The Cherry Orchard By Chekhov Essay

Russia was forced to face a mass of alterations during the reign of Alexander II - economic growth, industrialization, the Crimean and Russo-Turkish wars, peasant uprisings, and, most importantly, Alexander II's Great Reforms, which culminated with the emancipation of the serfs. All of these changes contributed to an upheaval of the social structure that Russia had been operating by for centuries. There has always been an imbalance of power between the masses (peasants, serfs) and the gentry, and this was still true, however there were slightly more opportunities for serfs and slightly less rigid lines separating the two and making the social ladder non-exclusive. With this came varying tones of unrest, wishful activism, and overall intellectual …show more content…
276-277). Chekhov also constructs a Natasha-esque rise to power with Lopakhin, whose past is greatly intertwined with serfdom, and while it was abolished, there is still a lot of fallout surrounding the topic and those involved on both sides. Despite being a successful businessman, Lopakhin is forced to face his past when interacting with family and the orchard itself. This spurs a sense of revenge in Lopakhin, for even those that were "kind" to him (such as Ranevsky) were kind in the ways that a wealthy woman is kind to a peasant - not without condescension and an air of prerogative. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Lopakhin revels in the destruction of the orchard - it is a monument to serfdom, for there is no way that an estate that large could have operated without it. Like many people who had changes forced upon them, Ranevsky wants to hide and find comfort in the past, but it is ripped from her. The Cherry Orchard offers insight into the fallout of the emancipation of the serfs while solidifying the lack of options in regards to the …show more content…
As discussed earlier, there are reoccurring themes, such as disappointment among the gentry, the rise of the middle class and profiting peasants, power struggles between the two, and an overall disconnection between traditional Russian life and society after the Great Reforms. Overall, Chekhov comments on the attitude of the elite as the weight of their status is shifted and how their confidence wavers with these changes. There is also an overall concept that the effects of revolutionary changes, such as Alexander II's Great Reforms, will not be felt in full until long after the dust has