Among the later works of A. Chekhov is the story “Anna on the Neck” published in 1895. A summary of the chapters allows the reader to follow how the process of the moral decline of the heroine, captured by a new life, occurs.
Wedding and trip to the monastery
Immediately after the wedding, Modest Alekseevich and his young wife went to the monastery. But it was not that the newlyweds wanted to quickly be alone, or they were very devout. By such a decision, the husband, a 52-year-old man who had the ranks, showed the eighteen-year-old Anna that morality and religion were the main thing for him in marriage.
Among the mourners were colleagues and relatives. The drunk father all baptized his daughter and whispered something in her ear, and two brothers-gymnasium students pulled his sleeve, persuading him to calm down.
The story "Anna on the neck", a brief summary of which you read, continues with a description of the trip. In the car, Modest Alekseevich, short, very full, freshly shaven, began to tell his wife about a certain Kosorotov. He had a frivolous wife, Anna. She left her husband, and later returned. In this regard, His Excellency, handing the Order of St. Anne to Kosorotov , uttered the phrase: "Now you have three Anne: one in the buttonhole, and two on the neck." Modest Alekseevich expressed the conviction that when it is his turn to receive the award, there will be no reason for such a statement.
And the young wife at that time was thinking about how she got married for the money. In fact, her husband was stingy, and she felt cheated. In addition, her family was left without a penny, and she could not help them. Then the girl remembered that after the death of her mother, her father began to drink, and she constantly felt shame for him and her poor life. Then Modest Alekseevich turned up - not young, but with money.
The music interrupted the heroine’s thoughts of the story “Anna on the neck”. A summary of the scene on the stop where the train stopped can be summarized as follows. The girl saw the summer cottagers walking, among whom was the owner of these places Artynov. She immediately wiped away her tears and got out of the car, wanting to show her friends her new outfit. Soon, Anna coquettishly glanced at Artynov, assuring herself that she would certainly be happy.
Life in marriage
They returned home on the third day, and everything went as scheduled. Modest Alekseevich went to the service, during dinner taught his wife that it was necessary to be economical, then went to bed. Anna did not go anywhere. Often cried because she felt miserable. She got up hungry from the table - she was afraid of Modest Aldekseevich - and went to her own. She had dinner there, while it seemed to her that her father and brothers condemned her marriage for money. So the days of the heroine of the story “Anna on the neck” passed.
The summary can be supplemented by the fact that in the evenings Modest Alekseevich played with his colleagues, and the girl had to communicate with their wives, rude and ugly. Sometimes he drove Anna to the theater, without fail, forcing her to bow to some noble lady and sparing money even for a pear in the buffet. The heroine was tormented by the fact that now she had less money than before the wedding. The young wife was afraid to ask her husband for money, and he was only spending on jewelry, since they could be useful on a rainy day.
At the ball
Before Christmas Modest Alekseevich informed Anna that she should sew a dress for the ball. The girl inherited good taste from her mother, therefore, in this matter she relied only on herself. And when the husband saw his wife before the ball, he was stunned. Then he declared that today she can make him happy. So continues the story "Anna on the neck."
Summary - Chekhov, as usual, pays a lot of attention to details - the ball scene shows how the heroine’s life changed overnight. The girl, seeing herself in the mirror, felt pride and confidence. She danced all evening, forgetting about her husband. His Excellency, enchanted by the beauty, introduced Anna to his wife, who organized charity trade in the noble assembly. The heroine, who was located in a hut, took money for tea, convinced that her smile gives others a pleasure. By the end of the evening, she already realized that she was created just for such a life: with dancing, fun, fans. And when the father, who was already pretty drunk, came up, Anna even blushed, afraid that he might do something wrong.
Then, at the invitation of Artynov, the girl went to dinner, where there were no more than twenty people. She returned home in the morning, happy and tired.
New life
After the ball, everything changed for the heroine of the story "Anna on the neck." The summary of the finale is as follows.
Artynov’s visit woke up the girl. Then His Excellency arrived: he kissed the pen and thanked for participating in the evening. Modest Alekseevich was beside himself with happiness. Now he looked at his wife with an ingratiating look, which he usually addressed to the strong and noble. And she felt for him only undisguised contempt.
Chekhov ends the story of the heroine with the fact that her whole life has now turned into a constant holiday and a big waste of money. She was visiting her father less and less, whose financial situation had deteriorated completely, and he washed down more than before. The boys were afraid to let him out alone. And if he tried to hail his daughter, who was driving along the street, the sons pleadingly asked: "Do not."
This is the content of the story "Anna on the neck" (short).
The meaning of the name
In conclusion, it must be added that the husband of the heroine nevertheless received the Order of St. Anne. And His Excellency, congratulating the official, uttered the same words that he had once said to Kosorotov. And Modest Alekseevich, wanting to smooth the situation and show his wit, replied that now it remains to wait for the appearance of little Vladimir, hinting at the next award.
Thus, the author shows the degradation of the human soul under the complete power of money.