The Cherry Orchard - Study Questions Flashcards
(18 cards)
Author and date
Anton Chekhov 1903
Flashcard 1: What is suggested by the setting for Act 1?
The setting—a large estate with a cherry orchard—suggests wealth, tradition, and fading aristocratic grandeur. It hints at the family’s declining fortune and the impending loss of their heritage. The grandeur contrasts with underlying financial troubles, setting up tension.
Flashcard 2: How does Chekhov create a mood of expectation?
Chekhov uses dialogue, pauses, and anticipation of the auction to build suspense. Characters talk about the future, plans, and changes, creating an atmosphere where something significant is about to happen. This keeps the audience on edge.
Flashcard 3: What is the effect of introducing Lopakhin with the servants?
Introducing Lopakhin among servants highlights his status as a nouveau riche businessman with roots in peasantry. It contrasts him with the aristocratic family, emphasizing social change and class tensions. His presence foreshadows the sale of the orchard.
Flashcard 4: Are there any suggestions of impending disaster?
Yes, references to debts, financial ruin, and the planned auction foreshadow the loss of the estate. The family’s carefree attitude masks growing crisis, creating dramatic irony and tension.
Flashcard 5: How does Chekhov fill in the important details of the family’s past?
Through conversations and memories, characters recount past events, including how the orchard was acquired and family relationships. These details evoke nostalgia and emphasize themes of change and loss.
Flashcard 6: Does Act 1 end with a mood of hope and optimism, or of doubt and apprehension?
It ends with doubt and apprehension, as the threat of losing the orchard looms but hasn’t yet been fully confronted. The tension between past comforts and uncertain future dominates.
Flashcard 7: What is the symbolic significance of the setting for Act 2?
Act 2’s setting—a summerhouse in the orchard—symbolizes the fleeting nature of beauty and happiness. It is a place of nostalgia and decay, reflecting characters’ inability to face reality.
Flashcard 8: What is the function of Charlotta in the play?
Charlotta provides comic relief and highlights class distinctions. As a governess with theatrical pretensions, she exaggerates social pretenses and mocks the aristocracy’s decline.
Flashcard 9: How does Chekhov contrast one pair of young lovers (Dunyasha/Yasha) with the other (Anya/Trofimov)?
Dunyasha and Yasha’s relationship is superficial and marked by opportunism, while Anya and Trofimov’s is idealistic and intellectual. This contrast highlights differing attitudes toward love and the future.
Flashcard 10: Why doesn’t Lopakhin marry Varya?
Lopakhin does not marry Varya due to social class differences and his practical, business-focused nature. Varya’s feelings remain unreciprocated, emphasizing unfulfilled personal desires amid social change.
Flashcard 11: In what ways are Lopakhin and Trofimov similar, despite their mutual antipathy?
Both are connected to change and progress—Lopakhin through commerce, Trofimov through ideas and education. Each challenges the old aristocratic order but from different perspectives: pragmatic versus idealistic.
Flashcard 12: What does the cherry orchard mean to Lyubov? To Anya? To Trofimov? To Lopakhin? To Firs?
Lyubov: A symbol of her lost past and aristocratic identity.
Anya: Hope and renewal, a link to family and future.
Trofimov: Represents stagnation and the need to move beyond nostalgia.
Lopakhin: Opportunity and economic potential—land to be developed.
Firs: Tradition and loyalty to the old order.
Flashcard 13: In what ways does Chekhov increase the confusion and tension in Act 3?
By overlapping personal dramas, misunderstandings, and the looming auction, Chekhov heightens emotional chaos. Characters struggle with conflicting desires and the reality closing in on them.
Flashcard 14: What is the climax of the play?
The climax is the announcement that the orchard has been sold to Lopakhin, symbolizing the irreversible change and loss for the family.
Flashcard 15: To what extent is Madame Ranevskaya (Lyubov) a sympathetic character?
She is deeply sympathetic—her love for the orchard and family is genuine, but her inability to face financial realities makes her tragic. Her nostalgia and emotional weakness elicit pity.
Flashcard 16: How does Chekhov make use of off-stage sounds and voices at the end of the play?
Off-stage sounds like the breaking of the cherry orchard and auction noises emphasize loss and finality, creating an emotional distance and underscoring the characters’ powerlessness.
Flashcard 17: In what ways is The Cherry Orchard a comedy? A tragedy?
Comedy arises from social satire, quirky characters, and absurd situations. Tragedy is found in the irreversible loss, the decline of aristocracy, and characters’ failures to adapt. The blend creates a bittersweet tone.
