Of Chekhov’s portraits of the priesthood (there are not that many), this one might be the most “human,” for it shows different levels of faith, doubt, and seriousness within the church.
The story features three men of the cloth, each at a different tier in the hierarchy. At the high end is the district clerical superintendent; at the low, Father Anastasy, a poor village priest who has been stripped of his duties for a variety of infractions. In the middle is a deacon, who is wrestling with the question of whether, and how, to reprimand his son, who has abandoned the faith.
The superintendent wants to be left alone. Father Anastasy wants to be reinstated. And the deacon wants the superintendent to write a letter to his son explaining the error of his ways.
The differences between the three men are sketched economically (no surprise, that) and cleanly. Father Anastasy in particular is a brilliant creation – profane, needy, and unsophisticated. He recalls telling a gentleman that confidence in divine mercy is a sin, but admits that, when challenged, he couldn’t explain why that was the case. And then he has a chuckle about it.
The superintendent, too, is a fully human creation: At the opening of the story, he is pacing gravely in his office, apparently thinking deep thoughts. The deep thought is this: When will this visitor leave my office? But he does not take his duties lightly, and though he wants to be left alone he devotes time and attention to both the Deacon and Father Anastasy.
As for the Deacon’s son, Father Anastasy has a wise solution: Let the young man have his fun! What difference will it make?
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“The Letter” stands pretty much alone in it’s complex yet light portrayal of priests. Another story that has certain parallels to it is “A Nightmare,” which like “The Letter” offers up a very human, fallible priest.
A Chekhov Circus 