Summary Of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's Ionych?

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is a world recognized master of the short story. He was able to raise many social issues and to send powerful messages that need deep reflection in relatively small texts. Almost all Chekhov’s works, both short stories and later plays, are devoted towards the fight against philistinism, narrow-mindedness, and intellectual poverty of people. Chekhov in his works also touched the subject of degradation of the human soul. Particularly, an author addresses this problem in a story “Ionych”. In this story, Chekhov acquaints his readers with Dmitry Ionych Startsev and shows his transformation from a young, talented and intelligent doctor of a small county town of S. to a flabby, greedy and miserable Ionych. By using an example of Startsev, Chekhov in “Ionych” revealed how the social environment, lack of real feelings, and a person’s own failure to resist the vulgarity and philistinism may cause degradation of the human soul. Part of the blame for the degradation

However, “his feelings were confused, but warm and joyful – and at the same time a cold, obdurate, small section of his brain kept reasoning: Stop before it 's too late!...” (123). Yekaterina’s refusal to marry Startsev was a turning point in a story and clearly affected Startsev’s spiritual state in the future. After his feelings were rejected, this “cold, obdurate, small section of his brain” kept growing bigger (123). Now material senses, such as banknotes and private carriage bring Dmitry Ionych much more satisfaction than spiritual senses such as the feeling of love or passion to help the ill. However, Chekhov leaves readers to wonder if Startsev was ever capable to truly love someone, since it only took him three days after the rejection as “he calmed down and carried on with his life as before”