Analysis of “At the Barber's” – Anton Chekhov

(Constance Garnett translation)

Other Titles:
"В цирульне"

Characters:

Makar Kuzmitch Blyostken

Erast Ivanitch Yagodov

Anna Erastovna (mentioned)

The story opens up with a description of a barber’s shop belonging to the young Makar Kuzmitch. He is portrayed as a hard-working man: opening up his shop early and trying to maintain everything clean. But the place is in such a need of remodeling that Makar’s efforts to keep it nice are lost. Chekhov hints that Makar is probably alone in the world. The death of his father is the only immediate family connection that is mentioned, which points to the assumption that the young man relies on nobody for help and support.

After setting up this type of background, Chekhov introduces Erast Ivanitch Yagodov who is Makar’s godfather. He is the epitome of a cold-hearted, insensitive, and self-absorbed person who is only concerned with attaining some sort of benefits from life – from getting a haircut for free to having his daughter engaged (against her will) to an affluent man.   

[Yagodov] “Now my hair’s coming out. The doctor says I must be shaved. He says the hair will grow again strong. And so, I thought, I’ll go to Makar. Better to a relation than to anyone else. He will do it better and he won’t take anything for it.”

[Makar] “I’ll do it with pleasure.”

Yagodov’s words confirm that the only reason he is going to his godson for a haircut is that the job will be done for free. Shaving a head can be performed by any barber without the slightest concern that the “hair style” will be ruined. It will, however, cost Yagodov money.

While Makar is working on Yagodov’s head, he hears the news that Anna Erastovna is engaged to be married. Anna is Yagodov’s daughter, and the reader finds out that she and Makar were secretly in love with the hope and intention to wed one day. Makar is shocked, and in his apparent devastation from the news, he pauses shaving Yagodov’s head.

[Yagodov] “Only, what sort of a match would you be, Makar? You are nothing of a match. You’ve neither money nor position, your trade’s a paltry one.”

But Makar possesses an endearing sincerity in his words that show a true human being behind his poor looks and dingy shop. From one paragraph the reader can reach down to his soul and understand the pain and sadness he is going through.

He cannot finish shaving Yagodov and asks him to leave. The next day, at Yagodov’s return, Makar kindly asks for a payment before he proceeds with the cut. Yagodov refuses.

“Erast Ivanitch has half his head shaven to the skin and looks like a convict. It is awkward to be left with a head like that, but there is no help for it… He regards it as extravagance to pay for having his hair cut and is waiting for the hair to grow of itself on the shaven side.

He danced at the wedding in that condition.”

One interesting symbol that is included in the story is the mirror that distorts the image of the person reflected in it. Makar is used to it and probably doesn’t even notice its terrible quality. Yagodov looks at himself and is pleased with his reflection. This symbol represents the illusions and the realities with which the characters live. Makar’s dreams and hopes are distorted into loss and disappointment, but just like the mirror, he will get used to the reality. And as far as Yagodov is concerned, he does not even see anything wrong with the distortion. He is pleased with everything he does without giving any regard to what he truly is in reality.