Anton Chekhov, a name synonymous with Russian literary brilliance, often brings to mind iconic plays and short stories. Students delve into “The Cherry Orchard” and “The Seagull,” analyzing his dramatic genius and contributions to the literary world. However, lurking beneath the celebrated playwright is another profession that profoundly shaped his art: medicine. While his literary fame soared by 1886, the “Chekhov Doctor” aspect of his life, his actual practice and how it intertwined with his writing, offers a fascinating layer to understanding his work.
Chekhov dedicated a significant portion of his life to medicine. He practiced for much of his writing career, only officially retiring in 1889. Yet, even after retirement, his commitment to healing persisted. He provided free medical care in Melikhovo and actively engaged in public health initiatives. This deep immersion in the world of medicine wasn’t a separate chapter of his life; it was intrinsically linked to his literature. Famously, Chekhov declared, “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature my mistress.” This quote encapsulates the integral role medicine played, not just as a profession, but as a lens through which he viewed and wrote about the human condition.
His literary works are teeming with medical insights. The claim that he created over a hundred physician characters is a testament to his fascination with exploring the medical profession through storytelling. These weren’t mere stock characters; Chekhov’s doctors are diverse, each with unique personalities and approaches to medicine. From the pompous and narcissistic to the genuinely devout healers, his characters are vivid portrayals of the medical world. Furthermore, his medical expertise allowed him to depict illnesses with striking realism. He wrote with chilling accuracy about tuberculosis in “Late Blooming Flowers” and typhus in “Typhus,” among other medically charged narratives. His unflinching descriptions, often laced with reflections on the ethical and emotional toll of medical practice, led him to pen poignant observations, such as:
“People who have an official, professional relation to other men’s sufferings, for instance—judges, police officers, doctors—in course of time, grow so callous, that they cannot, even if they wish it, take any but a formal attitude to their clients, in this respect they are not different from the peasant who slaughters sheep and calves in the backyard, and does not notice the blood” – Anton Chekhov in Ward No. 6.
This stark quote from “Ward No. 6” reveals Chekhov’s profound understanding of the psychological defenses that those in caring professions might develop. Chekhov’s storytelling, a gift perhaps inherited from his mother, Yevgeniya, remains powerful and relevant even today. His works, though depicting medicine from a bygone era, are invaluable for physicians and anyone interested in the intersection of medicine and humanity. They offer timeless reflections on empathy, professional detachment, and the complexities of the human experience.
Sources:
Chekhov, A. P. (2002). Ward No. 6 and other stories, 1892-1895. London ; New York: Penguin.
Coulehan, J. (2003). Chekhov’s doctors: a collection of Chekhov’s medical tales. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press.
Teuber, A. (n.d.). Anton Chekhov Biography. Retrieved June 24, 2014, from http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/chekhovbio.html#Biography%20Part%20I
