My Life (Art of the Novella) Book

This story mirrors "The house with mezzanine." So it is ideal to read them together. "The house with mezzanine" flashes out the dilemma of the artist who doubts the usefulness of his craft for the improvement of the wider society. But he is concerned in equal measure by the effectiveness of good deeds imposed on the poor by the educated classes.

Here, the situation is opposite while a gifted idealistic young man decides to work with his hands alongside the poor.

"The thing we call the position in the society in reality comprised privilege of the capital and education. The poor and uneducated earn their bread by physical labour and I do not see the reason why I need to be an exception. "

This attitude sounds amazingly contemporary in the third decade of the 21st century. I would not be surprised if the one of Sally Rooney's characters, or herself or any left-leaning later millennial would say it. Though I am not sure how many of them would follow this idea to its logical end like the Chekhov's character has done.

As a result, he is disowned by his father and ostracised by the society in his small town. But his life seems to be meaningful. That is until he falls in love. Another blow to his worldview is meeting with a student-doctor who challenged him:

You want to be useful, come out of narrow circle and influence the whole masses. ..A loud energetic sermon is necessary. Why art, music are so lively and strong?"

"If you would spent your gift to become a successful artist of scientist would you think that your life would be more productive in all respects?"

Doctor also challenged the fairness of equality:

"You live in order for an artist and his helper eat from the same table. But it is a kitchen, mundane grey side of life and live solely for this, is it not ugly?"


The main character sticks to his guns. However, his life proves to be far from the ideal he has drawn in his mind.

So here we have two stories where Chekhov reveals the absence of the ideal answer for the choices the society imposes on us. In the "House with mezzanine", the artist faces the limitations of his choice. Here, the young man makes the opposite decision with his life but faces the different consequences in a same painful way.

As always with Chekhov, any attempt to analyse makes his story sound didactic. And of course it is not. It is not the story about the moral choices as such. It is the story of a broken heart, the sadness and beauty and transience of the moments that to become out lives.