Pseudoantithesis in Short Story Ionych by A. Chekhov

The short story Ionych belongs to the most complicated Chekhov’s works; some details and even episodes, its explicit and implicit references to the Russian literature and music often lack definite interpretation. Admittedly, the folk song Luchinushka belongs to such elements. Most Chekhov scholars believe that this song serves as an antithesis of Vera Turkina’s novel, but this article attempts to revise this opinion. Refs 19