Read about "The Lady with the Dog"
Class Discussion Questions:
- When the narrator first mentions Gurov's unfaithfulness, how would you describe the point of view and tone? Is the narrator seeing something the character does not himself see? Is there judgment in the tone? If so, where?
- What is free indirect discourse? Can you identify a moment in the narrative that demonstrates this technique? Consider the descriptions of women as an example.
- Look for words like "seemed" (18 times) or "as though" (14 times) or "clear" (4 times) or "probably" (6 times). What do these words suggest about the point of view in this narrative? What type of Realism is Chekhov using?
- Did you notice when the narrative shifted to present tense? How do we account for this narratorial intrusion?
- Before the actual "end" of the narrative, Chekhov is sure to make us think about the idea of endings. How does these moments make the actual end of the narrative more shocking?
- How does this narrative demonstrate the importance of distinguishing between plot and story?
- Is this short story anything more than prelude to what we would really expect a story to be? How is it still a story unto itself?
