Isolation and Tragedy: Natasha in “Three Sisters” Anonymous College

“Three Sisters” is Anton Chekhov’s only true tragedy, featuring a large ensemble cast of characters facing a downward succession of horrible events. Of all of the characters in the play, Natasha is the only one who seems to gain power by the end. In reality, even though Natasha gains power in her household and is rude to every other character, her story is still tragic and she suffers just as much as the other characters.

At the beginning of the play, Natasha comes from a lower class background and is very intimidated by the upper class Prozorovs, especially when the sisters mock her clothing choices. She was set to marry Protopopov, but she was in love with Andrey. She sought acceptance from his family and that they would stop making fun of her. This is evident in Act One, when she is humiliated and leaves the party and says, “I’m so embarrassed. I just don’t know what’s the matter with me; they just make fun of me all the time. I know it’s not polite to leave the table like that, but I just couldn’t stand it. I really couldn’t” (275). Her overall goal is to fit in and be accepted. When Andrey confesses his love for her, she comes a little bit closer to fulfilling this goal as she becomes part of the family, whether she is...