Good-bye

The final act of The Cherry Orchard has a feeling of sadness, or what appears to be sadness. The characters are all leaving the cherry orchard, and Chekhov presents this moment as one when they all say their good-byes, “The peasants have come to say good-bye” (367).

You can see that the characters are reacting to the idea of leaving in different ways. Some of them, Lyubov Andreyeneva, is trying to give money to the peasants, so they can survive without the cherry orchard which was really what was keeping them alive economically. Others say their good-byes by admitting their affection for each other like Lopakhin and Trofimov. “Well, when all said and done, I’m fond of you anyway… you have a fine delicate soul” (369).

Just like it happens to us, when we experience special things for a long period of time with some people it is hard to say good-bye, or just the idea of leaving is hard. This is what Chekhov is showing us. Even with their social difference, some being poor and others not, their life has been shared, and no matter their social status, they all care for each other and it’s hard to leave.