The Cherry Orchard
Document Type
Website
Course Date
Fall 2020
Course Number
HU 300
Course Title
World Literature: Russian
Abstract
The Cherry Orchard revolves around an aristocratic Russian landowner who returns to her family estate (which includes a large and well-known cherry orchard) just before it is auctioned to pay the mortgage. Unresponsive to offers to save the estate, she allows its sale to the son of a former serf; the family leaves to the sound of the cherry orchard being cut down. The story presents themes of cultural futility – both the futile attempts of the aristocracy to maintain its status and of the bourgeoisie to find meaning in its newfound materialism. It dramatizes the socio-economic forces in Russia at the turn of the 20th century, including the rise of the middle class after the abolition of serfdom in the mid-19th century and the decline of the power of the aristocracy.
Recommended Citation
Chekhov, A. (2020). The Cherry Orchard. , (). Retrieved from https://commons.erau.edu/db-hu-300-fall2020/10
