Essay Questions

Are there any biographical elements present in the play?

Some literary historians argued that some of the characters and elements in the play are biographical, the characters of Rakitin and Natalya being literary representations of the author, Ivan Turgenev, and a woman he once knew named Pauline. It is believed Ivan Turgenev was in love all his life with a woman named Pauline who was married to an older man with whom Turgenev had a close relationship. While there are no clear proof of a possible sexual relationship between Pauline and Turgenev, the author frequently moved throughout his life to be closer to Natalia and her husband, thus proving his attraction for the woman. Many see the play as the way through which Turgenev admitted his feelings for Pauline and expressed his love for her even though she was a married woman.

Why are the characters obsessed with the idea of freedom?

Apart from being a realistic play, A Month in the Country is also seen as being a political one. The obsession with freedom the characters have can be seen in this context as the author criticizing the political and social context of the time. During the 17th century in Russia, freedom in the real sense was almost non-existent. Writers were forced to compose novels, poems and plays in such a way as to flatter the ruling class and every criticism addressed towards the rich could mean death or a lengthy sentence in a work camp. The writers from those times came up with ingenious ways to criticize the society and rich but it often took the form of subtle irony as it is present in this play as well. Still, many desired the freedom to criticize the clergy and the rich directly and because of this, the idea of absolute freedom is a common fixture in many of the writings from the time.

How can the play be characterized from a literary genre perspective?

The play is generally regarded as being a realist play, this being the way in which is it referred to even though it is also a political play. Realism was the main literary genre employed by writers during the time when the play was written and the authors went to great lengths to try and keep their writings as close to reality as possible. Often, the events presents were inspired by real-life events that took place either at the time of the writing or in the past. The people and circumstances are also life-like and this is one one of the main reasons why sometimes it is hard to distinguish between the protagonist and antagonist because the characters are extremely complex and well rounded.