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UNIT – 1The Beggar – Anton Chekhov Q1) What is the summary of the story ‘The Beggar’?A1) ‘The Beggar’ was written by Anton Chekhov which is the story of a poor alcoholic beggar named Lushkoff and an advocate named Sergie. The advocate finds Lushkoff begging on the roads as he was unable to find any work and the prosperous advocate provides the work to the poor beggar so that he come out of his miserable life and live a respectable life. But in the end he discovers that he was not the actual benefactor, but his ill-tempered cook, Olga. Q2) What is the analysis of the prose ‘The Beggar’?A2) Sergie was a prosperous advocate. One day he met a beggar named Lushkoff who was wearing a fawn-coloured tattered overcoat. He had dull, drunken eyes and had red spot on either cheek.The beggar pleads to the advocate that he is hungry from last three days. He claims that had been a village school teacher for eight years but he lost his job as he fell into some conspiracy. Since then, he has no money and he is forced to beg. The beggar further explains that he has been offered a position in the province of Kaluga but to take it up, he needs money. Sergei observes the beggar’s overshoes: one is higher than the other. He suddenly recalls where he had seen the beggar before. He tells the beggar that two days back, he had met him in Sadovya Street but the beggar had told that he had been a student who had been expelled. He became angry with the beggar for lying him shamelessly. When he threatens to call the police and have him arrested for trying to cheat people, at this the beggar breaks down and confesses that he used to be part of a Russian choir and had been expelled for drunkenness. He says he has no choice but to lie as no one will help him if he tells them the truth.Sergie told him that he must work to earn a living. But the beggar tells him that he was willing to work but no one offered him any work to do. He asks the beggar if he would like to chop wood for him. The beggar accepts. Sergei takes the beggar home and tells his cook, Olga, to take him to the woodshed. Lushkoff follows Olga unwillingly. It becomes apparent that he accepted this work only out of pride and shame and not because he wanted to work. The beggar has become frail because of his drinking habit and does not have the slightest will to do hard work.Sergei observes Olga and the beggar from the window in the dining room. He sees them making their way through the snow to the woodshed. Olga does not seem to take kindly to the beggar upon reaching the shed. She opened the door of the woodshed. She flung an axe down at his feet. He lifted the axe and hit a piece of wood. It was a feeble effort. Sergei was sorry to have made the manual work to do from the drunkard beggar who was not fit for that work. He came back to his senses now. After an hour Olga came in. She told Sergei that Lushkoff had chopped the wood. Sergei was pleased. He gave her half a rouble for Lushkoff. He said that if Lushkoff desired he could come to chop wood on the first of every month. Lushkoff came to chop wood regularly on the first of every month. He was always given work and he earned a little money every time.When Sergei moved into another house, he asked Lushkoff to help him in packing and hauling the furniture but he could hardly do anything. He walked behind the wagons hanging his head. But Sergei believed that the beggar had done his job well. He gave Lushkoff a rouble. Lushkoff knew how to read and write. Sergei gave him a letter and asked Lushkoff to go to a friend who would give him some copying work to do. Lushkoff went away. He never came back again. Two years passed. One evening Sergei saw Lushkoff at the ticket window of a theatre. He was well dressed. He was buying a ticket. He told Sergei that he was a notary and got thirty-five roubles a month.Sergei was happy because he had been able to bring a depraved beggar on the right path. Lushkoff thanked him for his kindness because he had pulled him out of a sinking pit. But he said that the true credit for changing him goes to Olga because he had never chopped a single piece of wood. Olga chopped the wood for him and gave him the money. She would chide him. She would tell him that he would go to hell. There was no hope for him. She wept for him. She suffered for him. Her words, her sacrifice and her suffering for him had an inexplicable influence on him. He began to change. He stopped drinking. He was grateful to her. He could never forget her. Q3) Describe the character Lushkoff.A3) There was a beggar named Lushkoff who was wearing a fawn-coloured tattered overcoat. He had dull, drunken eyes and had red spot on either cheek. The beggar pleads to the advocate that he is hungry from last three days. He claims that had been a village school teacher for eight years but he lost his job as he fell into some conspiracy. Since then, he has no money and he is forced to beg. The beggar further explains that he has been offered a position in the province of Kaluga but to take it up, he needs money. Sergei observes the beggar’s overshoes: one is higher than the other. He suddenly recalls where he had seen the beggar before. He tells the beggar that two days back, he had met him in Sadovya Street but the beggar had told that he had been a student who had been expelled. He became angry with the beggar for lying him shamelessly. The beggar when reprimanded confesses that he used to be part of a Russian choir and had been expelled for drunkenness. He says he has no choice but to lie as no one will help him if he tells them the truth. Sergie offers him work and he accepts. It becomes apparent that he accepted this work only out of pride and shame and not because he wanted to work. The beggar has become frail because of his drinking habit and does not have the slightest will to do hard work. He lifted the axe and hit a piece of wood. It was a feeble effort. Sergei was sorry to have made the manual work to do from the drunkard beggar who was not fit for that work. He came back to his senses now. Lushkoff knew how to read and write. Sergei gave him a letter and asked Lushkoff to go to a friend who would give him some copying work to do. Lushkoff went away. He never came back again. Two years passed. One evening Sergei saw Lushkoff at the ticket window of a theatre. He was well dressed. He was buying a ticket. He told Sergei that he was a notary and got thirty-five roubles a month. Sergei was happy because he had been able to bring a depraved beggar on the right path. Lushkoff thanked him for his kindness because he had pulled him out of a sinking pit. But he said that the true credit for changing him goes to Olga because he had never chopped a single piece of wood. Olga chopped the wood for him and gave him the money. She would chide him. She would tell him that he would go to hell. There was no hope for him. She wept for him. She suffered for him. Her words, her sacrifice and her suffering for him had an inexplicable influence on him. He began to change. He stopped drinking. He was grateful to her. He could never forget her.
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