The Seagull Symbolism

The Seagull, a work written by Anton Chekhov, has many symbols such as the seagull and the lake, all of which play an important role in contributing to the characters and their actions. The seagull may be seen as reflecting Nina’s character. The seagull in total symbolizes an opening to Nina’s future of freedom, as well as a way for Nina to keep hope. Throughout the play, Nina says, “I’m a seagull… thats not it.” At this point in the play, she admits to trying to reach freedom, just like the seagull. Nina says “Thats not it,” because other characters in the play were shutting down her self-esteem by not letting Nina express her true self. Another example of the seagull symbolizing home and comfort may be found when Trigorin says to Nina, “A young girl, like you, has lived by the lake since childhood; she loves the lake like a seagull, and is happy and free like a seagull. But a man happened to come by, saw her and, for lack of anything better to do, destroyed her, like this seagull here” (Chekhov, 109). Trigorin tells Nina a story, which is based off of her. In total, the story explains how Nina was searching for freedom, but then a man, Treplev, destroyed her, meaning that …show more content…
The lake allows Nina to feel most relaxed and sane. Nina feels as if this is her home, because she spent her childhood living next to the lake. An example of Nina’s feeling of home and comfort may be seen when Nina states to Trigorin while sitting by the lake, “That’s my late mother’s estate, I was born there. I’ve spent my whole life by the lake and I know every islet on it.” (Chekhov, 87). This quote explains how Nina grew up at the lake, her whole life has been surrounded by the lake. Since her family does not support her dream to become an actress, Nina feels as if the lake will always be there for her, even if her family is not there for her. Differing, Treplev see the lake as a symbol of loss of the feeling of comfort and