F. Y. B.

Com: Compulsory English-Semester- II

Dr. Suneeta H. Nirmale

Short Story

‘Misery’, Anton Chekhov

The Lament

What impression of the character of Iona do you get from this story?

Answer:
Iona was an old cab driver; he lost his young son. Being lonely, he was reduced to a
phantom figure. He desperately wished to talk and share his sentiments with
someone. He was so shattered that he tried to talk to any or everybody. He lamented
his loss, despair and melancholy encompassed him. He was plunged in the thoughts
of his son so much that he was unaware of his surroundings, even the snow. He drove
his sled rashly and brandished his horse more than necessary. He lost control over his
emotions and went on blabbing about his loss in front of even the ones who would
be least interested to know. He tried talking to his passengers, the policemen, and
the three drunkards. He was afraid for his withered age and that his son was gone.
He knew it would be difficult for him to earn his livelihood. He even remarked to the
horse that had his young son been alive, they would not have suffered and would
have had plenty of food to live on. His state was of a typical old man who loses his
young son and feels helpless and only grieves.

How does the horse serve as a true friend and companion to Iona?

Answer: When Iona realized that nobody was listening to him and that he had nobody
to go to grieve at his loss, he turned to his horse. He tried to talk to his passengers,
the officers, the drunkards, and the young cab driver, about his son; how he fell ill,
and what did he say before he died. It was about to be a week since the mishap and
the Cabby had had nobody to talk to so far. Finally, he decided to go to look after his
horse. It was unbearably painful for him to picture his son when he was alone. So he
tried to keep himself occupied. He offered hay to the little horse as that was all he
could as he had no corn and he did not earn much for he had lost his young son, he
explained it to the horse. Iona's feelings were too much for him. The driver goes on
explaining the whole story of his son to the horse, while the horse listens patiently
and breathes over his master's hand like a true mate.

Empathy and understanding are going out of modern society. The individual
experiences intense alienation from the society around him or her. Discuss

Answer: We have entered an era that feeds on globalization. A world that is driven
by fast technology. The age-old emotions and sentiments are all bygone. There is
little time for empathy and understanding. An ordinary human's lifestyle has evolved,
changing the ethics of our society. People are busy and work is immense and the
pressure that a human undergoes leaves no time for her/him to ponder or wonder. A
state that makes a human mechanical and lacking in sensibility, which is overtaken by
practicality. The concept of society has altered. The individual is alienated from the
society. Humans do contribute to society but not with cultural values but only by
technological advancement. The sharing and dependence have evaporated from our
culture and we have restricted our zone by not giving way to feelings of joy, sorrow,
fear, or love anyway. Humans have resigned from such emotions and are resolute not
to give in to them.

Behind the public face of the people in various occupations is a whole saga of
personal suffering and joy that they wish to share with others. Discuss

Answer:
Like Iona, every human has a portion of his/her heart unexplored. They guard it
stealing it from everyone and yet they long for it to be uncovered; sharing it all with
a companion, a friend, a mate. A human, like a diamond, has many facets. The face
people wear in public is just one of those facets. There is a child inside everyone, a
male in every female and a female in every male, unknown, hidden. They keep them
locked inside and yet crave to share it with someone. In this world of today, where
we all are much wiser and practical and much busier, we have little time to spend
and share our inner self of ours with someone. The true face behind us all is shielded
carefully and it longs to be known and understood. We all hold our souls back yet we
wish to share our dark secrets with someone. Our sufferings, our joys, our desires,
our hidden self. And in this modern world, few find a true mate with whom they can
share their joys and sufferings, which they keep locked away in their hearts.

The story begins with a description of the setting. How does this serve as a fitting
prelude to the events described in the story?

Answer:
The story of Iona Potapov is one of suffering. The setting described in the beginning
sets the mood of the reader, the atmosphere is full of gloom and darkness as it is a
day covered with snow. The author has tried to evoke melancholy in the reader's
heart through the environment he describes so that the reader is set in tune with the
mood of the protagonist. The author describes the positions and appearance of Iona.
He appears like a phantom who is lost as if he is not interested in the world any
more, unaware of his surroundings and the snow that covered his eyelashes and even
on his horse's back. This all sets the mood perfectly for a story that is to uncover the
protagonist's loss at which he laments.

 Comment on the graphic detail with which the various passengers who took
Iona's cab are described.

Answer:

The author described the passengers who took Iona's cab defining their
character sketch. The first one was the officer. It gives an image of the
impatience that the police personnel have. These characters portray the
society we live in. How a drunkard might react to someone's grief and how a
police officer would be unconcerned about someone's loss. Even the boy in the
stable did not pay any heed to Iona's story. Nobody in the busy world had the
time to stop and hear what the poor old cab driver had to say.

 This short story revolves around a single important event. Discuss how the
narrative is woven around this central fact.

Answer:

The story has a simple plot and revolves around it. Iona Potapov, an ageing
man, a poor Russian cab driver lost his dear son earlier week. A load that he
carries, weighing his heart, Iona wishes to speak and share his grief desperately
with someone. Thus, on finding no companion or friend to mourn over his grief
he tries to share it with every one he comes across. He tries to share it with the
passengers that board his sledge only to find how disinterested everyone is in
his story. His agony grows and he is thrown into despair. All the while there is
one thing that remains constant in the story, the loss Iona suffers and his
attempt to overcome it. So, overwhelmed is the old father that he finally
 decides to go on and talk his heart out to his horse. The horse proves to be a
true companion and listens to Iona's story patiently while munching hay.

 The story begins and ends with Iona and his horse. Comment on the
significance of this to the plot of the story.

Answer:

The story is a satire on how disengaged humans are that one has to find a true
companion in an animal. Iona from the beginning of the story is portrayed with
his horse. In the beginning, while Iona is struck with his loss and melancholia,
he and his horse stand unmoved. It appeared that they both shared similar
grief. Both seemed unaware of their surroundings and of the heavy snow, the
horse for being a slave animal, and Iona due to his grief. The story narrates
how Iona lashes his frustration by brandishing the horse unnecessarily, yet the
horse is faithful to his master. Even by the end of the story, Iona is left unheard
and his heavy heart knows no one to release his burden to. He finds solace in
the company of his horse again. He goes up to him and gives him hay to munch.
He goes on speaking to the silent animal explaining how he lost his young son.
He grieved, now that he is old and poor, to make things worse, he will be
having trouble earning. The animal, not sure if understood what his master
said, remained silent and heard it all peacefully proving its faithfulness to his
master.

Look at the following set of words and mention what is common to them both in form
and meaning. Snuffle snort sniffle snore

Answer:
All the words given are different ways of breathing

 Snuffle: To breathe noisily due to cold or because of crying

  Snort: To breathe air out noisily through nose to show anger
 Sniffle: To breathe air from nose in a way that makes a sound, especially while
crying or on having cold
 Snore: To breathe noisily though nose and mouth while sleeping

 Look at the words given in the box below

Snigger- titter giggle chortle chuckle*

wriggle

sneak
squeak-
squawk
titter
pant
chuckle
giggle-
jeer- boo*
chortle
guffaw- laugh aloud
sigh- gasp pant *
sidle- sneak*
boo
shriek- shriek squawk*
scramble-
croak- croak gasp pant
straggle
plod
gasp
Now classify them according to their closeness in meaning to the words given below A-
snigger B-wriggle C-squeak D-jeer E-sigh
Answer:
giggle boo plod snigger wriggles queak jeer sigh titter chortle chuckle guffaw sneak straggle scramble
sidle shriek squawk croak gasp pant

 Explain the associations that the color 'white' has in the story.

Answer:

White is the color of light. However, the irony in the story The Lament is that it
reflects the gloom portrayed in the story. In the beginning, to show the
melancholy of Iona Potapov, the narrator says that he is so white that he looks
like a phantom. His horse also appears quite white. Actually white is the colour
of snow. And snow reflects the despondency and lethargy of winter and how
the whole environment and atmosphere appear to be thrown into utter
despair. The evening is setting in and everything seems so white and withered.
The street lamps' light is also white, replacing the brighter rays. The whole
setting, while laying stress on the white surroundings, projects the solitude of
the poor cab driver.

 What does the phrase 'as if he were on needles' mean? Can you think of
another phrase with a similar meaning substituting the word 'needless'?

Answer:

The phrase actually is 'on pins and needles' which means to be nervously
waiting to see what is going to happen. Another phrase that has similar
meaning is 'on tenterhooks'.
Q.1: Comment on the indifference that meets Iona’s attempts to share his grief with his
fellow human beings.
Ans: The protagonist of the story, Iona Potapav is in deep grief, the reason being his son's
unexpected demise. As a general human characteristic, he also wants to talk about the
hardship that he is facing, and what he felt through the entire event, but he's unable to find
someone to vent out. He wants to share the flood of emotions that he has been storing
inside him. But the problem resides in the fact that the people that he's surrounded by, are
either in a hurry being the passengers wanting to reach the destination, or are simply not
interested in giving an ear to him. So whenever Iona starts sharing about the death of his
son, he's ignored by everyone. Finding no other resort, Iona shared everything to his horse.
Q.2: What impression of the character of Iona do you get from this story?
Ans : Iona, the protagonist of the story, is a cab driver. After the sudden death of his son, he
is miserable and he wants to share his feelings but he's unable to find a person to vent out.
He wants someone to hear about the loss that he has been suffering but it's observed that
everyone is either busy or uninterested thus he becomes a miserable figure and in the end
shares everything with his horse. In the starting of the story, it's explained that how
unaware he has become of his surroundings that even the snow wasn't bothering him, all he
was looking for was an individual to hear about everything that has been happening with
him. He also states that death came to his son instead of him. So after the loss of his son, he
has turned into a miserable man who finds earning a living difficult and is looking for
support in every individual he comes across.
Q.3: How does the horse serve as a true friend and companion to Iona?
Ans : Iona just wanted someone to hear about all the grief that he has been suffering from.
He started talking to everyone that he came across but the problem was that no individual
was either interested nor anyone had the time to hear what he was saying. Everyone was
just focused on getting out to their own ways. He wanted to talk about everything, the way
he died, how he went to collect the clothes of his dead son, how he has been feeling, but he
was unable to find someone. This was the time when he resorted to telling everything to his
horse. The horse being true to his master listens to everything and breathed over the
master's hand, comforting in his own way.
Q.4: Empathy and understanding are going out of modern society. The individual
experiences intense alienation from the society around him or her.
Ans : This is completely true that modern society is going out from empathy and
understanding. Nowadays people are present for one another only if they are receiving
anything in reciprocal. No one keeps others first to his personal self. The feelings of empathy
and understanding are bygones now and no individual pays attention to hearing the
problems of others. Humans are just becoming the mechanised units of fulfilling own
desires without considering the other person's feelings. The sharing of grief for the motive
of reducing it has just become a mere saying and no one is available to pay attention to the
sufferings of others. All they live for is themselves, and the values and morals are depleting.
Q.5: Behind the public face of the people in various occupations is a whole saga of personal
suffering and joy which they wish to share with others.
Ans : Human being always has two sides, a professional one and the personal one. It is
usually observed that the professional side of the individual's personality is kept stern no
matter now weak or wrecking the individual is on the personal front. Every individual holds
back a story they don't share with everyone. Similar was the case with Iona, he had just lost
his young son and was in deep grief in search of someone to share his feelings but despite
all this, he had to work because earning a living is more important. He kept looking in every
passenger, a listener to his woes, but he couldn't find one. Thus, behind his face of a cab
driver was a father who had just lost his son and was worried about the situation, but a
balance between the two has to be kept.
MCQS/Chekhov's Misery, The Lament
1. who is Iona Potapov?

A military officer
A house porter

A young man from the yard

The driver of a horse-driven sleigh

2. To whom does Iona Potapov eventually end up talking to at the end of Chekhov's short story
Misery?

A house porter

His son's ghost

A young man who works at the yard

His horse

3. . In Anton Chekhov's Misery, which of the following characteristics do all of Iona Potapov's
chance encounters and/or fares share? Choose the best answer.

A lack of money to pay for their rides

A need for Iona's companionship

Compassion for and/or a sense of genuine interest in others

A lack of compassion for and/or interest in others

Share

'Misery' by Anton Chekhov is a short story that describes a man's anguish following the death of his
son and the lack of compassion he discovers in the world around him. This lesson will examine the
symbolism and analysis of this story.

Grief

''Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always,'' is a famous quote
that can be used to sum up the experience of Iona Potapov, the protagonist, in Anton Chekhov's
short story ''Misery.'' Iona is suffering from intense grief after the sudden death of his son. He is
compelled to connect with another person with whom he can share his story, but everyone he
meets is too self-centered or cruel to listen. Let's analyze this story and its symbolism.

Setting

Throughout the story, Chekhov incorporates symbolism, or representations, to illustrate Iona's

despondency and isolation. One of the ways this mood is expressed is through his surroundings and
the reaction of both Iona, the driver, and his horse to their surroundings. As snow falls on them, they
remain still and ''white like a ghost.'' Further, although people are moving all around them, the
crowd seems to move right by them without bothering to offer him a fare. Iona's discomfort is
multiplied as the box on which he is sitting is compared to ''sitting on thorns.'' Iona's physical
surroundings mimic and emphasize the cold, lonely, and painful world in which he finds himself as
he attempts to navigate immeasurable grief as his community continues to function as if nothing
happened.

Dehumanization
While Iona compares his need to talk about his pain to a need for water, the people he encounters
have no interest. To mitigate their lack of empathy, the fares dehumanize Iona by calling him names
such as devil, dog, dragon, and plague. These names symbolically indicate subhuman qualities that
have been ascribed to the sledge-driver to minimize the importance of his emotions and
experiences. Ironically, Iona finds the humanity he yearns for from his horse rather than the people
around him.

1. The story begins with a description of the setting. How does this serve as a fitting prelude to
the events described in the story?
2. What impression of the character of Iona do you get from this story?
3. Behind the public face of the people in various occupations is a whole saga of personal
suffering and joy which they wish to share with others.
4. Comment on the graphic detail with which the various passengers who took Iona's cab are
described.
5. How does the horse serve as a true friend and companion to Iona?
6. This short story revolves around a single important event. Discuss how the narrative is
woven around this central fact.
7. The story begins and ends with Iona and his horse. Comment on the significance of this to
the plot of the story
8. Comment on the indifference that meets Iona's attempts to share his grief with his fellow
human beings.
9. Empathy and understanding are going out of modern society. The individual experiences
intense alienation from the society around him or her.

A. Look at the words given below Now classify them according to their closeness.

Snigger, wriggle, sneak, squeak, squawk, titter, pant, chuckle, giggle, jeer, chortle, guffaw, sigh, sidle,
boo, shriek, scramble, croak, straggle, plod, gasp

B. Explain the associations that the colour 'white' has in the story.
C. What does the phrase 'as if he were on needles' mean? Can you think of another phrase
with a similar meaning substituting the word 'needless'?
D. Look at the following set of words and mention what is common to them both in form and
meaning. Snuffle, snort, sniffle, snore

Lament: Setting: dingy, dying, down fall, sunset,

Season: winter, cold, chilled, freezing

Both relate to the age and characteristics qualities of the protagonist.

Iona Potapove: an old man, deficiency, defect, deformity, disability.

Unfit to drive:

Atmosphere and age

Age of retirement

Forced to work: poor, loss of support, responsibility, common man.

Facts of life: must do hardworking, no shortcuts for living, no quitting is possible in one's own life.
Got despondent, depressed, mood-unconscious situation, transformed into another state of mind-
world, motionless, stiff, numb, dumb in senses, out of senses?

Language: Simple, Poetic, Cinematographic, Picturesque, Use of symbols, Use of figure of speech:
such as Metaphor and Simile.

Misery by Anton Chekhov

1. How does Chekhov use cause and effect to illustrate a deeper truth about people?
-In Anton Chekhov's short story "Misery," cab driver Iona Potapov tries to tell several people
about the recent death of his son, but no one will listen, forcing him to eventually talk to his
horse.
2. How did Iona react to the insult of the young man?
-Having waited an hour since his last fare, Iona picks up three young men, who offer him a
derisory twenty kopecks to take them to the Police Bridge. The three men are rowdy and
argue with one another. The buses, insulted, produced bad comments about his poverty.
But like an angel, he worshiped God to forgive them. (Describe it with examples.)
3. Why didn't the people listen to Iona?
-The implication in the story is not that no one believes Iona necessarily, but that, far more
tragically, no one cares. "Misery" is a story that concerns a lonely cabman named Iona out
on his mourning and burden of grief. People around are insensitive, irrespective, irrational,
and rude to Iona’s grief. (Describe it with examples.)
4. Why does Chekhov say that Iona enjoyed the company of the three rude and abusive men in
his cab in Misery?
-Iona is desperately lonely, which is the source of his misery as is evident in the title. In the
story's opening, Iona, a cabman, has been sitting still so long that he "is all white like a
ghost." He is very poor staying alone, away from his family, and forced to do hard work in his
old age due to the death of his dear son which was his only source of earning, the family
lost. (Describe it with examples.)
5. Who is Iona's first fare, and how does he react to Iona's attempt at communication in
"Misery"?
-Iona's first fare of the night comes from a man in a military overcoat who looks to be an
officer, though his hood is pulled over his face. He is very short with Iona, demanding to
know if Iona will reach the destination, as he is in a hurry, and doesn’t have enough time to
listen to the grief of the old man. He is behaving with a loss of sympathy, humanity,
friendliness, affection, and responsibility, irrespective of soldier. (Describe it with examples.)
6. What is the summary of "Misery" by Anton Chekhov?
-A father’s grief—this is the essence of the story “Misery” by Anton Chekhov. Anyone who
has suffered the loss of a loved one can understand the feelings of Iona Potapov, whose son
died of a minor illness, fever. (Describe it with examples.)
7. Anton Chekhov's short story "Misery" has a subtitle "To whom shall I tell my grief?" Discuss
the significance of the two titles and how they relate to each other.
-Clearly, the title and subtitles complement one another. The title "Misery" refers not just to
the main situation of the story, but also to the overall mood of the tale in itself. Our main
protagonist is suffering from the burden of grief and wants to explain his grief to get relief
from the great burden. But no one was ready to listen to him. He suffered from a loss of
friendliness and, the dehumanizing attitude of people around him. (Describe it with
examples.)
 8. Who are the supporting characters, the flat characters, the round characters, and the
protagonist characters in "Misery" by Anton Chekhov? Are any symbols or figurative
language used in the story?
-The protagonist Iona Potapov is virtually all alone in the big city of St. Petersburg. The men
he encounters are all strangers. There are no women in the story, either with other women,
by Potapov. His horse is considered a friend and a mother figure to him, finally, to relieve the
torture from his mind he turns to his horse who is only a companion to him in the big city.
(Describe it with examples.)
9. What is the irony of "Misery"?
-Iona Potapov is grieving over the death of his son. He tries to tell people what he is feeling
and thinking, but nobody shows interest or pity for a forlorn old cab driver. The theme of the
story is mourning, the grief of the old man, and his dehumanization from the rude people
around him. (Describe it with examples.)
10. Discuss the story "Misery" and the characters of Iona and the Horse by Anton Chekhov.
-Grief strikes all men at some time in their lives. The stages of grief are similar for everyone;
however, some people hold their feelings inside. Some need to share their feelings.... see
the answer to question 9. (Describe it with examples.)
11. Discuss the summary of "The Misery" by Anton Chekhov. -“To whom shall I tell my grief?”
The main character in the story “Misery” by Anton Chekhov asks this question because even
though he is around people, no one will listen to him. Iona Potapov... (Use the point
Dehumanization given above and the section Summarize….)
12. What is the main theme in Anton Chekhov's "The Lament," also called "Misery"? The Lament
(Misery) by Anton Chekhov "To whom shall I tell my grief?" THE twilight of evening. Big
flakes of wet snow... "The Lament," also known as "Misery," is a short story by Anton
Chekhov about a Russian sled driver whose son has recently died and his reactions. The
central theme of the story is man’s indifference to the pain of another—this is the theme of
the story “Misery” by Anton Chekhov. The title symbolizes the feelings of the protagonist
Iona Potapov, a Russian sleigh driver, who is under the burden of grief. Waiting for someone
who can listen to him, but everyone has shown negligence. (Use the point of
Dehumanization given above.)

Summarize the story "Misery" by Anton Chekhov.

The story tells about a father and his great despair for his dead son. Iona, the father, is a Russian
sleigh driver who desperately tried to share his grief with strangers. Iona wanted someone to listen
to him, to somehow feel his grief, in order for him to feel better. This reading shows the harshness of
human nature. It takes a powerful look at the lack of human involvement and compassion toward
one man's grief. Iona tries unsuccessfully, three times, to find an outlet to his pain. Only resorting to
the faithful ear of his horse does Iona reach resignation from the death of his son.

Iona's first fare was a military officer. At first, this man seemed interested in Iona's story, but when
Iona turned around to talk to him in more detail, the officer started shouting at him about his
driving. This resulted in the military officer tuning Iona out.

Iona's next fare was three obnoxious young men. They were unruly and offensive towards Iona but
he gave them a ride anyway hoping they would just listen to him. Unfortunately, one of the men
replied, "we shall all die," and Iona received no sympathy from them.
Finally, when he could no longer hold his thoughts in any longer, he took his horse back to the
stable. He came upon another cabman and Iona told him about his grief only to find the cabman was
fast asleep. Iona wanted to tell someone the details of his son's death yet no one showed an
interest. This only drove him deeper into grief and only intensified his emotions. He watches crowds
of people go by and the narrator adds: "Can he not find among these thousands someone who will
listen to him?" In the end, Iona found refuge speaking to his horse. He poured his heart out to her …
and she listened.

13. What do you admire or not admire about Chekhov's story "Misery"? Why? Is the ending a
happy one? -The ending of "Misery" is not a happy one, but it is realistic. The poor man can't
get anybody to listen to his grief. Nobody cares about him. This seems to be the way of the
world.
14. The story 'Misery' by Anton Chekhov deals with the insensitivity of humans to other people's
grief. Comment. -The first fare Iona Potapov picks up that night is to go to Vyborgskaya. That
name identifies the city as St. Petersburg, to be called Leningrad after the Russian Revolution
and then changed.

Briefly, in one sentence, define each of the five terms below. Then, in a second sentence, apply each
term to "Misery" by Anton Chekhov and explain how the literary device's use enhances the work's
with metaphor as well as simile.

Meter is the rhythm in a poem which is a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Meter is
typically ascribed to poetry, but an example from "Misery" comes in the first line: "To whom shall I...

15. What is the main conflict in this story "Misery"? Man Vs. Man - Man Vs. Society - Man Vs.
himself (dilemma)? Write Summarize…