At Home

Consider the story’s most ambiguous moment, when Vera runs to hide in the ravine in Part 3. What do you think happens in this critical moment, and why does Vera decide she must marry Dr. Neshtchapov? Use textual evidence to support your theory.

What is the significance of the title "At Home" in Chekhov's short story? How does the meaning change, if at all, when using the more literal title, “In My Native Corner”?

Why does Vera take her frustration out on Alyona after Auntie Dasha fires the laborer? What did he mean to Vera, and why is she upset that he is gone? Use textual evidence to support your answer.

What role does gender/sex play in the story's depiction of rural life, labor, and class? Would the story have turned out differently if Vera were a wealthy man? Use textual and historical evidence to support your response.

How does Chekhov use irony to underscore the tensions between the peasants and landowners in the story? Are the peasants as lazy as Dasha claims? Why or why not?

Chekhov’s use of free indirect discourse means that the narration is filtered through Vera’s point of view. How would the story change if it were written from the perspective of another character, such as Auntie Dasha, Alyona, Neshtchapov, or the laborer?

Vera is a complicated character whose motivations and desires seem, at times, to contradict one another. Is she a sympathetic protagonist? Why or why not? Cite evidence from the text to support your argument.

Vera insists that Dr. Neshtchapov is “stupid.” When she thinks about the good he has done for the local peasants, such as opening a school, she sees only hypocrisy and self-aggrandizement. Do you agree with Vera’s reading of Dr. Neshtchapov? Does he reveal any characteristics that clash with Vera’s perception of him? Use textual evidence to explain your answer.