Analysis Of Symbolic Images In Chekhov's Dramas

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is known as one of the most influential novelist and dramatist by the end of the nineteenth century.His plays were written with most natural and simple words but expressed the most profound and eternal meanings,from which we could draw a conclusion that Chekhov's plays were complicated and harmonious entities.As a pioneer of dramatic innovation,Chekhov has a far reaching impact on twentieth century drama.The stylistic features including the static characteristic,the underflow of the dialogues,intermalization of conflicts in Chekhov's drama are not only the innovation of drama style,but also exhibited a complex and profound spiritual demand of modern people.Chekhov put a lot of images in his dramas,whose connotations are closely related to the themes.Those are like keys to the explanation of Chekhov's dramas,while they also play a part of answering the question of Chekhov's drama achieving great height on both the naturality and the profoundity.This paper includes five parts.The first chapter mainly discusses the double metaphorical meanings of natural landscape image,textual meaning is the natural environment in the plays,and the symbolic meaning is abstract conception.For example,the calm and quiet pool stands for the beautiful dreams that guide people to pursue.But the roaring waves on the pool stands for the cruel reality.The second chapter studies the multiple metaphorical meanings of natural images.Sometimes the metaphorical meanings of natural images are complicated,and one image has several metaphorical meanings.In general,natural images in Chekhov's plays symbolize the strong will and optimistic quality.For example,the silver birch symbolizes the Moscow and hometown on the one hand,and on the other hand,it also symbolize the strong will and optimistic quality of the three sisters.The third chapter studies the metaphorical meanings of artificial scenery.Artificial scenery like architecture is the crystallization of human wisdom,symbolizing meanings about human civilization.For example,from the view of history,the cherry orchard stands for the disappearance of the Russian feudal Manor.But from the view of human civilization,the cherry orchard stands for progressive development of human civilization.The fourth chapter studies the metaphorical meanings of artificial images in Chekhov's plays.The artificial is the externalization of human desire and mental predicament.For example,people get drunk to paralyze mind,to relieve pain and crazy,which is a way to hide from the reality.The fifth chapter analyze the relationship,the origin and the influence of four kinds of metaphorical images.The four kinds of metaphorical images are paralleled and they are also overlapping and rely on each other.Chekhov expressed humanity by writing artificial scenery and images,indicted modern people's survival condition and mental state.Natural scenery and images are related to human's emotion,symbolize the real world and people's mental world.As for the influence,Chekhov's plays have a profound influence on Alexander Vampilov and the Russian New Drama in 20th century Russian drama.As Chekhov's writings can not be too well studied,the beauty of images can not be too well explained.Chekhov had always been concerned about the human spiritual world and had devoted himself to finding the most natural and most profound way to express it.The using of images is exactly one of ways that Chekhov found out and used to achieve his harmonious and complicated dramas.