‘’The Boor’’By/ Anton Chikhov

Plot:

Mrs. Popov is a widow grieving a lot because of her husband’s death, She had been imprisoning herself for about seven months after her husband died and she doesn’t want to see any men and doesn’t want to go out while Luka her servant tries to comfort her and he wants Mrs Popov to see other men and enjoy her life but Mrs Popov refueses his offers because she wants to stay faithful to her husband,Although she knows that her husband cheated on her and after his death she found many letters in his desk, then a man who is called Smirnov comes to her house and insists to see Mrs popov, the man politely greets her then asks for money that her husband had loaned and he needs the money because he owes money and if he didn’t pay the bank will capture all of

his lands, But Mrs. Popov couldn’t pay at that day; she could pay the following two days. That made them, Mrs. Popov and Mr. Smirnov, had a confrontation and then insulted each other. Then they changed the conversation about their own problem that in faithfulness of a man or a woman. They started to be angry then they decide to have a duel, but Mrs Popov doesn’t know how to use pistols so Smirnov teaches her but now he doesn’t want to have a duel because he fells for her and likes her, at first Mrs popov hesiates about that but soon she accepts him.

Climax:

The cliamx of the play is when they decide to have a duel, Mrs popov and smirnov they insult each other and Mrs popov challenges her so smirnov says that they will have a duel, Mrs popov agrees and says she is not afraid but her servant,luka, is afraid. Smirnov takes this dual against Mrs popov as the way that sexes are made equal. And he states that it is the first time in his life to see such a woman

Conflict:

The conflict begins between smirnov and Mrs popov when popov can not pay smirnov that day and smirnov can not wait till tomorrow and on the top of that Mrs Popo says that she doesn’t have mood to discuss about it, so smirnov got angry and they start to insult each other then having a duel. The conflict is external and it’s between man and woman but in the play man represented by smirnov and woman by popov, they speak on behalf of each other’s genderes. Smirnov states that women are unfaithful and they are like crocodile they attack and cry although

he loved pationately and deeply and he spent money for the, in return popov argued that mena are unfaithful, she spent her youth money and love to her husband but after his death she found love letters in his desk. This conflict ends with a proposal marriage because after all, the two will always need each other.

Characters:

Helena Ivanova Popov: she is a widow woman who is grieving for her husband ,she is a pretty woman, smirnov notices she has dimples, she is a Faithful woman she stayed fatihful to her husband even after his death and even when he found out love letters in her husband’s desk that he had cheated on him with many women, she is moody and gets angry fast and she has a strong personality and she challenges smirnov in a duel, she doesn’t want to see men or marry again but when at the end of the play smirnov confesses he has felt for her she accepts him.

Grigori Stepanovitvh Smirnov: He is retired lieutenant in artilery and he is country gentleman, when he visits Mrs popov he criticizes himself that he shouldn’t have gone like this with his dirty boots and he is unwashed and uncombed, and he is emotional,expressive man and gets angry fast and he’s a strong man he could break a chair with his hands, he is a frank, faithful man but Mrs popov considers him a boor vulgar

man, he thinks women are unfaithful and hypocritical but he falls for Mrs popov and likes her apperance and personality he states that he has never seen a woman like this in his life.

Luka: He is servant of Mrs popov, and he is an obident servant, he is kind and gentle , he suggests the best for Mrs popov and he wants her to meet other men and get out from grieving, and he is afraid when Mrs popov and Smirnov decided to have a duel.

Nicholai Michailovitch: He is the dead husband of Mrs popov he liked riding a hourse and his favorite hourse was Tobby, He was not faithul or treat Mrs popov well, and he cheated on Mrs popov with many women.

Setting:

Place: A well-furnished reception-room in Mrs popov’s home. Mrs popov is discovered in deeo mourning, sitting upan a sofa, gazing steadfastly at a photograph. Luka is also present.

Atmosphere: it has a satirical, humourous ,romance tone.

Theme:

Love: Although Popov is sad and she is mourning for her husband but she was happy when a man insists to see her, and after an argument between Smirnov and Popov, and their dissagrement they decide to

love eachother, Love is need, even though there are disagrement between man and woman but they still need each other.

Being optimistic: the play shows that we should be optimistic and don’t let memories and shadows from past catche us now and life continues and we should not stop on a single spot and make time freeze, we see Mrs Popov decided to be sad till the day of her death, but when Smirnov wanted to leave she hesitated and then she agreed to love him to start a new life with a faithful man.

Symbols:

Spiders: Luka is comparing Mrs popov to spiders, spideres are away from everyone and they afraid of the light. Just like the lady who doesn’t want to leave her home.

Tobby: tobby is the horse of Nikolai Michailovitch, Tobby symbolizes the popov’s love for her husband, she usually tells servants that they should give more oats and let Tobby rest well but she foregets tobby which means her husband when she agrees to get married to Smirnov.

Crocodile: Smirnov compares woman to crocodiles , he says that woman is a common crocodile, crocodile symbolizes unfaithful women that they attack and then cry for their victims.

Mouse in a trap: Smirnov’s love for women he had known is like a trap for him,Although he was faithful and he loved very deep. He expressed his love as a poor mouse captured in a trap .

Flashback:

1. When Mrs popov talks about her husband, when she says that her husband liked to take a ride with tobby, or when she says she found Love letters to other women in Her husband’s desk, these are flashbacks.

2. Another flashback is when Smirnov talks about himself jilting 12 women and 9 being jilted by, and he had duel for them

Irony:

‘’and I shall never leave it—why should I? my life is over.He lies in his grave, and I have buried myself within these four walls. We are both dead.’’ This is said by Mrs Popov to Luka her servant when he told her he told her to go out and enjoy herself, the lady doesn’t want to leave her house after the death of her husband, she wants to stay faithful even after discovering that the man was not really faithful to her there is an exagguration and irony in this speech. Because at the end of the play she decides to marry Smirnov.

Solloliquy:

‘’arent you ashamed?i have been a good, true wife; I have improsined myself and I shall remain true untill death, and you—you--- you’re not ashamed of yourself, my dear monster! You quarrelled with me, left

me alone for weeks’’ this is solloliquy said by Mrs Popov adressing her dead husband Michalovitch, this spechh shows her real feelings towaard her husband, she’s angry because he wasn’t a faithful person he cheated on her,though, she has given him everything(her youth,life, and money) he even did not treat her in a proper way.