Chekhov's Notion of Poshlost in Several Stories

Anton Chekhov explores the notion of poshlost in a number of stories, taking a lighter view in "The Siren's Song," for example, and a darker view in such stories as "In the Ravine" and "The Teacher of Literature." Poshlost, according to Nabokov, "is not only the obviously trashy but also the falsely important, the falsely beautiful, the falsely clever, the falsely attractive" (Nabokov 326). This study will argue that Chekhov, in these four works, treats poshlost not as something rare or extraordinary in human experience, but almost as if it were an inherent part of human nature. Only a few characters truly recognize poshlost, especially in themselves, and fewer still are able to avoid or transcend it in their own lives. The problem for the reader of Chekhov's stories is to discern the alleged poshlost (that is, the poshlost named by characters) and the true poshlost (which is often an element of those very same "anti-poshlost" characters).

The treatment of poshlost in "The Siren's Song" is indeed far more light-hearted than in the other three stories. As essentially comic as the author's portrait of the court denizens may be in this story, Chekhov leaves no doubt that their gross fixation with food is deserving of the term poshlost. The setting is the "conference-room" behind the "local court" where a group of judges and clerks and other court-workers have momentarily gathered to discuss dining while one judge finishes writing a dissenting opinion. The story is essentiall

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nd finally his marriage and job become painfully unsatisfying (Chekhov Short Stories 112; 116; 126). What Nikitin is coming to see is the real world peopled with real human beings in all their imperfection. He excludes himself from his final condemnation of the poshlost world: "Where am I, my God? I am surrounded by vulgarity and vulgarity. Wearisome, insignificant people, pots of sour cream, jogs of milk, cockroaches, stupid women" (Chekhov Short Stories 128). Unlike old Tsybukin, Nikitin still has a chance to become more accepting of the defects in others and in himself, and he may even become a good and humble person like Lipa. These defects, after all, certainly include all of the features which Nikitin and Tsybukin would name as elements of the poshlost way of life. Chekhov presents Lipa and her mother as examples of the kinds of people which Nikitin and Tsybukin would describe as poshlost, but the author himself clearly sees the two peasants' simple and humble faith and charity as qualities marking the highest state of being for humanity. Works Cited Nabokov, Vladimir. "A Definition of Poshlost." Anton Chekhov's Plays. Ed. Eugene Bristow. New York: W.W. Norton, 1977. 322-325. Chekhov, Anton. Anton Chekhov's Short Stor

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