Chekhovian characters are famous for their unhappiness. Unlucky in love, unsuccessful in their careers—or successful yet still unfulfilled—they don't shy away from voicing their dissatisfaction.
They drink. They smoke. They do quite a bit of talking. By insulting each other, controlling each other, and by denying each other love, money, and even horses, they generally try to alleviate their misery by making their friends just as unhappy. Longing and dissatisfaction are a fact of life in The Seagull.
Questions About Dissatisfaction
- What does Chekhov gain in presenting a cast of dissatisfied characters?
- Who wins the prize for unhappiest? Who is happiest?
- Is the dissatisfaction of the characters something we can relate to today?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Chekhov believes that dissatisfaction is the natural human condition.
Chekhov gets as much comic mileage as tragic import out of his characters' unhappiness.