Research Article
The Sorrows and Evils under the Feudal Yoke — On the Character Images in "The Death of a Government Clerk"
Abstract
The famous short story The Death of a Government Clerk written by Chekhov has stood the test of time and gained lasting reputation and widespread popularity among readers across the world. With his incisive writing skills and delicate characterization, Chekhov gradually unfolds the complete plot in the text. The story tells a tragic tale of a low-ranking government clerk who sneezes accidentally in front of his superior, falls into deep panic, and eventually dies of excessive fright. It reflects the corruption of the bureaucratic system under feudal tsarist autocracy and the hardships of people at the bottom of society, thus bearing profound social significance.
Keywords: Anton Chekhov; The Death of a Government Clerk; feudal bureaucratic autocracy; the little man
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