Communication Failure in A. P. Chekhov’s Poetics: Architectonic Factor (A Nightmare, Enemies, An Awkward Business)

Purpose. The article examines communication failure which is one of the major factor of Chekhov’s poetics. The problem of architectonics is based on dialogue principle in narrative and values unity. Results. A Nightmare is a story of social misunderstanding. A public character Kunin treats a country priest father Yakov as a hard-drinking person. He is highly snobbish and refuses to hear the poor priest. Finally, his revelation of someone’s else being, except his own, shakes him much. But his newly gained knowledge about social issues such as destitution is not deep. Later, Kunin calms down and ruminates over his lack of money to help father Yakov and the other poor person, the doctor. The author’s conclusion discredits his attempt to become a better person. Overall, the dialogue of positions is just quasi-communication. In his next work, Enemies, Chekhov’s poetic construction appears to be more complicated. Doctor Kirilov and Abogin, a rich man, both experience grief, but the reasons for their grief are entirely different. Doctor has lost his only little son an hour before, but Abogin compels him to save his wife. When they arrive to Abogin’s country-estate, it turns out that the woman has just run away with her lover. This farce provokes the doctor’s rage. He blames Abogin, saying that the rich man’s distress is empty and ridiculous. According to the author, the offended Kirilov can hardly be considered wrong. And once again, the author’s conclusion sums up the short story. An existential connotation manifests the communication breakdown. The third short story, An Awkward Business, is devoted to problem of total communication failure. The main character, doctor Ovchinnikov, is not heard at all. His business matter turns out to be a matter of further existence, but nobody wants to understand the essence of his trouble. Finally, his case is interpreted in a formal way and is not solved. The author simply lets things go on, standing outside the text. And this is the innovative feature of Chekov’s mature creative work. Conclusion. To sum up, in three Chekhov’s short stories communication failure is an important factor of poetics, which is developed in his later works.

architectonics, communication failure, values system, ethic outlook

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