The Cherry Orchard Lesson Plan

Each character's life is affected by the sale of the estate. Which characters are adapting well to change? Which aren't?

Students may point out that none of the characters seem perfectly well adapted to the significant life changes brought about by the sale of the orchard, but some appear to be less poorly adapted to the change than others.

Most students will list Lyubov (who stubbornly resists altering her course toward personal and financial ruin) and Firs (who is literally dies as he struggles to find a place for himself in a changing world) are among the most poorly-adapted characters. Other characters, such as Gayev and Varya, are losing much of their wealth and...