ABOUT LOVE | Summary | Question Answers | Heritage Of Words | Class-12

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904), Russian writer, who brought both the short story and the drama to new prominence in Russia and eventually in the Western world. Taking a cool, objective stance toward his characters, Chekhov conveys their inner lives and feelings indirectly, by suggestion rather than statement. His plots are usually simple, and the endings of both his stories and his plays tend toward openness rather than finality. Chekhov’s works create the effect of profound experience taking place beneath the surface in the ordinary lives of unexceptional people.

Summary Of 'About Love':

“About Love” is a famous Russian story written by a famous story-writer, Anton Chekhov. In the story, Chekhov presents the difference between three love stories and tries to prove that “Love” like that is not bound by conjugal relations. He views that love is true and spiritual. Happiness, unhappiness, morality, sin, virtue, social status, class, prestige etc. have nothing to do with love. Alyohin is the narrator in this story. He had been living as a poor farmer at Sofyino since he graduated from the university. The story begins when the narrator and his two guests-Bufkin and Ivan were having breakfast in a country house. Alyohin told about the violent love affair between his two servants Nikanor and Pelageya. According to the narrator, pelageya didn’t want to marry Nikanor but she was ready to live with him just so. On the other hand, Nikanor couldn’t stay with her before marriage for religious reasons. Alyohin says that love is a hindrance and a source of dissatisfaction and irritation. To justify his statement, he began his own story.

Alyohin had to work hard at Sofyino to pay off his debt as his father had spent a lot of money on his education by mortgaging the land. Though he was a landowner, Alyohin had to work hard in the farm with his servants. Many years before, he had been elected honorary justice for peace and sometimes he had to go to the town to participate in the court session. Unexpectedly, one of his friends, Luganovich invited him for dinner. There, he was very much attracted by the young and beautiful Ana Alexeyevna, the wife of Luganovich. In the later days, he frequently visited her and they spent much time together flaking for hours and going to the theatre. Though they couldn’t miss the company of each other, they didn’t express their desires, love and feedings. They hid feelings fearing that it would ruin both of their lives.

At last, as a result of unexpressed feelings, Anna had got mental sickness and she had to go to Crimea for treatment. Many people gathered at the railway station to say goodbye to Anna. When the train started to move, Alyohin ran to Anna with her basket which she had forgotten. Their emotional eyes met together and their spiritual strength couldn’t stop them falling in each other’s arms. They kissed each other and expressed their deep love. However, they parted forever and Alyohin returned to his farm land (village) being sad and he would never meet her again in his life. The true love of Alyohin is the means of living. The moment of her memory often relieved Alyohin in his life.

Word Meanings in Nepali of 'About Love'
'About Love' Nepali Word Meanings
Nepali Meanings 'About Love'

Word	Meaning
patties	चटामरी, सानो केक
crayfish	एक प्रकारको माछो
mutton	खसीको मासु
croquettes	आलु माछा र पिठोको एक परिकार
puffy	फुलेको
clean shaven	दाह्री जुँगा राम्रो सँग खौरेको
devout	धर्म मान्ने आस्तिक
convictions	विश्वास, आत्म विश्वास
swear	क्रिया हाल्नु, कसम खानु
sob	सुँक सुँक गरी रुनु
defend	पक्ष लाग्नु, रक्षा गर्नु
inwardly	भित्री तवरबाट
outwardly	बाहिरी तवरबाट
mug	मूर्ख
incontestable	प्रतिस्पर्धा गर्न नसकिने
embellish	सिंगार्नु, सजाउनु
nightingales	जुरेलीहरु
fatal	प्राण लिने
charming	मनमोहक, सुन्दर
beef	गाईको मासु
honorable	मान्न योग्य
hindrance	बाधा, विघ्न
irritation	झर्को, उत्तेजना
bachelor	अविवाहित
drench	भिज्नु

QUESTION and ANSWERS Of 'About Love':

Question No. 1: The second paragraph of “About Love” is a brief account of a violent love affair between two servants’. Is it significant that Alyohin is the source of this anecdote? How does the anecdote contrast with Alyohin's own story ? ("प्रेमको बारेमा" भन्ने कथाको दोस्रो हरफ दुई नोकरहरुको हिंसात्मक प्रेम मामिलामा छोटो वर्णन हो। यो छोटो वर्णन Alyohin ले नै गर्नुको के अर्थ छ ? यो कथा कसरी Alyohin को आफ्नै कथासँग फरक छ ?)
Answer: In the second paragraph of the story "About Love", Alyohin tells the story of the violent love affair between the two servants - Nikanor and Pelageya. It is important that Alyohin is the source of this story because in the story Alyohin is not only a character but also the narrator. The whole sotry revolves around him and his story telling except slight intervention in the first and last paragraph of the story. As he is the narrator, whatever he tells about other and about himself should be believed without any question.

The anecdote makes a contrast with Alyohin's own story. The contrast between the love affair of Nikanor-Pelageya and Alyohin-Anna is clear and innocent one. In the first love story, hero and heroine belong to socially inferior class whereas in the second love story, they belong to socially superior and cultivated class of people. And moreover, the love between first couple is an ordinary and usual love between a man and women to be materialized by marriage but love between Anna and Alyohin is of higher level, an unusual love which goes beyond the social limitation and matrimonial bonds .

Question No. 2: Alyohin is said to rush around like a squirrel in a cage and this judgement is echoed in the final paragraph of the story. What is the significance of this repetition ? (Alyohin पिंजरा भित्रको लोखर्के दौडे जसरी दौडिरहेको छ भनी बताईएको छ र यो मुल्यांकन कथाको अन्तिममा पनि गुञ्जन्छ। यसरी दोहोर्याउनुको अर्थ के हो ?)
Answer: Alyohin is said to rush around like a squirrel in a cage. Cage symbolizes Alyohin's imprisoned conditions. As a lover, he was sealed within his own self and could not express his love openly. Although he is an educated man he is imprisoned in his farm and, like a squirrel, rushed here and there without any fruitful result anywhere. He too often becomes penniless. The repetition focuses on his lonely, restless and miserable condition.

Question No. 3: Why do you think Chekhov chose to write about an ordinary man instead of a hero or scholar or actor ? Does Chekhov imply anything about Alyohin's assumption that "Celebrated" people lead more fulfilled lives than rest of us ? Do you agree with Alyohin's assumption ? (तिम्रो विचारमा चेखोभले वीर पुरुष, वा विद्दान् वा अभिनेतालाई यस कथाको पात्र बनाउनुको सट्टा एउटा सामान्य व्यक्तिलाई किन छानेका हुन् ? "प्रसिद्द व्यक्तिहरु बाँकी अरु व्यक्तिले भन्दा आफ्नो ईच्छा पूर्ण भएको जीवन बाँच्छन्" भन्ने Alyohin को मान्यतालाई के तिमी समर्थन गर्छौ ?)
Answer: The story "About Love" is basically about the tragic and timid (कातर) love of Alyohin to Anna. Alyohin is a simple educated man. He is an ordinary figure both in his lifestyle and in his love-making. He is neither a hero, nor a scholar or an actor. He innocently loves his friend's wife in a true and spiritual manner. He can not express his love openly because he fears that their love might ruin the life of both of them. He become indecisive. Alyohin cannot live a fulfilled life of love. He fails to carry out his longing. Though educated, he is compelled by his own reason to work in the farm in order to pay off all the debt. Living in the countryside he does nothing but envies the love-affair between two servants (Pelageya and Nikanov) and feels sad for the failure of his own love.

Through the character Alyohin, Chekhov implies that 'celebrated' people do not lead more fulfilled lives than the rest of us. It is because Anna and Luganovich, as rich and celebrated they are, do not have the fulfilled life (both private and domestic).

# Indecisive means (of a person) not able to make decisions quickly and effectively (निर्णय गर्न नसक्ने).
# Compelled means forced or obliged (someone) to do something (बाध्य परियो).
# Envies means a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck (ईर्ष्या गर्न).

Important Extra Questions:

Question No. 4: How does an account of the occasion and of the setting in which the narrative occurs affect our understanding of Alyohin?
Answer: First two paragraphs of the story "About Love" provide an appropriate setting to the story. The story starts with an occasion where few friends including Alyohin are having a leisurely time perhaps celebrating their holiday. What they all are doing is eating, drinking and talking. As the time goes on, Alyohin starts talking about the love affair between Nikanor and Pelageya and nature of their behavior. Their conversation turns to the subject of love which leads to the telling of Alyohin’s own love story. Alyohin’s statement about love is very much influenced by his own experience. By telling his own love story, he wants to free love from marital bonds. So, the setting does affect our understanding of Alyohin.
Question No. 5: Sketch the Character of Alyohin.
Answer: Alyohin, a bachelor and a university graduate, lived in Sofinyo working labourously in his farm. He had to work in his farm to pay the debt that his father had spent on his education. He desired a civilized living of the upper class but could not afford it. In the past while he was a university student, he fell in love with a girl who only loved his money. Since he was elected honorary justice of the peace, he often visited town to take part in assizes and sessions. Once he was invited to the home of Luganovich to dine. There he met Anna Alexeyevna , aged 22 and married to Luganovich. They fell in love with each other but could not express their love. They chatted for hours, went to the theatre together but they parted coldly the next time. Later Anna suffered from nervous prostration and was sent to Crimea for treatment. During her departure, Alyohin had courage to confess his love and kissed her, but had to part with her forever.

Alyohin’s vision of love is shaped by his own love affair. He thinks that when people are in love, they ask whether it is honorable or dishonorable , sensible or stupid , and what their love will lead to . For him, this reasoning is the source of dissatisfaction and irritation. He thinks that love is a great mystery. When one is in love, one should start love from higher, without reasoning whether their love is sin or virtue, or whether it brings happiness or unhappiness. According to him to what extent personal happiness counts in love is uncertain, it differs from person to person.

Alyohin is like a squirrel in a cage. He is trapped by reason, middle class morality and poverty. He is a man-of-thought. He fears to express his love to Anna because he is too much thoughtful about society’s moral standards. He sacrifices his love thinking that his marriage to Anna Alexeyevna would ruin the lives of her, her children, her mother and her husband. He fears that he could not make her happy in his country house.

Question No. 6: An atmosphere of inertia is established in the opening paragraphs of the story. Cite some specific details which help to create this atmosphere. Is this air of indecisive leisure suggested again at the end of the story? What is the connection between this atmosphere and Alyohin’s behabiour with the women he loves, and the outcome of their relationship?
Answer: "About Love", story begins with an occasion where few friends are having leisurely time. They are eating, drinking and talking about anything they like. They have already had their breakfast and the cook again comes to ask what they would like for dinner. This occasion helps to create the atmosphere of inertia in the sense that they have nothing special to do except eating, drinking and talking. The same air of leisure is suggested again at the end of the story. As Alyohin is telling the story, the rain stops, the sun comes out and two friends Burkin and Iva go out on the balcony and enjoy a fine view of garden. The atmosphere was a close connection with Alyohin’s behavior with the women he loves. Alyohin seems to be lovely fellow and he is always disturbed by the memory of his beloved Anna. Whenever he has any free time, he can’t help telling his love story to others. This also suggests that he has got life long grief and misery as the outcome if his relationship with Anna.

Question No. 7: Compare the two love affairs described in the story.
Answer: The love between the two servants (Nikanor and Pelageya) is an innocent one, and most possibly based on the physical plain of experience. They frankly express their love with each other and have their own choices about marriage. Possibly they are happy in their love despite certain problems. Their love is not bound by marital relation either. On the other hand, Alyohin's love is more of a spiritual kind and has less to do with physical passion. Both of them are drawn to each other but they fail to express their love in words till his last meeting with Anna in a train compartment. Their love did not give fullness and satisfaction but the love led toward unhappiness, separation and pessimism.

# Pessimism means a tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen (निराशा).


Question No. 8: Sketch the Character of Anna Alexeyevna.
Answer: In story "About Love", Anna Alexeyevna is the main female character. She is a beautiful and charming young lady aged twenty-two. She is married to Luganovich, assistant president of the circuit court and aged over forty. Her marriage to an old man can be seen as the cause of her suffering. Her sexual urge cannot be fulfilled by the man double her age. So, she tries to get emotional fulfillment from Alyohin which later turns into love. She is also trapped in reason. She does not confess her love to Alyohin though she deeply loves him because she fears society’s moral standards. She also thought that she was not young and energetic enough for him to begin a new married life. Later she becomes the victim of nervous prostration because of psychological depression and nervousness.

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Very Important Question Answers Of "About Love" Class 12