Living Attitude In Literature and Real Society

In this short story “The Lady with the Dog” by Anton Chekhov, both of the main characters has some dissatisfaction about life.

The male character, Dmitri, has negative feelings toward women including his wife, but Anna Sergeyevna is an exception.  He does not show the real “him” in front of other women, because he believes other women are deceiving him.  It really shows some of the attitude the people have in this world.  Some people believe they should not let others to know themselves too well.  It is because no one knows what will happen in the future; no one knows will one’s best friend become one’s enemy one day.

However, like the feeling Dmitri has toward women.  There is always exception.  Dmitri feels Anna is different from other women, so he likes to be with her.  I often make decision and do things based on my feeling too, when I am uncertain about something.  Using feeling to make decision and judgment is one attitude that human has toward living, because it helps us to get rid of vexation and anxiety.

Also, Anna is dissatisfied with her living too.  She is married but she lives in a house with fences around.  The fence is symbolic of no freedom. I think this may tell that freedom is really important to human, but women in the 19^th century did not have so much freedom.  Living with no freedom can make a person depress and get tired of living just like Anna. I feel she cries a lot in front of Dmitri, because it is one way for her to release her depress. Freedom is an important factor that affects human’s attitude toward living. Some people would fight for their freedom, but some might just bear to this kind of living and living unhappily.

On the other hand, Anton Chekhov wrote Anna and Dmitri just fall in love with each so deeply without describing tell the reasons.  They only met once and for not really a long time which make me wonder are they really love each other. Although I feel it is a little weird, I think that is kind of interesting. It is because I think that is a strategy that the author uses by not tell things so clearly, so the readers would think of the story more and deeper.

“The Death of Ivan Ilyich” by Leo Tolstoy

From this short story, the attitude that Ivan holds toward living was very special, because he was suffered from his illness. He had negative thinking such as death, isolated from others and lack of unconcerned from others. His situation just reminded me of one of my relatives who has also suffered from illness for more ten years, and fortunately, she is still living happily now.

Although Ivan was suffer from his illness and could feel his pain very often, I just feel he did not have the encouragement and the hope to continue living which made his situation became worse. I often heard from my parents said to my relative who is sick, “You should not think your situation is as bad as you think. Medicines and family cannot help you as much.  The most important thing is that you have to take care yourself well. If you take care yourself well, then you help your family.” I agree with my parents that people who are sick should try and make themselves have a positive attitude toward life.  Although Ivan knows himself is going to die soon, I think he should spend more time on enjoying moments when his pain didn’t get him, rather than thinking the past and thinking of death.

His situation just like the image above.  In his world, light are always blocked. He doesn’t have hope for his recovery ,and he was pretty sure he will die soon.  But, sunlight will not always got blocked. If he spends more time on what he can do instead of keep thinking himself as a patient, I think he would be better and happier.

Ivan wanted people’s pity, but he did not get that from his friends and family except from his son, Vasya, and his servant, Gerasim. I feel this is a real situation in this world. Most human are tend to be selfish and care oneself more than others. Although Ivan is sick, people around him still have to work and make their living. It is not anyone’s obligation to feel pity for people who is sick. What I think after reading this short story is that, we can be happier when we don’t demand too much from others. If Ivan doesn’t demand too much, then maybe he would live longer.