It’s notable that Astrov’s speech offers hope for future generations, but not for Voynitsky or even Astrov himself. While Voynitsky is obsessively fixated on his own suffering in the present moment, Astrov looks to the future as usual, thinking of others more than himself. Once more, the play contrasts Astrov with Voynitsky. Both are growing old and full of regrets, but only Astrov seems at peace with his lot in life. This is because he can look beyond himself and take comfort in the world moving on and becoming happier without him, while Voynitsky thinks only of himself; the possibility of a better future fails to console him, as he cannot conceive of a world that continues to exist after he himself has passed.