Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Uncle Vanya, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Old Age and Regret
Industry vs. Idleness
Impossible Desires
Legacy and Prestige
Summary
Analysis
In a drawing room the next day, Voynitsky and Sonya sit in chairs while Yelena paces and thinks to herself. Voynitsky mentions that Professor Serebryakov has requested that everyone assemble in this room at one o’clock in the afternoon today. Yelena figures that it’s a business matter he wants to discuss, but Voynitsky remarks that the professor has no business; he only writes nonsense and feels jealous. As Sonya scolds Voynitsky for this, Yelena expresses how bored and miserable she feels. Sonya suggests that Yelena could help around the house, teach the townsfolk, or do something else. But Yelena claims that she can’t, saying that it isn’t interesting and that she couldn’t just suddenly begin doing all these things.
As Voynitsky continues to project his feelings onto Serebryakov, Sonya begins to echo Astrov’s sentiments from last night. His beliefs about hard work and idleness apparently had an effect on her, as she’s seeing Yelena from his perspective in this moment. Yelena’s hesitation to suddenly start working seems to prove that Astrov’s ideas have some merit. As long as Yelena remains aimless and idle in the house, she keeps herself from finding meaning or happiness in a worthwhile project.
Themes
Sonya insists that Yelena’s boredom and idleness are infectious. Voynitsky jumps on this idea to ask for Yelena’s affection once again. He tells her that “mermaid’s blood” runs through her veins, and to be a mermaid by taking a plunge into the unknown and throwing off the professor, whom she doesn’t really love. Furious, Yelena tells him to leave her alone and begins to leave before Voynitsky stops her. Yelena tells him that he’d test an angel’s patience, and he tells her that he’s going to bring her a bouquet of sorrowful autumn roses as a sign of peace and good will. He leaves to do this, and the two women pause as they look out the window, wondering how they’ll endure the winter here.
Even though Yelena has good intentions and doesn’t mean any harm, Sonya’s remark brings attention to the fact that Yelena’s mere presence and actions (or lack thereof) have consequences. If Yelena lingers in the estate and “infects” the others with her idleness, she’s bound to make herself and the people around her more miserable. Voynitsky’s interruption punctuates this point, reminding Yelena that her presence in the house is driving Voynitsky mad with impossible desire. This isn’t through any deliberate fault of her own, but rather an unintended consequence of her idleness.
Themes
Suddenly, Sonya mentions that she’s glad Voynitsky is no longer in the room, as she wanted to ask Yelena something about Doctor Astrov. She lays her head on Yelena’s breast and admits she hates being ugly. Yelena says Sonya has lovely hair, but Sonya protests at this remark, as this is apparently what everyone says about girls who aren’t beautiful. Sonya explains that practically everyone in the house knows that she (Sonya) is attracted to Astrov at this point, except for Astrov himself. Yelena offers to ask Astrov about the matter very carefully and indirectly, and Sonya reluctantly agrees to this idea. Yelena resolves to talk to him right this minute, insisting that he shouldn’t be here if he doesn’t love Sonya in return. Yelena promises to tell Sonya the whole truth when she learns it.
Yelena’s sudden resolve to act may be a response to the earlier accusations about her idleness. In any case, she’s eager to resolve at least one problem that’s plaguing the household. Whether Astrov loves Sonya or not, his answer will put Sonya’s impossible desires to rest.
Themes
As Sonya leaves the room to fetch Astrov, she remarks to herself that maybe uncertainty about his feelings would be better, as she’d still have hope that way. While she waits alone for Astrov to arrive, Yelena talks to herself. She observes Astrov clearly doesn’t have feelings for Sonya but wonders why he shouldn’t marry her anyway. She doesn’t blame Sonya for falling in love with the doctor in this uneventful place, especially as she (Yelena) almost feels like she’s fallen in love with him herself. She briefly considers throwing the misery of her current life away and pursuing Astrov, but her fearful conscience won’t let her entertain the idea.
Despite Yelena’s promise, it becomes clear in this moment that Yelena was being dishonest with Sonya. Interestingly, this conflicts with the guilty conscience she mentions in her monologue. She may not be willing to abandon the professor, but her morals still have limits. Nonetheless, she might allow this bit of dishonesty because she feels sorry for Sonya and genuinely wants to help her get over Astrov. Yelena can tell that Sonya’s desire is impossible to satisfy, and even Sonya seems to acknowledge this as she mutters to herself, leaving the room. She would rather be uncertain forever than hear a negative answer from Astrov, implying she knows she isn’t likely to get a yes and would rather cling to false hope than accept clear rejection.
Themes
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Astrov enters the room with a map, and Yelena asks if he’s free to show it to her. As he spreads out the map on the table and asks where she was born, he guesses that his forestry work probably wouldn’t interest her much. He explains how he lets himself sit in Voynitsky’s room once a month and work happily on his maps. With his maps, he shows her how quickly the nearby forests have been destroyed over the past 50 years. He describes how pollution has ravaged the area, with nothing of value being built to replace what was lost. He blames this on the ignorance and desperation of the people, who grasp at anything to keep their families warm and fed in the short term, without any thought for future generations.
Astrov is right to assume that Yelena isn’t interested in his forestry work, as she hasn’t shown interest in work of any kind so far. This creates a disconnect between the two characters, even as Astrov tries to make her see what he’s talking about, and why he takes it so seriously. As usual, Astrov is looking ahead to future generations and considering his legacy while the people around him remain focused on themselves. Ironically, this blind selfishness is exactly what he’s warning against. At this moment, Astrov and Yelena embody hard work and idleness, respectively, so it’s no wonder they fail to connect over Astrov’s maps.
Themes
At the end of his speech, Astrov suddenly and coldly notes that Yelena isn’t really paying attention to what he’s saying. Yelena claims to not understand most of it, but he can tell that she’s just not interested. She admits that she’s distracted by other thoughts, and she tells him that she needs to ask him some harmless questions. She suggests that they talk openly and honestly, as friends, and then forget what they’ve said to each other. Astrov agrees, and Yelena begins asking him about Sonya and whether he has feelings for her. He explains that he likes and respects her but isn’t attracted to her romantically. In light of this, Yelena tells him that Sonya is suffering and that he must not come to the house anymore to spare her feelings.
As Yelena asks Astrov about Sonya directly, she once again reveals her dishonesty. She had promised Sonya that she would ask Astrov about his feelings discreetly, but Yelena wanted a clear and unmistakable answer to resolve this issue. With this direct answer, it’s clear that Sonya’s desire for Astrov is in vain.
Themes
After an awkward silence, Astrov admits that he might have considered marrying Sonya if this had come up a few months ago. But as things stand, he doesn’t feel capable of pretending to love someone. Suddenly, he becomes suspicious of Yelena, accusing her of asking him about Sonya as a way of indirectly asking him about herself. He believes that Yelena might be trying to gauge his feelings for her through this interrogation. Flustered, Yelena denies this accusation and tries to leave the room, but Astrov blocks her way, asking her where the two of them could meet later. He promises to leave the house, but he clearly wants to keep seeing her somewhere. He asks for a kiss, but Yelena pulls away, saying he’s forgotten himself.
Just as reality crushes one impossible desire, another one suddenly appears to take its place. Astrov’s romantic feelings for Yelena complicate matters even further, as Yelena admitted earlier that she was tempted to abandon her husband and run away with Astrov. But her avoidance of Astrov in this moment demonstrates that she hasn’t decided to be careless. Unlike many other residents of the estate, Yelena isn’t throwing caution to the wind and discarding her self-respect for the sake of an impossible desire.
Themes
As Astrov continues his advances, Voynitsky enters the room, holding his promised bouquet of roses. Voynitsky sees Astrov trying to kiss Yelena, who pushes away from him again. Voynitsky sets the bouquet down and mutters that it doesn’t matter. Astrov sulkily remarks on the days becoming shorter as he leaves the room. Immediately, Yelena approaches Voynitsky and tells him to see to it that she and the professor can leave the house today, as she can no longer stand living here. Voynitsky says that he saw everything that just happened, but Yelena ignores this, insisting that she must leave today.
With two men now trying to win her affection and convince her to leave her husband, Yelena finally reaches her tipping point. The combined emotional weight of the impossible romantic desires of Voynitsky, Astrov, and Sonya overwhelms Yelena, who suddenly can’t take any more. Her determination to leave the house as soon as possible indicates that a climactic end to the play’s tension is drawing near.
Themes
Just then, Professor Serebryakov, Sonya, Marina, and Telegin enter the room. The professor wonders where the others are, complaining that the house is like a labyrinth. As he asks for everyone else to be brought into the room, Sonya approaches Yelena and eagerly asks what Astrov said. Yelena wants to discuss this later, but Sonya can sense that Yelena is upset. Sonya asks if Astrov said he won’t come to the house anymore, and Yelena silently nods. Meanwhile, Serebryakov continues complaining about the difficulties of living in the country before calling to Sonya, who remains sadly unresponsive. He tells everyone to have a seat so that he can address them. Voynitsky irritably asks if he can be excused, but the professor insists that Voynitsky is needed more than anyone at this meeting. As Mariya Vasilyevna enters the room, Serebryakov begins to address the assembly.
Serebryakov’s complaints as he enters the room suggest that he wasn’t simply in a bad mood last night. His negative outlook is constant, and it contributes to the stifling tension at the country estate. The pain and inconvenience of his old age is something he never stops thinking about Meanwhile, Sonya must now face the fact that it’s impossible for her to satisfy her desire for Astrov. The play’s conflicts come to a head at the beginning of this meeting—no longer able to contain their bitterness, the unhappy characters gather to discuss an important matter openly.
Themes
Professor Serebryakov explains that he needs to ask for everyone’s advice concerning a practical matter. He explains that he’s thinking of his family more than himself as his life nears its end. Serebryakov says that he simply can’t continue living in the country, as he and his wife just weren’t made for it. He proposes selling the country house, investing the money, and purchasing a new home in Finland using the surplus. Voynitsky immediately asks the professor to repeat himself. If Serebryakov sells the estate, Voynitsky can’t help but wonder where he, his mother, and Sonya would live. The professor glosses over this point, but Voynitsky keeps questioning him, growing more furious by the moment.
It’s notable that Serebryakov begins the discussion by emphasizing how much he’s thinking about his family in his old age—only to switch gears and announce that he’s making an extremely selfish decision. As much as he wants to maintain the image of a kind and benevolent old professor, Serebryakov only cares for his own wellbeing throughout the play. Like Voynitsky, the professor is grasping at anything he can to increase his comfort and numb the pain of aging and fading into obscurity.
Themes
Voynitsky continues to harass the professor about the house and who it really belongs to. Serebryakov concedes that the house belongs to Sonya and that he wouldn’t sell it without her consent, but this does nothing to soothe Voynitsky’s anger. He brings up the fact that he and Sonya worked for years to pay off the estate in full, and the idea of the professor selling it is inconceivable to him. As the professor becomes increasingly uncomfortable, Voynitsky accuses him of taking advantage of him, refusing to raise his wages, and letting him toil thanklessly for twenty-five years. Mariya and Telegin try to calm Voynitsky down, but he continues his furious rant against Serebryakov.
At this point, Voynitsky lashes out with all the agonizing feelings that have been simmering inside him throughout the play. He contrasts the professor’s idleness with his own hard work, deepening the divide between the two characters and highlighting the injustice of the situation. Even as Voynitsky behaves horribly throughout the play, he has genuine cause to resent Serebryakov, who’s been taking advantage of Voynitsky’s many years of helping him. Now that all those years are wasted and his youth is gone, Voynitsky feels he has no recourse except to attack the professor in this moment.
Themes
Voynitsky explains that he used to revere the professor and support his work; he can’t believe that getting kicked out of his home now is the thanks he gets. He angrily insists that Serebryakov has fooled him—fooled everyone—but now Voynitsky believes he sees the truth. In his view, the professor is the reason why Voynitsky hasn’t lived a life of purpose and success; why he hasn’t become a famous author himself. As Serebryakov desperately tries to leave the room, Voynitsky accuses him of all of this in front of everyone, becoming more and more manic as the others try fruitlessly to calm him down. As Sonya clings to Marina for comfort, Voynitsky announces that he realizes what he must do and that Serebryakov will remember him. Voynitsky storms out of the room, followed by Mariya Vasilyevna.
Voynitsky finally confronts Serebryakov with every grievance that’s motivated his (Voynitsky’s) behavior so far, griping about his wasted youth, his lack of success in academics and romance, and all his years of hard work. But even in this climactic moment, Voynitsky isn’t entirely justified in blaming the professor for all of his problems. It’s entirely possible that Voynitsky’s own idleness contributed to his failures just as much as his dedication to the professor, after all. But his ominous statement about being remembered is a sign that his emotions are overwhelming Voynitsky’s reason—and it seems likely that his erratic behavior may continue to escalate.
Themes
Terrified, Serebryakov asks the assembly what on earth is going on, insisting that he can no longer live under the same roof as Voynitsky, who’s apparently gone mad. Yelena agrees and tells her husband that the two of them must leave this house today. Tearfully, Sonya implores the professor to have mercy on her and Voynitsky, as the two of them worked for years to support the professor. She knows this doesn’t excuse her uncle’s behavior, but she nonetheless begs Serebryakov to be merciful. Yelena also insists that the professor should try to speak with Voynitsky and calm him down. Serebryakov reluctantly agrees, and he and Yelena step into the room Voynitsky ran into. Marina holds a distraught Sonya and comforts her as they wait.
Both Voynitsky and Sonya are afraid of losing the country estate, but in contrast to her uncle, who reacts aggressively and erratically, Sonya’s fear manifests as pleading and persuading. Sonya has worked just as hard as Voynitsky to maintain the estate over the years, but she still defers to Serebryakov and asks for his mercy, despite his complete lack of involvement in the property. This shows that the professor’s dishonesty is more effective on Sonya than it is on Voynitsky. She still believes Serebryakov is just a kindly old man who wants the best for her, even as he takes advantage of her years of service.
Themes
A gunshot rings out from the next room, and Yelena cries out in surprise. Serebryakov runs back into the drawing room, horrified but uninjured. He yells for the others to restrain Voynitsky, insisting he’s gone mad. Yelena and Voynitsky struggle with each other in the doorway as she tries to wrestle a revolver from his grasp. Voynitsky tells her to let him go and pulls himself free from her with the gun. He looks wildly around for the professor and shoots at him again, missing a second time. Furious with himself, Voynitsky throws down the revolver and collapses into a chair, exhausted. Everyone reels with the shock of what’s happened as Yelena cries out that she must get away from here; she’d rather die than stay a moment longer. Voynitsky wails to himself, asking himself what he’s doing.
The sudden sound of the gun firing is the dramatic climax of the play. Tensions in the house have reached their tipping point, putting a life in danger. Voynitsky seems to regain much of his self-awareness after this violent outburst, as he can no longer avoid facing the truth of what he’s become. The impossibility of his desires begin to crash down on him and finally diminish his furious spirit. Now more than ever, he knows that he’ll never achieve the success he dreamed of, Yelena will never love him, and even his attempt at revenge on Serebryakov has failed.
Themes
