Čexov's "Veročka": A Polemical Parody

Abstract

Cexov mentioned Turgenev and works of his on many occasions, but only once did he offer an extended commentary. In a letter (24 February 1893) to A. S. Suvorin, he praised Fathers and Sons enthusiastically and called it a work of genius; he considered A Nest of, Gentlefolk somewhat weaker, but he liked little about On the Eve, and he completely rejected Smoke. Although he termed nice (mila), he made a special point with regard to Turgenev's women protagonists, saying that they and the young girls in the novels were insufferable in their artificiality, and falseness. Compared with Anna Karenina, Cexov noted, all these Turgenev ladies with their enticing shoulders can go to hell. He ended his remarks with moderate praise for Turgenev's nature descriptions, but with the following reservation: I feel we are already outgrowing that kind of description and that something else is needed.' Cexov's appraisal of Turgenev's works was made in 1893, yet it might well have been written six years earlier, in February of 1887, when Verocka appeared.2 As this paper will show, Cexov's story parodies certain stylistic features of Turgenev's novels and short stories, and to some extent it presents a commentary on the man as he is found in Rudin and Asja. The subject of the story itself is reminiscent of Asja: the hero recalls an opportunity for love and happiness which he rejected some years earlier; and there are numerous allusions, both textual and contextual, to Turgenev's story.3 While there are no formal divisions in Veroika, the work can be divided into three parts: (1) characterization of the hero, Ognev, and introduction of Vera; (2) Vera's declaration of love and the resultant confusion in Ognev; and (3) Ognev's insight into the reason for his inability to relate to others. Cexov's talent for parody, which was well-established by 1887,P is clearly evident in the first two parts. As a literary character, Ognev is descended from such superfluous men as Rudin and N. N., the narrator of Asja; and Vera has much in common with Asja and Natal'ja (Rudin). The description of her declaration of love and Ognev's reaction strongly suggests interpretation as a parody of similar scenes in Turgenev's works