Chekhov's stories often describe the intricate little moments of Russian life, focusing on a character's experience of an ordinary event and in doing so commenting on the character himself. Agafya is one of Chekhov's longest stories and is told from the point of view of a man who returns to his old village to spend a night with an old friend, Savka. Savka is handsome, but lazy and often entertains the women of the village in exchange for food or clothing. One of these women, Agafya, knew the narrator, who tries to warn her, before leaving them alone. Agafya stays all night and returns in the morning to her husband who clearly sees where she was. The story has elements of strangers, class in the countryside, the illusion of love and a sense of desperation. Throughout all of this Chekhov uses a gentle tone, in tune with all his characters, with different motifs and small symbols in telling these few hours. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As in many of Chekhov's stories, the characters are familiar, yet foreign. Although everyone in this story knows each other, they have not been in close contact for an unclear period of time. This level of unfamiliarity and unclear boundaries is evident. Although the narrator suggests that “I knew Agafya well” when they are left alone together, he only speaks “when it seemed awkward to say nothing.” Their conversation is brief, and there is almost remorse expressed by the narrator as he warns her that Jacob might "find out," and she brushes him off, though not confidently. She is clearly surprised to have been found in this situation, upon arrival "she was reeling, dropping a small bundle she was carrying and glancing at me." Without further discussion of what these two may have had in the past, Chekhov creates a sense of embarrassment, disappointment, and even defiant pride as Agafya remains despite her nerves and warnings. They are not strictly strangers, but they are no longer close. Elements of rich and poor, or class separation, are subtly acknowledged even if not commented on. The three main characters all experience different situations, for different reasons. Savka, the guardian, is “not worth a penny” despite his talent for hunting, his easy manners and his natural gift for relationships. He gets by with his "old man's position" and with the food they bring him, and despite the rough lifestyle, "that coarse, gray salt, those dirty and greasy focaccias, those eggs as hard as rubber: what flavor did they have? everyone". !” there is a sweetness in his freedom and he seems completely satisfied with his way of life, “smiling with pleasure” – he doesn't seem to mind “being known by all as a failure”. Agafya was “the switchboard operator's wife”, described as “a girl” – very young and who had married “a good and brave farmer”. His simple life, however, is not satisfying and to escape it he faces many hardships; to meet Savka "she waded at night into the river that had taken her breath away", fearing her husband's arrival she "wrung her hands impatiently", and "tried, in a few hours of happiness, to make up for the torture that was waiting." The narrator's class is not so clear... Agafya refers to him as "master", and he is a wise narrator of Savka and had clearly lived among these peasants before, but how or why he left is unclear. What is interesting are the class differences and what can be expected from people of these different classes. The relationships not only between these characters, but also between the other men and women in their lives seem to be the key point of this story. Savka with its charm attracts the country's wives, but;.