(Constance
Garnett translation)
Other Titles:
“Zhivoy
Tovar” (1882)
“Living
Merchandise”
“Living
Goods”
“Wife
for Sale”
"Живой товар"
"Живой товар"
Characters:
Elisaveta
– Liza,
Grigory
Vassilyevitch Groholsky – Grisha,
Ivan
Petrovitch Bugrov – Vanya
Divided
into three parts, this short story represents a more mature writing style for
Anton Chekhov, even though this is one of his earliest works. Each part
intrigues the reader with a complex plot development that follows the lives of
three people and their subsequent love triangle.
It
all begins with a scene informing of a secret love affair between Liza and
Groholsky in which the two lovers are pondering the future of their
relationship. Groholsky, a man in and out of love quite frequently, has finally
found the woman he cannot live without. She is married to Bugrov who loves her
very much as well, and it is suggested later in the story that his love had
been tried four times before when young Liza presumably had experienced an
infatuation with other men. When he interrupts a sad embrace between Liza and
Groholsky, he understands the meaning of it immediately. A foreseeable jealous
reaction ensues, which depicts the typical position and behavior of the male
and the female in the family as dictated by the 19th century Russian
society:
[Bugrov
to Liza] “Love your husband! You have been given to your husband, so you must
love him.”
This
sets the foundation upon which love is initially defined – love must follow the
conventions and be obedient to commands. Love assumes the identity of its
carrier – a husband, wife or mother. Love does not possess agency but is very
deliberate and confined. In addition, a woman given to her husband must exact
the orders regarding her feelings in a manner acceptable by rationale.
In
these first paragraphs of the story, the confrontation scene between the
husband and the wife does not stray from the stereotypical tyrannical
cohabitation of a dominant male figure with an inferior female counterpart who
is lacking the power to speak up, explain, defend, or even stand up and make a
choice of her own. The husband is the authority that bestows forgiveness where
even God cannot show mercy:
[Bugrov
to Liza] “I forgive you for the fifth time, but I shall not forgive you for the
sixth, as God is holy. God does not forgive such as you for such things.”
Groholsky’s
entrance into Liza’s life represents an attempt to add a new layer to the
definition of love. His suffering is enormous, and he is ready to end the
secrecy and to do something about his relationship.
[Groholsky
to Liza] “Love cannot bear anything vague or indefinite….I love you and a man
in love is not fond of sharing. He is more than an egoist. It is too much for
me to go shares with your husband. …Perfect freedom is an essential condition
for love.”
This
last sentence heightens the irony in the alluded symbiosis that exists between
perfect freedom and love. The resolution to set Liza free from Bugrov comes at
a price of 150,000 roubles. However, freedom does not come after the price is
paid. The transaction is a mere transfer of ownership, which explains the title
of this story.
“Groholsky
spread out all the money, and moved restlessly about the room, looking for the
Dulcinea who had been bought and sold.”
The
price offered to Bugrov to let Liza go is Groholsky’s way to appease his own
guilt. He did try to blame fate for robbing Bugrov of his happiness, but even
then, he was not able to escape the fact that he is the reason behind this
difficult situation. He is very well aware of the harm he is causing by
wrecking this family, and money is the only remedy he can offer as a
compensation. However, the anxiety he experiences regarding the situation remains
with him for the years to come, even during the times when he was leading a
content life with Liza in Crimea:
“I
am very happy, Liza, very happy indeed. My happiness is so great that I am
really afraid of its destruction. The greatest things are usually destroyed,
and do you know, Liza, in spite of all my happiness, I am not absolutely… at
peace…”
It
turns out that Groholsky is not the only one being uneasy about the current
situation. Liza is miserable because she misses her son, Bugrov misses Liza,
and Groholsky lives under the constant threat of his happiness being shattered.
All these inner reflections start clashing in the second part of the story.
Fate brings all the characters together when Bugrov rents a villa across from
Liza and Groholsky. Frequent visits illuminate the past with a different light,
and once again, the two men are brought to a new negotiation. Groholsky implores
Bugrov to leave, and in exchange the former is willing to compensate the latter
with 10,000 roubles – a humble amount enough to cover Bugrov’s new furniture
expenses.
Bugrov
accepts the price for a second time. Chekhov does not offer any explanation why
the character agrees to it so easily, and the reader is left thinking that the
only motivation is money itself. But in contrast to the first amount of 150,000
roubles, this second deal is so much less. It seems that Bugrov is becoming
accustomed to never leaving empty-handed regardless of the amount. His first experience
was a great deal introspective. He reflected upon the kind of life, happiness,
and luxury he wanted for himself and his son, a symbol of which was the
carriage he saw passing outside his windows. Therefore, Bugrov could not help
but accept the price of 150,000 roubles with the hope of attaining that dream.
It
is surprising that Bugrov agrees to the 10,000 roubles during the second
negotiation. His actions are in opposition to his feelings. During an emotional
outburst one evening, the reader gets a glimpse of Bugrov’s inner turmoil when
reading his remorseful words:
“The
Lord be our judge! I cannot think of sleep while I know that my wife is a
slave… But it is not Groholsky’s fault… The goods were mine, the money his…
Freedom for the free and Heaven for the saved.”
And
yet, he takes the money once again. This kind of sale does not end here,
however. There is another visit to Cremea where Liza lives, and this time, it
is very clear that she is not happy with her situation. She wants to return to
Bugrov. Her confession is overheard by Groholsky, and in his desperation, he
approaches Bugrov for a third time – he offers him an estate in Tchernigov. And
once again, the offer is accepted.
An
ironic twist to the story is added when Liza runs away from Groholsky at night
and returns to Bugrov. Groholsky squanders all his fortune, and being sick,
ends up living with Liza and Bugrov in the same house. It is clear that Liza is
trying to make a life with Bugrov, but Groholsky, seemingly suffering from a
delusion, maintains his belief that Liza is still in a relationship with him.
As
mentioned earlier, despite the criticism this story receives, the plot offers
an interesting insight and thematic development that concerns love and relationships.
The story also represents an early attempt for Chekhov to explore the novella
style of writing, which he truly masters in his later works.
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