Time flies when you're bored and lonely in a big house in a small town in the middle of the Russian countryside. Except when we said "flies," we meant "crawls." There's a strong sense of life getting away from these characters as they pursue all sorts of self-delusions and distractions in the realm of love and work.
At one point, the doctor even tries smashing the heirloom clock in Act III, but, big shocker, that doesn't stop the minutes, hours, and even years from passing far too quickly. We watch the three sisters come to terms with aging as their lives progress not exactly as they might wish.
Questions About Time
- How much time passes from Act I to Act IV?
- Do you think the Prozorovs have squandered their time? Or do they just live like normal people?
- Is this a play about aging? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Each Prozorov sister represents a different perspective on time. Olga lingers in the past, Masha lives in the present, and Irina thinks only of the future.
Chebutykin breaks the clock in Act III as an irrational and futile attempt to stop the passage of time.