After the Theatre (Chekhov)
Short summary
Russia, late 19th century. Sixteen-year-old Nadya Zelenin returned home from seeing Yevgeny Onyegin at the theater and immediately sat down to write a romantic letter like the character Tatyana from the opera.
She began writing to an officer named Gorny, declaring that he didn't truly love her and that she would become a nun. Nadya found herself crying, then thinking about how fascinating men were. She recalled how Gorny had declared his love at a Symphony concert.
Nadya then started writing about a student named Gruzdev who had visited the previous day. As she wrote, she realized she might prefer Gruzdev to Gorny. She remembered how Gruzdev had played with her poodle and told a funny story about a poodle and a crow. Overcome with joy, she tore up the letter to Gorny.
She had a passionate longing for the garden, the darkness, the pure sky, the stars. Again her shoulders shook with laughter, and it seemed to her that there was a scent of wormwood in the room and that a twig was tapping at the window.
Nadya imagined her future: spring would come, then summer, and visits from both Gorny and Gruzdev. They would walk in the garden, play croquet, and the men would court her. Filled with inexplicable happiness, she looked at the holy image above her bed and exclaimed, "Oh, Lord God! Oh, Lord God!"
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
Nadyas initial reaction to the opera
Nadya Zelenin had just returned home with her mother from watching a performance of Yevgeny Onyegin at the theatre. Upon reaching her room, she quickly removed her dress, let down her hair, and sat at her table wearing only her petticoat and white dressing jacket. Inspired by the opera, she began writing a letter similar to the one Tatyana wrote in the performance.
As soon as she reached her own room she threw off her dress, let down her hair, and in her petticoat and white dressing-jacket hastily sat down to the table to write a letter like Tatyana's.
Reflections on love and Onyegins characters
Nadya wrote "I love you, but you do not love me, do not love me!" and laughed at her own words. At sixteen, she had not yet truly loved anyone, though she knew that an officer named Gorny and a student named Gruzdev were in love with her. After watching the opera, she found herself wanting to doubt their love, finding something poetically beautiful about unrequited affection.
To be unloved and unhappy―how interesting that was. There is something beautiful, touching, and poetical about it when one loves and the other is indifferent.
She found Onyegin interesting precisely because he was not in love, while Tatyana was fascinating because she loved so deeply. Nadya thought that if they had loved each other equally, they might have seemed dull as characters.
Writing to Gorny: attempting to mimic Tatyana
Nadya continued writing her letter, addressing it to Gorny. She told him to stop declaring his love for her, as she could not believe it. She wrote that while he was clever, cultivated, and talented with a potentially brilliant future ahead, she was merely an uninteresting girl who would only hinder his life. She suggested that he had mistakenly thought he found his ideal in her and was now regretting their meeting, though his kindness prevented him from admitting it.
Feeling sorry for herself, Nadya began to cry as she wrote that it would be difficult to leave her mother and brother, but she would take a nun's veil and go wherever chance led her, leaving Gorny free to love another. She dramatically added, "Oh, if I were dead!" Through her tears, she could barely make out what she had written, as little rainbows quivered on the table, floor, and ceiling.
Nadya felt sorry for herself, she began to cry... "It is hard for me to leave my mother and my brother, or I should take a nun's veil and go whither chance may lead me. And you would be left free and would love another."
Unable to continue writing, Nadya leaned back in her chair and thought about Gorny. She found men fascinating and recalled the officer's expression when discussing music - ingratiating, guilty, and soft. She remembered how he tried to conceal his passion for music, as society expected cold haughtiness and indifference from gentlemen. Despite his efforts, everyone knew of his passionate love for music. Nadya recalled that Gorny had declared his love at a Symphony concert and again by the hatstand where there was a strong draft.
Turning thoughts to Gruzdev and unexpected joy
Nadya continued her letter, changing the subject to mention her pleasure that Gorny had met their student friend Gruzdev. She described Gruzdev as very clever and assured Gorny that he would like him. She wrote that Gruzdev had visited them the previous day, staying until two in the morning, and everyone had enjoyed his company.
As she wrote, Nadya laid her arms on the table and rested her head on them, her hair covering the letter. She realized that the student also loved her and had as much right to a letter from her as Gorny did. She considered writing to Gruzdev instead. Suddenly, a feeling of joy began stirring in her chest for no apparent reason.
There was a stir of joy in her bosom for no reason whatever; at first the joy was small, and rolled in her bosom like an india-rubber ball; then it became more massive, bigger, and rushed like a wave.
The joy grew until Nadya forgot both Gorny and Gruzdev. Her thoughts scattered in all directions as the feeling intensified. It seemed as though a light, cool breeze was ruffling her hair. Her shoulders shook with laughter, making the table and lamp chimney shake as well. Tears of laughter splashed onto her letter.
To justify her laughter, Nadya thought of something funny - how Gruzdev had played with Maxim the poodle the previous evening and told a story about an intelligent poodle who had chased a crow. In the story, the crow had looked at the poodle and said, "Oh, you scamp!" The poodle, confused by the talking crow, had retreated in perplexity before beginning to bark.
Dreams of spring and future possibilities
Nadya decided she would rather love Gruzdev and tore up her letter to Gorny. She thought about the student, his love, and her own feelings, but her thoughts continued to flow in all directions - to her mother, the street, a pencil, the piano. Everything seemed good and wonderful to her, and her joy suggested that even better things were coming.
She anticipated the coming of spring and summer, when she would go with her mother to Gorbiki. Gorny would come on furlough and walk with her in the garden, making love to her. Gruzdev would visit too, playing croquet and skittles with her and telling her wonderful things. Nadya longed for the garden, the darkness, the pure sky, and the stars.
She fell to thinking of the student, of his love, of her love; but the thoughts in her head insisted on flowing in all directions, and she thought about everything... She thought of them joyfully, and felt that everything was good.
Her shoulders shook with laughter again, and she imagined she could smell wormwood and hear a twig tapping at the window. Overwhelmed by joy and yearning, Nadya went to her bed, sat down, and looking at the holy image hanging at the back of her bed, exclaimed, "Oh, Lord God! Oh, Lord God!"