Subject:

Comments:
: : Choose one monologue from Uncle Vanya, and discuss how it helps to illuminate one of the major themes of the play. : Monologue from page 63: : ASTROV. You can burn peat in you stoves and build your barns out of stone. Well, I’ll go along with your cutting down forests when you absolutely need to, but why must you devastate them? The forests in Russia are cracking under the axe. Millions upon millions of trees are being wasted, the homes of the animals and birds are choked out, the rivers grow shallow and dry up, the marvelous landscape is disappearing, gone forever, and it’s all because the lazy person doesn’t have sense enough to bend down and pick up his fuel from the earth. [To Yelena Andreevna.] Isn’t that true, madam? Only a thoutless barbarian could burn beauty like this in his stove and destroy what we ourselves can’t create. Man is endowed with reason and with the power of creation so he can increase what is given to him, but up to this moment he hasn’t created-he’s destroyed... : One theme that recurrs in this play is the forest. Astrov especially, is enchanted by the forest and, as it can be seen in this monologue, he feels the need to protect and conserve the land. The image of nature comes up over and over in the play, ending with Alexandr and Yelena leaving the forest to get away from Vanya. For Vanya and Sonya, the land has only been a cage, whose door was blocked by Alexandr. Yet when Alexandr tries to sell the estate, Vanya opposes, showing his outrage for Alexandr’s thoughtlessness.

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL: