Anton Chekhov's The Lady With The Dog

In Anton Chekhov’s “The Lady with the Dog” we are introduced to 2 characters that are involved in a torrid love affair. The main characters are Dmitritch Gurov and the woman is Anna Sergeyevna. These two are decades apart in age and live cities away from each other yet continue a lustful affair. An element in the essay that arouses my interest is infidelity and the notion that love is somehow beyond the control of people. A significant character in this story is Anna who is described as a young and beautiful woman that is naïve and searching for something more than what she has with her husband. She is just as guilty of an extramarital affair as Dmitritch, but somehow I see a woman who is ashamed of what she is doing but in need of excitement and love. After reading this short story I have considered the possibility of true love being somewhat out of our control.

In the beginning of the love affair Anna and Dmitritch move pretty quickly from a causal relationship to an intimate affair. Immediately after having intercourse, Anna says “I am a bad woman; I despise myself and don’t attempt to justify myself” (Chekhov, 1899). She seems remorseful and also ashamed of what she seems like to Dmitritch, yet

When Anna abruptly leaves due to complications with her husband Gurov believes that he won’t care and that Anna will fade away like all the women before her. However, in a short period of time he realizes that isn’t the case and sees her everywhere. She starts to haunt him “And his memories glowed more and more vividly” (Chekhov, 1899). Dmitritch was described as a man that had a disdain for women even his own wife, yet something about Anna was able to penetrate his soul. Something that took me by surprise since nothing emotionally significant occurred between Anna and him. While reading this short essay, I am forced to ask the question can someone truly control who they fall in love