Marina, the Unsung Hero of “Uncle Vanya”
“People might not remember us, just so long as God does.” (Chekhov 90) Secondary characters in literature are all too often ignored, and “Uncle Vanya” is no exception. However, in this play, secondary characters, most notably Marina, help provide balance to the antics of the Serebryakov family. She is a constant and is someone they can rely on. Through working for the family for years, the rest of the cast has learned to depend on her. Furthermore, the family can depend on Marina as a voice of reason with her religion and the voicing of her impartial opinions. Marina can be viewed as a mother to the whole family because of her hard-working and reasonable ways. While Marina is not a principal character …show more content…
Marina provides that stability by giving neutral and sane advice. She would much rather see the family “Drink tea in the morning…lunch at one…and sit down to a proper supper in the evenings…like good Christian people everywhere.”(135) The dramatic ways of the family are too erratic and unscheduled for someone like Marina. As well as wishing the family would maintain structure, Marina cannot seem to appreciate their ways of handling an argument, “Such carrying on, shooting off guns and all. It’s a shame!” (135) Due to her disinterest in their violent, over-the-top fights, she can be seen as a voice of sanity. Even after conflict, she stays steadfast in her nonpartisan mindset, knowing that the family’s decision to part ways will be “Better for them” (134) Everyone around the estate relies on her to tell them how it really is, things like, “You’ve gotten older. And yours looks aren’t what they used to be. And I might add, you drink now.”(89) Her opinions are taken into account by all who hear them and cause them to react with introspective thought, such as, “Ten years, and I’ve become a different person. How did that happen? Work my fingers to the bone, nanny.” (90) Additionally, she can be seen as a voice of reason, in the classical sense that she is the voice of religion in the play. Whether she is reminding everyone that they are “Sinners!” (135) for their extreme ways, or just tries to use God as a comfort to them, “I’ll say a little prayer for you.” (106) Marina uses religion to back up her opinions. Marina has earned the love and respect of the Serebryakov family and everyone else on the estate with her sound views of the world, creating a level-headed backbone for the insane
“People might not remember us, just so long as God does.” (Chekhov 90) Secondary characters in literature are all too often ignored, and “Uncle Vanya” is no exception. However, in this play, secondary characters, most notably Marina, help provide balance to the antics of the Serebryakov family. She is a constant and is someone they can rely on. Through working for the family for years, the rest of the cast has learned to depend on her. Furthermore, the family can depend on Marina as a voice of reason with her religion and the voicing of her impartial opinions. Marina can be viewed as a mother to the whole family because of her hard-working and reasonable ways. While Marina is not a principal character …show more content…
Marina provides that stability by giving neutral and sane advice. She would much rather see the family “Drink tea in the morning…lunch at one…and sit down to a proper supper in the evenings…like good Christian people everywhere.”(135) The dramatic ways of the family are too erratic and unscheduled for someone like Marina. As well as wishing the family would maintain structure, Marina cannot seem to appreciate their ways of handling an argument, “Such carrying on, shooting off guns and all. It’s a shame!” (135) Due to her disinterest in their violent, over-the-top fights, she can be seen as a voice of sanity. Even after conflict, she stays steadfast in her nonpartisan mindset, knowing that the family’s decision to part ways will be “Better for them” (134) Everyone around the estate relies on her to tell them how it really is, things like, “You’ve gotten older. And yours looks aren’t what they used to be. And I might add, you drink now.”(89) Her opinions are taken into account by all who hear them and cause them to react with introspective thought, such as, “Ten years, and I’ve become a different person. How did that happen? Work my fingers to the bone, nanny.” (90) Additionally, she can be seen as a voice of reason, in the classical sense that she is the voice of religion in the play. Whether she is reminding everyone that they are “Sinners!” (135) for their extreme ways, or just tries to use God as a comfort to them, “I’ll say a little prayer for you.” (106) Marina uses religion to back up her opinions. Marina has earned the love and respect of the Serebryakov family and everyone else on the estate with her sound views of the world, creating a level-headed backbone for the insane