"The Lady With the Dog"

D has been teaching her English class Anton Chekhov's short story "The Lady With the Dog." I had never heard of it before she mentioned it to me, but it is rather remarkable. The story is about an affair. The man, Dmitri, is married to a wife who considers herself "intellectual"; but "he secretly considered her unintelligent, narrow, inelegant, was afraid of her, and did not like to be at home." The woman, Anna Sergeyevna, has a deep passion that she considers it immoral and improper to indulge, and her husband has some ailment in his eyes. (That last point applies to D's husband as well.)

There are points of difference, to be sure, between their affair and ours (mine with D): most significantly, Dmitri is the one with the extensive experience -- he is described as a man who has been often unfaithful to his wife -- and Anna is quite young and inexperienced (albeit not a virgin as she is married). And yet it is clear in the story that the two really fall in love. Dmitri is surprised by this because, after so many other women, he never expected to fall so deeply and truly in love. And yet here the thing has happened.

The story ends inconclusively. They have met clandestinely, but are trying to plan when they can see each other again, talking "of how to avoid the necessity for secrecy, for deception, for living in different towns and not seeing each other for long at a time.... And it seemed as though in a little while the solution would be found, and then a new and splendid life would begin; and it was clear to both of them that they still had a long, long road before them, and that the most complicated and difficult part of it was only just beginning."

Now what the hell kind of a way is that to end a story? But it is true to life, isn't it?

D gave her students in-class writing exercises on this story, trying to get them to appreciate how Chekhov paints his characters so successfully. One of her students, on finishing the assignment, looked up and suddenly blurted out, "Mrs. D, would you ever have an affair?"

D tells me that the answer she shot back was, "My private life is ... private!" I pointed out to her that this was in fact a clear answer to the question. She didn't deny it.