Short Story: “A Dead Body” by Anton Chekov
Anton Chekov is considered by many to be the greatest Russian short story writer. His short prose is filled with internal conflict and subtleties of character. His work has had a major influence on the form in the 20th century (Chekov was born in 1860 and did the bulk of his writing in the years leading up to the turn of the century. He died in 1904 from complications from tuberculosis). There is often little action in Chekov’s short stories and “A Dead Body” is no exception.
It may even be a mistake to call “A Dead Body” a short story because it’s more of an atmospheric sketch about three men reacting to the presence of death. The story was written in 1886, about two years before Chekov really discovered his voice and style, and although it has its merits, “A Dead Body” is not considered one of his master works.
The beauty of “A Dead Body” comes from the way it stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it. Chekov expertly paints a picture of a gloomy August night that is previewing the coming autumn. The air is thick with a mist lifting off the fields: “Lighted up by the moon, the mist gives the impression at one moment of being a calm, boundless sea, at the next of an immense white wall.”
Two peasants are guarding a dead body in a glade far from their village. The dead man is wrapped head to foot in white linen and a crucifix is lying on his chest. The villagers are superstitious and believe the man’s soul will stay with his body for three days (a nod to Christ rising from the dead after three days). To make matters worse, the body is that of a stranger who was either murdered or a suicide – the villagers are not sure which.
The first peasant is Syoma, an aging villager who is considered a simpleton, but in reality will turn out to be the most grounded and logical of the three characters Chekov introduces us to. The second is a young man who remains nameless. He does most of the talking in the story, mostly to the silent and somber Syoma. The third character is a pilgrim named Feodosy who stumbles upon the camp while traveling to his uncle’s brickyard.
The story opens with the young man reprimanding Syoma for falling asleep – for shirking his responsibilities. The young man, nervous with death so close, keeps his hands and mind busy carving a spoon out of wood. He tells Syoma: “It would be dreadful to sit here alone, one would be frightened.” The young man wants Syoma to engage in conversation, but after brief apology, Syoma remains quiet. The young man calls him a simpleton and a foolish and claims Syoma has “no sense in his head.” In fact, the young man is describing himself.
It is Syoma who bravely enters the darkness to find more wood for the fire while the young man “puts his hand over his eyes and starts at every sound.” This is when Feodosy wanders in from the night. At first, Feodosy presents himself as a clergy, but, in fact, we are never quite sure what he does – only that he moves between monasteries. Feodosy, despite claiming to be a man of God, is quite disturbed when he finds out there is a dead body among them.
Feodosy wants to leave, but his fear of death holds him back. He is a hypocrite about his faith in God. He continues to engage the peasants in conversation before finally admitting that he is afraid to go on alone. “I am not afraid of wolves, of thieves, or of darkness, but I am afraid of the dead. I am afraid of them, and that is all about it. Good orthodox brothers, I entreat you on my knees, see me to the village.”
Feodosy offers the men money, but it is the young man, not the simpleton, who jumps at the offer. The young man says: “If Syoma here, our simpleton, will stay alone, I will take you. Syoma, will you stay here alone?”
Syoma will. So the young man shirks his duties for greed and leaves a man he believes is a fool behind in a forest he thinks is haunted. This is the same young man who earlier said it would be “dreadful” to be in the wood alone. So the fool and the coward venture together toward the village while the wise Syoma shuts his eyes and sleeps.
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