About Love Summary Class 12

Brief Summary:

This is a love story written by Anton Chekhov where the writer tries to show that love is beyond marital relations. More, he wants to show that love does not know wealth, hatred, social bondage, morality, sin, virtues, social status, social prestige, etc. Alyohin, a university graduate is the narrator of the story. He works in a farm in order to pay his debt because his father had mortgaged their land for his higher study. After his study, he becomes an honorary justice. In the story, he is seen as an unsuccessful person on the matter of love. His love remains unsuccessful because time always creates adverse situation upon him.  Here, through the narration of Alyohin, the writer presents three different love stories. In Sofyino, Alyohin narrates three different love stories when he and his two friends Burkin and Ivan are having breakfast in a country house in a rainy day. The first love story is between the two servants Nikanor and Pelageya. Pelageya loves Nikanor but does not want to marry him. She wants to live with him without marriage because he drinks, abuses and even beats her. Their relationship is based on physical pleasure. They are not tied with the morality, norms and values of society. Similarly, the second love story is between Alyohin and a Russian girl. This one is materialistic love because all the time the girl gives more concern on Alyohin’s money. Another love story is between Alyohin and Anna, the wife of Luganovich, an assistant president of a court. While dealing over an arson case, he meets Luganonvich. Then they become close friends. One day, Luganovich invites Alyohin to have dinner at his house. He meets his wife Anna, who has a six month baby. She is a young, beautiful, kind and attractive woman of about twenty two. Seeing her, he says that he has never seen such a woman before. Due to frequent visiting, both of them fall in love, but their love is not expressed until their parting. They spend time together, talk hours together, go to the theatre together and care each other a lot. Once Anna gets mentally sick due to her unexpressed feelings and goes to Crimea for treatment. When the train starts to move, Alyohin runs to Anna with her basket, which she forgets. In the moment, their eyes meet, and they can’t control themselves. They hug and kiss each other. Anna weeps bitterly, and Alyohin expresses his love towards her. Then he goes to next compartment and sits there crying. After some time, he returns to his village Sofyino. The tragic experience of Alyohin makes Ivan and Burkin very sad. With the completion of Alyohin’s story, the rain stops and the sun comes out. Then they go to the balcony and observe the fine view of the garden and the river. The story ends with some comments by the writer himself. Alyohin is compared to a squirrel, which rushes about the cage in vain. Love is shown to be above everything in the story.