The Cherry Orchard is sometimes interpreted as ‘expressing grief for political and individual pasts that cannot be revisited’ Debate the view that this is a nostalgic play, with close reference to two or three extracts.
The Cherry Orchard is a play that is seen as complex with its themes of nostalgia and a family’s fall from eminence written by means of a humorous stance. Strong themes throughout the play are the past and the characters individual childhoods. It is symbolic of a golden age that was dying .This reflects the conflicts and social climate within Russia, at the time, with the struggle between modernity and the old Russia. In 1904 Russia was in a state of upheaval following the abolition of serf-dom and the Liberation in the late 19th century .
The play has a strong theme of nostalgia and childhood all throughout the scenes. All of the characters have to deal with issues within their childhood experiences. The feelings of nostalgia amongst the characters can be seen as their flaws. The characters of Ranevsky and Gayev are just two of the characters trying to converge into their childhood. In contrast some of the other characters ; Lopakin, Trofimov are focussed on the future. There are conflicting ideologies of childhood between the characters, it was good for some but not for others.
The Cherry Orchard is the story of Madam Ranevsky, a widow, and her family facing the sale of their estate to pay the family's debts. Ranevsky hides from her financial situation which includes ordering expensive food at restaurants, having a variety of servants and giving money to beggars, despite her financial difficulties. Her brother Gayev also refuses to see the seriousness of the money situation and digresses into his childhood to escape the reality. This can be seen as an attempt to try to hold on to that life of luxury and disassociate themselves from the reality of the problems.
The play starts with Ranevsky returning to her childhood home. The scene begins...