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Essay / The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekhov and Marriages...
In an interview with Joe David Bellamy, Joyce Carol Oates explained how she was "preparing a group of short stories called Marriages and Infidelities, which include stories that are reimaginings of famous stories. While the stories in her collection were meant to stand alone, they were also a testament to her love and dedication to other writers who helped shape her into the writer she is today. She showed her “marriage” to Anton Chekhov by reworking his short story “The Lady with the Dog”, almost a century after the publication of the original. “Infidelities” consist of transgressions in form, characterization, and setting, as well as a shift in emphasis from male to female characters. However, comparing the two stories shows that each version is not simply apart from the other: they both complement each other and ultimately produce a complete and complete picture of the plot. Although the stories follow similar plots, their structures differ, and thus the impact of the stories on readers. Chekhov's plot unfolds effortlessly as the events follow a chronological sequence divided into four divisions. Its plot structure does not deviate from readers' expectations of traditional fiction, making the story much easier to understand. Additionally, the linear plot brings the characters to life – their growth is believable as Chekhov does not fail to neatly expose both their flaws and their true motivations. In contrast, Oates divided her narrative into three sections: Additionally, she chose to begin her story in medias res, with the climax, and to use flashbacks to describe the events taking place before the beginning of the story. history. By opening his story in this way, Oates makes the characters' motivations... middle of paper... conclusive. “It’s as if a melody has stopped without the expected chords to close it.” However, she concluded that this would only be the case if we assumed that a story must conclude in a way that we recognize. With a keen sense of literature, she decided, readers would be able to hear the missing notes that complete the harmony. Familiarity with both stories is not a necessity for understanding them separately, but comparing Oates' reinvention with Chekhov's tale ultimately completes the sketch allowing readers to grasp the greatness of both authors. Ultimately, Oates seems to suggest that while it's important to value the influence other people may have had on you, it's also crucial to distance yourself from them to fully develop your own voice. Much like Anna at the end of her story, she seems to ask readers not to let others determine who they are..