The Biblical subtext in Anton Chekhov's story "A Case History"

The topicality of this essay can be seen especially in the fact that it is the first research on the New Testament subtext of Anton Chekhov's story "A Case History", also known as "A Doctor's Visit" (1898). On doing this research attention is paid to the Easter topic, but most of all to the question how, in Chekhov's subtext, the topic of Christ healing the sick is presented. Furthermore, for the first time the function of rhythm in this story is considered, as other researchers often do in their interpretation of other works by Chekhov, e.g., "The Steppe". The starting point of interpretation is the following presupposition: in Chekhov's prose acts that seem less logical from the point of view of the plot line may often play an important role for the architecture of the work. They may be carriers of another kind of logic the reader can feel. In our story it is this fact: in the night, when Korolyov decides to stay in Lyalikovs' house, they lit all the candles in the salon and in the living room for him. This indicates a symbolic sense, since people light all the candles for Christ in the church. Chekhov pays attention to the way Doctor Korolyov understands and interprets the poverty in which the workers in the factory live, and how he understands the fact that the factory owners are dependent on this poverty. But Korolyov does not simply notice this situation. At the same time he gets closer to his patient, Liza, the factory owner's daughter, by this overcoming the isolation between people (Katayev). It is worth noticing that in this text there is not only a strong rhythm, based on the "sacred" or "perfect" number "three", but also a rich Biblical subtext consisting of allusions to the Chapters of the Bible in which Christ dies and rises from the dead and, what is crucial, to the Chapters in which Christ heals the sick. This subtext makes the topic of overcoming isolation more vivid. It is also important that Korolyov (and, in her own way, Liza) meets the "Devil" - to be understood here as the impersonal power of the Evil and the Wrong. In the meantime the subtext of "A Case History" shows clearly the sense in which Chekhov is close to Christianity but far away from any kind of Orthodoxy. The most important thing for him is the human being understood as an individual. And the particular note of Christianity is Christ taking care of human beings. Chekhov sees the essence of Christianity where people, like Christ, help one another, where they overcome isolation, and the hope for the victory over death, for resurrection and eternal life becomes justified. Of course Chekhov does not answer the question whether this hope will become real. In this sense he is far away from any kind of dogmatism.

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