Okay, so, early in The Seagull, these characters have some hopes and dreams. They even achieve some of them. For example, Nina becomes an actress. Huzzah! But she also loses her family, loses her baby, and loses her mind. Boo.
Konstantin seems on the verge of receiving the critical success he's always wanted, but he still can't get the girl. For many of the characters, the realization of old dreams is immediately replaced by the formulation of new ones, or by clinging to those old ones that remain unrealized. Life in Chekhov is a constant state of changing want.
Questions About Dreams, Hopes and Plans
- Is Nina really excited about the art of acting? Or does she just want to be famous?
- What dreams and hopes do you think Arkadina and Trigorin had before they became successful?
- Is there a character in the play without dreams of the future?
Chew on This
Even with the achievement of their dreams and plans, most characters in The Seagull remain unfulfilled.
In The Seagull, the barriers to personal goals are often the actions of other people.