A portrait of Anton Chekhov by his brother Nikolay Chekhov, 1889
Coming from a family of serfs, the Chekhovs were rather poor for generations. At a young age, Anton and his siblings were told stories and fables of his ancestors by their father and the story of their grandfather began their lineage. They knew that their grandfather, Egor Mikhailovich, and his family were all serfs under the landowner Chertkov (Chekhov, 8). They knew his thirst for freedom not only himself but for his entire family and although his extended family bought themselves out of serfdom, Anton Chekhov’s immediate family was still in poverty. Because of his lowly background however, Chekhov was able study the psychological complexity of humans and thus innovate Russian theatre in the realm of psychological realism, rendering his plays more realistic and lifelike than the theatre that came before him.
Chekhov family and friends in front of Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya home, 1890. (Top row, left to right) Ivan, Alexander, Father; (second row) unknown friend, Lika Mizinova, Masha, Mother, Seryozha Kiselev; (bottom row) Misha, Anton.
Throughout his childhood, Chekhov’s father, Pavel Chekhov, was a struggling merchant, having major difficulties to keep his grocery store afloat. Although there were times where Pavel’s business performed well, often Anton and his brothers would need to tend to the shop, even as a child. Once his business collapsed, hsi father’s only option to avoid his debts was to escape his creditors by fleeing to Moscow (Kirk, 17). Steadily, the rest of Chekhov’s family began to follow their father to Moscow, leaving Chekhov to live alone in their former house. Chekhov was birthed into poverty and hardship extremely early in his life, making him very aware of his social standing. As a result, in order to rid himself, and his family, of this tragic life, Chekhov, working hard throughout his juvenescence, entered the medical school of Moscow University in order to fill the void left by his father and provide for his family (Kirk, 18). While working as a doctor, Chekhov saw patients of all backgrounds, rich and poor, and so he witnessed a wide array of perspectives with which he could form his own opinions. After becoming a doctor and thus improving his income, Chekhov first traveled to Sakhalin Island, examining the conditions of the inmates living on the island and enabling him to witness the environment of those of a lower status firsthand (Kirk, 21). Additionally, while living in Melikhovo, men, women, and even children would gather outside Chekhov’s home seeking his medical assistance, giving him another opportunity to interact with other social standings (Chekhov 181). Establishing himself among a lower social class, Chekhov discovered the peasant condition, uncovering that “they suffered and wept like men and women” (Hingley, 175). By transitioning from a low status as a child to a the middle-class in becoming a doctor, Chekhov shaped his ability not only to observe humans socially but also to analyze them psychologically.
Chekhov experienced an immense dichotomy in the social status of his childhood and adulthood that benefitted his skill of being socially aware. In writing more regularly and becoming a doctor, Chekhov transitioned from viewing the world from below (i.e. from great poverty) to standing close to the top of it. As a result, he was able to observe the Russian society around him with two perspectives and in his experiences with people of varying backgrounds, Chekhov developed the ability to analyze others psychologically. Interacting with people of diverse environments, with the help of his skills as a doctor, Chekhov understood the psychological complexity of those around him, regardless of social class, and made acute social observations based upon what he saw in society. From here, noticing these very real and present intricacies, Chekhov incorporated all he perceived into his oeuvre. Therefore, his characters have depth and a vivid, emotional presence when on stage. Everything that Chekhov became aware of in Russian society inspired him to incorporate these ideas into his plays, rather than relying on hyperbolic dramatic action and stock characters that behaved like surfaces on stage. Chekhov’s mimicry of human psychology and their complex thought processes breathed life into his theatre throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Anton Checkov in April 1904, photo taken in the Chekhov Museum in Badenweiler