The Lady With The Pet Dog

683 Words3 Pages
Anton Chekhov’s and Joyce Oates’ “The Lady with the Pet Dog” The different versions of “The Lady with the Pet Dog” share both similarities and differences. For instance, the setting is quite different, as are the characters. The point of view is both similar and different at the same time, as is the theme. Both Chekhov’s and Oates’ version are a treat and can soak up an entire afternoon of reading and thought. It could be easy for the reader to relate with one of these for certain. The story in Anton Chekhov’s version takes place with both characters on vacation. In Joyce Oates’ Anna is on vacation and her lover and his family have recently moved a few houses down from where she is staying. In both versions the reader does not get to know the other characters in much depth. This is important because the perspective may otherwise be swayed against the main characters who are committing adultery. If the readers got to know the protagonist’s family better they may not be able to empathize with the character and may miss the romance of the affair. In Oates’ version Anna’s guilt is sufficient in allowing the reader to recognize what type of affair it is without forcing the reader to focus on how dirty the affair is or cause the reader to empathize with her husband, who the reader does not get to know intimately. On the same subject Chekhov’s version only describes Gurov’s wife by stating “she was a tall, erect woman with dark eyebrows, stately and dignified and, as she said of herself, intellectual.” This helps the readers stay unattached to Gurov’s family, allowing them to see the affair with less prejudice keeping the focus on the romantic love story. Joyce Oates’ “The Lady with the Pet Dog” has a confusing structure, bouncing time around in a circle like a movie script. This causes confusion in the beginning but becomes entertaining after you have gotten
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