June 25, The Lady with the Dog

Discussion Questions for "The Lady with the Dog"

• What do you think of Dmitry when he is first introduced? Do you see any conflicts arising from his character? Yes, he has issues with the female gender
  
• How does Anna's emotions and view point on the affair change from the beginning of the story to the end? Why do you think this is? Passion, sex, excitement, meaning, all the things she didn't have in her life she found in her lover, Dmitry.
  
• Although Chekhov uses a third person narration, how does he seem more involved with Dmitry’s character? He follows Dmitry around as the focal point of the story.
  
• How would you describe Anna’s Character in the story? How would you describe Dmitry’s? This is a weird question. I would describe them the way the author described them.
  
• How has Dmitry changed from the beginning of the story to the end? He has fallen in love, had a change of heart.
  
• What are the character’s past disappointments? And what are their future hopes? No luck in love, finally finding true love, and hoping to be able to live together
  
• Do you think the fact that Dmitry’s return to Moscow was at the start of winter has any significance? Why? A return to dark days, deppression, coldness of heart, etc..
  
• Why is Dmitry so infuriated when the official says, “the sturgeon was just a leetle off?” (2nd to last paragraph pg. 291) Because he had attempted to reveal the contents of his heart. He was in dire need of a friend that could enter this place inside with him, but everyone was living very superficially.
  
• The fence surrounding Anna’s house is mentioned a couple of times in the third section of the short story, do you think it holds any symbolism or has any additional meanings? It symbolized that she was trapped in that life. She was like a caged lioness.
  
• There is a lot of conflict in the story as a whole. Would you say that the man vs man conflict is more prevalent or the man vs self conflict? Man vs. self
  
• The ending of this story almost leaves you wanting to know more about what happens in their relationship. If you had to add to the story and come up with an extended version, what would you add? The fallout
  
• In the author’s bio, there is information about him being a “people watcher”. Do you think that The Lady with the Dog stems from some of the people he had observed?of course