Themes For Discussion

The Cherry Orchard is one of Chekhov’s most popluar and enduring works, and many of the themes of the play are common to his work. Below are some of the main themes of the play and some ideas to prompt discussion.

Social Change and ‘The New Russia’
The Cherry Orchard is set at a time of immense social change in Russia. The emancipation of the serfs had taken place some years previously, but its effects were being felt well into the 20th Century. The changes of the preceeding years meant that many once wealthy families had fallen upon hard times, and also that people born into poverty were able to work their way into wealth, an almost impossible prospect prior to the emancipation of the serfs.

• Which of the characters in The Cherry Orchard symoblise the ‘Old Russia’ and which symbolise the ‘New Russia’?
• How have the changes in Russia at the time altered the fortunes of the characters?
• How does Chekhov use irony to illustrate the changes in fortunes of his characters?

Comedy Or Tragedy?
When writing The Cherry Orchard, Chekhov intended the play to be performed as a comedy. The first production however, and many productions since have taken the play to be a tragedy.

• Which elements of the play might lead a director towards directing it as a tragedy?
• How is the play comedic? Which characters, lines and incidents would you interpret as having elements of comedy?
• How would you choose to direct the play?

Past And Future
Many characters in The Cherry Orchard are preoccupied either with the past or the future. This often ties in with their social class – for example, those characters who are members of Madame Ranevskaya’s family and representative of the ‘Old Russia’ often talk about their family’s past glories, whilst those who are members of the ‘New Russian’ bourgeoisie are more concerned with the future.

• Which characters are preoccupied with the past and which with the future? Find sections of the play that demonstrate this.
• How do the characters preoccupations affect their behaviour? Do those who are more ‘forward looking’ seem to have better prospects than those who constanyl look back to the past?
• How do these characters’ preoccupations link to the social changes in Russia at the time?