Anton Chekhov - Biography and Profile

Anton Chekhov - Biography and Profile Born in 1860, Anton Chekhov grew up in the Russian town of Taganrog. He spent much of his childhood quietly sitting in his fathers fledgling grocery store. He watched the customers and listened to the their gossip, their hopes, and their complaints. Early on, he learned to observe the everyday lives of humans. His ability to listen would become one of his most valuable skills as a storyteller. Chekhovs YouthHis father, Paul Chekhov, grew up in an impoverished family. Antons grandfather was actually a serf in Czarist Russia, but through hard work and thriftiness, he purchased his familys freedom. Young Antons father became a self-employed grocer, but the business never prospered and eventually fell apart. Monetary woes dominated Chekhovs childhood. As a result, financial conflicts are prominent in his plays and fiction. Despite economic hardship, Chekhov was a talented student. In 1879, he left Taganrog to attend medical school in Moscow. At this time, he felt the pressure of being the head of the household. His father was no longer earning a living. Chekhov needed a way to make money without abandoning school. Writing stories provided a solution. He began writing humorous stories for local newspapers and journals. At first the stories paid very little. However, Chekhov was a quick and prolific humorist. By the time he was in his forth year of medical school, he had caught the attention of several editors. By 1883, his stories were earning him not only money but notoriety. Chekhovs Literary PurposeAs a writer, Chekhov did not subscribe to a particular religion or political affiliation. He wanted to satirize not preach. At the time, artists and scholars debated the purpose of literature. Some felt that literature should offer life instructions. Others felt that art should simply exist to please. For the most part, Chekhov agreed with the latter view. The artist must be, not the judge of his characters and of what they say, but merely a dispassionate observer. Anton Chekhov Chekhov the PlaywrightBecause of his fondness for dialogue, Chekhov felt drawn to the theatre. His early plays such as Ivanov and The Wood Demon artistically dissatisfied him. In 1895 he began working on a rather original theatrical project: The Seagull. It was a play that defied many of the traditional elements of common stage productions. It lacked plot and it focused on many interesting yet emotionally static characters. In 1896 The Seagull received a disastrous response on opening night. The audience actually booed during the first act. Fortunately, innovative directors Konstantin Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danechenko believed in Chekhovs work. Their new approach to drama invigorated audiences. The Moscow Art Theatre restaged The Seagull and created a triumphant crowd-pleaser. Soon after, the Moscow Art Theatre, led by Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danechenko, produced the rest of Chekhovs masterpieces: Uncle Vanya (1899) The Three Sisters (1900) The Cherry Orchard (1904) Chekhovs Love LifeThe Russian storyteller played with themes of romance and marriage, but throughout most of his life he did not take love seriously. He had occasional affairs, but he did not fall in love until he met Olga Knipper, an up-and-coming Russian actress. They were very discreetly married in 1901. Olga not only starred in Chekhovs plays, she also deeply understood them. More than anyone in Chekhovs circle, she interpreted the subtle meanings within the plays. For example, Stanislavski thought The Cherry Orchard was a tragedy of Russian life. Olga instead knew that Chekhov intended it to be a gay comedy, one that almost touched upon farce. Olga and Chekhov were kindred spirits, though they did not spend much time together. Their letters indicate that they were very affectionate to one another. Sadly, their marriage would not last very long, due to Chekhovs failing health. Chekhovs Final DaysAt the age of 24, Chekhov began showing signs of tuberculosis. He tried to ignore this condition; however by his early 30s his health had deterorated beyond denial. When The Cherry Orchard opened in 1904, tuberculosis had ravaged his lungs. His body was visibly weakened. Most of his friends and family knew the end was near. Opening night of The Cherry Orchard became a tribute filled with speeches and heartfelt thanks. It was their was of saying goodbye to Russias greatest playwright. On July 14th, 1904, Chekhov stayed up late working on yet another short story. After going to bed, he suddenly awoke and summoned a doctor. The physician could do nothing for him but offer a glass of champagne. Reportedly, his final words were, Its a long time since I drank champagne. Then, after drinking the beverage, he died Chekhovs LegacyDuring and after his lifetime, Anton Chekhov was adored throughout Russia. Aside from his beloved stories and plays, he is also remembered as a humanitarian and a philanthropist. While living in the country, he often attended to the medical needs of the local peasants. Also, he was renowned for sponsoring local writers and medical students. His literary work has been embraced throughout the world. While many playwrights create intense, life-or-death scenarios, Chekhovs plays offer everyday conversations. Readers cherish his extraordinary insight into the lives of the ordinary. ReferencesMalcolm, Janet, Reading Chekhov, a Critical Journey, Granta Publications, 2004 edition.Miles, Patrick (ed), Chekhov on the British Stage, Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Hurricane Etymology

Hurricane Etymology Unlike most words that Spanish and English share because of their shared history with Latin, hurricane came to English directly from Spanish, where it is currently spelled huracn. But Spanish explorers and conquerers first picked up the word from Taino, an Arawak language from the Caribbean. According to most authorities, the Taino word huracan meant simply storm, although some less reliable sources indicate that it also referred to a storm god or an evil spirit. This word was a natural one for the Spanish explorers and conquerors to pick up from the indigenous population, since winds as strong as the hurricanes of the Caribbean were an unusual weather phenomenon for them. Use of ‘Hurricane’ and Huracn The fact that the Spaniards introduced the word to the English language is the reason that our word hurricane generally refers to tropical cyclones that have their origin in the Caribbean or Atlantic. When the same type of storm has its origin in the Pacific, it is known as a typhoon (originally a Greek word), or  tifà ³n  in Spanish. There is a slight difference in the way the storms are categorized in the languages, however. In Spanish, a  tifà ³n  generally is considered to be a  huracn  that forms in the Pacific, while in English hurricane and typhoon are considered to be separate types of storms, even though the only difference is where they form. In both languages, the word can be used to refer figuratively to anything that is powerful and causes turmoil. In Spanish,  huracn  can also be used to refer to a particularly impetuous person. At the time the Spanish language adopted this word, the h was pronounced (it is silent now) and was sometimes used interchangeably with f. So the same word in Portuguese became furaco, and in the late 1500s the English word was sometimes spelled forcane. Numerous other spellings were used until the word was firmly established at the end of the 16th century; Shakespeare used the spelling of hurricano to refer to a waterspout. The word huracn is not capitalized  when referring to named storms. It is used as in this sentence: El huracn Ana trajo lluvias intensas. (Hurricane Ana brought heavy rains.) Other Spanish Weather Terms in English Hurricane isnt the only Spanish weather term that has found its way into English. The most common of them, tornado, is especially interesting because of the way the two languages played off each other. The Strange Story of ‘Tornado’ and Tornado Although English got its word tornado from Spanish, Spanish surprisingly got its word tornado from English. Thats because the Spanish word that English borrowed wasnt tornado but tronada, a word for a thunderstorm. As is common in etymology, words often change form when imported into another language. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the change of -ro- to -or- was influenced by the spelling of tornar, a Spanish verb meaning to turn. Although tornado in English originally referred to various types of whirlwinds or rotary storms, including hurricanes, in the United States the word eventually came to refer primarily to a type of funneled windstorm common in the U.S. Midwest. In modern Spanish, tornado, borrowed from English, can still refer to various kinds of storms and whirlwinds, including hurricanes. A windstorm on the scale of a tornado, or smaller such as a whirlwind, can also be called a torbellino. Derecho Another type of storm phenomenon is known as a derecho, a direct borrowing of the Spanish derecho, which can, confusingly to foreigners, mean either right (as an adjective) or straight. In this context, it is the second meaning that matters. A derecho refers to a cluster of thunderstorms that travels in a straight line and is capable of causing great destruction. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, Gustavus Hinrichs of the Iowa Weather Service started using the term in the late 1800s to avoid confusing a certain type of storm system with tornadoes. Key Takeaways The English word hurricane started out as an indigenous Caribbean terms that was adopted into Spanish and then spread to English via Spanish explorers and conquerors.Because the word hurricane came from the Caribbean, a different term is used for the same type of storm when occurring in the Pacific Ocean.The weather terms tornado and derecho also come from Spanish.