A Nincompoop Essay

600 Words3 Pages
A Nincompoop In day-to-day life, there are often incidents or even common behaviors demonstrated by some that lead others to believe that the person is a nincompoop. Some of those who have been called a Nincompoop possess certain characteristics that a typical Nincompoop exhibits. However, the previous statement does not apply to Anton Chekhov’s real nincompoop in the short story “A Nincompoop.” This short story deals with an employer teaching the governess of his children a lesson about asserting herself when others are trying to exploit or abuse her. Chekhov chooses one of his two characters, the governess, to convincingly mislead one’s opinion about the real nincompoop, but surprisingly, it is the liberal and idealistic character, the employer, who truly embodies the nincompoop in this satire. The identity of the nincompoop can only be discovered through analyzing both characters’ backgrounds, reactions and way of thinking. Anton Chekhov uses imagery and satire to help convey the overall theme of the story. In A Nincompoop, Chekhov implements imagery into the short story to transport the reader into the same room where the story takes place, which helps the reader understand the thoughts and feelings of the characters. For example, after the employer deducts several rubles for not working, Julia Vassilyevna "[flushes] a deep red" and says "not a word" (232). Although the employer's decisions may seem unfair, the girl keeps quiet in fear of the consequences for protesting. But the employer does not stop here; he continues to reduce her payment by coming up with bizarre excuses like making her pay for Kolya's torn jacket when he climbed a tree "due to [Julia's] neglect" (233). As the employer continues, "Julia's left eye [reddens] and [fills] with moisture," but again she says "not a word" (233). The reader can infer that Julia is extremely
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