Uncle Vanya Chekhov Bio and Themes

Russian playwright Anton Chekhov was born in Taganrog, Russia on January 20, 1860. As a boy he was fond of practical joking and any sort of comic activity. When he was sixteen years old his family fled to Moscow after going bankrupt and left him behind to fend for himself. He supported himself by tutoring and eventually he won a scholarship for medicine at a school in Moscow. He received his medical degree in 1884, but chose to …

…His money and respect will not buy him happiness. He only seeks beauty, both in nature and in Helen. The only character in the play who displays any kind of happiness is Telegin, the impoverished land owner who only lives at the estate for amusement and charity. He seems the least likely to have anything to be joyful about, yet, despite his lower standing, he leads the most contented existence among all of the characters.