SEMINAR

SEMESTER IV
MODERN EUROPEAN DRAMA
SUMMARY OF THE CHERRY ORCHARD

Submitted to Submitted by
Dr. Sonia Chacko Gayathri
Department of English II MA English
Union Christian College Aluva

INTRODUCTION
Anton Chekov is considered to have been a very significant person in bringing early
modernism into theatre. Chekhov’s best plays and short stories lack complex plots and neat
solutions. He is known for the principle in drama called "Chekhov’s gun," which asserts that
every element introduced in a story should be necessary to the plot, and he frequently illustrated
the principle by using a gun as an example of an essential element. Chekhov described the
Russian life of his time using a deceptively simple technique devoid of obtrusive literary devices,
and he is regarded as the outstanding representative of the late 19th-century Russian realist
school. Chekhov’s stories often explore complex themes, sometimes with a humorous touch, or
examine the darker sides of human nature. His use of language is simple and direct yet deeply
evocative; he was able to convey a great deal in just a few words. He was also known for his
mastery of creating powerful characters and realistic dialogue that ring true to life.
Chekov's plays, like other works of realism, aimed to represent people and their problems
more authentically and naturally. Chekhov's approach to realism was considered new and often
puzzling because his works depicted what was real without offering an ideal vision of the future
or a strident critique of the present. Chekhov's plays do not follow the usual structure of conflict,
climax, and resolution. Some storylines fade away without a clear ending, and major events often
happen offstage before the play starts. There are no clear heroes or villains. Instead, Chekhov
focuses on ordinary daily life mixed with serious themes like life and death. For him, this mix of
the everyday and looming disaster felt like the most truthful way to show real life.
Chekhov’s realistic, subtle style of drama found its ideal platform in the Moscow Art Theatre
(MAT), founded in 1898 by Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. The MAT emphasized
natural performances, ensemble acting, and detailed character study, aligning well with
Chekhov’s vision. It successfully staged Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard, though Chekhov
often felt Stanislavsky's interpretations were too emotional. Despite this, the MAT helped
popularize Chekhov’s work and transformed modern theater.
Set in 1904, The Cherry Orchard unfolds during a time of significant political and social
transition in Russia. In the years leading up to the play, Russia had begun forming a diplomatic
alliance with France, marking a shift from their previous antagonistic relationship. This change
in foreign policy reflects broader uncertainties within Russian society. Domestically,
revolutionary ideas were gaining traction, laying the groundwork for the Russian Revolution of
1905, which would involve widespread strikes and peasant unrest. These early movements
foreshadowed the more radical Russian Revolution of 1917, signaling a nation on the brink of
profound transformation.

CHARACTERS
Madame Lyubof Andreyevna Ranevsky Lyubov Andreyevna owns a beautiful estate with a
famous cherry orchard, but her poor management skills have left her nearly bankrupt. She has
just returned to Russia from France, where the man she loves swindled her of all her money.
Home now but still poor, she is in danger of losing the house and the cherry orchard that make
up the estate. Lyubov Andreyevna admits that she squanders money but cannot seem to change.
Presented with a plan to cut down the cherry orchard and build rental cottages by her friend
Lopakhin, a businessman, she dismisses it as vulgar and refuses to do anything to solve the
problem. A kind woman, Lyubov Andreyevna is beloved by her children and neighbors but
represents an aristocratic class that is falling from power. In the end her inability to adapt to the
changing times leaves her without her childhood home and the orchard she adores.
Lopakhin
Lopakhin, the son and grandson of serfs who worked on Lyubov Andreyevna Ranevskaya's
estate, is a rich merchant. He has become a family friend to Lyubov Andreyevna, of whom he
thinks kindly for her gentle treatment of him when he was a child. Lopakhin explains to her how
she can save the cherry orchard, but she will not listen. She wants no part of replacing the cherry
orchard with the rental summer cottages he proposes because she feels such a plan is beneath her.
Lopakhin and the cottages represent the new business class, while Lyubov Andreyevna and her
orchard are relics of the upper class. Lopakhin buys the estate. His is happy because he now
owns the very land his ancestors, who were serfs, worked on. Lopakhin avoids a chance to
propose to Lyubov Andreyevna's adopted daughter Varya, ensuring that the family will have to
leave their home. Although he is fond of Lyubov Andreyevna and her family, he is not
sentimental and happily moves into the future as the owner of their estate.
Gaev
Along with Lyubov Andreyevna, Gaev resists Lopakhin's plan to cut down the cherry orchard
and build cottages to rent to "summer people." Well intentioned but ineffectual, Gaev talks, often
excessively and ridiculously. He is prone to describing imaginary billiard shots to no one in
particular and launching into overly sentimental speeches about odd subjects, such as an old
bookcase. But he fails to act to save the cherry orchard. Gaev is with Lopakhin when the estate is
sold and returns home devastated. Like his sister Gaev associates the cherry orchard with his
aristocratic past. By the end of the play, in spite of procuring a job at a bank he seems at a loss
about how to function in the real world of the future.
Varya
Ranevsky’s eldest daughter, Varya, has been in charge of keeping house during the five years
Ranevsky has been in Paris. Varya is staunch, stoic, and no-nonsense; she is eternally waiting on
a proposal from Lopakhin that, though much-rumored throughout the village, may never come.
Varya is aging out of her marriageable years, and her anxiety about being left behind and forced
to continue doing housework for the rest of her life as her family’s fortune vanishes due to her
mother’s irresponsible financial ways is palpable throughout the play.
Anya
Madame Ranevsky’s youngest daughter, Anya, is seventeen years old and, like many of
Chekhov’s young ingénue characters, a dreamer.
Trofimov
An "eternal student," was the tutor of Lyubov Andreyevna's little boy, Grisha, who drowned six
years before. The shabby, idealistic Trophimof harbors secret feelings for Anya—but his
revolutionary ideology and desire for Russia to march forward into a new future makes him
believe he must be “above love” and sentimentality, and focus only on revolution and social
change. Trophimof’s denial of his own emotions confuses and hurts both Anya and Ranevsky,
though in the end he sets off alongside them to greet a “new life.”

SUMMARY

Act 1
Act 1 begins in May at the beginning of the 20th century on the estate of Lyubov Andreyevna
Ranevskaya. The estate's massive cherry orchard is in bloom, but it is a frosty dawn. In the
nursery Dunyasha, the maid, nervously awaits the arrival of Lyubov Andreyevna and her
daughter, Anya, who have been away for five years. Lopakhin, a wealthy merchant whose
ancestors were once serfs on Lyubov Andreyevna's estate, also waits to see them. Lopakhin
recalls a time when he was fifteen years old. His father had struck him in the face and made him
bleed. Madame Ranevsky came out to the courtyard, brought the young Lopakhin inside, and
cleaned his wounds. She assured the “little peasant” that things would get better for him as he
grew older. Lopakhin muses that Ranevsky’s prediction has come true: though he grew up the
son of a peasant, he is now dressed finely, and has “turned rich.” The train is late but Lyubov
Andreyevna, Anya, and Charlotta Ivanovna, the governess, finally arrive. Family and friends are
overjoyed to see them. Ephikhodof, the estate’s clerk, enters with a bouquet. Dunyasha confides
in Lopakhin the fact that Ephikhodof has proposed to her she is uncertain of what to do about it.
Though she is fond of him and though she knows he “adores” her he is an unfortunate man who
has earned for himself the nickname of “Twenty-two troubles.”
Varya, Andreyevna's adopted older daughter, runs the household and shows the travelers how
little their rooms have changed in their absence. Ranevsky comments that the nursery was the
room she used to sleep in as a little girl; beginning to cry, she confesses she still feels like a little
girl. Lyubov Andreyevna and Anya are eager to see the orchard. Varya and Anya discuss the
estate's serious financial situation and realize they may lose their home unless they have more
money soon. Varya feels sad about the family's troubles. She wishes they could marry Anya to a
rich man, which would pay off all their debts. Then, Varya wouldn’t have to worry about the
house anymore and could finally be free from all the stress. Anya talks about arriving in Paris
and finding their mother living on the fifth floor of a big house with a group of strange people.
Varya is upset to hear how their mother has been living. Anya says their mother has no money
left, but she still spends a lot—eating at fancy restaurants, giving big tips, and spoiling her
servant Yasha, who is not trustworthy. Anya asks if the mortgage interest on the house was paid
while she was gone, and Varya sadly says no—the house is going to be sold in August. Six years
ago, Ranevsky’s husband died; just a month later, her youngest son, Grisha, drowned in the river
at only seven years old. Their mother ran away to Paris without looking back. Anya worries that
the arrival of Trophimof who was Grisha’s tutor will bring up awful memories.
Lyubov Andreyevna, her brother, Gaev, and their friend Pishchik, another landowner, get
reacquainted Lopakhin joins the conversation to explain that he wants to help them because they
are on the edge of financial ruin. Lopakhin explains that in order to pay the interest on the estate,
the whole thing has been put up for auction at the end of August. He encourages Ranevsky not to
fret he has a plan for how she can save her home. The property is in a desirable part of town,
close to both the railway and the river. If Ranevsky parcels her land up, puts villas on each acre,
and leases them out, she can make good money and keep her land this plan, though, requires
cutting down the cherry orchard to make room for the villas. Angered, Ranevsky declares she’ll
never cut down the orchard it is the most “remarkable” thing about the whole province. They all
discuss the orchard's past glory, with Firs trying to remember the many recipes used to prepare
the cherries harvested from it. Gaev moves the conversation away from the orchard as he makes
a speech to a 100-yearold bookcase about its historical significance. His nonsensical talking
embarrasses everyone. Lopakhin leaves, urging Lyubov Andreyevna to decide soon about the
cottages.
Pishtchik is an older man and a friend of Madame Ranevsky. Like her, he’s always in debt. But
somehow, he always manages to find money just in time. He tells everyone not to worry—
something unexpected will help him again, like before when a railway was built through his land
and he got paid for it. Maybe, he jokes, his wife will even win the lottery. The friends continue to
visit and Pishchik asks for money to pay his debts, but Varya answers with alarm that they have
"nothing, nothing at all!" Lyubov Andreyevna gazes at the orchard and expresses both joy and
despair as she reminisces about it. She thinks she sees her dead mother walking in the orchard,
but she realizes it is just her imagination.
Trophimof, a shabby and bespectacled student, enters the room, a dear family friend, "eternal
student," and former tutor of Lyubov Andreyevna's dead young son arrives to see the family.
They are all amazed at how old Trofimov looks. He and Lyubov Andreyevna are overcome with
emotion. Pishchik keeps asking for a loan. Gayef wishes they could somehow get enough money
to support Ranevsky’s habit of spending too much. He hopes maybe Anya could marry a rich
man or they could ask their wealthy aunt in Yaroslav for help, even though she doesn’t like him
or Ranevsky. Gayef admits his sister made a bad marriage and lived a life full of mistakes. He
talks about a plan to save their estate, but it doesn’t include any real work—just asking others for
money.
Act 2
Charlotte, Yasha, Dunyasha, and Ephikhodof are out in the open fields behind the house, at
the edge of the cherry orchard. Charlotte tells the story of her life, though no one seems to be
listening. She has no idea how old she is, or what country she comes from originally. She longs
to talk to people about her life, but has “no friends or relations,” and no one to converse with.
Dunyasha admires how cultured Yasha has become during his travels abroad. Ephikhodof try to
impress Dunyasha by pulling a revolver out of his pocket and explains that he always carries it
with him, in case he should decide to kill himself. Dunyasha worries Ephikhodof is going off to
kill himself. She explains to Yasha that she has grown weak, delicate, and nervous; she is afraid
of everything, and in this way has become quite like a proper lady. Dunyasha confesses that she
has fallen in love with Yasha. Yasha, yawning, states that he believes any girl who falls in love is
“immoral.”
Ranevsky, Gayef, and Lopakhin come back from a fancy lunch in town and arrive at the field.
Lopakhin is trying to convince Ranevsky to decide about his plan to build villas on her land, but
she doesn’t give him an answer. Instead, she’s busy searching her purse for money and sadly
talking about how carelessly she spends it, even though things are really bad at home. The
servants only have peas to eat, and she and her daughters can only afford soup. Lopakhin informs
Ranevsky and Gayef that a wealthy millionaire is interested in buying their estate. Despite this,
Gayef remains hopeful that financial help from their aunt in Yaroslavl will save them from
auction. Lopakhin, frustrated by their unrealistic hopes, criticizes them for being impractical and
unwilling to face reality. When Ranevsky asks for a solution, Lopakhin repeats his suggestion to
lease the cherry orchard for building villas a plan she dismisses as vulgar.
Lopakhin is exasperated by their refusal to act to save their estate. Lyubov Andreyevna
explains that she has always squandered money, and their conversation again turns to the past,
specifically her time in France. She recalls her unhappy marriage to a drunken husband who left
her in debt, and later, a cruel lover who caused her more pain. After the tragic death of her young
son, she escaped to Paris, only for the same lover to follow her, exploit her financially, and
eventually abandon her for another woman. She reveals that he continues to contact her, asking
her to return to Paris, but she rejects him by tearing up his latest telegram. Lyubov Andreyevna
suggests that Lopakhin should marry Varya. Firs enters with Gaev's overcoat, reminiscing about
how life was better before the serfs were freed, and how he rejected freedom in favor of
remaining with his masters. Gaev goes off to seek a loan from a general, but his sister and
Lopakhin think, correctly, that it will lead to nothing.
Trofimov, Anya, and Varya arrive and join the conversation with Lopakhin, Gaev, and Lyubov
Andreyevna. Trofimov, a poor student, and Lopakhin, a self-made wealthy merchant, trade
insults about their different social positions. Trofimov speaks philosophically about his need to
work, and Lopakhin makes the same claim for himself. Ranevsky asks Trophimof to continue his
talk from the previous day about “the proud man.” Trophimof argues that pride has no place in
human life; instead, people should stop admiring themselves and focus on hard work and
progress. He criticizes the intelligentsia for being lazy and out of touch, claiming they know little
about true art or philosophy. He also calls out the new Russian middle class for pretending to be
enlightened while looking down on the lower classes and living disconnected, self-centered lives.
Lopakhin agrees, saying that in his business experience, truly honest and decent people are rare.
As they all ponder Trofimov's speech, the distant sound of a plucked string is heard. They do
not know what it is, but the sound makes them uneasy. They are made more uncomfortable when
a shabby stranger approaches asking for money. Lyubov Andreyevna gives him a gold coin, an
act that distresses everyone because her family's own servants have nothing to eat. Lopakhin
reminds everyone of the date of the upcoming sale of the cherry orchard. Anya and Trofimov are
left alone, Anya tells Trophimof that she no longer feels the same love for the cherry orchard—
once her favorite place in the world. Trophimof suggests that she has matured and now sees the
orchard differently, recognizing that it was built and maintained through the labor of serfs. He
believes that to truly enjoy the present, the past must be acknowledged and redeemed, even if
that requires pain. Anya agrees, saying the house no longer feels like theirs. She promises to
leave it behind, and Trophimof encourages her to symbolically free herself by throwing the
house keys into a well. Anya eagerly agrees.
Act 3
Everyone except for Lopakhin and Gaev, who are at the auction for the cherry orchard,
gathers at Lyubov Andreyevna's home for a dance. They wait anxiously for word of what has
happened at the auction. Trofimov teases Varya about Lopakhin. Varya expresses her frustration
over her uncertain relationship, saying she can't marry without a proper proposal. Despite two
years passing, the man she cares for has never officially asked for her hand and shows little
genuine interest in her. Charlotta entertains them all by performing various magic tricks, and
Pishchik becomes enamored of her.
Ranevsky anxiously waits for news from her brother, Gayef, and admits she hasn’t enjoyed
the evening’s entertainment. The uncertainty about the auction whether the estate has been sold
or not torments her. Varya tries to comfort her, saying that Gayef must have bought the estate
back using money and legal authority sent by their wealthy aunt in Yaroslavl. But Ranevsky
dismisses this hope, pointing out that the money isn’t enough to even pay the interest.
Overwhelmed, she buries her face in her hands, feeling helpless as her future is decided without
her.
Ranevsky is deeply anxious, fearing that the estate has been sold. Desperate for comfort, she
turns to Trophimof, who gently tells her that the orchard's fate was sealed long ago—the past is
gone, and there's no going back. Ranevsky responds emotionally, saying Trophimof speaks that
way because he’s young and hasn’t experienced real pain. She pleads with him to understand her
sorrow: the house is her birthplace, filled with family history and love. Losing it would strip her
life of meaning. She also reveals the house holds a tragic memory—it's where her young son
drowned.
Ranevsky accidentally drops a telegram from her ex-lover in Paris, which Trophimof returns
to her. She confides that he writes to her daily, begging her to return and care for him. Though
she knows his love has harmed her, she admits she still cares for him deeply—comparing it to a
heavy stone around her neck that both burdens and means something to her. Ranevsky retreats to
rest, and Anya enters, saying she overheard that the cherry orchard has been sold.
Lopakhin and Gaev finally arrive. Gaev is weeping, but Lopakhin is excited and laughing.
Ranevsky anxiously asks if the cherry orchard has been sold, and Lopakhin confirms that it has
revealing that he is the one who bought it. Shocked, Ranevsky nearly collapses, while Varya,
devastated, throws down the house keys and leaves. Lopakhin, ecstatic, boasts about winning the
auction and finally owning the orchard. He can hardly believe it, feeling as though he’s
dreaming. Reflecting on his poor childhood, he says that his father and grandfather, who were
"slaves" on the estate, would be astonished, and gleefully talks about cutting down the cherry
orchard. Lost in his joy, He asks the musicians to start playing again and declares his plans to cut
down the cherry orchard, build villas, and create a new future for the land—one that the next
generations will witness. The music begins once more. Lyubov Andreyevna weeps bitterly as
Lopakhin gently tells her she should have listened to him. Anya tries to comfort her mother.
Act 4
 It is October and the family gathers in the nursery once again. The room is bare, and luggage
is stacked waiting to be taken away. Lopakhin waits with Yasha, who holds a tray of champagne.
Gaev and Lyubov Andreyevna enter after saying goodbye to their servants, to whom Lyubov
Andreyevna has given money. Lopakhin offers champagne as a parting show of his fondness for
them, but Gaev and Lyubov Andreyevna decline. Yasha drinks all the champagne, instead.
Trofimov and Lopakhin have a final discussion of Trofimov's vision of a revolutionary future.
Trofimov is heading to Moscow, and Lopakhin offers him 20,000 pounds he would not take it; he
is a free man, and money has no power over him to help him on his journey. Trofimov refuses it.
The sound of an ax chopping is heard in the cherry orchard, and everyone prepares to leave.
All are in transition. Ranevsky has asked if they can wait till she’s gone to start chopping down
the cherry orchard. Trophimof Yasha bids Dunyasha farewell forever, as Dunyasha says she
loved him. Gaev and Lyubov Andreyevna remark that even though they are devastated, they
became calmer once the cherry orchard was sold and their future path made clear. Gaev is taking
a job with a bank. Lopakhin promises to find Charlotta a job. Pishtchik repays Lopakhin,
explaining that he's come into money after Englishmen discovered valuable white clay on his
land. He also gives some money to Ranevsky and expresses his amazement at his sudden good
luck. As he says goodbye with emotion, he sadly reflects that “everything in this world has come
to an end.”
As Ranevsky prepares to leave, she expresses concern for two things: Firs, who Anya assures
her is in the hospital, and Varya, who is depressed without household duties. After Anya and
Charlotte leave, Ranevsky asks Lopakhin why he hasn’t proposed to Varya. He’s unsure himself
but promises to do it immediately. When Varya enters, she avoids his questions and says she’s
leaving to manage another household 50 miles away. Lopakhin replies that he’s also heading to
another village and leaving Ephikhodof in charge of the estate. Ranevsky and Gayef share a
quiet, emotional farewell, mourning their lost youth and joy. As Anya and Trophimof call for
them from outside, the siblings take a final look at the room and exit. Firs enters and lies
motionless on the floor. The stage is left empty. Sounds of doors locking and carriages departing
fade into silence followed by the loud, relentless chopping of axes in the cherry orchard.