Play Drama

Uncle Vanya
Author Year Published Original Language
Anton Chekhov 1897 Russian

OVERVIEW

Depression & When retired professor Serebryakov and his young wife visit the country
estate managed by his daughter Sonya and her uncle, the visit causes
Drama in the long-held resentments and secret passions to surface. In the end, none
of them have the power to change their lives.
Country

Gathering Together Falling Apart Back to Normal

Family and friends gather Tempers and passions flare, The guests leave, and
together at the country estate leading to attempted murder although Vanya resents his
Vanya manages. and threats of suicide. life, it goes on as it did before.

Author Main Characters

Vanya Serebryakov

Middle-aged caretaker of his Self-centered, retired

ANTON CHEKHOV dead sister’s estate; resents professor who disdains
1860–1904 his life of drudgery country living; benefits from
Voinitsky and Sonya’s work
To support his family, Chekhov
trained as a doctor. However,
he gained fame as a writer
of short stories and plays,
such as The Seagull (1896)
and Uncle Vanya. He wrote in
a realistic style about ordinary
people, objectively presenting
his characters’ struggles.
His plays continue to be
performed all over the world.
Sonya Yelena

Pleasant young woman; helps Serebryakov’s second and

manage the estate and gives most much younger wife; tries to
of its income to Serebryakov be the peacemaker

Themes

Mundanity Loss of Hope Conservation

People’s lives are boring, Life passes people by, Planting trees helps create
and they yearn for and they feel they’ve missed “the future happiness
something different. their chance. of humanity.”

ay and night, right here in this house,

my own thoughts smother me.
Voinitsky, Act II

Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, History Today, The Russian Review

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