One characteristic of Chekhov's fiction is the Chekhovian Moment, the "Aha" moment when, metaphorically speaking, a light bulb comes on above a character's head and he/she recognizes an essential truth. After reading and re-reading Rothschild's Fiddle, make a decision about what you think the Chekhovian Moment is and discuss it with your colleagues.
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I think that his Chekovian moment is when he realizes that man's life is debit, his death credit. I think that this is where he solidifies his final view on life. And how monetary profits on Earth don't really matter. Any thoughts?
I am going to disagree with Harish. I believe that the Checkhovian moment comes on the second paragraph on the third page. Superficially, this is the paragraph where he realizes he's been cruel and unkind to his loving wife for all these years. But the deeper lesson he learns, though it's not mentioned, is that people can be unnecessarily cruel.
This is the fundamental realization of Jacob, unlike Harish's “death is credit.” In the end of the story Jacob gives his fiddle to Rothschild rather than Jacob lie in his own coffin and merrily use his abacus as he waits to die.
Connor, I think I was trying to get at the same idea as you from a different direction. When I mentioned the death is credit quote I did not mean it was important because it told us anything about his life as someone who always counted money, I thought instead that he realized that his time on Earth and especially his material possessions during that time were insignificant compared to the grand scheme of things and so he started valuing things like feelings and his wife. I thought that was the moment he really realized that he was as you say unnecessarily cruel and that he should do what he can to make his life happier and better others' life as well in his short time on Earth. The line I chose is surrounded by things about how he will lie in his coffin for 1,000s of years and never matter, so he should matter to other people while he was still on Earth. I might have misphrased my previous thing, or you might have misunderstood but I got the same meaning out of it as you, in that he realized that he was, and should not be unnecessarily cruel. I disagree on the moment because that is when he realized how wasteful his life has been, not monetarily but in a very human way. That, I think is why his last song is so full of mournfulness (I can't believe that's actually a word!) and his feelings towards his own life. I think that the paragraph you chose is exactly what you called it, superficial. The deeper understanding you talk about, I sensed it at that point that I mentioned earlier.
I fond this version better translated: http://www.online-literature.com/anton_chekhov/1272/
but, the other one still gets the message across...
I think there is a progression of revelations. But he only realizes them by suffering, "suffering into truth" as Aeschylus calls it. Death begins to cast a shadow upon his wife, and so Jacob, or Yakov as my version calls him, feels the limit of time creeping upon the state of existence he had known for all his life. It's kind of like how never really appreciate the fantastic things in life until their gone, and so through the doctor he can sense his wife is doomed.
Then on his stroll by the river, his supreme suffering progresses his thoughts to a Truth concluding with "Why are people generally such a nuicanse to eachother? After all, it's such a waste of money, a terrible waste it is. Without the hate and malice folks could get a lot of profit out of eachother"
And so a poor serf in the heart of mother Russia discovers a fundamental problem with modern society. The problem fits in nicely to correlate with Chechov's subtle discussion on the archaic oppression of Jews.
my quote is at the beginning of the last page. FYI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First off, this story made me cry.
Second, I like both of your ideas. The eternal wealth of death was a really neat thought, but depressing to think a man thought of that. The fact that he gave his fiddle to Rothschild shows that he's more loving than when he started, too
A side question: On the last page when Jacob is talking to the priest and the priest asks if he remembered committing any sin, he remembers his wife's face and the Jew. After that he says ""Give my fiddle to Rothschild"" I don't know if this is an Aha moment, but why did he do that? Why wasn't he more sad about his wife?
I think the Aha moment is the on eline paragraph near the end of the 3rd page. "how old it had grown, poor thing." This is an aha moment because before this he didn't think or remember or reflect on things with any emotion. The paragraph right after that says: "He sat beneath it and began remembering."
By looking at that willow tree where his son and wife had been, Jacob saw his ignored past. Saying "How old it had grown, poor thing" is also a description of himself. I think this is the moment when he finally realizes he's alone and begins to lament his life.
Natalie, as a response to your question, I think that he said "give my fiddle to Rothschild" because at this point Rothschild was the only person who had witnessed Jacob's revelation in character and thought. He was the only one who had seen the transformed Jacob after he discovered his essential truth. Just throwing that idea out there.
As for the "aha" moment, I would have to agree with Natalie. When he "began remembering," he realized that he took his wife for granted and didn't show her the love she deserved. He then realizes that this revelation about his wife can be applied to everyone he has encountered: Rothschild, Moses Shakhkes, the doctor, and others. He became overcome with dismay thinking about his life and how he had lived it for the past 50 years as he "began remembering."
I am very PRIDEful of my grammatical errors.
First off, I really liked this story. Maybe it's because I play the violin and it connected with me; I really don't know. But the overall theme of the story is one that can be applied to many situations. I think that Jacob Ivanov learns about the importance of being kind, and the themes of loss and human relationship.
I think that there are multiple moments that could be described as the Chekhovian moment. What Harish explained could be one. What Connor explained could also be one.
I, however, have to agree with Natalie on the "aha" moment. I think that the description of the willow tree is a moment of realization for Ivanov. He is finally able to understand his life, and how he is alone for the first time. All the other moments in the story lead up to this moment, as he begins to realize his new life. The realization is not complete until he connects the willow tree with his past though.
Natalie, I was also confused by that line at the end. I think that it might be that Ivanov realized that he had be unintentionally cruel to his wife in the past. On the first page, Chekhov also talks about how Ivanov also became "obsessed by hatred and contempt for Jews," simply because of the playing style of Rothschild. Because of this, he started to pick and swear at Rothschild. His wife had already passed away by the end of the story, so he could not do anything to remedy that situation (give her love, be affectionate). However, he is still able to improve his relationship with Rothschild, so by giving the fiddle, he may be attempting to do this.
I think that there is also another aspect to the fiddle though. At the beginning of the story, we learned that Ivanov did not have the opportunity to play his violin in the band often. Most times, he was only a replacement for another musician. At the end of the story, Rothschild conveys to Ivanov that there is a rich opportunity for him to play with the band, one that would have great monetary benefits. I think that the prospect of this monetary award presented by Rothschild coupled along with Ivanov's realization of his past mistakes with his wife are the reasons as to why he gave the fiddle to Rothschild.
I would have to agree with Natalie and all the others about the Chekhovian moment. I believe Jacob realizes an essential truth when he comes across the old willow tree. "How old it had grown, poor thing." As Natalie said, this is a reflection of Jacob on himself. This introspective point of view lets the reader know that Jacob realizes his pathetic state. As Jacob seats beneath the tree, he begins to remember, and his mind wanders to the infinite possibilities that, not only this tree, but the river beside it could have offered him.
This passage has the most positive and enlightening descriptions than any other part of the story. As Erik pointed out, there is a progression of revelations that Jacob travels through. At this moment when he is under the willow tree, he reminisces on the past. He ponders his losses, and the gains he could have benefited, but he also shapes his ideals for the future. After all his thinking Jacob comes to the conclusion that "without the hate and malice folks could get a lot of profit out of each other." Jacob shows this through his actions when he gives Rothschild, a man he hated and despised previously, his most cherished possession, his fiddle.
I didn't much like this story as much as others we have read in class. It was depressing and I didn't really connect to it. :(
I think Connor's idea of the "aha" moment is probable, but I have to agree with Natalie that the turning point in Jacob's life is when he ponders the past he had with the willow tree. He has not only realized how cruel he has treated his wife at this point, but also how he has treated Rothschild and others, as Alex stated. Like Niloy said, he finally understands his life and in a way, asks for forgiveness by giving Rothschild his flute.
I think this is a mini-story filled with multiple "Aha!" moments. Essentially, I believe this whole story to be a sort of epiphany--one being experienced, one being lived by Jacob as he comes to understand the the true nature of his vile, disrespectuful ways towards his disease-stricken wife who lies on her deathbed.
The first one I thought (and i'm not sure it is one, it just struck me during my read) was the second sentence in the very last paragraph on the first page. It is at this moment when he finally realizes how horribly he's treated his wife after all these years.
"It vaguely occured to Jacob that for some reason he had never shown her any affection all his life. Never had he been kind to her... All he had done was yell at her, blame her for his losses..."
Throughout his life he complains of all the things he's lost, of all the "time wasted." And all he does is continue to count his losses, never really changing his actions--ones that could perhaps change his losses into gains; perhaps, he could even turn them into earnings.
I also feel, like many other of my fellow bloggers, that he has an "Aha!" moment as he walks back from the cemetary, after burying his wife, all the while only concerned about the fact it "didn't cost much or hurt anyone's feelings."
But I also feel--like Erik--he has his major revelation as he sits by the river, where he gazes upon the "green, quiet, sad willow tree" Martha spoke of and visualizes the sweet face of his deceased child... He's Remembering--pondering.
"WHY do people always do the wrong things? WHAT had Jacob spent all his life cursing, bellowing, threatening people with his fists... WHY are people generally such a nuisance to each other?" But even now, he quickly sprints back to his steadfast ways concerned with waste and loss. "...It's all such a waste of money, a terrible waste it is."
Finally, Jacob realizes he has made mistakes in his life and simply wonders why people always end up doing the wrong things. He feels remorse, and regret, and as the tone seems to provide: anger as he hurls these questions at the universe. He feels wrong in many ways, not only for the way in which he's treated his wife, but others, including Rothschild, the flute player. He feels as if he has led an awful, almost sinful life. I think this is why Jacob tells the priest to deliver his cherished violin--a tool he used to comfort his soul--to Rothschild: a form of repent.
I want to think that deep down he genuinely cared for his wife... after all he did take her to the doctor, where he almost demanded they provide a cure or something more substantial than a useless powder.
I don't know, what does everyone else think. Do you think he truly loved his wife? Do you think he truly loved/cared for anyone throughout his life...or just in his final hours when he suddenly became empathetic to the human condition?
I think Jacob always saw what he did not have. His greed turned into hatred, which was one of the reasons why he discriminated against Rothschild. Rothschild possessed the music ability and sincerity that Jacob craved.
However, once Jacob's wife dies, he realizes all the things he took for granted. She cared and nurtured him like a child and he only noticed her like a dog or cat. His conscience eventually haunts his corrupted soul and he cannot help feeling remorse. Giving one of his most valuable items, a flute, to the person who he once discriminated against shows his willingness to seek forgiveness.
Nick, I'm wondering the same thing about how he felt about his wife. I think it's sort of like the "you don't realize how good something is until it's gone" thing. Not that he necessarily had that epiphany that he had an amazing wife, but I mean every day, she still got up and worked, regardless of how she was feeling. She always did her share without a single complaint, even though he was rude and abusive. I'm not sure why she stuck around...
But I agree with Natalie and everyone else, about the "aha" moment. Once he starts remembering things, he realizes how much he missed out. It's heartbreaking that he didn't remember his daughter... And then he begins to list all the "what could have been..." and he begins to regret the decisions and the way he lived his life. I think that's the moment he recognizes an essential truth. He realizes he's been living his life glass half-empty, than half-full.
...so many cliches. I'm sorry. hahaha
I'm caught up in two "moments". The first is Jacob thinking about his wife then the second about life debt. I honestly say I agree to both because there can be more than one "moment". The one I do hold faster onto is life debt.
"Death is a Debt to Nature Due
Which I have Paid
And So Must You"~ epitaph
Only because it has a wider range of possibilities in meanings rather than saying "Your a terrible husband and make Peter Griffin look good."
Maybe Jacob needs money to fill the hole of his dead daughter.
I agree with what most have been saying so far about the Chekhovian moment being in the part where he sees the willow trees and stuff. However, I have to add that, I can see the “aha” moment more vividly after he gets back from the hospital and he plays his fiddle. For me, it struck me more as an “aha” moment than what a lot of you guys have been saying. Jacob does think about life and why things the way they are but at the same he “didn’t mind dying”. The part where he saw his fiddle “his heart missed a bet and he felt sorry”, and in that moment it was first mention that he cried. He didn’t really cry when his wife died, he just had remorse. And when he knew that he way dying and saw the only precious thing that has any value to him and the only outlet he has out of his terrible life, he realized he can’t take that bit of happiness he had in his lifetime with him to his grave. I think he already knew how miserable his life was and how bad he treated people and I think he did feel remorse but he didn’t just realized it just then because he’s known it his whole life. I think what he really realized, through the small bit of happiness, his fiddle, is how much he wasted his life with negativity, anger, hatred, etc.
I liked this story because I was engaged the whole time waiting to find out what happens next. The whole time I was reading it I was hoping that things will change for him, that he’ll get better financially, and/or that his attitude about life would change but it was completely the opposite of what I hoped for. It was sad but that’s how life is for some people, it’s not always a happy ending. I liked it a lot, but it was just heartbreaking to see how his life ended.
I agree with Nick that in a lot of ways there are many Chekovian moments in this story, but overall I agree with everyone else that the biggest one is when he looks at the willow tree. Going way back to the first day of AP Lit, I think the major flaw in Jacob's life is his lack of introspection. "The unexamined life is not worth living", says Socrates, and I think it really applies to Jacob. He looks at the willow tree and finally sees in it many of his own negative personality traits.
When originally thinking about the Chekovian moment in this story I thought of when he first realizes that he hasn't exactly been the best husband. However, by looking at the way it's worded "It vaguely occurred to Jacob", we can see that this is no major revelation, just a "vague occurrence" to Jacob. As time goes on he realizes how his mistreatment of his wife relates to the rest of his life, but in the moment it still doesn't affect him that greatly.
True that Natalie. The story made me want to cry! It was so profound!!!
As I was reading the story, I found two "Aha" moments that are intertwined with one another. I think his first revelation was when he noticed that his wife "looked happy, as if she could actually see her savior Death." From that point, he begins acknowledging how unkind he had been to his wife and "knew why she looked so strangely joyous, chills went through him." The chills that went through him give us a clue that he was starting to understand that something was wrong with him and his life.
This realization prepares him to encounter a bigger "Aha" moment after he buries his wife. Like Alex, Natalie, Niloy, and others said, his big "Aha" moment was when he sits beneath the willow and starts to remember the past. Right then, he begins feeling truly remorseful for the way he treated his wife and acquaintances. He also realizes how pointless it was to insult and poorly treat people. But more profoundly, he realizes that he had lived a pointless and wasted life. He had not lived his life to the fullest, and that struck him deeply.
As a symbol of his change, Jacob gives Rothschild a fiddle, a prized possession that was important to his life. I think he gave the fiddle to Rothschild in order to die knowing that he did something good and kind. He wanted his life to have some purpose and he saw that giving the fiddle to him would help achieve that.
P.S Erik, I noticed you changed your name to "Peasant slave of Denmark." That's silly!
I have to agree with Natalie about the "aha" moment. When Jacob looks at the willow tree he realizes everything that he has lost. "Life has flowed past without profit, without enjoyment - gone aimlessly, leaving nothing to show for it." This is when Jacob realizes all the relationships that he lost. Jacob regrets not caring for his wife and son, and I guess taking them for granted.
The fiddle does have another aspect. When Jacob gave the fiddle to Rothschild I think he gave it for redemption from his failed relationship with his son and wife. Because this was a big opportunity for Jacob.
This story sort of reminded me of the scrooge from A Christmas Carol and how the only thing he cared about was money, I thought that this story was more depressing. I agree with Nick saying that there are more than one "aha" moments in the story. Also, the three ghosts of Christmas can be related to the "aha" moments that Jacob has. The first realization that Jacob has isn't as truth revealing as the others but as he has more of those moments, his understanding and affection for other people grows.
In the beginning, like how Niloy mentioned, Jacob only did the violin job for the money, but at the end as Rothschild invites him to play at a wedding, Jacob reject the offer but feels sad that he couldn't play. I think that this is the final "aha" moment for Jacob. He finally finds something he wants to do, not just for the money.
I didn't get a copy... :'(
Sharon, i think Erik posted a link for the story online. Here it is again:
http://www.online-literature.com/anton_chekhov/1272/
In the beginning of this story Jacob stuck me as a man of no feelings, especially when he “waited impatiently for [the police superintendent] to die just to benefit his own business. I seems as if every person who does not die is a loss for him. It wasn’t until the death of Martha did he find the sympathetic side of him. He realizes that “all he had done was yell at her, blame her for his “losses,” threaten to punch her.” There is another Chekhovian Moment during Martha’s funeral. “Various thoughts began to prey on his mind” and he remembers the sufferings that he has brought to her.
At first i totally agreed with what some concluded, that as Jacob was walking back to the cemetery he had his Ahaha moment, yet after I skimmed through this again I don't believe that's true. When jacob has his aha moment, he finally realizes that the life he has been living is not one that he would like to continue with. After such a hardcore aha moment, I would assume that Jacob would make revisions about how he acts towards people. The way he treats Rothschild after coming back from the cemetery leads me to believe that he has not experienced the aha yet, because he is still an ill-tempered crank towards this man. So because of his lack of change I think that Jacob's aha moment was under the willow. We see in the text that follows he acts much different towards Rothshild.... as in not violently angry. But then again when Jacob says 'can't be done' maybe he means he physically cannot hit Rothschild because of the illnes.... I'm not quite sure.
Did anyone find it odd that, dispite being the parents of this fair-haired child, they couldn't remember the little girl's name?
Also, did anyone catch a lot of referances to children? The children's coffins, the woman at the hospital brings a boy, St. Nicholas's Day (a.k.a.SANTA/patron saint of kids), and how the violin would be 'orphaned' once he died?
I think that 'aha' moment is when he had to turn down the offer of playing at the woman's wedding because he's dying. I mean, prior to that, he has a huge revelation about he could of treated his wife and how the world he knew has been wasted, but he's still thinking along the lines of profit. He doesn't really see the complete picture. When he finally cries at the end, I think the entirety of it all finally hits him. He see what he has really wasted in life, and it isn't money.
Although I'm quite sure that there are many possible moments you could argue for being an "Aha" moment, there is only one true "Aha" moment. You could bend and turn your definition of the moment, and extrapolate fire beyond the boundaries of reason to fit very many different situations as this moment, as I'm sure many other people have done: although this is with nearly all good reason because pushing our ideas, that may be a bit, or extremely, obsurd even, is really a key to new discovery and certainly self enlightnment and realization, but that's slightly beyond the point. Most of this story is merely that, a story. Consisting of dialogue, movement, description, and whatever else it takes to convey a situation to the reader. But, near the end of the third page, the Protangonist Jacob, or Yakov in some versions, sits down on a river bank by himself, and reflects on his life for nearly half of a page consisting of deep inner thought full of rhetorical questions with and without answers resulting in a final conclusions. This seems, to me at least, to be a dead give away and the answer to the questions we seek. Jacob says to himself, "Without the hate and malice folks could get a lot of profit out of each other." This seems like that moral of the story that the protangonist would arrive at through trials and tribulations and self reflection and contemplation, a sort of "Aha!" moment where he realizes what he's been doing wrong. This moment is really the pivotal point in the story, and an obvious place for a self realization of an essential truth. Many other of my bright colleagues may have surely brought this point up, but I honestly did not read them all, so forgive me for any amount of repitition, which I would assume is large.
The story hear was short and simple, but there was a profound meaning to it. Yakov's growth throughout the story was a clear example of personal redemption.
His contempt and condescending nature both find their source in his "losses." The loss of good working days, the loss of bank interest... Soon these losses start intensifying from the loss of his wife until finally he approaches the loss of his life. As he contemplates and thinks about his follies, waiting for his death, he gets his epiphany, the chekhovian moment.
His depressions compels him to contemplate his life. By the river, in his introspection, he looks at his life objectively, and from a new perspective: "he had never once been down to the river during the last forty or fifty years of his life, or, if he had been there, why he had never paid any attention to it." This is where he gets his chance for personal redemption. He asks himself for forgiveness. He gives the fiddle to Rothschild.
I thought the fiddle was very symbolic. He plays the fiddle at the orchestra, but it is also a tool for him to relinquish his sorrow; almost like a window into his soul. "The thought of his losses worried [him] at night more than at any other time, so he used to lay his fiddle at his side on the bed, and when those worries came trooping into his brain he would touch the strings, and the fiddle would give out a sound in the darkness, and Yakov's heart would feel lighter."
After he dies and Rothschild gets the fiddle, Rothschild's music absorbs the sorrow from the flute so much that when "he tries to repeat what Yakov played as he [sits]on the threshold of his hut, the result is an air so plaintive and sad that everyone who hears him weeps."
After reading the story once, I think that as far as Mrs. Minor's question goes, the chekhovian moment is when he first admits that he has been unkind and loving to his wife for so long. His cruelty hits him upside the head. So I agree with Connor Smith on this one.
Harish, i think has a point though. In fact, I agree with it completely, but I'm not sure that although that part of the story is so profoundly important, it is the Chekhovian Moment.
The eternal wealth of death idea is very interesting. And I think Neel's post about this being a story of redemption is very accurate.
I didn't like this story much. I'll read it a couple more times in euro and see if i missed something.
It's hard to argue exactly which moment in the story is he Chekovian moment, and there have been several good opinions of which moment this is. I think most of us can agree though that the essential truth he realizes is that people can be horribly cruel and selfish, as he had been his whole life. I think he realizes this as his wife is dying, and he thinks about how he never respected her, or loved her as she should.
I feel like he kind of redeemed himself when he gave his fiddle away, because it was his sole possesion he valued.
I think it was touching how Rothschild, for many years, tried to imitate the song played by jacob in his final hours. Yet no matter how rothschild tries, he is unable to express the emotion that Jacob did. I think this shows how much Jacob regretted his choices in life, and the way he treated himself and others.
Thanks Niloy!! :]
Alex--- I think you're right about the reason why he gave the fiddle to Rothschild. He was the only person who really got to see this side of Yakov (Jacob, I assume. I read the online version.) I thought that moment was really depressing to think that no one, not even his wife, ever saw him being emotional. But I thought it was nice that Jacob had someone who was kind of there for him. Even if it was just to listen and cry with him. If Rothschild had never come by, who knows what Jacob would have done with his fiddle. He wouldn't have had anyone to pass it onto.
I also noticed the change in Jacob definitely happened when he said, "Why was he walking with no reason on the grazing ground? Why do people always do what isn't needful? Why had Yakov all his life scolded, bellowed, shaken his fists, ill-treated his wife, and, one might ask, what necessity was there for him to frighten and insult the Jew that day? Why did people in general hinder each other from living? What losses were due to it! what terrible losses! If it were not for hatred and malice people would get immense benefit from one another."
I really liked that moment in the story. You can see a big change in his character and thought process, and after that moment, you can also see that his perspective on people changed too. When Rothschild approaches him afterward, you know that Jacob is not going yell at him and scare him off the way he did before. It is definitely the aha moment because this is the moment when he really rethinks the way he was living his life. His feelings of loss and resentment are really apparent.
Overall I really liked this story, even though it was a little depressing. I can relate to him in a way.
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