The Seagull by Anton Chekhov

 

This play was truly a lot of twist and turns! Chekhov created a play that wasn't your average play, this play gives you a sense of reality and real things people in this world think about and the false reality of what they want to live up to. This play also made me think about what was truly important to me and if relationships matter more to me or does my career do. We would like to think that many of us have a "healthy balance" but I would personally say relationships matter more to me then my career. In this play they Treplev, Trigorin, Nina, and Arkadina make their career and how successful they are or want to become their identity. They are truly obsessed with them being the next big thing! When Chekhov created this play he got booed and no one liked it, similar to how Treplev was treated in his play that he wrote. No one liked his play because he didn't remotatize the ending and it wasn't how normal plays or literature was written with their "happy ending". I believe Chekhov considered this play a comedy because your average person complains about the life they created for themselves , always wanting more, striving for more success, more money, and to me I would consider that funny because lets be honest.. there's just more to life than that. There's even worse things in life then not being "famous" or the best at the thing you do. I believe there is always room for improvement and I personally would like to be the greatest at my talent and not known then be mediocre and famous. I impact the world with my "art" and not have to be known. I value life differently and being famous is just not what I value. I would probably laugh at this play and truly enjoy it as a comedy because I would look at it as a soap opera or reality tv. 

This play was truly something I believe anyone can relate to. Treplev is a failed writer creating a play, during the play his mother is being very rude, making snarky comments. His mother, Arkandina, is narcissistic and self-centered; she only cares about her fame and wealth and doesn't truly support her son being an artist.  Treplev compares himself to Trigorin, the mothers younger lover and compares himself to his mother. He seeks validation and deals with rejection from her. In the play Treplev is in love with Nina but Nina becomes in love with Trigorin. Since Nina is very sheltered she escapes and goes to Moscow with Trigorin to seek fame and wealth. During the time she goes to Moscow she becomes pregnant with Trigorin's baby; which means he cheated on Arkandina. Unfortunately Nina loses the baby and she is a failed actress. When Nina comes back Treplev sees her and comments on how much she has grown. At the end of the play Treplev is still a failed writer and he attempts to commit suicide for the second time and this time he success. He was constantly self-loathing. All of these characters hated the simple life they lived and always searched for more, reminiscing on things they wish they could've done when they were younger or what they need to do in the future to be "successful" in their standards. 

#fa23worldlit