Cherry orchard action. The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard is a lyrical work by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, written in 1903, a year before his death. The play consists of four acts. Chekhov put the whole meaning of the work in its title, in the emphasis on the penultimate syllable, on the letter e. After all, it is she who says that the garden is intended to give pleasure with its appearance, its presence, and not with commercial possession. He does not bring monetary gain, but demonstrates the charm of his unusual blooming whiteness and past refined noble life. The garden is capable of living only to satisfy the whims of spoiled aesthetes, and not to make money, which is why it must be destroyed, as this is required by economic development and vital necessity.
Act one
Everything happens in the estate, whose owner is Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya. The magnificent garden surrounding the house faces the fate of being sold for debts that the owner incurred while living abroad, for several years, after a series of misfortunes befell her. Lyubov Andreevna, who arrived with her daughter Anya, is met at the station by Ranevskaya’s brother Leonid Andreevich Gaev and Varya, her adopted daughter.
At the estate Lyubov Andreevna is waiting for other characters - the merchant Lopakhin is an old friend and good acquaintance, Dunyasha is the maid, a little later the clerk Epikhodov arrives, everyone calls him “thirty-three misfortunes” for his ability to get into various troubles. The hospitable house is gradually filled with arriving guests, joyful excitement reigns all around, everyone is animatedly talking about their problems, arguing, interrupting each other.
Lopakhin reminded Lyubov Andreevna that the estate would soon be sold at auction, and to avoid this, it was necessary to divide all the land into several plots and it must be offered for rent to summer residents. Ranevskaya learns with bitterness that the once “dear student” Petya Trofimov, who once taught her drowned son, unfortunately the metamorphosis that happened to him is not pleasing; he has turned into an “eternal student.” Gaev, together with Varya, come up with projects on where to get money to pay off debts. Finally, the servant Firs accompanies Gaev to rest. Ranevskaya’s own daughter Anya was inspired by the fact that Leonid Andreevich would be able to help out the estate.
Act two
Lopakhin, who arrived the next day, again continues to persuade Ranevskaya to divide the land. But the frivolous Ranevskaya and Gaev again ignore Lopakhin’s proposal and talk about something completely insignificant; the amazed Lopakhin makes an attempt to leave them, but remains at Ranevskaya’s insistence. Anya, Trofimov and Varya appear, everyone philosophizes together, Petya scolds the intelligentsia. Everyone interrupts each other, from the outside the conversation resembles a useless hubbub. Looking at this conversation, it is easy to understand that those present are completely unable and unwilling to listen to the other person. Finally, everyone has dispersed and Anya and Trofimov can freely talk to each other.
Act three
The bidding began, on this day, completely inappropriately, Ranevskaya planned a ball, Lyubov Andreevna anxiously awaits Gaev’s return with the money that her aunt gave in Yaroslavl. But this money is only 15,000, and it is not enough to pay off debts. Petya tries to reassure Ranevskaya, convincing her that the garden is all over, and to face the truth, it is not really needed. But Lyubov Andreevna does not see the meaning of life without a garden.
Every day she receives news from Paris and now she no longer tears it up as before. Having left her without funds, her lover calls her again. Ranevskaya and Trofimov quarrel, then make up. Lopakhin and Gaev arrived. Lopakhin is at his best, the former son of a serf became the owner of the garden, paying a lot of money for it. And now the garden will be cut down, Ermolai Lopakhin will “take an ax to the cherry orchard.” Anya unsuccessfully consoles her mother, saying that another garden will appear, even better, and “quiet and deep joy” awaits them ahead.
Act four
The house is empty. Lopakhin wants to go to Kharkov, Petya Trofimov plans to go to Moscow, both of them are sarcastic about each other. Lopakhin wants to help Trofimov with money, but his damned pride does not allow Petya to take it. Ranevskaya and Gaev suddenly became cheerful. With the sale of the cherry orchard, worries and worries went away. Lyubov Andreevna had already planned how she would live in Paris with the money she received from her aunt. Anya is happy that she will finally be able to finish her studies at the gymnasium. Suddenly Simeonov-Pishchik arrives, he is in a hurry to pay off his debts, since white clay was found on his land, and brilliant prospects are open for him.
Everyone decide on your future life. Gaev identified himself as a bank official. Lopakhin must find a place for Charlotte. Epidokhova hires Lopakhin to manage her land. Varvara will serve as the Ragulins' housekeeper, although Varya likes Lopakhin, she expects him to take the first action, and he runs away under some plausible pretext. The sick Firs must be sent to the hospital for treatment. Finally, everything calmed down and everyone left. And only the old servant remains in the house, they simply forgot about him. He lies down and dies. Behind the stage you can hear the sound of a guitar string breaking, and then the blows of axes.
Relevance of the work
The Cherry Orchard is a special work; it still evokes a strong surge of feelings, analogies and a new understanding of historical processes in Russian history. The last, most historical work of Chekhov and truly prophetic, describing a certain moment in Russian life. The work is relevant at all times.
Comedy in 4 acts
Characters
Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, landowner. Anya, her daughter, 17 years old. Varya, her adopted daughter, 24 years old. Gaev Leonid Andreevich, brother of Ranevskaya. Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, merchant. Trofimov Petr Sergeevich, student. Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich, landowner. Charlotte Ivanovna, governess. Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich, clerk. Dunyasha, maid. Firs, footman, old man 87 years old. Yasha, a young footman. Passerby. Station Manager. Postal official. Guests, servants.The action takes place on the estate of L.A. Ranevskaya.
Act one
A room that is still called a nursery. One of the doors leads to Anya's room. Dawn, the sun will rise soon. It’s already May, the cherry trees are blooming, but it’s cold in the garden, it’s morning. The windows in the room are closed.
Dunyasha enters with a candle and Lopakhin with a book in his hand.
Lopakhin. The train arrived, thank God. What time is it now? Dunyasha. Soon it's two. (Puts out the candle.) It’s already light. Lopakhin. How late was the train? For at least two hours. (Yawns and stretches.) I'm good, what a fool I've been! I came here on purpose to meet him at the station, and suddenly overslept... I fell asleep while sitting. It's a shame... I wish you could wake me up. Dunyasha. I thought you left. (Listens.) Looks like they're already on their way. Lopakhin (listens). No... Get your luggage, this and that...Lyubov Andreevna lived abroad for five years, I don’t know what she’s become now... She’s a good person. An easy, simple person. I remember when I was a boy of about fifteen, my late father - he was selling in a shop here in the village - hit me in the face with his fist, blood came out of my nose... Then we came together to the yard for some reason, and he was drunk. Lyubov Andreevna, as I remember now, still young, so thin, led me to the washstand, in this very room, in the nursery. “Don’t cry, he says, little man, he’ll heal before the wedding...”
A peasant... My father, it’s true, was a peasant, but here I am in a white vest and yellow shoes. With a pig's snout in a Kalash row... Just now he's rich, a lot of money, but if you think about it and figure it out, then the man is a man... (Flips through the book.) I read the book and didn’t understand anything. I read and fell asleep.
Dunyasha. And the dogs didn’t sleep all night, they sense that their owners are coming. Lopakhin. What are you, Dunyasha, so... Dunyasha. Hands are shaking. I'll faint. Lopakhin. You are very gentle, Dunyasha. And you dress like a young lady, and so does your hairstyle. You can not do it this way. We must remember ourselves.Epikhodov enters with a bouquet; he is wearing a jacket and brightly polished boots that squeak loudly; upon entering, he drops the bouquet.
Epikhodov (raises the bouquet). So the Gardener sent it, he says, to put it in the dining room. (Gives Dunyasha a bouquet.) Lopakhin. And bring me some kvass. Dunyasha. I'm listening. (Leaves.) Epikhodov. It's morning, the frost is three degrees, and the cherry trees are all in bloom. I cannot approve of our climate. (Sighs.) I can’t. Our climate may not be conducive just right. Here, Ermolai Alekseich, let me add to you, I bought myself boots the day before, and they, I dare to assure you, squeak so much that there is no way. What should I lubricate it with? Lopakhin. Leave me alone. Tired of it. Epikhodov. Every day some misfortune happens to me. And I don’t complain, I’m used to it and even smile.Dunyasha comes in and gives Lopakhin kvass.
I will go. (Bumps into a chair, which falls.) Here... (As if triumphant.) You see, excuse the expression, what a circumstance, by the way... This is simply wonderful! (Leaves.)
Dunyasha. And to me, Ermolai Alekseich, I must admit, Epikhodov made an offer. Lopakhin. A! Dunyasha. I don’t know how... He’s a quiet man, but sometimes when he starts talking, you won’t understand anything. It’s both good and sensitive, just incomprehensible. I kind of like him. He loves me madly. He is an unhappy person, something happens every day. They tease him like that: twenty-two misfortunes... Lopakhin (listens). Looks like they're coming... Dunyasha. They're coming! What's wrong with me... I'm completely cold. Lopakhin. They really are going. Let's go meet. Will she recognize me? We haven't seen each other for five years. Dunyasha (excited). I'm going to fall... Oh, I'm going to fall!You can hear two carriages approaching the house. Lopakhin and Dunyasha quickly leave. The stage is empty. There is noise in the neighboring rooms. Firs, who had gone to meet Lyubov Andreevna, hurriedly passes across the stage, leaning on a stick; he is in an old livery and a tall hat; He says something to himself, but not a single word can be heard. The noise behind the stage is getting louder and louder. Voice: “Let’s go here...” Lyubov Andreevna, Anya and Charlotte Ivanovna with a dog on a chain, dressed for travel. Varya in a coat and scarf, Gaev, Simeonov-Pishchik, Lopakhin, Dunyasha with a bundle and an umbrella, a servant with things - everyone is walking through the room.
Anya. Let's go here. Do you, mom, remember which room this is? Lyubov Andreevna (joyfully, through tears). Children's! Varya . It's so cold, my hands are numb. (To Lyubov Andreevna.) Your rooms, white and purple, remain the same, mommy. Lyubov Andreevna. Children's room, my dear, beautiful room... I slept here when I was little... (Crying.) And now I'm like a little girl... (Kisses his brother, Varya, then his brother again.) But Varya is still the same, she looks like a nun. And I recognized Dunyasha... (Kisses Dunyasha.) Gaev. The train was two hours late. What's it like? What are the procedures? Charlotte (to Pishchik). My dog also eats nuts. Pishchik (surprised). Just think!Everyone leaves except Anya and Dunyasha.
Dunyasha. We're tired of waiting... (Takes off Anya’s coat and hat.) Anya. I didn’t sleep on the road for four nights... now I’m very cold. Dunyasha. You left during Lent, then there was snow, there was frost, but now? My darling! (Laughs, kisses her.) I've been waiting for you, my sweet little light... I'll tell you now, I can't stand it for one minute... Anya (sluggishly). Something again... Dunyasha. The clerk Epikhodov proposed to me after the Saint. Anya. You're all about one thing... (Straightens her hair.) I lost all my pins... (She is very tired, even staggering.) Dunyasha. I don't know what to think. He loves me, he loves me so much! Anya (looks at his door, tenderly). My room, my windows, as if I never left. I'm home! Tomorrow morning I’ll get up and run to the garden... Oh, if only I could sleep! I didn’t sleep the whole way, I was tormented by anxiety. Dunyasha. On the third day Pyotr Sergeich arrived. Anya (joyfully). Peter! Dunyasha. They sleep in the bathhouse and live there. I'm afraid, they say, to embarrass me. (Looking at his pocket watch.) We should have woken them up, but Varvara Mikhailovna didn’t order it. You, he says, don’t wake him up.Varya enters, she has a bunch of keys on her belt.
Varya . Dunyasha, coffee quickly... Mommy asks for coffee. Dunyasha. Just a minute. (Leaves.) Varya . Well, thank God, we've arrived. You're home again. (Caresing.) My darling has arrived! The beauty has arrived! Anya. I've suffered enough. Varya . I'm imagining! Anya. I left during Holy Week, it was cold then. Charlotte talks the whole way, performing tricks. And why did you force Charlotte on me... Varya . You can’t go alone, darling. At seventeen! Anya. We arrive in Paris, it’s cold and snowy. I speak French terrible. Mom lives on the fifth floor, I come to her, she has some French ladies, an old priest with a book, and it’s smoky, uncomfortable. I suddenly felt sorry for my mother, so sorry, I hugged her head, squeezed her with my hands and couldn’t let go. Mom then kept caressing and crying... Varya (through tears). Don't talk, don't talk... Anya. She had already sold her dacha near Menton, she had nothing left, nothing. I also didn’t have a penny left, we barely got there. And mom doesn't understand! We sit down at the station for lunch, and she demands the most expensive thing and gives the footmen a ruble each as a tip. Charlotte too. Yasha also demands a portion for himself, it’s just terrible. After all, mom has a footman, Yasha, we brought him here... Varya . I saw a scoundrel. Anya. Well, how? Did you pay interest? Varya . Where exactly. Anya. My God, my God... Varya . The estate will be sold in August... Anya. My God... Lopakhin (looks through the door and hums). Me-e-e... (Leaves.) Varya (through tears). That's how I would give it to him... (Shakes his fist.) Anya (hugs Varya, quietly). Varya, did he propose? (Varya shakes her head negatively.) After all, he loves you... Why don’t you explain what you’re waiting for? Varya . I don't think anything will work out for us. He has a lot to do, he has no time for me... and he doesn’t pay attention. God be with him, it’s hard for me to see him... Everyone talks about our wedding, everyone congratulates, but in reality there is nothing, everything is like a dream... (In a different tone.) Your brooch looks like a bee. Anya (sad). Mom bought this. (He goes to his room, speaks cheerfully, like a child.) And in Paris I flew in a hot air balloon! Varya . My darling has arrived! The beauty has arrived!Dunyasha has already returned with a coffee pot and is making coffee.
(Stands near the door.) I, my dear, spend the whole day doing housework and still dreaming. I would marry you off to a rich man, and then I would be at peace, I would go to the desert, then to Kyiv... to Moscow, and so on I would go to holy places... I would go and go. Splendor!.. Anya. Birds sing in the garden. What time is it now? Varya . It must be the third one. It's time for you to sleep, darling. (Entering Anya’s room.) Splendor!Yasha comes in with a blanket and a travel bag.
Yasha (walks across the stage, delicately). Can I go here, sir? Dunyasha. And you won’t recognize you, Yasha. What have you become abroad? Yasha. Hm... Who are you? Dunyasha. When you left here, I was like... (Points from the floor.) Dunyasha, Fedora Kozoedov's daughter. You do not remember! Yasha. Hm... Cucumber! (Looks around and hugs her; she screams and drops the saucer. Yasha quickly leaves.) Varya (at the door, in a dissatisfied voice). What else is there? Dunyasha (through tears). I broke the saucer... Varya . This is good. Anya (leaving his room). I should warn my mother: Petya is here... Varya . I ordered him not to wake him. Anya (thoughtfully.) Six years ago my father died, a month later my brother Grisha, a pretty seven-year-old boy, drowned in the river. Mom couldn’t bear it, she left, left, without looking back... (Shudders.) How I understand her, if only she knew!And Petya Trofimov was Grisha’s teacher, he can remind you...
Firs enters; he is wearing a jacket and a white vest.
Firs (goes to the coffee pot, worried). The lady will eat here... (Puts on white gloves.) Is your coffee ready? (Strictly to Dunyasha.) You! What about cream? Dunyasha. Oh, my God... (Quickly leaves.) Firs (busts around the coffee pot). Eh, you klutz... (Mumbling to himself.) We came from Paris... And the master once went to Paris... on horseback... (Laughs.) Varya . Firs, what are you talking about? Firs. What do you want? (Joyfully.) My lady has arrived! Waited for it! Now at least die... (Cries with joy.)Enter Lyubov Andreevna, Gaev, Lopakhin and Simeonov-Pishchik; Simeonov-Pishchik in a thin cloth undershirt and trousers. Gaev, entering, makes movements with his arms and body, as if playing billiards.
Lyubov Andreevna. Like this? Let me remember... Yellow in the corner! Doublet in the middle! Gaev. I'm cutting into the corner! Once upon a time, you and I, sister, slept in this very room, and now I am already fifty-one years old, oddly enough... Lopakhin. Yes, time is ticking. Gaev. Whom? Lopakhin. Time, I say, is ticking. Gaev. And here it smells like patchouli. Anya. I'll go to bed. Good night, Mom. (Kisses mother.) Lyubov Andreevna. My beloved child. (Kisses her hands.) Are you glad you're home? I won't come to my senses. Anya. Goodbye, uncle. Gaev (kisses her face, hands). The Lord is with you. How similar you are to your mother! (To her sister.) You, Lyuba, were exactly like that at her age.Anya shakes hands with Lopakhin and Pishchik, leaves and closes the door behind her.
Lyubov Andreevna. She was very tired. Pischik. The road is probably long. Varya (Lopakhin and Pishchik). Well, gentlemen? It's the third hour, it's time to know the honor. Lyubov Andreevna(laughs). You are still the same, Varya. (Draws her to him and kisses her.) I'll have some coffee, then we'll all leave.Firs puts a pillow under her feet.
Thank you dear. I'm used to coffee. I drink it day and night. Thank you, my old man. (Kisses Firs.)
Varya . To see if all the things were brought... (Leaves.) Lyubov Andreevna. Is it really me sitting? (Laughs.) I want to jump and wave my arms. (Covers his face with his hands.) What if I'm dreaming! God knows, I love my homeland, I love it dearly, I couldn’t watch from the carriage, I kept crying. (Through tears.) However, you need to drink coffee. Thank you, Firs, thank you, my old man. I'm so glad you're still alive. Firs. Day before yesterday. Gaev. He doesn't hear well. Lopakhin. I have to go to Kharkov now, at five o’clock in the morning. Such a shame! I wanted to look at you, talk... You are still just as gorgeous. Pishchik (breathes heavily). Even prettier... Dressed like a Parisian... my cart is lost, all four wheels... Lopakhin. Your brother, Leonid Andreich, says about me that I’m a boor, I’m a kulak, but that doesn’t really matter to me. Let him talk. I only wish that you would still believe me, that your amazing, touching eyes would look at me as before. Merciful God! My father was a serf to your grandfather and father, but you, in fact, you once did so much for me that I forgot everything and love you like my own... more than my own. Lyubov Andreevna. I can't sit, I can't... (Jumps up and walks around in great excitement.) I won’t survive this joy... Laugh at me, I’m stupid... The closet is my dear... (Kisses the closet.) The table is mine. Gaev. And without you, the nanny died here. Lyubov Andreevna (sits down and drinks coffee). Yes, the kingdom of heaven. They wrote to me. Gaev. And Anastasius died. Parsley Kosoy left me and now lives in the city with the bailiff. (Takes a box of lollipops out of his pocket and sucks.) Pischik. My daughter, Dashenka... I bow to you... Lopakhin. I want to tell you something very pleasant and funny. (Looking at his watch.) I’m leaving now, I don’t have time to talk... well, I’ll say it in two or three words. You already know that your cherry orchard is being sold for debts, an auction is scheduled for August twenty-second, but don’t worry, my dear, sleep well, there is a way out... Here is my project. Attention please! Your estate is located only twenty miles from the city, there is a railway nearby, and if the cherry orchard and the land along the river are divided into summer cottages and then rented out as summer cottages, then you will have at least twenty-five thousand a year in income. Gaev. Sorry, what nonsense! Lyubov Andreevna. I don’t quite understand you, Ermolai Alekseich. Lopakhin. You will take the smallest amount from the summer residents, twenty-five rubles a year for a tithe, and if you announce it now, then I guarantee anything, you won’t have a single free scrap left until the fall, everything will be taken away. In a word, congratulations, you are saved. The location is wonderful, the river is deep. Only, of course, we need to clean it up, clean it up... for example, say, demolish all the old buildings, this house, which is no longer good for anything, cut down the old cherry orchard... Lyubov Andreevna. Cut it down? My dear, forgive me, you don’t understand anything. If there is anything interesting, even wonderful, in the entire province, it is only our cherry orchard. Lopakhin. The only remarkable thing about this garden is that it is very large. Cherries are born once every two years, and there’s nowhere to put them, no one buys them. Gaev. And the Encyclopedic Dictionary mentions this garden. Lopakhin (looking at his watch). If we don’t come up with anything and come to nothing, then on August 22 both the cherry orchard and the entire estate will be sold at auction. Make up your mind! There is no other way, I swear to you. No and no. Firs. In the old days, about forty to fifty years ago, cherries were dried, soaked, pickled, jam was made, and it used to be... Gaev. Shut up, Firs. Firs. And it used to be that dried cherries were sent by cartload to Moscow and Kharkov. There was money! And dried cherries then were soft, juicy, sweet, fragrant... They knew the method then... Lyubov Andreevna. Where is this method now? Firs. Forgot. Nobody remembers. Pischik (To Lyubov Andreevna). What's in Paris? How? Did you eat frogs? Lyubov Andreevna. Ate crocodiles. Pischik. Just think... Lopakhin. Until now, there were only gentlemen and peasants in the village, but now there are also summer residents. All cities, even the smallest ones, are now surrounded by dachas. And we can say that in twenty years the summer resident will multiply to an extraordinary extent. Now he only drinks tea on the balcony, but it may happen that on his one tithe he will start farming, and then your cherry orchard will become happy, rich, luxurious... Gaev (indignant). What nonsense!Varya and Yasha enter.
Varya . Here, mommy, there are two telegrams for you. (He selects a key and unlocks the antique cabinet with a jingle.) Here they are. Lyubov Andreevna. This is from Paris. (Tears up telegrams without reading.) It's over with Paris... Gaev. Do you know, Lyuba, how old this cabinet is? A week ago I pulled out the bottom drawer and looked and there were numbers burned into it. The cabinet was made exactly one hundred years ago. What's it like? A? We could celebrate the anniversary. An inanimate object, but still, after all, a bookcase. Pishchik (surprised). A hundred years... Just think!.. Gaev. Yes... This is a thing... (Having felt the closet.) Dear, respected closet! I greet your existence, which for more than a hundred years has been directed towards the bright ideals of goodness and justice; your silent call to fruitful work has not weakened for a hundred years, maintaining (through tears) in generations of our family vigor, faith in a better future and nurturing in us the ideals of goodness and social self-awareness. Lopakhin. Yes... Lyubov Andreevna. You are still the same, Lepya. Gaev (a little confused). From the ball to the right into the corner! I'm cutting it to medium! Lopakhin (looking at his watch). Well, I have to go. Yasha (gives Lyubov Andreevna medicine). Maybe you should take some pills now... Pischik. There is no need to take medications, my dear... they do no harm or good... Give it here... dear. (Takes the pills, pours them into his palm, blows on them, puts them in his mouth, and washes them down with kvass.) Here! Lyubov Andreevna(scared). You're crazy! Pischik. I took all the pills. Lopakhin. What a mess.Everyone laughs.
Firs. They were with us on Holy Day, they ate half a bucket of cucumbers... (Mumbling.) Lyubov Andreevna. What is he talking about? Varya. He's been mumbling like this for three years now. We're used to it. Yasha. Advanced age.Charlotte Ivanovna in a white dress, very thin, tight-fitting, with a lorgnette on her belt, she walks across the stage.
Lopakhin. Sorry, Charlotte Ivanovna, I haven’t had time to say hello to you yet. (Wants to kiss her hand.) Charlotte (removing her hand). If I let you kiss my hand, you will then wish on the elbow, then on the shoulder... Lopakhin. I'm having no luck today.Everyone laughs.
Charlotte Ivanovna, show me the trick!
Lyubov Andreevna. Charlotte, show me a trick! Charlotte. No need. I want to sleep. (Leaves.) Lopakhin. See you in three weeks. (Kisses Lyubov Andreevna’s hand.) Goodbye for now. It's time. (To Gaev.) Goodbye. (Kisses Pishchik.) Goodbye. (Gives his hand to Varya, then to Firs and Yasha.) I don't want to leave. (To Lyubov Andreevna.) If you think about dachas and decide, then let me know, I’ll get you a loan of fifty thousand. Seriously think about it. Varya (angrily). Yes, finally leave! Lopakhin. I'm leaving, I'm leaving... (Leaves.) Gaev. Ham. However, sorry... Varya is marrying him, this is Varya’s groom. Varya . Don't say too much, uncle. Lyubov Andreevna. Well, Varya, I will be very glad. He is a good man. Pischik. Man, we must tell the truth... the most worthy... And my Dashenka... also says that... she says different words. (Snores, but wakes up immediately.) But still, dear lady, lend me... a loan of two hundred and forty rubles... pay the interest on the mortgage tomorrow... Varya (scared). No, no! Lyubov Andreevna. I really have nothing. Pischik. There will be some. (Laughs.) I never lose hope. Now, I think, everything is lost, I’m dead, and lo and behold, the railroad passed through my land, and... they paid me. And then, look, something else will happen not today or tomorrow... Dashenka will win two hundred thousand... she has a ticket. Lyubov Andreevna. The coffee is drunk, you can rest. Firs (cleans Gaeva with a brush, instructively). They put on the wrong pants again. And what should I do with you! Varya (quietly). Anya is sleeping. (Quietly opens the window.) The sun has already risen, it’s not cold. Look, mommy: what wonderful trees! My God, the air! The starlings are singing! Gaev (opens another window). The garden is all white. Have you forgotten, Lyuba? This long alley goes straight, like a stretched belt, it sparkles on moonlit nights. Do you remember? Have you forgotten? Lyubov Andreevna (looks out the window at the garden). Oh, my childhood, my purity! I slept in this nursery, looked at the garden from here, happiness woke up with me every morning, and then he was exactly the same, nothing has changed. (Laughs with joy.) All, all white! Oh my garden! After a dark, stormy autumn and cold winter, you are young again, full of happiness, the heavenly angels have not abandoned you... If only I could take the heavy stone off my chest and shoulders, if only I could forget my past! Gaev. Yes, and the garden will be sold for debts, oddly enough... Lyubov Andreevna. Look, the late mother is walking through the garden... in a white dress! (Laughs with joy.) That's her. Gaev. Where? Varya . The Lord is with you, mommy. Lyubov Andreevna. There is no one, it seemed to me. To the right, at the turn towards the gazebo, a white tree bent over, looking like a woman...Trofimov enters, wearing a worn student uniform and glasses.
What an amazing garden! White masses of flowers, blue sky...
Trofimov. Lyubov Andreevna!She looked back at him.
I will just bow to you and leave immediately. (Kisses his hand warmly.) I was ordered to wait until the morning, but I didn’t have enough patience...
Lyubov Andreevna looks in bewilderment.
Varya (through tears). This is Petya Trofimov... Trofimov. Petya Trofimov, your former teacher Grisha... Have I really changed that much?Lyubov Andreevna hugs him and quietly cries.
Gaev (embarrassed). Full, full, Lyuba. Varya (crying). I told you, Petya, to wait until tomorrow. Lyubov Andreevna. Grisha is my... my boy... Grisha... son... Varya . What should I do, mommy? God's will. Trofimov (softly, through tears). It will be, it will be... Lyubov Andreevna(cries quietly). The boy died, drowned... Why? For what, my friend? (Quietly.) Anya is sleeping there, and I’m talking loudly... making noise... What, Petya? Why are you so stupid? Why have you aged? Trofimov. One woman in the carriage called me this: shabby gentleman. Lyubov Andreevna. You were just a boy then, a cute student, but now you don’t have thick hair and glasses. Are you still a student? (Goes to the door.) Trofimov. I must be a perpetual student. Lyubov Andreevna (kisses his brother, then Varya). Well, go to sleep... You too have aged, Leonid. Pishchik (follows her). So, now go to bed... Oh, my gout. I’ll stay with you... I would like, Lyubov Andreevna, my soul, tomorrow morning... two hundred and forty rubles... Gaev. And this one is all his own. Pischik. Two hundred and forty rubles... to pay interest on the mortgage. Lyubov Andreevna. I have no money, my dear. Pischik. I'll give it back, honey... The amount is trivial... Lyubov Andreevna. Well, okay, Leonid will give... You give it, Leonid. Gaev. I'll give it to him, keep your pocket. Lyubov Andreevna. What to do, give it... He needs... He will give it.Lyubov Andreevna, Trofimov, Pischik and Firs leave. Gaev, Varya and Yasha remain.
Gaev. My sister has not yet gotten over the habit of wasting money. (To Yasha.) Move away, my dear, you smell like chicken. Yasha (with a grin). And you, Leonid Andreich, are still the same as you were. Gaev. Whom? (Vara.) What did he say? Varya (Yasha). Your mother came from the village, has been sitting in the common room since yesterday, wants to see you... Yasha. God bless her! Varya . Ah, shameless! Yasha. Very necessary. I could come tomorrow. (Leaves.) Varya . Mommy is the same as she was, hasn’t changed at all. If she had her way, she would give everything away. Gaev. Yes...If a lot of remedies are offered against a disease, this means that the disease is incurable. I think, I’m racking my brains, I have a lot of money, a lot, and that means, in essence, none. It would be nice to receive an inheritance from someone, it would be nice to marry our Anya to a very rich man, it would be nice to go to Yaroslavl and try his luck with the aunt countess. My aunt is very, very rich.
Varya (crying). If only God would help. Gaev. Do not Cry. My aunt is very rich, but she doesn’t love us. My sister, firstly, married a lawyer, not a nobleman...Anya appears at the door.
She married a non-nobleman and behaved in a manner that cannot be said to be very virtuous. She is good, kind, nice, I love her very much, but no matter how you come up with mitigating circumstances, I still have to admit that she is vicious. This is felt in her slightest movement.
Varya (whispers). Anya is standing at the door. Gaev. Whom?Surprisingly, something got into my right eye... I couldn’t see well. And on Thursday, when I was in district court...
Anya enters.
Varya . Why aren't you sleeping, Anya? Anya. Can't sleep. I can not. Gaev. My baby. (Kisses Anya’s face and hands.) My child... (Through tears.) You are not a niece, you are my angel, you are everything to me. Believe me, believe... Anya. I believe you, uncle. Everyone loves and respects you... but, dear uncle, you need to be silent, just silent. What did you just say about my mother, about your sister? Why did you say this? Gaev. Yes Yes... (She covers her face with her hand.) Indeed, this is terrible! My God! God save me! And today I gave a speech in front of the closet... so stupid! And only when I finished did I realize that it was stupid. Varya . Really, uncle, you should be silent. Keep quiet, that's all. Anya. If you remain silent, then you yourself will be calmer. Gaev. I'm silent. (Kisses Anya and Varya’s hands.) I'm silent. Just about the matter. On Thursday I was in the district court, well, the company got together, a conversation began about this and that, fifth and tenth, and it seems that it will be possible to arrange a loan against bills to pay interest to the bank. Varya . If only God would help! Gaev. I'll go on Tuesday and talk again. (Vara.) Don’t cry. (Not.) Your mother will talk to Lopakhin; he, of course, will not refuse her... And when you have rested, you will go to Yaroslavl to see the countess, your grandmother. This is how we will act from three ends and our job is in the bag. We'll pay the interest, I'm sure... (Puts a lollipop in his mouth.) On my honor, I swear whatever you want, the estate will not be sold! (Excitedly.) I swear on my happiness! Here's my hand to you, then call me a crappy, dishonest person if I allow it to the auction! I swear with all my being! Anya (the calm mood has returned to her, she is happy). How good you are, uncle, how smart! (Hugs uncle.) I'm at peace now! I'm at peace! I'm happy!Firs enters.
Firs (reproachfully). Leonid Andreich, you are not afraid of God! When should you sleep? Gaev. Now. You go away, Firs. So be it, I’ll undress myself. Well, kids, bye-bye... Details tomorrow, now go to bed. (Kisses Anya and Varya.) I am a man of the eighties... They don’t praise this time, but I can still say that I got a lot in my life for my beliefs. No wonder the man loves me. You need to know the guy! You need to know which... Anya. You again, uncle! Varya . You, uncle, remain silent. Firs (angrily). Leonid Andreich! Gaev. I'm coming, I'm coming... Lie down. From two sides to the middle! I put clean... (He leaves, followed by Firs.) Anya. I'm at peace now. I don’t want to go to Yaroslavl, I don’t like my grandmother, but I’m still at peace. Thanks uncle. (Sits down.) Varya . Need sleep. I'll go. And here without you there was displeasure. In the old servants' quarters, as you know, only old servants live: Efimyushka, Polya, Evstigney, and Karp. They began to let some rogues spend the night with them - I remained silent. Only now, I hear, they spread a rumor that I ordered them to be fed only peas. From stinginess, you see... And this is all Evstigney... Okay, I think. If so, I think, then wait. I call Evstigney... (Yawns.) He comes... What about you, I say, Evstigney... you are such a fool... (Looking at Anya.) Anya!..I fell asleep!.. (Takes Anya by the arm.) Let's go to bed... Let's go!.. (He leads her.) My darling has fallen asleep! Let's go to...
Brief summary of the play by A.P. Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" for
preparation for the final essay, for the reader's diary. Comedy in 4 acts.Characters:
Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna is a landowner.
Anya is her daughter, 17 years old.
Varya is her adopted daughter, 24 years old.
Gaev Leonid Andreevich - brother of Ranevskaya.
Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich - merchant.
Trofimov Petr Sergeevich - student.
Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich - landowner.
Charlotte Ivanovna - governess,
Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich - clerk.
Dunyasha is a maid.
Firs is a footman, an old man, 87 years old.
Yasha is a young footman.
Action 1
A room that is still called the nursery. Lopakhin and Dunyasha are waiting for Ranevskaya and everyone who went to meet her to arrive from the station. Lopakhin remembers how Ranevskaya pitied him in childhood (Lopakhin is the son of Ranevskaya's serf). Lopakhin reproaches Dunyasha for behaving like a young lady. Epikhodov appears. Upon entering, he drops the bouquet. Epikhodov complains to Lopakhin that some misfortune happens to him every day. Epikhodov leaves. Dunyasha reports that Epikhodov proposed to her. Two carriages drive up to the house. Ranevskaya, Anya, Charlotte, Varya, Gaev, Simeonov-Pishchik appear. Ranevskaya admires the nursery and says that she feels like a child here. Left alone with Varya, Anya tells her about her trip to Paris: “Mom lives on the fifth floor, I come to her, she has some French ladies, an old priest with a book, and it’s smoky, uncomfortable... My dacha near Menton she has already sold, she has nothing left, nothing. I also didn’t have a penny left, we barely got there. And mom doesn't understand! We sit down at the station for lunch, and she demands the most expensive thing and gives the footmen a ruble each as a tip. Charlotte too. Yasha also demands a portion for himself...” Anya wonders if Lopakhin proposed to Varya. She shakes her head negatively, says that nothing will work out for them, tells her sister that they will sell the estate in August, and she herself would like to go to holy places. Dunyasha flirts with Yasha, who tries to seem like a foreign dandy. Ranevskaya, Gaev and Simeonov-Pishchik appear. Gaev makes movements with his arms and body, as if playing billiards (“From the ball to the right to the corner”, “From two sides to the middle”). Ranevskaya is glad that Firs is still alive and recognizes the situation: “My dear closet! (kisses the wardrobe).” Before leaving, Lopakhin reminds the owners that their estate is being sold for debts, and offers a solution: to divide the land into summer cottages and rent them out.
However, this will require cutting down the old cherry orchard. Gaev and Ranevskaya do not understand the meaning of Lopakhin’s project and refuse to follow his reasonable advice under the pretext that their garden is mentioned in the Encyclopedic Dictionary. Varya brings Ranevskaya two telegrams from Paris, she tears them up without reading them. Gaev makes a pompous speech addressed to the cabinet: “Dear, dear cabinet! I greet your existence, which for more than a hundred years has been directed towards the bright ideals of goodness and justice; your silent call to fruitful work has not weakened for a hundred years, maintaining vigor in generations of our family, faith in a better future and nurturing in us the ideals of goodness and social self-awareness.” There is an awkward pause. Pischik takes a handful of pills intended for Ranevskaya. He either tries to borrow 240 rubles from the owners, then falls asleep, then wakes up, then mutters that his daughter Dashenka will win 200 thousand on a ticket. Petya Trofimov appears, the former teacher of Grisha, Ranevskaya’s son, who drowned several years ago. He is called a “shabby gentleman” and an “eternal student.” Varya asks Yasha to see his mother, who has been waiting for him in the common room since yesterday. Yasha: “It’s very necessary.” Gaev states that there are many ways to get money to pay off debts. “It would be nice to receive an inheritance from someone, it would be nice to marry our Anya to a very rich man, it would be nice to go to Yaroslavl and try my luck with the aunt countess.” The aunt is very rich, but she does not like her nephews: Ranevskaya did not marry a nobleman and did not behave virtuously. Gaev says about himself that he is a man of the eighties, he got it in life for his beliefs, but he knows men and they love him. Varya shares her problems with her sister: she runs the entire household, diligently maintains order and saves on everything. Anya, tired from the road, falls asleep.
Act 2
Field, old chapel, old bench. Charlotte talks about herself: she doesn’t have a passport, she doesn’t know her age, her parents were circus performers, after the death of her parents, a German woman trained her to be a governess. Epikhodov hums romances with a guitar and shows off in front of Dunyasha. She tries to please Yasha. Ranevskaya, Gaev and Lopakhin enter, who still convinces Ranevskaya to give the land for dachas. Neither Ranevskaya nor Gaev hear his words. Ranevskaya regrets that she spends a lot and senselessly: she goes to a crappy restaurant for breakfast, eats and drinks a lot, and tips a lot. Yasha declares that he cannot hear Gaev’s voices without laughing. Lopakhin tries to shout to Ranevskaya, reminding her about the auction. However, the brother and sister claim that “dachas and summer residents are so vulgar.” Ranevskaya herself feels uncomfortable (“I’m still waiting for something, as if the house was about to collapse above us”). Ranevskaya’s husband died “from champagne.” She got along with someone else, went abroad with him, and cared for the object of her passion for three years when he fell ill. In the end, he left her, robbed her and got along with someone else. Ranevskaya returned to Russia to her daughter. In response to Lopakhin's reasonable proposals, she tries to persuade him to talk about marrying Varya. Firs appears with Gaev's coat. Firs considers the liberation of the peasants a misfortune (“The men are with the gentlemen, the gentlemen are with the peasants, and now everything is in pieces, you won’t understand anything”). Trofimov enters and resumes yesterday’s conversation with Gaev and Ranevskaya about the “proud man”: “We must stop admiring ourselves. All you have to do is work... Very few people work here in Russia. The vast majority of the intelligentsia that I know does not seek anything, does nothing and is not yet capable of work... Everyone is serious, everyone has stern faces, everyone talks only about important things, philosophizes... all our good conversations are for this purpose only to avert the eyes of yourself and others.” Lopakhin objects to him that he himself works from morning to evening. He agrees that there are few honest, decent people in the world (“I think: “Lord, you gave us huge forests, vast forests, deepest horizons, and living here, we ourselves should really be giants”). Gaev pompously recites a monologue addressed to Mother Nature. He is asked to be silent. All those gathered constantly utter fragmentary phrases that are in no way connected with each other. A passerby asks for alms, and Ranevskaya gives him a gold one. Varya tries to leave in despair. Ranevskaya wants to keep her, saying that she has betrothed her to Lopakhin. Anya is left alone with Trofimov. He joyfully assures her that they are above love and calls the girl forward. “All of Russia is our garden. The earth is great and beautiful, there are many wonderful places on it. Think, Anya: your grandfather, great-grandfather and all your ancestors were serf owners who owned living souls, and don’t human beings look at you from every cherry tree in the garden, from every leaf, from every trunk, don’t you really hear voices... Own living souls - after all, this has reborn all of you, who lived before and are now living, so that your mother, you, and uncle no longer notice that you are living in debt, at someone else’s expense, at the expense of those people whom you do not allow further than the front hall. .. We are at least two hundred years behind, we still have absolutely nothing, no definite attitude towards the past, we only philosophize, complain about melancholy or drink vodka. It’s so clear, in order to begin to live in the present, we must first redeem our past, put an end to it, and we can redeem it only through suffering, only through extraordinary, continuous labor.” Petya calls on Anya to throw the keys to the farm into the well and be free like the wind.
Act 3
Ball at Ranevskaya's house. Charlotte shows card tricks. Pischik is looking for someone to borrow money from. Ranevskaya says that the ball was started at the wrong time. Gaev went to the auction to buy the estate under his aunt’s power of attorney in her name. Ranevskaya persistently demands that Varya marry Lopakhin. Varya replies that she cannot propose to him herself, but he either remains silent or jokes, and keeps getting richer. Yasha cheerfully reports that Epikhodov broke the billiard cue. Ranevskaya encourages Trofimov to finish his studies, shares with him her doubts about leaving for Paris: her lover bombards her with telegrams. She has already forgotten that he robbed her, and does not want to be reminded of it. In response to Trofimov’s reproaches for inconsistency, she advises him to take a mistress. Varya kicks Epikhodov out. Gaev returns, cries, complains that he has not eaten anything all day and has suffered greatly. It turns out that the estate was sold and Lopakhin bought it. Lopakhin is proud that he bought an estate, “there is nothing more beautiful in the world. I bought an estate where my grandfather and father were slaves... Come everyone and watch Ermolai Lopakhin take an ax to the cherry orchard! We will set up dachas, and our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will see a new life here!” Anya consoles the crying Ranevskaya, convinces her that there is a whole life ahead: “We will plant a new garden, more luxurious than this, you will see it, you will understand, and joy, quiet, deep joy will descend on your soul.”
Act 4
Those leaving are collecting their things. Saying goodbye to the men, Ranevskaya gives them her wallet. Lopakhin is going to Kharkov (“I kept hanging around with you, I was tired of doing nothing”). Lopakhin tries to give Trofimov a loan, he refuses: “Humanity is moving towards the highest truth, towards the highest happiness that is possible on earth, and I am in the forefront!” Lopakhin reports that Gaev accepted a position as an employee at the bank, but doubts that he will stay long in his new place. Ranevskaya is worried whether the sick Firs was sent to the hospital, and arranges for Varya and Lopakhin to explain in private. Varya informs Lopakhin that she has hired herself as a housekeeper. Lopakhin never makes an offer. Saying goodbye to Anya, Ranevskaya says that she is leaving for Paris, where she will live on money sent by her Yaroslavl aunt. Anya plans to pass the exam at the gymnasium, then work, help her mother and read books with her. Charlotte asks Lopakhin to find her a new place. Gaev: “Everyone is abandoning us. Varya leaves... Suddenly we are no longer needed.” Suddenly Pishchik appears and distributes debts to those present. The British discovered white clay on his land, and he leased the land to them. Left alone, Gaev and Ranevskaya say goodbye to the house and garden. From afar their names are Anya and Trofimov. The owners leave and lock the doors. Firs appears, forgotten in the house. He is sick. “A distant sound is heard, as if from the sky, the sound of a broken string, fading, sad. There is silence, and you can only hear how far away in the garden an ax is being knocked on a tree.”
The great Russian writer was not only a magnificent prose writer, but also an outstanding playwright. Chekhov's plays are still part of the classical repertoire of Russian and foreign drama theaters today.
One of the striking examples of this facet of the talent of a classic of Russian literature is the play “The Cherry Orchard,” a brief summary of which can be summarized in a few minutes, although it lasts about three hours on stage. “The Cherry Orchard” is quite interesting to read, but it is much more interesting to see the actors play in the theater.
The play “The Cherry Orchard” is the last.
This is interesting! Chekhov wrote “The Cherry Orchard” in 1903 in Yalta, where, suffering from tuberculosis in the last stage, he lived out his days. And “The Cherry Orchard” was staged for the first time on the stage of the Moscow Academic Art Theater (MKhAT) the following year, which was the year of Anton Pavlovich’s death.
The author himself classified the work as a comedy, although essentially there is nothing funny in it. The plot of “The Cherry Orchard” is rather dramatic. Moreover, tragic notes can be found in the content of the play, since we are talking about the ruin of an old noble family.
The time of action in the play “The Cherry Orchard” is the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, when a change in socio-economic formations took place in Russia. Feudalism, which ended with the abolition of serfdom, was replaced by the capitalist system, and during the period described, capitalism had already fully come into its own.
The rich bourgeoisie - merchants and people from the peasantry - on all fronts pressed the nobility, many of whose representatives turned out to be completely unadapted to the new conditions and did not understand the meaning and reasons for their emergence. The severity of the situation described in the play, with the ruling noble class gradually losing its economic and political influence, reached its peak in the first decade of the new century.
The characters in The Cherry Orchard are members of a noble family, once very rich, but now mired in debt and forced to sell their estate, as well as their servants. There is also a representative of the opposite side – the bourgeoisie.
Characters
The list of main characters of The Cherry Orchard includes:
- Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna is the owner of the estate, a widow, an impressionable, exalted lady, accustomed to the luxury of former years and not realizing the tragedy of her new situation.
- Anya is Ranevskaya’s own seventeen-year-old daughter. Despite her young age, the girl thinks much more soberly than her mother, realizing that life will never be the same.
- Varya is the adopted twenty-four-year-old daughter of Ranevskaya. She tries to support the declining economy, voluntarily performing the duties of a housekeeper.
- Gaev Leonid Andreevich is Ranevskaya’s brother, a playmaker with no specific activities, whose favorite pastime is playing billiards. Constantly inserts billiard words into his speech out of place. Prone to empty speeches and irresponsible promises. Outlooks on life are similar to those of my sister.
- Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, whose father was once a serf to Ranevskaya’s parents, is a man of modern times, a merchant. Lopakhin's business acumen helped him earn a fortune. He tries to tell Ranevskaya how to save herself from ruin, offering ideas for making a profit from a collapsing estate, but does not forget about her own benefit. He is considered Varya's fiancé, but is in no hurry to propose.
- Trofimov Pyotr is an eternal student, who was once the teacher of Ranevskaya’s deceased son Grisha.
There are several minor characters; they can be presented in a brief description.
The first group consists of:
- Ranevskaya’s neighbor on the estate, Simeonov-Pishchik, who, like her, is in debt;
- clerk Epikhodov is an unlucky man nicknamed “22 misfortunes”;
- Ranevskaya's companion Charlotte Ivanovna is a former circus performer and governess, a woman “without family or tribe.”
The second consists of servants: the maid Dunyasha and two lackeys - old Firs, who still remembers serfdom, and young Yasha, who imagines himself an important person because he happened to visit abroad with Ranevskaya.
Summary
Important! The plan for the play “The Cherry Orchard” includes four acts. Its summary of actions can be read online.
Action 1
The arrival of the mistress from Paris is expected at the estate after a five-year absence. Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya left for France after her husband died from drinking, and then her little son died.
Finally everyone is home. A commotion begins: masters and servants walk through the rooms, carrying travel items. It seems to Ranevskaya that everything in her life has remained the same, but she is mistaken. The financial situation of the landowner has deteriorated greatly; there is a question of selling the family estate at auction along with the cherry orchard for debts.
Anya complains to Varya that her mother does not realize the seriousness of her financial problems and continues to spend money without thinking. For example, he agrees to lend money to Pishchik, who has nothing to pay the interest on the mortgage.
Petya Trofimov enters, this reminds Ranevskaya of her deceased son. Lyubov Andreevna is crying, everyone is trying to calm her down. The landowner notices that Trofimov has changed a lot over the past 5 years - he has aged and grown ugly.
To avoid financial ruin, Lopakhin advises building dachas on the site of a huge garden around the estate and renting them out. However, such a business proposal horrifies Lyubov Andreevna. Ermolai Alekseevich leaves. Everyone, one by one, goes to their rooms to go to bed.
Act 2
Time has passed since the owner’s return, and the sale of the estate is approaching, but no decisions have been made. Charlotte, the maid and footman Yasha are sitting on the bench. Epikhodov stands playing the guitar. Charlotte talks about her lonely life, then leaves the company. Epikhodov asks Dunyasha for a private conversation. Citing the coolness, the girl sends him to the house for a cape, and she confesses her love to Yasha, who is clearly not inclined to reciprocate. Noticing that the gentlemen are coming, Dunyasha leaves.
Ranevskaya, Gaev and Lopakhin approach. Ermolai Alekseevich again talks about the cherry orchard, but Gaev pretends not to understand. Lopakhin gets angry and wants to leave, Lyubov Andreevna holds him back, talking about her unhappy love. Then she says that Lopakhin needs to get married and proposes Varya as his bride, but he gets off with general words.
Trofimov, Anya and Varya approach. Lopakhin teases Trofimov, saying that he will soon be 50, but he is still a student and goes out with young ladies. Petya is sure that people who consider themselves intelligent are actually rude, vulgar and uneducated. Lopakhin agrees: there are very few honest and decent people in Russia.
Everyone except Anya and Petya leaves. Petya says that Russia, with its serfdom, was 200 years behind other countries. Trofimov reminds Anya that not so long ago her ancestors owned living people, and this sin can only be atone for by work. At this time, Varya’s voice is heard calling Anya, who, together with Petya, goes to the river.
Act 3
On the day of the auction, when the estate was to be sold, the hostess throws a ball. Charlotte Ivanovna entertains guests with magic tricks. Pischik, who came to the estate for the ball, still talks about money. Lyubov Andreevna is waiting for her brother to return from the auction, is worried that he has been gone for a long time, and says that the ball was started at the wrong time. Aunt Countess sent 15 thousand, but it won’t be enough.
Petya says that, regardless of whether the estate is sold today or not, nothing will change - the fate of the cherry orchard is decided. The former owner understands that he is right, but does not want to agree. She received a telegram from Paris from her lover, who fell ill again and asked her to return. Ranevskaya says that she still loves him.
In response to Petya’s surprise at how she can love a man who robbed and deceived her, she gets angry and says that Petya knows nothing about love, because at his age he doesn’t even have a mistress. Offended, Petya leaves, but then returns. The mistress of the estate asks for his forgiveness and goes to dance with him.
Anya enters and says that the auction has taken place and the estate has been sold. At this time, Gaev and Lopakhin return, who reports that he bought the estate. The landowner cries, Lopakhin tries to console her, then leaves with Pishchik. Anya reassures her mother, because life does not end with the sale of the estate, there is still a lot of good things ahead.
Act 4
Having sold the estate, the former owners are relieved - the painful issue has finally been resolved. The inhabitants of the sold estate leave it. Lopakhin is going to go to Kharkov, Petya decides to return to the university and continue his studies.
He refuses the money offered by Lopakhin, since a free person should not depend on anyone. Anya is also going to finish high school, start working and live a new life.
Her mother is going to return to France to live off her aunt's money. Yasha goes with her, Dunyasha says goodbye to him with tears. Gaev still takes the job - he will be a bank employee. Pischik arrives with unexpected news: a deposit of white clay was found on his land, he is now rich and can pay off his debts.
Lopakhin promises to help Charlotte find a new place, Varya also finds a job - she gets a job as a housekeeper on a neighboring estate. Epikhodov remains a clerk for the new owner of the estate. Ranevskaya tries to arrange an explanation between Lopakhin and Varya, but he avoids the conversation.
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Let's sum it up
Everyone leaves the house and forgets about Firs. The old servant lies down on the sofa to die and hears the sound of an ax - it’s the cherry orchard being cut down. This is how the play “The Cherry Orchard,” ironically called a comedy by the author, ends sadly.
Summary of “The Cherry Orchard”
Greetings, dear readers of the site. This article provides summary of the play The Cherry Orchard, written . So, the reading time for the summary is 5 minutes.
The play begins in May. We see a beautiful cherry orchard all in bloom. The owner of the estate and garden, Ranevskaya, and her seventeen-year-old daughter Anya, have been absent in recent years - living abroad. Friends, neighbors and servants prepare for Madame's long-awaited return. She fled the estate five years ago, after the tragic death of her husband and young son. Now she is returning from France, where she was robbed and then abandoned by her lover, leaving her practically without a livelihood.
Leonid Andreevich Gaev, Ranevskaya’s brother, and his adopted daughter Varya remained on the estate all these years. They meet Lyubov Andreevna and her daughter Anya at the station.
Lopakhin and Epikhodov are waiting for them at home. Lopakhin talks about his own successes: he was born a serf, but managed to make a fortune for himself. Epikhodov is a clerk to whom something always happens and therefore he has the nickname “twenty-two misfortunes.”
Finally the carriages arrive at the house. Ranevskaya's friends and family rejoice at meeting Madame. Everyone is excited and everyone is trying to talk about something different. Lyubov Andreevna is also happy and looks around the familiar rooms with tears of tenderness.
There are many plot lines in the novel: the romance between the former mentor of Ranevskaya’s son Trofimov and Anya; another romance is between Varya and Lopakhin; a love triangle between the maid Dunyasha, Yasha, and Epikhidov.
The main intrigue is Madame's debt. Neither she nor her brother have the money to pay the mortgage on the cherry orchard, and if they find a solution, the orchard will be auctioned off in August.
Lopakhin offers to rent out the plots to summer residents, but Madame is against it, she doesn’t want to cut down the garden. Spring turns to summer, and debts only grow, and there are no solutions to this problem.
Lopakhin continues to persuade Madame and Gaev to act according to his plan. They went to the city and on the way back stopped near the chapel. Before this, here on the bench, Epikhodov unsuccessfully explained himself to Dunyasha: she preferred Yasha, a young and cynical lackey. Neither Ranevskaya nor Gaev listen to Lopakhin; for them he is just entertainment. When Petya Trofimva, the former teacher of Ranevskaya’s drowned son, Anya and Varya arrive, the conversation turns to pride and the concept of “proud man.” Trofimov believes that a poor person has no point in being proud, he must work. Lopakhin interrupts him and says that there are very few decent people around. Following this, Ranevskaya interrupts him - no one wants to listen to each other, everyone speaks out about his own.
On August 22, on the day of the auction, a ball is thrown at the estate, which seems to be completely inappropriate. Lyubov Andreevna is anxiously awaiting her brother's return, she has 15 thousand rubles sent by Yaroslavl's aunt, but this is not enough to pay off her debts, but she still hopes for a miracle and believes that the cherry orchard will not be sold. At the ball, Charlotte Ivanovna entertains the guests. She teaches guests and servants to dance. Petya Trofimov reassures Ranevskaya, he understands that the sale of the garden cannot be avoided, but he condemns her for her love for a petty scoundrel, a lover who begs her to come to Paris again.
Finally Gaev and Lopakhin return. Lopakhin is cheerful and proud - he bought a cherry orchard. Furious, she proudly throws the keys on the floor and Lopakhin picks them up. Madame Ranevskaya is devastated; she cannot imagine life without a garden. Lopakhin cannot hide his happiness: he bought the estate where his family lived as serfs. Ironically, he encourages the participants to continue the celebration, even though the hosts are not in the mood. Anya consoles her mother, saying that despite the fact that the garden is sold, there is still a whole life ahead, and there will be another garden.
All the inhabitants of the house are gradually leaving. Ranevskaya and Gaev even seemed to calm down after selling the garden. Lyubov Andreevna is going to Paris again, where she will live with her aunt’s money. Anya hopes for a new life after graduating from high school. Lopakhin is going to Kharkov, and Trofimov is going to Moscow for university. Simeonov-Pishchik, always asking to borrow money, suddenly pays off his debts, since the British found white clay in his land. Gaev becomes a bank employee. Varya gets a job as a housekeeper. She likes Lopakhin, but he, who also speaks wonderfully about Varya, still cannot explain himself to her, and Varya cannot propose to him first. Epikhodov remains to work on Lopakhin's estate.