“Misery” The loss of a family member can be impossible to cope with especially when there is no one to talk to. In this short story Iona Potapov tries to express his feelings to his passengers about the loss of his son. The passengers are so careless that they don’t really want to hear what Iona has to say they are just focused on where they need to be. Just like in today’s society many people are very insensitive about others, they are only worried about their own destination in life. The theme of mans inhumanity to man is frequent throughout the short story “Misery,” Anton Chekhov illustrates this through Patapov’s cruel encounters, his loneliness, and the bond he shares between him and his horse. Iona experiences many cruel, and harsh
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“Now, suppose you had a little colt, and you were own mother to that little colt… And all at once that little colt went and died… You’d be sorry, wouldn’t you?” (Chekhov.5) Iona speaks to the horse as if she was a human or even a friend, he tells the horse about his feelings. What is sad is that Potapov asks the horse, “You’d be sorry, wouldn’t you?” as if he thinks he shouldn’t be sorry about what had happened to his son. The characters were so careless to Iona throughout the story that he was questioning himself to his own horse. “His little mare, as though she knew his thoughts, falls to trotting.” (Chekhov.4) In this quote the mare is almost sympathizing with it’s owner, the horse acts the same as Iona. Throughout the story every time the main character is being described it is always the same of how the horse is seen. It’s like she knows his thoughts and what he is going through so she feels compassion toward him. This is only seen though Potapov and his horse. The other characters in the story never gave Iona a chance, and never cared about what he was going through. “The little mare munches, listens, and breathes on her master’s hands.” “Iona is carried away.” (Chekhov.5) Seen throughout the entire story Iona is treated by cruel, and selfish people that are only determined on there own destination. This quote is so powerful because in the end it’s not a human being that listens to Iona it is a horse. He ends up finding peace through his own horse were he couldn’t find it anywhere
“Now, suppose you had a little colt, and you were own mother to that little colt… And all at once that little colt went and died… You’d be sorry, wouldn’t you?” (Chekhov.5) Iona speaks to the horse as if she was a human or even a friend, he tells the horse about his feelings. What is sad is that Potapov asks the horse, “You’d be sorry, wouldn’t you?” as if he thinks he shouldn’t be sorry about what had happened to his son. The characters were so careless to Iona throughout the story that he was questioning himself to his own horse. “His little mare, as though she knew his thoughts, falls to trotting.” (Chekhov.4) In this quote the mare is almost sympathizing with it’s owner, the horse acts the same as Iona. Throughout the story every time the main character is being described it is always the same of how the horse is seen. It’s like she knows his thoughts and what he is going through so she feels compassion toward him. This is only seen though Potapov and his horse. The other characters in the story never gave Iona a chance, and never cared about what he was going through. “The little mare munches, listens, and breathes on her master’s hands.” “Iona is carried away.” (Chekhov.5) Seen throughout the entire story Iona is treated by cruel, and selfish people that are only determined on there own destination. This quote is so powerful because in the end it’s not a human being that listens to Iona it is a horse. He ends up finding peace through his own horse were he couldn’t find it anywhere