The Black Monk by Anton Chekhov - Essay Example

 The Black Monk by Anton Chekhov In many of his short stories, Anton Chekhov seeks to present his case for action through symbols. Symbols demonstrate to the reader who is willing to take the effort required for analysis, the aim of the writer as well as the characters in a story. The need of understanding the symbols arise out of the possibility of falling into the trap of a literal understanding of the story and the plot of a short story. One risks such a literal understanding of The Black Monk if one chooses to read it while ignoring the symbols of the story. This paper shall seek to locate and analyse the symbols that render the madness of the protagonist, Andrey Kovrin, a form of intellectual and artistic genius. The processes that lead to his death are symbols of the process that an artist has to go through to produce a work of art. This is similar to the views that were held by Chekhov, who believed in the efforts and sufferings that an artist would have to go through to create a piece of art. The strife that would result in the production of the art was of paramount importance to Chekhov and his contemporaries, who sought also to, in their works of fiction, chronicle the efforts of the artist. These efforts of the artist find expression in The Black Monk where the protagonist, Kovrin, is a man who tries to escape from the process that holds out the possibility of a creation of art. This is seen from the description that describes the protagonist right at the beginning of the story, Andrey Vassilitch Kovrin, who held a master’s degree at the University, had exhausted himself, and had upset his nerves. He did not send for a doctor, but casually, over a bottle of wine, he spoke to a friend who was a doctor, and the latter advised him to spend the spring and summer in the country. (Chekhov, 331) This description and the plan of the protagonist to retire from the life that may have enabled him to learn and produce works of art also betray the possibility of Kovrin’s life taking a course whereby he would succumb to the lure of a position in the academia. This would again not be very conducive to the production of literature that is socially responsible. The orchards of Yegor too, do not provide him with solace as his artistic sensibilities require to be satisfied even then. This results in a sense of disappointment pervading his visit to the country during the later stages of his stay in the country. The immersion into the perceived joys of a life that is pastoral and considered to be idyllic and innocent do not work any wonders for the “nerves” of the protagonist of this story and he is forced to return to an acceptance of his gifts through the apparition of the black monk who may be regarded in this story as being a symbol for the artistic capabilities of a person and the innate talent and genius that a person may possess. It is this aspect of the production of art that Chekhov chooses to focus his short story on. The fame and critical praise that this story has received over the years largely depends on the analysis through this piece of fiction, of the position of the poet and the artist in the society, that Chekhov has been able to effect. This question (that of the position of the artist in a society that is materialistic) is one that has plagued writers and thinkers alike for a very long time; in fact, right from the Plato’s time, when he commented on the superfluity of the writer in an idealistic republic. To a certain extent, Chekhov’s project is to answer the questions that are set by Plato in The Republic in the same way that writers like Percy Bysshe Shelley and Sir Philip Sidney have done in the past. They did so through their essays; Chekhov chooses to do so through fiction. The symbol of the black monk is able to prove that the figure of the poet may or may not be essential to the society but completely essential to the individual who has the talent and the genius for the artistic pursuits that lead to the creation of literature. Throughout the tale, Kovrin attempts to set obstacles in the way of the realization of his artistic potential. Apart from the sensual pleasures that the gardens and the orchards of Yegor’s, there are also other obstacles that Kovrin seeks to erect in the path of his artistic development. The rigid rationality that the beauty of Yegor’s orchards follow is one of the greatest symbols of the opposition that society offers to art and the artist, both of which can become extremely revolutionary and rebellious. This rebellion is constantly opposed by a rigidly conformist society, represented by the well-ordered orchards and fruit gardens of Yegor that are said to resemble the boards that chess is played on that are universally considered to represent an unchanging order. Chekhov’s rebellion is effected through the character of the black monk, who can change his shape and size according to the needs of the society. The black monk is a shape-shifter. He arrives like a force of nature in front of Kovrin representing a power that is all-encompassing and also extremely effective. Through a discussion of the power and effect of art in the society of today, Chekhov also hints at the social responsibility that art and as a consequence, the artist ought to have. For Chekhov, the role of an artist had to be that of one who contributes to the well-being of the society. The neglect of this by the individual and the society leads to consequences that are destructive and leads to a great deal of losses for the society and the individual. The effects of repressing the rebellion of artistic talent, which amounts to the repression of potential art, leads to losses for the society that is then forced to suffer the losses that are not only material but also aesthetic, since the loss of art too, is experienced. There is also, the loss of the individual, as in the case of Andrey Kovrin, who dies without fulfilling the promise of his talent. He constantly denies his talent not only to others through his visit to the country but also to himself through the setting up of obstacles to the realization of his potential. The denial of his talent to the black monk is not a denial of his artistic talent and genius to an other. The black monk can be seen as, apart from being a representation of the artistic talent that a man or a woman possesses, also as the conscience of an artist that does not allow him or her to waste the talent possessed by them. The constant warnings that are issued by the monk against the waste of such a talent go unnoticed and unheeded and the waste of this genius is unable to be withstood even by individual possessor of the talent as is seen in the death of the protagonist, Andrey Kovrin. Why does Chekhov choose a monk for the representation of artistic talent? Chekhov’s contention here seems to be that it is possible to realize one’s artistic potential, or even to begin to understand the artistic potential that one has, only through a certain kind of discipline that the artist is able to impose upon himself r herself. In this case, Kovrin’s failure to undergo the strife that is necessary for the creation of art is reflected in the way in which he looks for easier alternatives that may create a situation that may let him not explore his artistic talents. Chekhov demystifies love as an antidote to every problem that man faces and the love that Kovrin experiences only takes him away from a full realization of his talents that may then reach fruition. The love that Chekhov talks of is not an enabling one and it fails to provide the protagonist with any solace in his travails. This is similar to the theme of love that does not fulfill man’s dreams and ambitions that is present in many of Chekhov’s works. Chekhov talks of the impossibility of love as a panacea to the ills that we find in the society. This leads one to find an alternative solution, one that Chekhov seeks to find in art. The figure of the healer in the society, that of the monk, is taken to represent art and by modifying it to a ‘black’ monk, Chekhov turns him into a figure that is against the establishment The story The Black Monk is one of the most well known short stories of Anton Chekhov. Known for his inimitable style and themes of artistic autonomy, this story is fairly representative of what Chekhov stood for throughout his writing career. Works Cited Chekhov, Anton. “The Black Monk”. 100 Selected Stories. Calcutta: Projapoti, 2000. Print. 331. Read More