Chekhov and Carver - Struggles of Real Life free essay sample

Topic: A writer has the power to reflect on the world in which they live. What do the writers Chekhov and Carver say about the struggles of real life in the society around them? Discuss, using quotes and references to characters and scenes within the chosen short stories. The short stories, ‘The Bet’ and ‘Cathedral’ by Anton Chekhov and Raymond Carver respectively, both investigate the struggles of real life in society around them. Chekhov and Carver present the struggles created by greed and jealousy, how easily one takes things for granted and the affect of social isolation on the mental wellbeing of an individual. Greed is the selfish desire for more than one needs or deserves. Once an individual obtains their desired object or possession, a strong impulse to receive more and more can arise and thus negatively influence their daily life. The Lawyer and Banker, in Chekhov’s ‘The Bet’ acted upon excessive impulses and greed. They did not examine the ‘betting’ situation clearly or concisely. At the beginning of the story the Lawyer acted greedy when he accepted the bet from the Banker. He wanted to prove to the Banker that he was not a weak individual and that he was capable to claim victory of the bet. The Lawyer’s behaviour was irrational because he mistakenly believed due to his greed, that the value of the money won, would compensate for the 15 years of voluntary imprisonment. ‘And this wild, senseless bet was carried out! ’ The Banker treasured his money immensely, but by the end of the story, his luck had changed dramatically, whereby as having lost his fortune through gambling, he believed that the Lawyer would ruin him if he were to pay the two million and lose the bet. Therefore, he was willing to commit the greatest crime of all, murder. ‘The one means of being saved from bankruptcy and disgrace is the death of that man! This plan illustrated the Banker’s greed, explained by the extent that he cared more for his money, even over the life of another. Also, he always judged the Lawyers behaviour and thoughts to be the same as his own. The Lawyer broke the contract, as he believed the imprisonment was not worth the money. ‘To deprive mys elf of the right to the money I shall go out from here five hours before the time fixed, and so break the compact. ’ Feeling of can jealousy arise in varying amounts in all individuals, which could have arose from a basis of insecurity, fear or anxiety. Occasionally, jealousy can damage an individual’s happiness and relationships with others. For this reason, it is important to overcome this emotion in order to function effectively. The husband in Carver’s ‘Cathedral’ demonstrated clear emotions of jealously. He displayed this emotion towards his wifes former marriage. His rapid dismissal of their relationship is evident in paragraph two, ‘She was in love with the guy, and he was in love with her etc. ’ The ‘etc’ signifies an apparent lack of interest the husband has with his wifes relationship with the ‘guy. During the divorce of his wife’s previous marriage, she maintained the relationship between the blind man and therefore, the husband was jealous of this fact. He also displayed strong feelings of jealously towards the blind man, Robert. It seems that the wifes relationship with Robert has proven to be the best relationship in her life. This is exemplified when Ro bert visits. The wife appears considerably dissatisfied that she cant be with Robert; ‘My wife finally took her eyes off the blind man and looked at me. I had the feeling she didn’t like what she saw. The husband believes that his wife does no consider marrying him to be a good event in her life, this is best explained in the following ‘I waited in vain to hear my name on my wife’s sweet lips: â€Å"And then my dear husband came into my life†Ã¢â‚¬â€something like that. But I heard nothing of the sort. ’ The husband detested and despised the relationship Robert had with his wife; he longed to have that kind of connection with her, so this is the root of the jealously he experienced. In reality, it is vital to be open-minded and to keep your eyes open. This is critical if an individual is to ‘see’ the world in which they live. To carefully analyse a situation and to fully appreciate what it has to offer. With ease, events in everyday life can be taken for granted, may it be feelings, relationships, possessions, a sense or even life itself. When the Lawyer in ‘The Bet’ accepted the wager from the Banker, he did not realise the severity of what he had done. He valued his life inadequately and with this, it seemed that the bet itself was on his life. After the 15 years of voluntary imprisonment, the Lawyer discovered the importance of human life and how it is easily taken for granted. An individual’s ability to see is taken for granted in ‘Cathedral. ’ The husband is ‘cognitively’ blind in the manner in which he considers life. He disregards his sight, which he takes for granted. He is also very narrow-minded and content within his own world; which led him to neglect the rest of the world. There were two instances in particular illustrate this, the first, is that the husband seemed to believe that the most important thing to women is being complimented on their looks; the second is that he is unable to imagine his wife’s friend Robert, as a person. When drawing the cathedral, the husband was asked by Robert to close his eyes. Upon completion, Robert asked the husband to look at the drawing. The husband thought, ‘But I had my eyes closed. I thought I’d keep them that way for a little longer. I thought it was something I ought to do. ’ At this point, the husband was no longer ‘blind’ because he finally saw Robert as a real individual and not just ‘a blind man. ’ Individuals who are isolated from others lack the emotional, psychological and health-related support that can improve health and functioning in everyday life. Regular social contact is important in giving people the opportunity to communicate and socialise. In times of difficulty, people who are socially isolated can feel they have no one to turn to, which can contribute to an incoherent state of mind. In both ‘The Bet’ and ‘Cathedral’ varying forms of social isolation manifest. The Lawyer in ‘The Bet’ was granted the ability to have anything in his cell according to the bet made, however the exception was human communication. ‘He might have anything he wanted books, music, wine, and so on in any quantity he desired by writing an order, but could only receive them through the window. The lawyer had numerous books brought to him, by which he taught himself a range of skills and information. Despite this, he suffered tremendously. He had no human interaction, causing him to feel alone and depressed. This theme also transpired in ‘Cathedral. ’ Both the wife and husband experienced se gregation. ‘You [husband] don’t have any friends. ’ This quote demonstrates social isolation experienced by the husband. Consequently, as a result of this, he felt feelings of disconnectedness and did not have the opportunities to make use of the resources available to them in a society. His mental health and everyday functioning is compromised. The wife also experienced feelings of isolation ‘where one night she got to feeling lonely and cut off from people she kept losing in that moving-around life. She went in and swallowed all the pills and capsules in the medicine chest and washed them down with a bottle of gin. Then she got into a hot bath and passed out. ’ This quote emphasises the extreme result of the effects of social isolation upon an individual. The wife felt disconnected from her [former] husband and felt incapable to control or cope successfully within her situation. She didn’t have a social network or support group to assist her in maintaining mental stability. It provides an indication of the tormented past experienced by the wife, her struggles and emotional defeat. Both Chekhov and Carver explore the struggles of real life that individuals face in society. These include; greed and jealousy one can be emerged in, how easily one takes things for granted and the evident influence of isolation within the normality of everyday life.