The Death of a Government Clerk Essay Questions

What causes Ivan Tchervyakov's death?

While the exact reason behind Tchervyakov's death is unknown – the narrator simply explains that, after his last encounter with Brizzhalov, he went home and died on his couch – readers can likely infer that Tchervyakov died of his own anxiety and fear. Unable to perform an appropriate apology for Brizzhalov, Tchervyakov cannot make sense of the dynamic between them and struggles to understand what Brizzhalov is thinking. Readers, of course, know that Brizzhalov is simply tired of discussing the incident. The tragedy (and, ironically, comedy) of the story is that the Tchervyakov's preoccupation with the incident eventually renders him unable to continue living altogether.

What role does the narrator play in the story?

The narrator in "The Death of a Government Clerk" is a third-person narrator with insight into Tchervyakov's thoughts and feelings. The narrator also, however, appears as a character of his own, making commentary on the nature of the events he describes. In this way, the narrator develops an ironic and critical tone in relation to the story, which can make it difficult for readers to know whether the narrator is sympathetic toward the protagonist or critical of him. The most likely answer is that the narrator is both: amused by Tchervyakov's behavior but also critical of the social system that produces his anxiety.

What elements of the story demonstrate Chekhov's signature realism?

Chekhov's work is known for its realism, meaning he meant to portray his characters and settings as if they could occur in reality. While one could argue that "The Death of a Government Clerk" maintains elements of absurdism, it also carefully balances those absurdist aspects with stark realism. Perhaps the clearest example of realism is the hierarchical social structure that serves as the backdrop of the entire story: while Tchervyakov's obsession with social decorum may seem strange and hyperbolic, the class stratification that inspires it appears as an accurate reflection of nineteenth-century Russian society.