Gooseberries

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1898

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Summary

Background

Story Analysis

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Gooseberries

Chekhov skillfully portrays the illusory nature of happiness in the central metaphor, gooseberries. Despite being a seemingly natural symbol, gooseberries originate in newspaper advertisements for land and hence embody materialism and social conventions. In other words, Nicholai purchases gooseberries not for his love of them but for the status they represent in his adherence to social expectations. Therefore, those gooseberries may taste “good” to him, but, as Ivan notes, they actually taste “hard and sour” (Paragraph 41). Their differing sense of taste suggests that materialism and social expectations mask one’s authentic self, senses, and emotions.

Rain

Chekhov is known for his use of climatic scenes to establish the mood in his stories. “Gooseberries” open with a sky “overcast with clouds” (Paragraph 1). The threat of rain suggests a sense of instability and foreshadows a potential change. In addition, rain becomes a test of social conventions. Whereas the more conservative Bourkin seeks shelter immediately, Ivan plunges into the pool, enjoying the water despite the bad weather. At the end of the story, the sleepless Bourkin listens to the rain beating his window. Rain here also signals potential social change, which the narrative subtly implies that Bourkin feels unsure about.

Countryside

Most of Chekhov’s characters live in provincial Russian society. The countryside serves as a quintessential setting in his stories, imbued with rich symbolism and deeper meanings. The depiction of the countryside often hints at an idyllic and unspoiled world. In “Gooseberries,” the countryside features “a line of hills,” “the river,” “meadows, green willows, farmhouses,” and mills (Paragraph 1). The beautiful portrait of the countryside signifies an ideal world in which people are connected with nature and one another.

However, the countryside has a darker side too. According to Nicholai’s perception and the reality of life in late 19th-century Russian, the countryside embodies the stark division between noblemen and peasants, in that nature and peasants are essentially owned by noblemen. Nicholai’s farm is ugly, dirty, and polluted: It has “no orchard, no gooseberry bush, no duck pond,” and the river is “coffee colored” (Paragraph 28). The countryside in Chekhovian stories carries a dual symbolism, offering a glimpse into the contrast between the realities of Russian society and its potential for transformation.