“A Lady’s Story” and “The Darling”
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
This week, Leigh, P. T., and Dr. C. continue their exploration of the women of Chekhov’s short stories — including “A Lady’s Story” and “The Darling.” Chekhov thoroughly dispelled Victorian ideas about refined femininity. His fictional females are sometimes perceptive and tough, sometimes less, but never inclined to commit suicide, a convention of some fiction of the time. His unsparing look at the people of his day still rings true.
