A beggar’s life seems to be changed by a bit of tough love. But there’s a twist.
The story, in slightly more detail: Lushkov, a beggar, is an inveterate liar, and makes the mistake of telling different lies to a local lawyer, Skvortsov. Outraged, Skvortsov requires the beggar to earn his handout, setting him to chopping wood. Amazingly enough, Lushkov does indeed go straight, making an honest living (working for a notary, whatever that might have meant in Russia back in the day).
But, in fact, the hard work that Skvortsov prescribed did not actually have the impact he thought: What turned Lushkov around was not hard work but sympathy. Skvortsov’s cook sheds tears for the poor beggar, and not only that, she chops the wood for him, day after day. This simple kindness is enough to help Lushkov to change.
I suppose if I were being generous I could argue that this is a rich, if very brief, investigation of the difference between charity and empathy, or between punishment and rehabilitation… but no, I’m not feeling that generous. It’s a little fable, a parable, and it’s not much of a story all told.
READ THIS? READ THAT!
Chekhov wrote any number of fable-like stories, and if these kinds of things are to your taste, you could do worse than reading “A Transgression,” the story of a man who inadvertently exposes the truth about himself to his wife.
A Chekhov Circus 