Yasha is one of the two young servants in the house, who has a different ideal and understanding of who he is. Yasha acts above his status by smoking cigars and drinking champagne, behaviour that he associates with the upper class. Being treated as a servant, Yasha has experienced inferiority but he refuses to accept it as part of his life. His desire to blend in with the family is expressed in actions that reflect the worst of the upper class. This insecurity makes him arrogant, unashamed and disrespectful. His constant dismissal of his mother saying, “She makes me lose patience with her,” suggests his loss of respect for the most important person in his life out of haughtiness. Even when asked by Varia if he is ashamed, he replies that “it’s quite unnecessary,” showing that his desire to become part of the upper class is so strong that he forgets his morals. When asked by Ania to check on Feers, not only did Yasha ask someone else to run the errand for him, but he was also offended, asking “need you ask ten times”. He fails to understand that, as a servant, it is his duty to do what he is told without question – he reacts to Ania in a way that is not expected of a servant. While Feers chooses to let Liubov decide his future, Yasha makes sure that he is safe, asking Liubov to “do me a favour and take me with you [to Paris]”. Yasha is unashamed to approach the mistress of the house for a favour, certainly acting out of his place when he does so. If Yasha had not done so, readers get the impression that he may have ended up like Feers, reiterating that servants have no identity of their own.
A similar character to Yasha is Dooniasha, who also has a different ideal of her position in the house as Feers. Like Yasha, Dooniasha acts above her status, constantly powdering her nose and speaking of her delicateness. Despite being reminded by Lopakhin to “remember your place”, she still mingles with the upper class, and even kisses Ania when she returns from France. This act of affection shows her desire to be an equal with the superior class. When she tells of her experiences and stories, she is also ignored by the upper class, showing how little attention she is being paid. To the upper class, Dooniasha is unimportant and insignificant, qualities which are evident in the way she is disregarded. Like Yasha, she tries to imitate the actions and behaviour of the upper class in the hope to blend in, showing her insecurity. Although she is not as arrogant as Yasha, she still considers herself a lady, acting “refined and sensitive”. Like Yasha, she associates this behaviour with the upper class, thus acting accordingly, though she may not actually be genuinely feeling those emotions. Being exposed to the conflicting love interests in the household, Dooniasha feels that she should also have a part in it. Her rejection of Yepihodov’s love for Yasha’s shows her lack of education and understanding of this particular aspect of life. She feels herself too superior to love someone who is of a higher station to her, but rather chooses to love someone who is of equal status, even ironically saying that Yasha is “educated …. [and] can reason about anything”. This act shows Dooniasha’s illogical tendencies and her ironic approach to being part of the upper class.
We can see that being in a new generation of servants, Yasha and Dooniasha act differently to Feers. In the play, we also get the view of the servant class from an intellectual, giving a wider perspective on their status in society. Trofimov can be seen as a character through which Chekhov injects personal views and opinions. Thus, through how Trofimov feels, we can make a parallel link to the playwright himself. Trofimov is openly against the existence of the servant class an feels passionately about the mannerism in which they are treated by those of a higher social status. Having owned serfs for many generations, the family, to Trofimov, “owned living souls”. The servants have sacrificed so much of their lives to the estate that they are “human beings gazing at you from every cherry tree in the orchard”. As a result, Trofimov feels the family is “living in debt, at other people’s expense”. The servant class, to an intellectual, is the most unfairly treated class as they do not receive the respect and appreciation they should be getting despite their service. Being “people you don’t admit further than the kitchen” demonstrates the servants’ lowly status as well as the poor treatment they receive. This attitude that is shown to the servants shows their insignificance and inferiority, suggesting their lack of identity. From these views of Trofimov, Chekhov is offered an opportunity to express his notion of this social class.
Chekhov’s portrayal of the servant class suggests that their members have had their identity destroyed. Feers, Yasha and Dooniasha are not taken seriously by those of the upper class and this is shown through the ungrateful treatment they receive. Through their personalities and individual goals in life, the servants are seen to not have a definite destination in their lives. This sense of powerlessness and the dependence on their masters to dictate, in a way, their future is the social criticism that Chekhov has for the servant class. The difference in which Feers, a symbol of the past, and Yasha and Dooniasha, symbols of the present, are treated shows a step towards freedom for the serfs. However, while the servant class existed in society, Chekhov’s critique suggests a class that relied on others for their own lives.
Chekhov: The Cherry Orchard
