunyasha seriously. After all, the miserable clerk’s sufferings do not go beyond the cockroach in a mug of kvass and a broken cue.
A True Comedy
In "The Cherry Orchard" there are no unfortunate characters who would perceive life as really tragic. In the play there are funny, even farcical situation (the "misery" of Epihodov, Pyotr falling down the stairs), misunderstandings (Varya in error uses a stick to beat Lopahin instead of Epihodov), comic characters (Simeonov-Pishtchik with the perpetual money problems, Charlotte with her ventriloquism and tricks and so forth). Consequently, Chekhov rightly called his play a comedy.
Another comic technique is when a seemingly tragic monologue of the character is placed in a comic scene, which by contrast has to smooth out the sad impression of the previous sentence. For example, the enthusiastic exclamations of Lyubov upon arrival to the estate are perceived with irony because of the subsequent Gaev monologue about the "Dear, honored, bookcase!” (Mays 1623); During the inspirational speech made by Pyotr Trofimov about being "strong and proud” (Mays 1648) in the back of the stage Epihodov comes in. The too frank reproaches made by Lyubov addressed to Peter at the ball end by his comic falling down the steps (Mays 1642).
"The Cherry Orchard" is a lyrical comedy. The sad mood of the play is associated with the death of the garden. In addition, Chekhov sympathetically depicts characters who, can rightfully be called as “simply a prude, a comic fool, a freak, (Mays 1642). Peter, the "eternal student" who so enthusiastically talks about being "strong and proud " and a bright future; even Lopahin being such a successful businessman, remains a lonely man in the end. Chekhov shows the alienation of people and their unwillingness to understand each other. To do this, the author uses a comic technique called "dialogue of the deaf" when the sides cannot hear each other. In the first act Dunyasha tells Lopahin that Epihodov proposed to her, at the same time Lopahin is listening whether Lyubov had arrived from the station, and does not react to such an important message from the maid (Rayfield 242). In the second act, Charlotta’s monologue about her unfortunate fate is not responded to by anyone as they animatedly discuss the delights of life abroad (Rayfield 250).
The lyrical mood is present in the play because Chekhov sympathizes with his characters, even though he does not forgive them for the death of the orchard. The author blames everyone for this: the old people who proudly owned this possessions, the new owner, wishing to save the garden, decided to cut it down with an ax; and the young heroes welcome the death of a living orchard, intending to plant new orchards in the future.
Conclusion
Thus, Anton Chekhov has created a completely original style of the play - a lyrical comedy. That's what one should define the genre of "The Cherry Orchard" as. The playwright did not see any tragedy in the death of another "noble’s home". On the contrary, in words of Pyotr, Chekhov urges his listeners to a new life, thus expressing courage and philosophical optimism “Humanity is advancing towards the highest truth, the highest happiness, which is possible on earth, and I am in the front ranks.”0 (Mays 1648).
In "The Cherry Orchard" the author shows people of the growing old Russia - "the wreckage of the old nobility," such Gaevs and Lyubov. Chekhov builds comic characters on the inconsistency of their external respectability, and the significance of the internal weakness of character. In their rather adult age, they were able to maintain a completely childish frivolity and ignorance of real life. In the image of Lopahin, one would be able to see a comic relief - external confidence and sense of purpose in business matters and internal timidity, the indecision of a poorly educated man when he talks to highly cultured and well-educated gentlemen. The comic looks of the shabby "better future" voiced by Pyotr Trofimov: calling out for labor and moral self-improvement of the incorrigible idlers (Gaev and Lyubov) and conscientious workers (Lopahin and Varya). All the characters of the play (except, perhaps, the seventeen-year-old Anya and the old man Firs) demonstrate their helplessness in the face of life challenges. The author’s (lyrical) attitude to the heroes is as follows: despising, Chekhov was sorry, he set the tone as gentle but full of deep reproach (Mays 1185).
Works Cited
Das, Jugasmita. “Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard: Evocation of Comic Experience with Special Response to Minor Characters.” Newman International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol. 1 (5). 2014. Web. Retrieved from http://www.newmanpublication.com/may%20issue/4.pdf
Mays, Kelly J. The Norton introduction to literature. New York: W W Norton & Co Inc, 2014. Print.
Rayfield, Donald. Understanding Chekhov: a critical study of Chekhov's prose and drama. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1999. Print. 240-267
