The Cherry Orchard

The Cherry Orchard is Anton Chekhov's last play. It premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre in 1904, just months before the author's death, in a production directed by Konstantin Stanislavski. The playwright's wife Olga Knipper played Madame Ranevskaya in this production, as well as in the 300th production of the play by the theatre in 1943.

Themes

One of the main themes of the play is the effect social change has on people. The emancipation of the serfs on 19 February, 1861 by Alexander II allowed former serfs to gain wealth and status while some aristocrats were becoming impoverished, unable to tend their estates without the cheap labour of slavery. The effect of these reforms were still being felt when Chekhov was writing forty years after the mass emancipation.

Related Topics:
Social change - Emancipation of the serfs - 19 February - 1861 - Alexander II

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Ranevskaya's failure to address problems facing her estate and family mean that she eventually loses almost everything and her fate can been seen as a criticism of those people who are unwilling to adapt to the new Russia. The speeches by the student Trofimov, attacking intellectuals were later seen as early manifestations of Bolshevik ideas and his lines were often censored by the Tsarist officials. Cherry trees themselves are often seen as symbols of sadness or regret at the passing away of certain situation or of the times in general. This symbolism is particularly common in the Sakura (cherry blossoms) of Japanese culture.

Related Topics:
Bolshevik - Censor - Tsar - Cherry - Sakura - Japan

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Another idea, while the Marxist view of the play is certainly more popular is that The Cherry Orchard was Chekhov's last hurrah; a tribute to himself if you will. Many of the characters call back to his earlier works. Many of the characters in the play are based on people he knew in his own life or in his earlier works. It should also be noted that his boyhood house was bought and torn down by a wealthy man that his mother had considered a friend. The breaking guitar string in acts 2 and 4 herald back to his earliest works. Finally the classic "loaded gun" in many of Chekhov's plays. This is his only play in which a gun is shown but never fired. The play can be interpreted as an homage to himself.

Related Topics:
Marxist - Chekhov's

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