Very important issues of morality are touched by the novel “Duel” (Chekhov). A summary and analysis of it can be found in this article. Questions about the truth, the meaning of life, about responsibility to other people - all this is always relevant. Chekhov presented his understanding of these eternal problems in the work “Duel”.
Summary
In a town located on the Black Sea, two friends talk while swimming. One of them is Laevsky Ivan Andreevich, a 28-year-old young man, and the other is Samoilenko, a military doctor. Ivan Andreevich shares with his friend the details of his personal life. So begins the story "Duel" (Chekhov). A summary of this conversation is given below.
History of Laevsky
From a conversation between friends, we learn that 2 years ago Laevsky met with one married woman. They left St. Petersburg for the Caucasus, intending to start a new working life. However, they did not like the town. People were uninteresting, the place was boring, and Laevsky did not know how and did not want to work with sweat on his face. Therefore, he felt bankrupt from the first day. In relations with this woman, Nadezhda Fedorovna, Laevsky already sees only a lie, so she can no longer live with her. He wants to go back to the north. However, one cannot disperse either: a woman has no money and relatives, and Nadezhda Fedorovna is not able to work. In addition, news came of the death of her husband, which means the opportunity to marry her. Samoilenko advises his friend to do just that.
Torment Laevsky
Everything that Nadezhda Fedorovna does and says seems to Ivan Andreevich either a lie or something similar to a lie. During breakfast, he barely hides his annoyance. He is even hated by the way this woman swallows milk. He does not leave the desire to quickly find out the relationship and leave.
Laevsky usually found explanations and justifications for his own life in some literary types and theories. He compares himself with Pechorin and Onegin, with Hamlet, with Anna Karenina. Laevsky is now ready to admit that he does not have a guiding idea, that he is an extra person and a loser, then he justifies himself. Just as this hero used to believe that the Caucasus would save him from the void in his life, now he believes that he should leave for St. Petersburg, abandoning Nadezhda Fedorovna. Thanks to this, he hopes to live a lively, intelligent, cultural life.
Von Koren's worldview
Samoilenko is celebrated with Pobedov, who has just completed his studies at the seminary, and von Koren, a young zoologist. The conversation at dinner is about Laevsky. The zoologist says that this person is dangerous to society, like a cholera microbe. Laevsky corrupts the morals of city dwellers by drinking and soldering others, openly living with someone else's wife, multiplying debts, playing cards, and not doing anything. If people like him multiply, serious danger will threaten humanity. Therefore, Ivan Andreevich must be neutralized for the sake of universal benefit.
The ridiculous minister of the church laughs, and Samoilenko is stunned. He can only say that if they hang and drown people, then he is against such a civilization.
Attitude of Nadezhda Fedorovna to Laevsky
Nadezhda Fedorovna sets off for a swim in a good mood on Sunday morning. A woman likes herself, she is convinced that all the men she meets admire her. Nadezhda Fedorovna feels guilty before Laevsky. She managed to make a lot of debts in Achmianov’s shop in 2 years and still did not dare to say so. In addition, the woman had already had two contacts with Kirilin, a police bailiff. However, she is happy to think that her soul did not take part in treason. Nadezhda Fedorovna still loves Ivan Andreevich, and with Kirilin it’s long been over.
Picnic
In the bathing room, a woman is talking with Bityugova Marya Konstantinovna, an elderly lady. This is another heroine portrayed in the duel by Chekhov. We will not give a description of the conversation between them. We will only say that from this woman, Laevsky’s roommate learns that local society organizes a picnic in the evening, which should be held near a mountain river.
Von Koren on the way to the river talks about his plans to the deacon. He says that he intends to go on an expedition to explore the coasts of the Arctic and Pacific oceans. Ivan Andreevich rides in another carriage and scolds the landscapes of the Caucasus. He constantly feels the hostility of von Koren and already regrets that he decided to go on a picnic. The company stops at the Tatar Karbalaya.
Nadezhda Fedorovna is in a playful mood. A woman wants to flirt, tease, laugh. However, her joy overshadows the persecution of Kirilin, as well as Achmianov’s advice to beware of the police bailiff. Ivan Andreevich, tired of the undisguised hatred of the zoologist and a picnic, breaks down on Nadezhda Fedorovna, whom she calls a yoke. Von Koren on his way back admits to Samoilenko that if society or the state instructed him to destroy Laevsky, he would willingly do so.
Conversation of Laevsky with Samoilenko
After the picnic, already at home, Laevsky tells Nadezhda Fedorovna that her husband is dead. He feels like he is in prison, which is especially noted in the duel by Chekhov. A very brief summary, unfortunately, misses the details of the hero’s inner experiences. We will only say that Ivan Andreevich decides to go to Samoilenko. Laevsky begs him to lend 300 rubles, promises to make peace with his mother, arrange everything with Nadezhda Fedorovna. Samoilenko says that it is also necessary to make peace with von Koren, however Laevsky replies that this is impossible. He would have been ready to lend a hand to the zoologist, but he, of course, would have turned his back on him. After all, this is a tyrannical, solid nature, and his ideals are appropriate. For him, people are nobodies. He does not work out of love for his neighbor, but for the sake of such abstract concepts as future generations, humanity, the ideal breed of people ... Von Koren would kill anyone who goes beyond the narrow conservative morality, and this is only for the sake of "improving the breed." Despots, as Laevsky notes, have always been illusionists. Ivan Andreevich says that he is aware of his own shortcomings. He hopes to resurrect, change. This is especially emphasized by Chekhov (“Duel”). A summary of the chapters continues with a story about further events in the life of the cohabitant Laevsky.
Fever Nadezhda Fedorovna
3 days after a picnic by the river, Maria Konstantinovna comes to Nadezhda Fedorovna. We will not retell the entire conversation in detail, we will describe only its brief content. "Duel" Chekhov wrote so that we think about important issues. Therefore, we tried to retell the text, focusing on them.
So, Maria Konstantinovna offers the cohabitant Laevsky to become her matchmaker. However, Nadezhda Fedorovna feels that the wedding is now impossible. A woman cannot say all to her friend. She became entangled in a relationship with young Achmianov and with Kirilin. From the experiences of Nadezhda Fedorovna, a fever begins.
Ivan Andreevich feels his guilt before her. However, he was already so obsessed with thoughts about leaving next Saturday that he asked Samoilenko, who had come to visit the patient, if he managed to get the money. He answers in the negative. Samoilenko wants to ask Von Koren for 100 rubles in debt. He agrees, but on condition that Laevsky leaves with Nadezhda Fedorovna.
Duel appointment
The next day, on Thursday, Samoilenko informs Laevsky about this condition visiting Marya Konstantinovna. Guests, including a zoologist, are playing. Ivan Andreevich participates in the game mechanically. He reflects on how much he is forced to lie, that this does not allow him to change, to start a new life. It is necessary to decide on something radical, but Laevsky cannot do this. Apparently, the note sent by, apparently, von Koren, provokes a hysterical fit in Ivan Andreevich. However, in the evening, as if nothing had happened, he goes to play cards.
Kirilin is chasing Nadezhda Fedorovna on her way home. He threatens a woman with a scandal if she does not date him today. This man is disgusted by Nadezhda Fedorovna, she begs to leave her, but still gives in. Achmianov watches them.
The next day, Ivan Andreevich goes to Samoilenko. He wants to take money from him, because after that hysteria he can no longer remain in the city. However, Laevsky finds only von Koren. There is a short conversation between them. Ivan Andreevich understands that the zoologist is aware of his plans. Laevsky feels his hatred and contempt. When Samoilenko appears, Ivan Andreevich accuses him of disclosing other people's secrets in a fit, and also insults the zoologist, who seemed to be waiting for this. Von Koren challenges Ivan Andreevich to a duel.
On the eve of the fight
The summary that we have compiled is already approaching the final. “Duel” (Chekhov) ends quite interesting. The finale of the work will surely please you.
On the eve of the match, Laevsky first feels hatred for the zoologist, and then, for cards and wine, becomes careless. Some time later, Ivan Andreevich began to possess anxiety. When Achmianov leads Laevsky to the house where he sees Nadezhda Fedorovna and Kirilin, all feelings seem to disappear from his soul.
This evening, von Koren talks with the deacon about how to understand the teachings of Christ, love for one's neighbor. He believes that what harms people, which threatens them with danger, should be eliminated. And the danger threatens humanity on the part of the physically and morally abnormal. They must be destroyed. The deacon asks him what are the criteria for distinguishing, how to prevent mistakes. The zoologist replies that with the threat of a flood, you should not be afraid to wet your feet. He believes that in the case of Laevsky only a duel will help. Chekhov (which he will say more), of course, cannot agree with him.
On the night before the fight, Laevsky listens to a thunderstorm outside the window, recalls his life, in which he sees only a lie. He feels guilty of the fall of his cohabitant and is ready to beg Nadezhda Fedorovna to forgive him. If he could bring back the past, he would certainly find justice and god. Before going on a duel, Laevsky goes to his roommate’s bedroom. She looks at him with horror, but Ivan Andreevich, embracing her, realizes that this is the only person close to him. He intends to return home alive.
Duel and final events
Nobody knows the rules of a duel for sure, recall its descriptions by Turgenev, Lermontov ... Ivan Andreevich shoots first. He is afraid of killing the zoologist, so he shoots in the air. His opponent directs the gun directly at Ivan Andreevich. The deacon desperately shouts: "He will kill him!" This makes von Koren miss.
So we came to the finale, describing the summary. Chekhov ("Duel") was interested in the fate of the main characters. So he came up with the next finale.
3 months after the fight, on the day of departure to the expedition, the zoologist, accompanied by the deacon and Samoilenko, goes to the pier. They talk about the change that has occurred with Laevsky. Ivan Andreevich is now married to Nadezhda Fedorovna. He works from morning to evening to pay off his debts. Deciding to go to him, von Koren holds out his hand. The zoologist remained true to his convictions, but admits that he was mistaken regarding Laevsky. He says that no one knows the truth. Laevsky agrees with him. He thinks that in her search, people take two steps forward, one step back. Perhaps someday they will reach the real truth ...
This ends the story "Duel" (Chekhov). Its summary, of course, is only for guidance only. In order to fully understand this work, you should refer to the original. It is incomparably better than the summary.
Chekhov ("Duel") has always been interested in the difficult issues of our being. Each of the heroes of his work in his own way tries to answer them. What are the positions that the characters of the novel “Duel” (Chekhov) occupy? Analysis of the work will help you figure it out.
Analysis
The main characters of the story, as well as the main ideological opponents are Laevsky and von Koren. In the end, their mutual hostility leads to a duel. Von Koren reflects at the beginning of the work on the causes of this antipathy. In Laevsky, he feels extraordinary licentiousness and deceit.
Ivan Andreevich, in turn, believes that von Koren is a strong, solid, oppressive nature. He describes himself as a fallen, insignificant, empty man who bought his life at the cost of cowardice, idleness and lies. Von Koren is a Darwinist and an adversary of everything that can harm people.
Dr. Samoilenko believes that if you destroy people, then to hell with such a civilization. This hero does not accept in Ivan Andreevich that he despises service, drinks a lot, scatters money, plays cards. It Samoylenko in the work is the bearer of the "general idea". This generous and kind person gets money for Ivan Andreyevich, although he understands that he is running away from responsibility. In his internal monologue, Samoilenko, he explains in his own way why, in seeking truth, people make mistakes ("two steps forward, one step back"). The boredom of life, suffering, the absence of a "common idea" inhibit them. Because of this, a person does not just find himself in a moral impasse. A living person dies in it, as Chekhov depicted in the duel. We will complete the analysis of the story. We invite the reader to reflect on what they read on their own.
The questions that the author addresses are really important. No wonder the story “Duel” (Chekhov) is included in the school curriculum. You can compile a summary for the reader’s diary based on the foregoing.