Darling

Darling Anton Chekhov’s short story “The Darling'illustrates the life of a woman named Olenka Semyonovna£¬who because of her reliance on others, lives a empty life. She is a person who changes her attitude as she falls in love with different men. She always needs to be fond of someone and does not posses a personality of her own; therefore, she only finds happiness in reflecting the belief of her husbands. Olenka is portrayed as a conventional woman who is reliant, diligent and idealess. Olenka is a dependent woman who needs the love of others. In earlier days, she had loved many people such as her aunt, the school’s French master and even her father. Later on, she becomes attracted by her first husband Kukin, and “without him she [can] not sleep, but [sit] all night at her window, looking at the stars'(250). Thus, Olenka cannot feel comfort when there is no one for her to attach to. After Kukin past away in Moscow, she is expected to be heartbroken and sorrowful afterwards. Ironically, Olenka immediately seeks and falls in love with her next mate, Pustovalov. Once again, she becomes delighted and “[misses] him olenka, woman, life, husband, without, tivoli, love, kukin, pustovalov, li, ideas, cannot, becomes, away, works, thoughts, thinks, someone, seeks, reliant, pustovalov’s, profession, place, own, others, opinions, once, needs, mind, husband’s, happiness, finds, falls, even, empty