Limage de la femme dans l'œuvre de Čexov : un itinéraire poétique

The Representation of Woman in Chekhov’s Prose and Dramaturgy Čexov' s works are the representation of the struggles which are part of fin-de-siècle Russia. In a complete independence of mind, either political or religious, and with an objective point of view, Čexov explores the different 'path' taken by the woman in her fight to escape the burden of being born female, which means being trapped in a nest by the others and herself, he observes the accesses of hysteria and morbidity, apparent unique fate for her. The 'writer-doctor' points out that she is not necessarily condemned to such a destiny. When moved by an irrésistible strength of her own, she decides to go forwards, he observes that her discovery leads her, step by step, to ultimate liberty. Čexov foUows her when crossing the frontier, first topographically, geographically and psychologically, then, and for her best, philosophically and spiritually, which leads her to her own truth. Not many of these women are able to succeed and achieve what we can call a 'revolution' compared to the context of the XIXth-century Russian literature. Such a poetic and particularly interesting representation of the woman ranks Čexov as an innovating writer, a modern one.Darnal-Lesné Françoise. Limage de la femme dans l'œuvre de Čexov : un itinéraire poétique. In: Revue des études slaves, tome 76, fascicule 4, 2005. pp. 565-570