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Literary Devices
Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Act 3
Explanation and Analysis—Great Men:
In the third act, Voynitsky blames Serebryakov for the fact that he hasn't achieved anything big. He feels that he "wasted" and "destroyed the best years" of his life working for the Professor. Alluding to two great men of the 19th century, Voynitsky laments what could have been:
My life is over! I am talented, clever, ambitious… If I’d lived normally, I might have been a Schopenhauer, a Dostoyevsky…
Arthur Schopenhauer was a German philosopher who lived from 1788 to 1860. He was one of the most influential philosophers in Europe until the First World War and ultimately shaped the work of other philosophers, scientists, and artists from his lifetime until today. Fyodor Dostoevsky was a Russian writer who lived from 1821 until 1881. Several of his works were translated to other languages while he was still alive. Although he was already well-regarded during his lifetime, his influence only increased after his death. Dostoevsky was a major influence of Chekhov's, as well as of important figures like Leo Tolstoy, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, and Albert Einstein.
This allusion provides insight into Voynitsky's self-image—it speaks volumes that he would compare himself to men as famous as Schopenhauer and Dostoevsky. In his view, he is "talented, clever, and ambitious" like the two great men. Voynitsky claims that Serebryakov is the only reason he didn't achieve big things like them and is left without a legacy. To the other characters and the audience, it seems clear that Voynitsky uses Serebryakov as an excuse for his own lack of purpose and influence. Both men are fixated on prestige, neither of them content with where they have ended up.
Related Themes:
