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The Cherry Orchard Essay

Decent Essays

Modernist Literature
In the world of literature, modernism is represented by the moving away from traditional rules and practices, looking at man’s place in the world with a realistic view, and experimenting with form and style. Modernism focuses on the use of language and the function of the actual writing. Modernist literature moves away from Romanticism by exploring subject matter that in the past was viewed as boring and often pessimistic. Instead of using language that is poetic, the language used in modernist literature is explicit. Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” is an example of Modern literature because it tosses aside traditional structures and theatrical conventions. The play’s four act structure and the symbolism of …show more content…

Chekhov also makes most of the action of a scene take place in one setting; this is quite different than how romanticism is written. This style can also lend itself to be viewed as “boring”. For example, most of the first act takes place in the nursery. The experimentation with style and the portrayal of the characters’ reaction outside of the actual event make this play “Modernism”. A reoccurring theme of symbolism appears throughout “The Cherry Orchard”. The orchard itself is a symbol of each character’s place in life and therefore has a different meaning for each character. Some view the cherry orchard in a positive light while others view it as a negative. For example, the cherry orchard represents oppression to Lopakhin therefore when he buys it he says, “I have bought the property where my father and grandfather were slaves, where they weren’t even allowed into the kitchen” (38). For him this represents restoring honor to his family. The house and orchard itself also represent old Russia and the old way of life. For Madame Ranevsky, letting go of the orchard is also giving up on the values of the past and giving into a more materialistic society. This materialism is evident in Lopakhin’s desire to turn the land into villas in order to make a large profit. The final aspect of the setting is the neighboring town which represents the growing population and a society in transition. Society at that time was moving towards industrialization

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