It is within stories like Vanka that sketches and short stories begin to resemble one another. There is the barest movement of plot, in that Vanka begins writing his letter, works on his letter, and finishes his letter. He is not the narrator, but it is through the boys mind that the reader is inducted to the story. Vanka seems to be the protagonist, but the only antagonistic forces seem to be a slim apprehension that he will be caught and his own fear/hatred of the masters, and perhaps Moscow itself. The climax, if it is even identifiable, is spread rather thin; not so much the wind driven waves that rise foaming from the sea but a deep ocean wave that is nigh imperceptible except to the keen observer. The resolution is typical to the Chekhovian style, irresolute but leaving the leader with strong depressions. In that light, a great theme appears to primarily be an outcry from Chekhov’s childhood, exposing the ills against and within the lower class.
Sadly, the account he writes is not shocking to most people. Certainly the Russians of his day were well aware of what they practiced (or received) in their own homes or their masters’. In fact, the practices accounted within Vanka were so common, that some readers probably disliked the book because it seemed to lift up the lower class boy. In America, the circumstances are not common but we are a sensationalist people who have long since heard our fill of the oppressed lower classes. We may still get up in arms over the issue, but it doesn’t strike our hearts the same way it once did. Perhaps the story’s greatest value then is that is forces us to see the world from the lowliest perspective as if it were our own, instead of always being somebody else’s conflict.
To those who have read other Chekhov stories, the problem with this analysis should be apparent. As a rule, Chekhov writes to powerfully depict what is real, absolutely objectively. His themes also tend to be centered around dark times, dissolute people, adultery, and the like. Though adultery is present in Vanka it is not the theme. If anything, there is a contrived dichotomy between Vanka’s present situation and his grandfathers. We know from history, that on a relative scale, the boy was not as bad off as he thought, and that his situation might be far worse returning ‘home.’ So perhaps Chekhov means to write of the failure of childish optimism. That theme would certainly fit his trend better, and concur with the ending where the discerning reader realizes the child will be disappointed. However the element that has not yet been considered is Chekhov’s own experience.
Chekhov was once very nearly in Vanka’s shoes. He not only has an intimate knowledge with the subject, but has a probable drive to tell his story. Thus Vanka is likely a more direct emanation from Chekhov’s soul than some of his other, more processed or researched stories. Considering the statement of Gardner’s regarding every writer’s source of composition – some great wound that impels them on – Chekhov’s childhood could well be the earliest and deepest part of his own wound. If so, it is not unlikely that the purpose would be slightly different than other examples. Perhaps this is also the reason for Vanka‘s sketch-like attributes. If Chekhov is expressing autobiographical detail’s through Vanka’s mind, his focus is probably swayed toward the details over the plot. Granted, Chekhov is a great and experienced writer, who we might assume is beyond being influenced by his own work. However, no amount of experience or training can completely change people’s fundamental nature. If the wound which inspires all of his writing is primarily, or at least originally, based on his childhood trials, then it is here controlling him as much as he fain to control it.
Altogether, Vanka could be a well framed sketch of Chekhov’s early traumas, plotted to provide commentary on the culture which inflicted them. The language may be objective, but the object has apparent subjective value. This need not be the only thematic purpose, but should at least be considered. Any other theme must contend with the ideas here, lest we miss a powerful element necessary to understanding literature; the author is always part of the story he writes.
Historical Background from:
Chekhov, Anton. Chekhov’s Short Stories.”The Portable Chekhov. ed. Avrahm Yarmolinsky. New York: Penguin Books, 1977. Print.
