The Cherry Orchard: Joys and Sorrows
If The Cherry Orchard were stripped down to its basic plot, it would be a very sad story. The mistress of the house, Mrs. Ranevsky, returns home after having spent several disreputable and eventually penniless years abroad, because her beloved childhood home is being auctioned off due to the family’s inability to pay its bills. Mrs. Ranevsky makes no real effort to save her estate, and thus it is eventually bought by a family friend, Lopakhin, to be leveled and leased out in pieces. The family members all relocate, but the faithful family servant is forgotten and left to die. In the midst of this tragic plot, however, Chekhov inserts a multitude of comic characters and moments. The characters of Charlotte, whose sole purpose seems to be entertainment for the family, the slightly narcoleptic and easily surprised Pishchik, clumsy Yepikhadov, and the eternally bored and impertinent Yasha, are all secondary characters who lighten the scenes with their antics. Even more central characters take part in the comedy; Gayev’s oft-repeated “Pot the red in the middle (p. 674)!” adds a likeable quirkiness to his character, and Mrs. Ranevsky’s penchant for giving away money despite her poverty, is laughable even while it is frustrating to watch. Even after her home is sold and she is preparing to leave, this unfortunate habit pops up again, in a quick on-stage-off-stage exchange:
“Gayev: You gave them your purse, Lyuba. You shouldn’t. You really shouldn’t!
Mrs. Ranevsky: I-I couldn’t help it. I just couldn’t help it. (pg. 683)”
Finally, the play ends with Firs, the aged servant left forgotten, to die alone in the house. You can’t help but feel pity for Firs, and the scene is incredibly poignant. But Checkov decides to end the play with the very comic word “nincompoop (p. 687)” to echo in the audiences’ mind. The scene is suddenly not quite so tragic, and the reality of life as a mixture of sorrows and joys becomes apparent.