Ivanoff: A Play

"Ivanoff: A Play" by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is a story set in Russia that looks closely at the tangled relationships and problems in society through the eyes of Nicholas Ivanoff. This man is wrestling with unhappiness inside himself, a difficult marriage, and what he owes to others. The play starts in Ivanoff's garden with amusing conversations mixed with a feeling of sadness, introducing characters such as Borkin, who is drunk and wants money, and Anna, Ivanoff's sick wife. What is shown through his relationships is Ivanoff's battle between his duty to his wife and his coldness toward her. The mood of the play switches between funny talk and the serious matter of Anna's sickness, which creates a feeling of a man struggling with his problems as he understands his mistakes and what they mean. What they say shows who the characters are and hints at growing problems of selfishness that will come as the story goes on.