1. In paragraph 47, starting "At Orenada they sat on a seat not far from the church," assume it is Dmitri Dmitritch (Gurov) who is thinking thoughts about the sea's sound and eternal salvation and progress. How does this paragraph contribute to how our sense of who he is?
2. How do paragraphs 59-61 ("The train moved off rapidly. . . . 'High time!'") contribute to our sense of who he is, or reinforce our sense of who he is?
3. Why do you suppose that to his own surprise Dmitri continues to remember his time with Anna Sergeyevna vividly (par. 64)?
4. In paragraphs 66-71, Dmitri has a conversation with a companion, involving sturgeon (a kind of fish, evidently what they had for dinner that night). Comment.
5. Dmitri learns that Anna Sergeyevna's husband is rich (par. 75). How does this news contribute to our sense of who Anna is?
6. Anna continues to think passionately of Dmitri, as she says in par. 97 ("I am so unhappy . . . .have you come?") Why do you suppose she cares for him as much as she does?
7. "Why did she love him so much? He always seemed to women different from what he was, and they loved in him not himself, but the man created by their imagination, whom they had always been eagerly seeking all their lives. . ." (par. 117). Do you think this is true of the way most of us see others--not as they are but as they seem to be to our imaginations? Assuming yes--how does that make you fell about human beings? Assuming no--how does it make you feel about Dmitri that he has this thought?
8. Note the ending of the story. It would be easy to say that it is unsatisfying, because of the way it fails to resolve things. Can you see a way that the ending is nevertheless effective and artistically appropriate? If so, explain.
11 comments:
Hey everyone,
I hope that everyone who went to prom had fun! I am going to try and answer question number 6 this evening. I really believe that Anna continues to think of Dmitri because she treats her nicely and isn't to afraid to show affection towards her. I also believe because her husband is rich, maybe she doesn't have the same kind of experiences that she does with Dmitri. Oftentimes, people can have more fun when they aren't quite as wealthy and have to find different ways of entertainment. Maybe she was just bored with her life and Dmitri was offering her a new start one that she could live happily with someone she truly loves. It isn't really written why she is so attracted to Dmitri, but I believe that these are all possibily answers to the question. Have a great rest of the long weekend!
1. In paragraph 47, starting "At Orenada they sat on a seat not far from the church," assume it is Dmitri Dmitritch (Gurov) who is thinking thoughts about the sea's sound and eternal salvation and progress. How does this paragraph contribute to how our sense of who he is?
Within this paragraph Gurov contemplating his life through self-reflection. The world stops around him as he self-reflects that he realizes his selfishness and how he did not enjoyed life. Life is beautiful but he never experienced life nor understood what is the purpose of living. Gurov was a condescending and an arrogant man who disregarded women and never interacted with other men. He confrims that he has been not been a good man but he will try to change that.
Hey Guys, hope everyone is enjoying this lovely weekend. Pertaining to question #2, the paragraph begins with a lot of description of the setting Gurav has put himself in. I think the purpose of this background was to show what kind of settings he puts himself in when he is thinking/waiting upon something to happen. I think this particular part of the paragraph is very important to note and it shows and illustrates/reinforces the kind of person he is. "This young woman whom he would never meet again had not been happy with him; he was genuinely warm and affectionate with her, but yet in his manner, his tone, and his caresses there had been a shade of light irony, the coarse condenscension of a happy man who was, besides, almost twice her age. All the time she had called him king, exceptional, lofty; obviously he had seemed to her different from what he really was, so he had unintentionally deceived her...Here at the station was already a scent of autumn; it was a cold evening". The reason why I felt all of this needed to be included in my explanation was because it shows that unlike before, he is actually showing love and concern for this woman who, apparently, does not love him back. He is showing a sentimental and somber side, which we have yet to see because he was so critical and rude toward the beginning of this story. As I read and re-read this passage, his character becomes more clear and the adjectives that come to mind when I read it are sentimental, sensitive, honest, upset, confused and bewildered.
Have a great afternoon!
Mason
3. Why do you suppose that to his own surprise Dmitri continues to remember his time with Anna Sergeyevna vividly (par. 64)?
Adressing to question number three, Dmitri coninure to remember his time with Anna Sergeyevna so vividly because he likes her. I am guessing that Dmitri likes her because she is different than other women. It's funny how he remember his time with Anna tahn his wife.
6. Anna continues to think passionately of Dmitri, as she says in par. 97 ("I am so unhappy . . . .have you come?") Why do you suppose she cares for him as much as she does?
Anna has been so unhappy because she cannot forget Gurov. She has thought about him non-stop and time is not making anything better. Anna feels trapped in a life that she can not escape from. She is stuck because she is married and it is immoral and wrong to break away from this life that she has given herself to. Anna discovered that she loved Gurov and as time goes on, her image of him only becomes better. Humans have the tendency to idealize others, especially when they go for long periods of time without seeing them. They remember everything good about that person and eliminate anything negative. Anna has a warped image of Gurov's true self in her mind. She is relying on this because it is her only escape. Anna needs to be loved and she feels alone in her public love. It is more of the idea of Gurov that she loves and cares about, and less the actual man himself. It is the idea of being loved and cared for that keeps her thinking of him. It is the only way she can survive her husband and her life.
5. Dmitri learns Anna's husband is wealthy and from this, Anna becomes more intruiging. Why would a woman of wealth want a guy like Dmitri? He notices the fence in paragraph 77 and remarks, "One would run away from a fence like that" He thinks that poor Anna must be a prisoner in her own home and that she has to keep loyal to her husband since everyone knows him. Anna wants to be free with Dmitri and desires real love. I hope this answered the question?
Hello,
Regarding question eight, I think the way the story ends is in a way artistic. I feel the other wants question and doubt on what will happen after the end of the story. In paragraph 116 it says "He went up to her and took her by the shoulders to say something affectionate and cheering, and at that moment he saw himselrf in the looking-glass." I find that quote significant. I wonder what the other's opinion of that quote is and if it is truly saying something. It shows that he truly sees her through his own eyes. I dont think there is a way to effectively end the story without ruining the author's artistic choice.
Hey guys,
I will attempt to answer question number 3. Dimitri continues to remember Anna for various reasons. Im sure many peaople have memories that haunt them and are always following them. Likewise Anna is that memory for Dimitri. The reason why Dimitri remembers her more and more vividly each day is because each day he misses her more and more. She is unlike other women and he loves her. He remembers his first moments with her rather then his own wife. That shows that he will keep missing her until they are together.
For prompt #5, I definitely see where Sarah is coming from, but I get a different feeling from this passage. I almost feel like this passage is showing that the wealth of Anna's husband is unimportant for a few reasons. Firstly, it isn't mentioned in this way until towards the very end of the story, however, their wealth has been alluded to in previous parts of the story. It is mentioned, but not in great detail, and almost seems like a nonchalant side note. Also, because Anna has chosen to escape in a way from this life, it is evident that it is unimportant to her. Many people would love a rich luxurious lifestyle, but she does not want that. I feel that this shows that her character is non-materialistic, which is actually contrary to my opinion of her at the beginning. It shows how her character develops throughout a story. Because of this, I feel she is a round character.
Pall
#2
Paragraphs 59-61 are insightful to the way in which Dmitri thinks about this whole affair, which in turn is helpful in determining who Dmitri is. Dmitri is definitely not depressed or so overcome with grief at the departure of Sergeyevna, but he does feel a slight feeling of remorse and a sense that this would never happen again. Then at the end of the paragraph he says "It's time for me to go north, High time!" This shows that Gurov is in if not complete, then almost complete control of any situation, and therefore, even if he is feeling a little down or reflective, he knows what he wants and what is best for any given situation, and when to pick one over the other.
Hi everyone,
So my answer is about question 3.
In my experiance when you love a person you seem to rememebr everything. I have a lot of foggy memories, however the clearest ones are the ones that I spent with the people I love. I don't think this is any different! Dmitri is completely enthrawled with Anna. And he doesn't exactly know how to show it! I don't know if IZ'm on the right track, however speaking from my own experiance that is probably why he is having such vivid memories!
Thanks!
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