A Misfortune by Anton Chekhov

Setting

• The story takes place in a summer villa near a wood, with a railway embankment and a white church with six domes nearby.

Characters

• Sofya Petrovna (Madame Lubyantsev): the wife of Lubyantsev the notary, a handsome young woman of 25.
• Ilyin: a lawyer who is spending the summer in the neighborhood, in love with Sofya Petrovna.
• Andrey Ilyitch (Lubyantsev): Sofya Petrovna's husband, a notary.
• Varya: Sofya Petrovna and Andrey Ilyitch's daughter.

Plot

• Sofya Petrovna meets Ilyin in the wood and tries to have a serious conversation with him about his pursuit of her.
• Ilyin confesses his love for Sofya Petrovna, saying he is struggling against his feelings and wants to be free from his obsession.
• Sofya Petrovna is torn between her duty as a wife and mother, and her attraction to Ilyin.
• Ilyin's passion and sincerity affect Sofya Petrovna, who is shaken by her own weakness.
• After meeting Ilyin, Sofya Petrovna returns home and tries to shake off the encounter, but her thoughts are preoccupied with Ilyin.
• She decides to tell her husband about her trouble and suggest they leave the villa, but her husband is unwilling to listen.
• Sofya Petrovna realizes she must take charge of the situation and decides to go on a tour, hoping to escape her troubles.

Themes

• The struggle between duty and desire
• The power of passion and obsession
• The difficulty of being true to oneself and others
• The fragility of relationships and the ease of corruption

Symbolism

• The wood and the railway embankment: symbols of the boundaries and constraints of Sofya Petrovna's life
• The church: a symbol of moral guidance and tradition
• The bee buzzing against the window-pane: a symbol of Sofya Petrovna's restless and agitated state

Character Development

• Sofya Petrovna: torn between her duty as a wife and mother, and her attraction to Ilyin; struggling to maintain her self-respect and integrity.

• Ilyin: passionate, sincere, and unhappy; unable to control his feelings, and willing to sacrifice everything for Sofya Petrovna.

• Andrey Ilyitch (Lubyantsev): distant, uninvolved, and complacent; unaware of his wife's troubles and unwilling to listen.### Sofya Petrovna's Evening

• Sofya Petrovna was aware of Ilyin's unhappiness and felt sorry for him, but she was too caught up in her own youth, beauty, and virtue to care.

• She flirted, laughed, and sang with peculiar feeling and gusto, enjoying the attention and amusement.

• She was particularly amused by a red snake pin on Ilyin's cravat with diamond eyes.

• She sang sad, mournful songs about wasted hopes, the past, and old age, almost in mockery of Ilyin's grief.

Ilyin's Confession

• Ilyin was the last to leave the party, and Sofya Petrovna accompanied him to the bottom step of the verandah.
• He showered her with caressing words, tender and sweet, and even called her "thou" as if she were his wife or mistress.
• He put his arm around her waist and took hold of her elbow, kissing the nape of her neck, asking her to come to him.
• Sofya Petrovna was caught off guard and responded with indignation, but her words lacked conviction.

Sofya Petrovna's Struggle

• She realized she had behaved badly and foolishly, like a madcap girl, and was left with a fearful weakness and apathy.
• Her conscience whispered to her about her mistakes, and she felt uneasy and guilty.
• An oppressive desire began to assail her, and she couldn't resist her attraction to Ilyin.
• She convicted herself of being tempted not by feelings but by sensations, and she felt ashamed and humiliated.

The Aftermath

• Sofya Petrovna tried to justify her actions to her husband, Andrey Ilyitch, but he didn't believe her and was frightened by her confession.
• She went for a walk, driven by an overmastering force, and muttered to herself about being an "immoral creature" and a "low wretch."
• She was caught up in a struggle between her desire and her morality, and it seemed like she had lost control.

External Resources

• The text is available for download on the website livrosgratis.com.br, which offers thousands of free e-books on various subjects.