Maps Symbol Analysis

In the claustrophobic and depressing atmosphere of Serebryakov’s country estate, maps offer a brief glimpse into the outside world. The few maps that appear in the play symbolize the hope of a better life beyond the estate. However, there are two sides to this hope; one for each map that appears. In Act Four, the stage directions briefly describe a map of Africa that’s “obviously not needed by anyone here,” hanging on the wall in Voynitsky’s room. This small detail represents Voynitsky’s lost hopes of living a more successful and adventurous life. Rather than travel to Africa or any other exotic and interesting place, Voynitsky spent most of his life toiling in Professor Serebryakov’s estate, slowly realizing that all his work was pointless and regretting how his commitment to the professor impeded on his own life. Now that he feels like he’s wasted his youth, the map seems to taunt him with a constant reminder of the opportunities he never took. Conversely, Astrov’s maps of the local forests give him a bit of hope, rather than reminding him of a hope he’s lost. While the decline of the environment concerns him, Astrov’s maps of the vanishing woods give him something to fight for. Voynitsky’s map of Africa reminds him that of all the world he hasn’t seen—the only world that matters to him—and that all that he can do with his remaining years is languish at the estate. But Astrov knows that the outside world is greater and more important than his own small life, and so his forestry maps represent a sense of hope rather than regret.