Short story The Lady with the Pet Dog

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Short story The Lady with the Pet Dog

The original version of the novel, “The Lady with the Pet Dog,” was initially written by Anton Chekhov. However, Joyce Carol Oates borrowed from the original plot and came up with a new story the highlights on the same issues but now from a different viewpoint of the woman. In addition, the setting is also changed from an eighteenth century setting to align with the prevailing atmosphere and societal circumstances depicted in the 1970’s (Chekhov, 2000).

The plot of this version starts with the introduction of Anna, who is the main character, becomes acquainted with a male figure who at this instance is only identified as the stranger and the two later fall in love. The plot of Oates’ rendition starts with a climax where the reader is treated to a scene whereby Anna is agitated by the fact that an individual with whom she had an affair with in the past was attempting to make a reunion despite the fact that her husband was in the vicinity.

This leads to feeling faint and not concentrating on the concert the whole time. Frantic efforts by the husband to console her are in vain as in the “clumsiness of his love,” the other man remains in her mind. By having the initial scene in theatre during the opening of the story, the writer is able to contextualize the relationship between the woman and her lover an in the process rendering the initial intentions seem unclear an in contrast to the original version. This plot plays a significant role as it introduces the reader to the moral standards upheld by the main character.

By starting with this climax, the reader is introduced to the underlying message that is communicated by the novel, that of love. Most of the times, plots start by depicting most of the characters as normal until further on, where their real traits are realized. By starting with this climax, the reader forms a perception and character of Anne. The husband is also depicted as naïve and ignorant as he frantically attempts to calm her. The reader is also filled with a sense of pity for this husband because although he makes the effort of taking the wife to a concert and tries to calm her down when she is in panic, the wife is oblivious of this and is still filled with the thoughts of the other man.

The beginning of a plot is very important, as this is the part where the main characters make their first impression on the reader. The second segment of the plot further elaborates on the escapades that Anna engaged in while away. The plot elaborates on the way, the two carried on with the illicit affair whereby the man made romantic advances at her to the point of conflicting her heart. This part of the plot is a kind of a flashback to what led to the past activities that the two had engaged in leading to Anne only thinking about the other man as opposed to her husband. This part of the plot is significant as it enables the reader to connect the past events with those of the present and in a way retracts on the harsh judgment that could have been formed on the initial part of the plot (Oates, 2000).

The final stage of the plot elaborates further on how the two met. This part further serves as a flashback to the two parts of the plot as it further elaborates in detail on how the two got acquainted, the events that preceded the first episode and secret meetings that the two engaged in after the first episode. The plot finally ends with Anna having a self-realization and misconception that she was really “married” to the man with whom she had engaged in enticing escapades as opposed to “her own self-pitying distress and her personal life.”

The way the plot is organized is significant in that the reader is constantly being fed with new information regarding to what had happened in the initial part of the plot. This in a way can be compared to detective solving a mystery whereby the detective at first becomes aware of end of a given incident and then starts to backtrack on the events that led to the initial incident. It takes the form of a mystery whereby the reader is at first treated to a climax and the later stages of the plot serve to relieve the heightened state of the reader. In this way, as opposed to the traditional form whereby stories are depicted by an initial low and then continue on to a high.

The way the plot is edited and a circular way is significant in that it accentuates the conflict that is bedeviling Anna between the love she has for the stranger, and that of her husband. This further serves to mirror the complexity of her feelings for the stranger compounded with the guilt she is having for living double lives. The lack of having a linear plot as characterized by Chekhov ensures that the conflicting feelings are not in any way dampened by the story. This also serves to enable the main character to fully express her thoughts and in the process numb the reader’s observation as opposed to when the reader is reading about Anna.

The introduction of the dog in the plot serves a significant purpose as it serves to add a point of reference to the stranger in addition to catching Anna’s attention and the presentation of an initial interface between the man and the main character. In accordance with the plot, enables the main character to regain composure and comfort when making conversation with the owner and further provides the stranger with pretence for initiating a conversation with her. It can be argued that story could have gone a very different direction had the plot abstained from including this “pet dog” as the initial liaison between the narrator and the soon-to-be lover (Oates, 2006).

The point of view in short story The Lady with the Pet Dog is that of a woman. This point of view is highly significant because it serves to relive the harsh judgment passed on to the wife. The reader now becomes aware of the underlying cultural differences whereby the wives are predominantly judged more harshly as opposed to the male counterparts. The point of view of a woman effectively highlights on how the observation of disregarding the values of a society concerning how men and women are treated differently. When taking the male perspective, the male characters do not show any feeling of regret or remorse for engaging in adultery and being unfair to their wives. However, by taking up a woman’s point of view, we find that the wife is full of guilt and regret for engaging in an illicit affair.

This perspective serves to mirror on how the society tends to be unjust in convicting men over women who engage in marital sins. The society is characterized with having the men being prone to cheating to their spouses. This further makes this aspect more common and generally acceptable. However, women are judged unjustly as the society deems it incomprehensible and outrageous when women gat to engage in illicit relationships while in marriage. This perspective also serves to highlight on the inner conflict that is within the main character whereby she does not intend to transgress against the societal values but at the same time cannot contend with living without the love of her life.

By having a woman retell the story, the reader is able to experience the woman’s feelings and frustrations. Such can only be clearly narrated by the one who is experiencing these feelings. The narrator is able to indicate clearly on how the woman is suffering to the point of nearing insanity. This further works in making it possible for the reader to untwine her character and in the process one is able to understand her and her reasons for making certain decisions. By having a woman this time retell the story, the reader can conceptualize the authors intentions and focus on the effects of an illicit affair on woman committing such in modern America. Although the setting is a bit more modern as opposed to that of the original version, there is similarity of cultures whereby both are puritanical and patriarchal.

The change of view in additional to the change in setting are significant as they work in heightening the fearful embarrassment that engulfs the woman as she engages in glimpses with her lover in the same vicinity with her husband. It is narrated that during this instance, her blood rocked inside her body, drained from her head, leaving her weak. The two started at each other with the woman hiding any sign of recognition. When the man attempted to move towards her, the woman shook her head in fear of the reaction from her husband if caught. This fear is two thronged in that she is fearful of the fact that her husband could become aware of her illicit affair and fearful of the shame of having engaged in such a relationships in the first place (Oates, 1993).

References

Chekhov, A. (2000). “The Lady with the Pet Dog” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature.Meyer. Michael. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’.

Oates, C. 2000. “The Lady with the Pet Dog” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Meyer, Michael. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Oates, J. C. (1993). Where are you going, where have you been?: Selected early stories. Princeton [N.J.: Ontario Review Press.

Oates, J. C. (2006). High lonesome: New & selected stories, 1966-2006. New York: Ecco.