Dimitry within Chekhov's story is similar to my situation with my former significant other. I like Dimitry Gurov felt that I could not fall in love with a random Jane Doe. Maybe not in the sense of me being a philanderer, but how I changed after Whitney was gone.
I believe that Dimitry is a character who knows that he is not perfect, he understands that he has a problem with talking to men, and having multiple sex partners. Chekhov's character Dimitry shows significant change that he can love deeply. Gurov's change was slow, but will be covered within the following.
The story introduces the imperfect hero by the name of Dimitry Gurov. Chekhov starts out with a scene where Dimitry see's a woman and thinks to himself that it would be good to meet her, “it wouldn't be a bad thing to make her acquaintance (540).”
The character Dimitry is very much not in love with his wife. He refers to her in a manly way to make her sound unworthy of what he has to offer. My life before Whitney was the Bachelors dream. I would date a different girl every weekend. No girl was good enough to keep me tied down. Chekhov describes Dimitry with words such as, “in his whole make-up there was something attractive and elusive that disposed women in his favor and allured them (540).”
The quality just described is his ruse that Dimitry uses to sway the women into bed. However, it seems as if the protagonist is slow changing with the realization of the consequences with his actions. For example, “affair which at first seems a light and charming adventure inevitably grows into a whole problem of extreme complexity, and in the end of a painful situation is created (540).” The changes come slow and are quickly removed by a new interest.
To Dimitry, the multiple sex partners were like new adventures with the same ending. These conquests were recalled by Dimitry as “these stories of easy conquests, of trips to the mountains, and the tempting thought of a swift, fleeting liaison, a romance with an unknown woman of whose very name he was ignorant suddenly took hold of him (541).”
When I first met Whitney, I knew something was different about her. I did not know what was different other I wanted it; For example, when Gurov met Anna, “There sprang up between them the light banter of people who are free and contented, to who it does not matter where they go or what they talk about (541).”
This shows that there was an attraction between the two people. The attraction is the first step to love. Dimitry “grew cold to them their beauty aroused his hatred, and the lace on their lingerie seemed to him to resemble scales (540).” Chekhov is dehumanizing the women with the imagery of scales to make them seem like nothing to Gurov. The later effect of this is Gurov's disrespect turns a complete 180 degree to respect.
Like my situation, Dimitry Gurov was scared for commitment which is core characteristic of change and love. Due to Dimitry's cold feet, he got out with the little trouble. “'You don't respect me now, you first of all.' There was a watermelon on the table. Gurov cut himself a slice and began eating it without haste (543).”
In my relationship, I was Gurov at the beginning. I ate the watermelon. I was irritated with the fact that Whitney could not see where I was coming from. Much like Gurov who “was already bored with her; he was irritate by her naïve tone, by her repentance (543).” I wish that my thoughts and feelings changed before it was done. Gurov was able to “look into her fixed, frightened eyes, kissed her, spoke to her softly and affectionately, and by degrees she calmed down (543).”
The fact it takes loss to know what you had irritates me, makes me feel uncertain of myself. When Anna left, Dimitry slowly began to wish she had not gone. “His memories became more vivid (544).” This loss turns into a depression that makes you want to feel something other than loss. That loss then turns to an obsession and anger.
Gurov feels all of these feelings. His obsession with Anna comes from seeing things that remind him of her. With everyday, a new reminder of Whitney pops up; a red hair, something she said a while back being said by someone else, etc. Gurov sees symbols, people, etc. and “He followed the women with his eyes, looking for someone who resembled her (544).” Also, “Gurov, boiling with indignation, did not sleep all night (545).”
All of these things Chekhov writes about seem to pull me in as the reader; I relate to Gurov because I realize that I messed up. Whitney inspires change within me, I want to better myself, I want her back. Dimitry wants to make change to get Anna back.
