Not all of the characters in The Seagull are obsessed with money, but those who are tend to get the sharper end of Chekhov's ridicule stick. The schoolteacher Medvedenko gossips insufferably about others' salaries and whines about his own economic hardship—as though his main problem weren't a wife who loathes him.
Comically, the actress Arkadina cries every time her poverty-stricken son asks her for money, even though she has plenty of it. She's also a notoriously bad tipper. One of the few working-class characters in the play, Shamrayev, enjoys lording over the lords by restricting access to horses. Money is a means of control in the play.
Questions About Wealth
- Does Masha's attraction to Konstantin and revulsion from Medvedenko have anything to do with their attitudes toward money?
- Why is Arkadina so stingy?
- Would Konstantin be more successful in writing and with women if he were better provided for?
Chew on This
Denying Konstantin money is one way Arkadina assures that her son will never equal her success.
Trigorin's commercial success allows him access to things he wants, and distracts him from things he loves.