The Lady With the Dog Essay Questions

How does Gurov's perception of Anna change over time?

At the start of the text, Gurov is less interested in Anna than he is in the distraction of a love affair. As the affair progresses, he wonders about the woman with whom he is involved; he continues to be interested in the affair, but he does not indicate that he thinks highly of her. Yet as the story progresses, he finds himself obsessed with the memory of Anna. Eventually, he tracks her down and sees her again. In those moments, he realizes that she is the love of his life—a dramatic turnaround for Gurov.

What is the narrative impact of the unusual kind of ending that "The Lady with the Dog" has?

"The Lady with the Dog" ends inconclusively, with the two lovers trying to figure out how best to live their life together. In this way, Chekhov maintains his stylistic commitment to realism; rather than tidily wrapping up the story, he ends the story as if depicting only a small piece of real life. Another effect of this open-ended plot is that Chekhov leaves moral interpretation up to his readers. He does not sum up the moral lesson of the story at its conclusion; instead, the narrative implies that the characters must continue to grapple with the moral complexity of their situation for years to come.

What is the role of the narrator in "The Lady with the Dog"?

In "The Lady with the Dog," the narrator is an omniscient third-person narrator. This means that the narrator has access to the characters' thoughts and feelings, as well as the power to describe their actions. The tone of the text's narrator is detached and nonjudgmental. This tone contributes to the sense that the narrative refrains from ascribing moral judgment to the characters' actions, leaving the readers to interpret the lesson for themselves.