The Two Volodyas (Chekhov)
Short summary
Russia, late 19th century. Sofya Lvovna was riding in a sledge with her husband Colonel Yagitch and her childhood friend Vladimir Mihalovitch after dining at a restaurant. She felt genuinely happy, convinced she loved her husband despite his being fifty-four years old.
Just yesterday, Sofya had been in love with Vladimir, but now felt indifferent toward him. They visited a nunnery where Sofya's friend Olga lived. The visit stirred complicated feelings in Sofya about her marriage, which she had entered for worldly motives.
The next day, Vladimir visited Sofya while her husband was out. Despite her earlier indifference, her feelings for him resurged. When they were alone, she confessed her love.
"You have known that I love you for ever so long," she confessed to him, and she blushed painfully, and felt that her lips were twitching with shame. "I love you. Why do you torture me?"
They began an affair, but a week later Vladimir abandoned her. Life returned to its previous state: Colonel Yagitch and Vladimir played billiards together, while Sofya drove about town alone, visiting Olga at the nunnery and complaining about her misery.
Olga would mechanically repeat that all this would pass and God would forgive her.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
Sofyas night out and reflections on her marriage
Sofya Lvovna insisted on driving the sledge herself during a night out with her husband and Vladimir Mihalovitch, her childhood friend. Her husband, Colonel Yagitch, was concerned about her drinking brandy, fearing she would become hysterical later. As they rode through the night, Sofya felt genuinely happy and triumphant.
She had been tormented by the thought that she married the Colonel for worldly reasons, but that evening she convinced herself she loved him passionately. Despite being fifty-four, he was slim, agile, and charming. Sofya also realized she no longer had feelings for Vladimir Mihalovitch, whom she had loved desperately just the day before. Now he seemed spiritless and insignificant to her.
For the last two months, ever since her wedding, she had been tortured by the thought that she had married Colonel Yagitch from worldly motives and, as it is said, par dépit; but that evening, at the restaurant, she had suddenly become convinced that she loved him passionately.
Visit to the nunnery and meeting with Olga
As they passed a nunnery, the bell rang out and Rita, Sofya's cousin, mentioned that their friend Olga was there. When Vladimir commented that Olga had entered the nunnery not out of spite but because of family tragedy, Sofya felt a sudden urge to visit her. She ordered the driver to turn back and went alone to the nunnery gate.
Inside the dark church, Sofya spotted a thin nun whom she recognized as Olga. They embraced warmly, and Sofya told her about her marriage to Colonel Yagitch, claiming to be very happy. Olga promised to visit them during the holidays. Sofya, who had been crying, invited Olga to come out and meet the others.
Outside, both Volodyas greeted Olga respectfully, touched by her pale face and monastic dress. Sofya suggested taking Olga for a short drive, and to everyone's surprise, the nun agreed. During the silent ride, they all reflected on how Olga had changed from the plump, cheerful girl she once was to this passionless, pale figure. When they returned to the nunnery, Olga promised again to visit them, then disappeared through the gateway.
Volodyas visit and Sofyas infidelity
After returning home, Sofya lay in bed thinking about the church and Olga. She realized with clarity that she did not love her husband and never would. She had married him for his wealth, to avoid becoming an old maid like Rita, to escape her father, and to annoy Volodya. She felt frightened by these thoughts and tried to push them away.
It was clear to her now that she did not love her husband, and never could love him, and that it all had been foolishness and nonsense. She had married him from interested motives... and because she was sick of her father... and wanted to annoy Volodya.
The next day at noon, Vladimir Mihalovitch visited Sofya while her husband was out. She was wearing a new lilac dressing gown and felt both joy and fear at seeing him. She confessed her distress after seeing Olga and asked him for guidance on how to find meaning in life. Volodya responded dismissively, treating her questions as trivial.
Suddenly, Sofya confessed her love for him. They kissed passionately, and she asked when they could meet again. After getting what he wanted, Volodya sat eating lunch while Sofya knelt before him, gazing at his face. He told her she was like a little dog waiting for scraps. When he left, he vaguely promised to see her the next day.
When half an hour later, having got all that he wanted, he was sitting at lunch in the dining room, she was kneeling before him, gazing greedily into his face, and he told her that she was like a little dog waiting for a bit of ham to be thrown to it.
The aftermath and emotional turmoil
That afternoon, Sofya went to the nunnery to see Olga but was told she was reading psalms for the dead. She then tried to visit her father, but he was also out. She spent the evening driving aimlessly around town, thinking about her aunt who had once been involved with Colonel Yagitch and could find no peace.
That night, Sofya and her companions went to a restaurant outside town to listen to gypsy music. Passing the nunnery again, she thought about how women like her had no options except to drive about telling lies or enter a nunnery. The next day, she met her lover again, and once more found herself driving alone through town, thinking of her aunt.
And at night they drove out again with three horses to a restaurant out of town... And for the girls and women of her class there was no solution but to go on driving about and telling lies, or going into a nunnery to mortify the flesh...
Continuing the unhappy cycle
A week later, Volodya ended their affair. Life returned to its previous pattern: Colonel Yagitch and Little Volodya spent hours playing billiards and picquet, Rita told anecdotes in her languid way, and Sofya drove around alone in hired sledges, begging her husband to take her for rides with three horses.
Sofya began visiting the nunnery almost daily, wearying Olga with complaints about her miserable life. As she wept, she felt she was bringing something impure and pitiful into the nun's cell. Olga would mechanically repeat that all this would pass and God would forgive her, as though reciting a lesson she had learned by heart.
Going almost every day to the nunnery, she wearied Olga, complaining of her unbearable misery, weeping, and feeling as she did so that she brought with her into the cell something impure, pitiful, shabby.