American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages

BRIGHT BLUR, BLINDING LIGHT, BLANK PAGE: THE EPISTEMICALLY SKEPTICAL EPIPHANIES OF
CHEKHOV
Author(s): Martin Bidney
Source: The Slavic and East European Journal, Vol. 54, No. 2 (SUMMER 2010), pp. 272-296
Published by: American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41430445
Accessed: 27-03-2015 18:54 UTC
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BRIGHT

BLUR, BLINDING
LIGHT,
EPISTEMICALLY
SKEPTICAL

BLANK

PAGE:

THE

EPIPHANIES

OF CHEKHOV
MartinBidney,BinghamtonUniversity

The goal ofthisstudyis to identify,

and interpret
a structural
illustrate,
pattern
in the literaryepiphaniesof AntonChekhov,using the investigative
method
in Bidney(1997, 1-21 and passim). This method,based on the
systematized
reverieanalysistechniquesof philosopher-critic
Gaston Bachelard,is pheit
studies
structures
of
nomenological:
literaryexperienceavailable to the
reader.A literary
is
defined
epiphany
subjectivelyas a momentexperiencedby
the readeras outstandingly
intense,mysterious,and with implicationsthat
seem disproportionate
to the brevityof the moment.Objectively,a literary
recurrent
formalcriteria:an elemenepiphanyis identified
by threedistinctive
tal focus(earth,water,air,and/orfire),a patternof motion,and a shape,often
as paraquasi-geometric-all withrelatedlightingeffects.Firstwe identify,
theepiphanythatexhibitsthefeaturesin fullest
digmof thestructure
pattern,
clarity;thenotherepiphaniesare relatedto thispatternand theirimplications
As will be shownin detail,themajorepiphaniesof Chekhovfeainterpreted.
turefire,air,water,and sometimesearthas theyproducethreerelated,recurrentlight-phenomena:
brightblur(oftenin mistor haze), blindinglight(often
fiery),and blank squarishobject (any element).The motionpatternranges
movementmay equallyresultin bright
widely:stasisand rapidor trembling
blursor blindinglights.The squareor rectangleis thechiefrecurrent
geometric feature.
BeforeanalyzingChekhov'sliterary
epiphanies,I'd liketo clarifythenature
and implications
of themethodused. The overalltopicto be pursuedis whatI
call "epiphanology,"
or thesystematic
epiphanypatterns
analysisof recurrent
withina literary
work,or corpusof works,by a givenwriter.The subjective
withthehelp of Ashton
an epiphanywere formulated
criteriaforidentifying
and disproportionate
Nichols: mysterious
implicationswere
unaccountability
suggestedby him,butforhis proposedtestof timelessnessor "atemporality"
criterion
was
(Nichols 28), whichappearedindefinably
vague,the"intensity"
substituted.
The objectivecriteriaforan epiphanywere formulatedaftera
SEEJ,Vol.54,No. 2 (2010):p. 272-p.296

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272

Blur,Blinding
Bright
Light,BlankPage

273

readingof a seriesof books by GastonBachelard(see Bachelard 1971 fora

to his work)analyzingwhathe called elemental"reverhelpfulintroduction
since what he calls "reveries"
of terminology,
ies," an appropriatetransfer
fromwhatare labeled "epiphanies"by anglophone
provedindistinguishable
critics.Bachelard,who writesin a lyrical,poeticstyle,neverorganizedhis anapplicablemethodof epiphanological
alyticproceduresintoa systematically
in myPatternsofEpiphany(1997).
was
done
The
investigation. systematizing
Thereit is arguedthatlookingforrecurrent
appearancesof elements,patterns
and
relatedlightingeffectsis the
of motion,oftenquasi-geometric
shapes,
essence of Bachelardianinvestigative
techniqueand thatthismethodshould
be widelyapplied.The methodologicalguide offeredhereand in Patternsis
notan axiombuta hypothesis:
tryit and see ifitworks.
made. First,thestudyof recurrent
be
should
Two further
patternsin
points
fromtheanalysisofthefora givenwriter'sepiphaniesmustbe distinguished
of literaryworksas a whole, as practicedin Formalism,New
mal structure
Criticism,or text-immanent
approaches.The two typesof studyyield differentkindsof resultsbecause theyask different
questions.An epiphanyoften
feelsto thereaderas ifan unaccountableimaginativestimulus(an inspiration,
in waysthatdiscountor minimizeconifyouwill) had unexpectedly
irrupted
I findithelpfulto thinkoftheanalogousimsiderationsof a story'sstructure.
pression,sharedby manyreaders,thatthe major characterof a memorable
Shakespeareplay oftenseems "too big" forthe play. We clearlyremember
theplays' complicatedplots,
Hamletand Lear long afterwe have forgotten
thantherichlyvariedand intenseimagery
whichcome to seem less important
of theself-envisionings
wherebythetragicheroshapeshimselfin his soliloI
finda Chekhovepiphany"too big" forits story.A
often
quies. Similarly,
Chekhovepiphanymaybe experiencednotonlyby themaincharacterbutby
speakingwithrelativeindeanyonein the tale, or by the narrator-persona
Rede. It has notprovedposerlebte
discourse
or
in
free
indirect
or
pendence
with structural
sible forme to correlateepiphanicmomentssystematically
featuresinthetales.The revelatory
moment,whichcan occuranytimeor anywhereat all, appearsnotto be governedby thesame imaginativeprocess as
would be involvedin the structural
epiphanyplanningof plot-presentation;
obsessions
more
be
deeplyrootedin thedream-world
makingmightperhaps
of thewriter.For thisreasonI would suggesttwo narratological
hypotheses:
(1) outstandingepiphanicmomentsin Chekhovmay be less dependenton
structuralconsiderationsin the literarywork as a whole than has been
the structureof a
thought;(2) when epiphanies are centrallyimportant,
Chekhovworkas a whole may be less centralto its aestheticmeritthanhas
been thought.
This doubleclaimis a ratherbold one,butmysecondand finalintroductory
is only one of the thingsa
pointis verymodest.Literaryepiphany-making
and
it
is
one
of
the
writer
major
may do,
only
thingsChekhovdoes. (The

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SlavicandEastEuropeanJournal

analysisof thepowerfulepiphaniesin Warand Peace in theTolstoychapter

ofPatternsofEpiphanyleaves unanalyzedmostoftheplot-events
ofthenovel
as "Ward
both
war
and
Some
of
Chekhov's
such
during
peace.)
greatesttales,
NumberSix," do notcontainepiphaniesbecause theyfocuson characterpsychologyas exploredby othermeans.Yet thegroupof epiphaniesanalyzedin
my essay does not includeall of the ones Chekhovcreatesin his collected
tales.I studyheretheexamplesmostfullydevelopedas well as mostintense,
and rich in import.An appendix-chart
lists additionalChekhov
mysterious,
taleswithepiphanies,mostlyfragmentary
and some comic or parodie.
The literary
epiphaniesin theshortstoriesofAntonChekhovthatare most
intense,mysteriousand richin implicationare enigmas.They are epistemic
puzzles, combiningcloudinesswith clarityin a way thatreflectsback the
seer's own intenseperplexity.
For everyseemingindicationof Cartesianclarin a Chekhovianepiphanythereis a counterbalancing
inityand distinctness
timationof blurrinessand haze. Westernmetaphorictraditionhas equated
truthand light,luxet Veritas
, as Latinclarus meansboth"bright"and "clear."
Because Chekhovianepiphaniesrelentlesslyproblematizethe possibilityof
like "truth,"
on problemattaininganything
theyfocuswithequal pertinacity
atic lightingeffects.Thereis neveranybrightness
withoutits corresponding
fogor mist:claritasis cloudy.As muchas HermanMelville,Chekhovis fascinatedby theriddleof the(un)colorwhite.It sumsup thespectrum,
butthis
sum is a "blanc" a blank.Drawn like a mysticto a mysteriousand dazzling
brightness,Chekhov is nonethelessan aestheticskeptic.Doubtfulof any
claims of the epiphanicimaginationto attaintranscendent
truths,Chekhov
distance
and
balance
to
the
moment,
keeps enough
present clear-and-cloudy
in all its guises, as ever inviolate,baffling,triumphant
in its impenetrable
of blanc-ness.
mystery
the centralcomponentof powerful
Lightingeffects,then,are recurrently
Chekhovianepiphanies.These maybe associatedwitha varietyof elements.
Fiery sunlight,for its brightness,and water,for its reflectivesurface,are
prominent.
Blinding,glassy sparklesappear when fierysunlightis reflected
on metal,on water,or on glass itself(which is technicallynot a solid but a
liquid in suspension).A brightblurmay appearwhenthe sun is reflectedon
a wall butcan resultwhenflocksof whitebirdsconvergein theair,or when
a hundredsheep dash by. Not only is whitenesspervasivein Chekhovian
epiphanies,butsometimesa spectrumofcolorswill accompanythewhitethat
themanypossibilitieswhitenessimplies.Chekhov
includesthem,intimating
is especiallyfondofmirroreffects:crystals,ice, or literalmirrors
mayappear,
mirrors
theinblurin thelandscapemetaphorically
or else a whiteindistinct
distinctness
of a pale, seeminglyfeaturelesscountenanceas the seer resembles whatis seen. Mist,fog,haze is common- vaporizedwaterilluminedby
signsunlight-butwhitesmokefromincenseis equallysuitable;a restaurant
board can also turnintoa hazy,blank,whiterectanglefora starving,deliri-

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Blur,Blinding
Light,BlankPage
Bright

275

ous epiphanist.Indeed,thesquareorrectangleis itselfan important

epiphanic
indicator,suggestingthe indefinablepotential,as well as the frustrating
own blankpage. Stasis and motionare
emptiness,of thewriter-epiphanist's
equally available for Chekhovianepiphanies:an unmovingsnow-covered
rockcan offertherequisitefuzzy-edgedwhiteenigma,butso can thefevered
of a pallid-facedseer,or the speedycourseof a toboggandown a
trembling
hill.
snowy
We can sum up the crucialcomponentsof a Chekhovianepiphanyunder
threeheadings:(1) cloudiness(haze, fog,mist,smoke,blur),(2) brightness
(eitherin dazzlingpointsof light,such as glassy sparkles,or else diffused),
(3) squares or squarishforms.Togethertheyadd up to a kind of epiphanic
experiencewhichis amongthemostresolutelynondogmaticin modernliterature.Epistemicskepticismis unshakablein Chekhov'sepiphaniesof bright
blur,blindinglight,blank page. In everyvariantof the epiphanicpattern,
cloudinessand clarityare mixed: whateverilluminationwe get is mysteriat thesame timetakenaway.
ouslyand meaningfully
Chekhov's epiphaniesundermineany claim to truthor knowledge.The
epistemicpolaritiesunderminedin thesevisionsare thetraditionalcontrasts
between"clear" and "hazy" or "blurry,"between"bright"and "dark,"between"seeing" and "blind."All these polaritiesare oftenroughlyequated
withthe polarities"knowledge"versus"ignorance,"or "truth"versus"faldarknessmustbe falsehood;clarityis
, iflightis truth,
sity."If lux est Veritas
thoughtto ruleout darknessand fog.We have thesemoreor less traditional
columns:
contrasting
clear,distinct
bright
white,daylight
illumination
seeing
knowledge
truth

indistinct
hazy,foggy,blurry,
dull or dark
black,night
benightedness
blind
ignorance
falsity

Chekhov'sbestepiphaniesinvolvecolumncrossovers.These are chieflyof

threekinds.(1) Someone sees a brightblur;theepiphanydestroysthetraditionalpolarityby combiningostensibleemblemsof clarityand haze, distinctness and fog.(2) Someonesees a blindinglight:whatis supremelyilluminatinghas theeffectof utterdarkness.(3) Someone sees a whitesquare.This is
less obviously a column crossover,but the white squares in Chekhov's
epiphaniesfunctionas blank (not just blanc) pages. They signifynothing
clear or distinct;theycould mean anythingor nothing.They blend infinite
possibilitywithcompleteemptiness.We look at thisnon-coloror all-color
white,thecomplete"light,"and are no moreilluminatedthanbenighted.So

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SlavicandEastEuropeanJournal

and benightedness,
illumination
heretoo, implyeach other;and we have anothercolumncrossover.Imagerytraditionally
equatedwithtruthand knowlwithimagerytraditionis
intertwined
and
interimplicated
edge systematically
in
ally equatedwithfalsityand ignorance Chekhov'sepistemicallyskeptical
epiphanies.
an epiphanypatternin Chekhov,1thecritThoughno one has yetidentified
exical approachofA. P. Chudakovin Chekhov'sPoetics is, to a significant
tent,congenialto my own. Emphasizingthe degree to which plot events,
characterizations,
motifs,and objects in Chekhov's storiesare all seemingly
Chudakovwritesthat
incidentaland contingent,
andchaotic,
its
Itisirrational
itselfthesteady
flowoflife-isabsolutely
existence
adogmatic.
The
nearer
the
created
a
visible
idea.
not
subordinate
to
are
unknown
and
and
meaning purposes
that
themore
andincidental
with
allitschaotic,
senseless
istothat
natural
existence
world
forms,
theworld
ofChekhov.
Thisisprecisely
absolute
world
(205)
adogmatic
reality.
approaches
But Chudakovoverdoesthisemphasison utterand entiredisorder.Chekhov's
epiphaniesarenot"chaotic"butskeptical.Theyarenotrandombutpatterned,
and theirpatternstipulates"column crossovers"as explained above. Chudakov's own highlyChekhoviansensibilityparadoxicallyled him almostto
thevergeof thisdiscovery.In thefollowingpassage he groupstogethersome
as recurrently
of thesame data I identify
epiphanic:
itself:
andrecreating
inChekhov
ispresented
asanephemeral
Nature
state,
constantly
changing
or
broken
bottle
in
an
clouds
which
willsoondepart,
,
fragment
icon-lamp
reflecting
moonlight
onthecrosses
theearth,
itswayacross
a bright
beamoflight
ofsunshine
patches
making
yellow
Chekhov's
overthesteppe.
sound
andcupolas
landscape
gives
, oranincomprehensible
wafting
oftheworld.
ofthedynamic,
a memorable
127,
(Chudakov
appearances
changing
description
added)
emphasis
Chudakov was not looking for epiphany patterns;he was looking for
and change.So he notedaccuratelyand sensitivelya fewfleetephemerality
buthe failedto scrutinizethem.He founda cloud,some dazingimpressions,
on glass,patchesof light2-buthe didn'tadd themup, look
zlingreflections
inoutstanding
stories
individual
tradition
accounts
ofinterpretive
1. Forexample,
regarding
inrecurinterest
nosubstantial
edited
collections
(1993)reveal
(1988)andJackson
byMeister
works
Excellent
effects.
and
of
rent
by
motions,
elements,
lighting
shapes,
patterns
epiphany
intheir
thanphenomenological
rather
Malcolm
(2001)andFinke(2006)arepsychoanalytic
method
used
ontheepiphanological
mainfocus.
SeeBidney
(2008,85nl6) forbibliography
Edward
to Bishop,
hereas applied
Nemerov,
Larkin,
Frost,
Salinger,
Brooke,
Dostoevsky,
oflittostudents
interest
isofmajor
BecauseChekhov's
andTolstoy.
pattern
Thomas,
epiphany
I find
Garalsoindicated;
references
theRussian
with
I quotehiminEnglish
erature
generally,
satmost
the
for
instance
in
I
have
checked
which
nett's
uniformly
accuracy,
translation,
every
whenever
theRussian
words
from
I introduce
as wellas themostaccessible.
original
isfactory
ofmeaning.
accurate
rendition
thestrictly
from
Garnett
departs
"all
that
whenhesuggests
effects
toepiphanic
atleastvaguely
alludes
2. Nabokov
lighting
iridescent
verbal
andsurrounded
are"sufused
features"
thepeculiar
Chekhovian
bya faintly
haze.
andmisty
rainbows
haziness"
blurry
brightness
alongwith
(253).Wedofind

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Blur,Blinding
Bright
Light,BlankPage

277

formore of them,exploretheirimplications.Chudakovhas a Chekhovian

butlacks an epiphanologicalmethod.3
sensibility
Chekhovianepiphaniesare expansiveand intensebut so implacablymysterious,so tantalizingly
yetmercilesslyunexplainable,thata remarkableconsequenceresults:thesame epiphanicpatterncharacterizesexperiencesof all
kinds, whethereuphoricor desolating,beautifulor terrible-epiphaniesof
disease or enigmaticreligiousritual.I
love or life-threatening
transporting
Chekhovian
epiphaniesintofourcategories(fiveepiphanic
groupoutstanding
storiesper group,withchronologyroughlyobservedin each group):Beauty,
Terror(includingthedangersof disease and death),Love, and Religion(includingmythand ritual).The same paradoxicalcloudyclarity,the same vipervadesthemall. Indeed,because of this,thecategories
sionaryskepticism,
are simplya crudebutusefulstructhemselves,onlyroughlydistinguishable,
of
Chekhovian
nature
The
device.
epiphanymeansthatbeautyis never
turing
terror.
from
Love, religion,dangerand disease all conveythesame
separable
intenas indicatorof a mysterious
blankbrightness
the
same
white(un)color,
to
sityopaque analysis.
Because so manyof Chekhov'sstorieshave an enigmaticepiphanyas both
climaxand centraltheme,a skepticalcritiqueoftheepiphanicimaginationitselfbecomesChekhovs pervasiveconcern.Epiphanies- withtheirpatternof
elements,shape,and lightingeffects-are the Chekhovianimagination'sacintenseChekhovianepiphanywill
cess to meaning.Since an outstandingly
and opaquely
presenta momentwhichis as cloudyas itis clear,as disturbingly
Chekhov'sepiphanicstoriesas
brilliantorresplendent,
blankas itis excitingly
a totalityoffera massivecritiqueof imagination.The white,squarishforms
theteasingundefinability
epiphanicto Chekhovcan be seen as emblematizing
and opaquenessof the-page on whichtheall-inclusivebutcolorresemblance
And thestriking
less transparent/white
epiphanywill be written.
of seer and seen, as dramatizedoftenin effectsof quite literalas well as
unsuggeststhatepiphaniesmirrortheindeterminate,
metaphoricmirroring,
thatsees them.Chekhovianepiphany,as a
definablenatureof theimagination
offersa critiqueofimagination.Beauty,terror,
love,religion- all are
totality,
theriddlingnatureof
occasionsforepiphanies,opaque brilliancies,reflecting
itself.4
theChekhovianimagination
thanepiphanies,
rather
"events"
3. Noting
Chekhovian
Popregarding
skepticism
epistemic
ofvalues"
ofa system
thepriorities
can"subvert
kinshows
howChekhov
(50-51)infour
ways:
as a major,
trivial
incident
ofan ostensibly
event;
consequential
(1) therecasting
notparandinevitable
andhence
as simply
normal
ofa "big"event
(2) theexposure
with
twodisparate
ofa single
incident
tellable;
perspectives
(3) thestaging
ticularly
event
that
ofa major
and(4) thepreparation
onitssignificance;
dismally
cataclysmic
failstooccur[...].(46)
critic
LeoShestov
canwrite:
oriented
4. Oneseeswhythetheologically
"Art,
philosophical
iswont,
which
orhas
outallthewords
with
ideals-choose
love,inspiration,
science,
humanity
them
andthey
hasonlytotouch
ortobe amused-Tchkhov
beeninthepast,tobeconsoled
anddie"(6-7).
wither
instantly

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Our epiphanicparadigmis to be foundin a dreamtale,explicitlylabeled as

such: it is the story"Dreams" [1886]. Not onlydo we findall theChekhovian epiphanicrequisites- sparkles,whitefog,mirror,
square- butwe findall
thehumandimensionsthatreflecteach other'sdazzling,blindingepistemolove, religion.Whatis more,thestory'snamelogica! opacity:beauty,terror,
a highlyimaginativeconvictflankedby two guardsof conless protagonist,
the otherdismissiveand
trastingoutlooks (one cheerfuland sympathetic,
morose) servesadmirablyas an embodiment("centrally"positioned)of the
epiphanicimaginationitself,consideredas prospectand problem.
indefinite
feaThis centralconvicthas "colourless"(white)and "extremely
tures";as he explainsto the guardsthehappyfuturehe imaginesin a landscape of vertiginously
loftytrees("so tall thatifyou look to thetop itmakes
P 5: 40)) and wide riversin Siberia, the unnamed
6:
95;
(G
you dizzy"
and the
indistinct
features
become "blankwithblissfulanticipation,"
tramp's
"vacant,blissfulsmile" never leaves his lips ( G 6: 85, 93, 95; P 5: 345,
400-1). The tramp'sface is blanc and blank;his smileis exactlyas emptyas
it is ecstatic.He imagineshis Siberianparadiseas he gazes at "an impenetrable wall of whitefog,"a huge squarishformof completeopacity,mirroring
rehis own featureless,
emptyface.When his imaginingsare pessimistically
the
him
he'll
never
live
to
see
who
tells
morose
Siberia,
Nikandr,
pulsed by
tramp'sforeheadbreaksout in "tinydropsof sweat,"whichsimilarlymirror
thedropletsin thelandscapehe sees- "On thegrasshungdingy[tusklye], untears,[...] notthetearsof softjoy suchas theearthweeps at welcomfriendly
sun and partingfromit" (G 6: 86-87, 97; P 5: 396, 402). In
the
summer
ing
whatis seen.
blanknessof featureand in dropletsofmoisture,theseermirrors
do not even
a
riddle.
We
about thisluckless,raptimagineris
Everything
knowifhe is a pious manor a killer.He is "like an unsuccessfulpriest'sson,"
a "prodigalson" or a "fanatorperhaps"a clerkdischargedfordrunkenness,"
ical monk,"ormaybean accomplicein a murder,
thoughhe sayshis "mamma
accidentallypouredarsenicinsteadof soda and acid intomymaster'sglass"
(G 6: 86, 91; P
(notethethemeof glass, suggestingsparklesand reflections
5: 395-96; 399)). Childlike(with"scarcelya traceof a mustache,thoughhe
and "sickly-looking"
was overthirty")
(G 6: 85-86; P 5: 395), he is poetically
giftedbutperhapsretarded,appealinglynaive butapparentlyfeveredand ill.
foras soon as Nikandrrerevealsnothingdefinitive,
The tramp'simagination
butshis paradisevision,imaginedterrorssuddenlyand arbitrarily
replaceit,
makingthe seer twitchand shake.Addingto the haziness of the imaginer's
is theindistinct,
ofhis identity
and theindeterminacy
blurryappearmentality
ance he presentsto theviewer:"He trembled,his head shook,and he began
all over"(G 6: 97; P 5: 403). The tramp'simaginationmakesnothtwitching
and meaning clear,we cannotoutlinehimclearlyin our own imaginations,
to graspin theirimagination
while his guardsrack"theirbrainsin theeffort
what can be graspedby none but God- thatis, the vast expanse dividing

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Bright
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themfromtheland of freedom"( G 6: 96; P 5: 402). The powerfullycharged

theunbridgeableexrhetoricherealludesto a universalepistemicdifficulty:
panse dividingourhumanimaginationfromany absoluteitmay seek.5
1
Beginningwithepiphaniesemphasizingterrormay help us recognizethis
elementmoreclearlylaterin moreseeminglypositiverevelations-a useful
of Chekhov the skepticalepiphanist."Oysters"
aid to our understanding
shows
us imagination'sreadinessto shiftfromvisions
like
"Dreams,"
[1884],
bothstimulatedequallyby a squarishwhiteblank,
of bliss to thoseof horror,
a processthateventuatesin the appearanceof glassy sparklesthat"mirror"
theseer's unresolvedproblems.
Deliriouswithhunger,theeight-year-old
goes intoa visionary
protagonist
trancefocusedon a "patchofwhite,"graduallytakingon a rectangular
shape:
"For halfan hourI keptmyeyes on theplacard.Its whiteattracted
my eyes,
and,as it were,hypnotised
mybrain"( G 12: 58; P 3: 131-32). Eventuallya
"The
restaurant
takes
over:
blur
lightsand lampsdazzled myeyes like
bright
G
12:
molnii
58; P 3: 132). Finallythe boy can
]" (
lightning[oslepitel'nye
his fatherwhat"oysters"are and
he
asks
and
when
read therestaurant
sign,
learnsthattheylive in the sea, he conjuresup visions of savorysoup. But
and shaking"fromcold, adds thattheyare
now "trembling
whenhis father,
an oysteras a sortof "frog"
"eatenalive,"theboy sees an epiphanyof terror,
with"big, glittering
eyes" [blesteyes" and "teeth";the phrase "glittering
iashchimior blestiashchie
] occursthreetimes,fortheglassysparkletheyexhibitis an obsessive epiphanicindicator,and the "sharpteeth"would shine
too (G 12: 60-61; P 133-34). This epiphanicoyster,as it squeaks and triesto
theterror
oftheboy and
"bite"the"lips" of anyonewho triesto eat it,mirrors
probablyalso his unconsciousangerat his father(a "vain" man who forfive
monthshas been unableto ask foralms and stillcan barelybringhimselfto
utterthehumiliating
request( G 12: 60, 57; P 3: 133, 131). The glittery-eyed
vanityhas ensured
rapaciousoystermay be an image of Father,too, whose
fromthedisease "Fames" [hunger,
theboy's continuedsuffering
Lat.] (G 12:
unconscious
57; P 3: 131). The epiphanyof terrorexpressesnightmarish,
imaginativeinsight,but it is not comprehendedby the seer,who insteadis
blindingopacity.
dizzyinglyoverpoweredby its glittering,
In "The LookingGlass" [1885] theepiphanicimagination
again shiftssudin anything
to
both
contraries
unrooted
but
from
bliss
bale,
denly
beingequally
in
back
it
own
relentlessness
whatever
seem
imagination's
quicklytaking
may
to give. The whole storyis an epiphanicdream.On New Year's eve Nellie,
5. Notallcritics
areprepared
tofacetheself-critical,
oftheChekhovskeptical
implications
ianbright
Freise
insists
that
oftranscendence
blur;
"[i]nthedream
[thetramp]
hopestopenetrate
indeed
hehasalready
itthrough
thehopeful
relation
totranscendence;
immanence,
penetrated
isfound
inthevery
itself'
thus,
redemption
(79-80;translation
hopeofredemption
mine).

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who has been "dreamingday and nightofbeingmarried,"undergoesa trancelike visionas she staresintoherlookingglass: "one could hardlysay whether
she was asleep or awake,butnevertheless
she was seeing."The "endlessrows
of candles" she sees in a narrowcorridor-all "non-existent"-are soon
"clouded in mist"and "mergedintoa boundlessgreysea." The innumerable
sparklingcandle flamesnow shroudedin mist(mistbeing as epiphanicfor
Chekhov as the glittering
pointsof light)are replaced firstby the shining
"eyes" and thenby theface of her"destinedone," and Nellie feelsthe"bliss"
of an "unutterably
sweetdream[sladkiikoshmar
]" (G 10: 151; P 4: 271).
The bliss is rapidlydismantledas Nellie realizes herhusbandhas typhus;
thedoctorshe summonstriesto proveby showinghis own glass thermometerthathe himselfis too sickto move; aftergulpinga glass ofwaterhe finally
comes to,butis as deliriousas thepatient.Nellie has a visionof herfuturedyingchildren,herhusbanddying,the coffinand the "candles"- and looks
"blanklyat herhusband'sface,"whensuddenlyanother"looking-glass"falls
fromthetable and dispelshervision,to hergreat"relief"( G 10: 156-57; P
4: 274-75). Two looking-glasses,otherglass implements,
innumerableglitand
a
boundless
sea
of
mist
all add up to
teringcandle-lights,
grey
obscuring
a classic Chekhovianepiphanycombiningbliss and terror,
illuminationand
utteropacity,an epiphanyreflecting
the mysteriousness
of the seer's own
enigmaticimagination.
"Typhus"[1887] offerstwoconflicting
epiphanicswings,frombale to bliss
and back again,bothimaginativeextremesperplexingly
conveyedby kindred
lightingeffectsand squarishforms.In the smokingcar of themail train,Lt.
fromtyphus,feelsa "heavyfogin his brain[...], as though
Klimov,suffering
in a dream"(G 4: 292; P 6: 131). The "tobacco smoke" of the Finnishpasof the "mistyimages in his brain,"
senger'sannoyingpipe, the "flickering"
the "mistyblurs"thatseem "dancing"in the "rays" of the lamp- all these
add up to "an unbearablenightmare"
mists,blurs,and brightflickerings
( G 4:
293; P 6: 131). At the Spirovo stop,a smilinglady's "whiteteeth"add to
Klimov's nausea and,once at home,thestrongsmellof "incense"makeshim
even sicker( G 4: 294, 299; P 6: 131, 134). Next morning,though,thesun is
"streamingin at the window throughthe lower blind,and a quiveringsunbeam,brightand keenas thesword'sedge," is flashingon theglass bottle[na
, all of whichgives thenow convalescentKlimov"a sensationof ingrafinke]
finitehappinessandjoy in life,such as thefirstman musthave feltwhenhe
was createdand firstsaw theworld"( G 4: 299-300; P 6: 134). He rejoicesin
theveryexistenceof "theceiling,thesunshine"( G 4: 300; P 6: 135), thesunlitceilingprovidinga new whitesquarishformto replacetherepulsivesmiling "white teeth" of yesterday'slady at Spirovo. (In a notebook entry,
Chekhovwrites:"But perhapstheuniverseis suspendedon thetoothof some
monster"(TV20; P 17: 154).) Yet thenew epiphanyof bliss is as opaque, as
riddlinglydeceptive,as was the epiphanyof bale. Klimov learnshis sister

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Bright
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281

Katya has caughttyphusfromhim and has died: Klimov's epiphanicEden

yields to "the boredomof everydaylife and the feelingof his irrevocable
loss" ( G 4: 302; P 6: 136). Epiphanieshave leftus a blank.
"Terror"[1892] is rightlysubtitled"My Friend'sStory,"fortheterrorinifriendSilin eventuallyundertiallyconveyedin theepiphanyofthenarrator's
own climacticepiphany.WhenSilinrevealsto
minestheblissin thenarrator's
oflivingwitha wife
his generalterror
oflifeand his specificterror
thenarrator
who doesn'tlove him,beyondthe"glareof a camp fire[...] highnarrowcoils
of mist,thickand whiteas milk,"riseovertheriver,"embracing"and "bowing" and seemingly"praying"in ghostlikefashion(G 4: 68; P 130). Yet
to Silin thanthe"lights"[ognei] of the sky;
"ghosts"are no moreterrifying
of
brightness
jointlyconveyan epiphany
foggywhitenessandpoints sparkling
makesthepallorof Silin's
of
the
as thepaleness
ofHamlet-liketerror,
twilight
4:
69; P 8: 130). As always in
"pale, lean face" seem "paler thanever" ( G
is, howeverguiltily,
Chekhov,the seen mirrorsthe seer.At firstthenarrator
himselfhas
happyto learnthatSilinis unlovedbyhis wife,whomthenarrator
ghostly
longcoveted.In his"delicious"feelingofnewjoy he sees the"narrow,
shapes"ofthe"mist"witha new pleasure.Whatis more,"In theextraordinarit
air,each leaf,each dropof dew" now standsout"distinctly";
ilytransparent
is "all smilingat me in thestillnesshalfasleep," and as he passes theseats in
thegarden,he recalls"thewordsin someplayof Shakespeare's:'How sweetly
falls the moonlighton yon seat!' [ sladko spit siianie luny zdes' na
skam'e'" (G 4: 80; P 8: 136-37). The squarishformof themoonlitseat offers
air
the requisitewhiterectangle;the glittering
dewdropsin the transparent
white
mist.
When
thick
the
with
as
combine, always,
far-from-transparent
Silin,havinginopportunely
appearedat theend of therendezvousof his wife
ridesaway in seemingpanic as if pursued,terrorovertakes
and thenarrator,
thenarrator
as well,and he vanishesfromthescene forever.
Silin is notto blame forthisfinaldisappearance;theChekhovianlogic of
thenarrator's
epiphanyitselfis responsible,forthatlogic decomposestheecof
the
moment
even beforeithas ended.AfterrepeatedlytakingSilin's
stasy
thenarrator
wifeto thewindowto look at herfacein themoonlight,
suddenly
feels thereis "somethingincongruousand burdensome"in her love. He
thinks,"Let thatmoonlightnightflashthroughourlives like a meteor,andbastai" (G 4: 82; P 8: 137). The transparent
lightseen throughthe square
are real
windowhas turnedto a blurred,fierceflash.Seemingilluminations
fatal.
destructive,
opacities,threatening,
Our last epiphanyin this section on Terror,which appears in one of
Chekhov's finesttales, "Hydrophobia"[1886], expanded (with slightreviyearslater,offers
sions) intotheunpublishedstory"The Wolf" aboutfifteen
one of his most vivid equivocal epiphanies.The sceneryitselfpredictsan
epiphany:"The dam,floodedwithmoonlight,showednota bit of shade; on
it,in themiddle,theneck of a brokenbottleglitteredlike a star"(UC 98; P

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theme,so oftensymbolicoftheway an epiphany

5:41). The epiphanicmirror
mirrorstheenigmaticnatureof theimaginationthatsees it,is doubledhere:
we have two mirroreffectsas thedam reflectsthemoonlightand thebroken
a superhumanly
glass glitters.To the protagonist,
strongman whose name,
to the themeof
Nilov, reminiscentof the riverNile, relateshim intimately
the story's centralevent seems "to be happeningin a
water-reflections,
dream"( UC 99; P 5: 42). Seizingby thescruffof theneck a wolfrumoredto
be rabid,Nilov holds thewolf's mouthaway fromhim,fora while at least,
by pressinghis two thumbsintotheanimal's neck. But "Nilov and thewolf,
theirheads at the same level," neverthelesslook "into each other'seyes,"
whilethemoon is simultaneously
also "reflectedin theanimal's eyes,which
are "tearful"and look "human"( UC 99; P 5: 42)- anotherdouble mirrorindeed a quadrupleor even octuple one, withtwopairs of eyes
reflection,
as
and withthe moonlightreflectedin the wolf's
serving mutualreflectors,
in
re-reflected
theman's.
eyes presumably
In thisepiphany,Nilov's gaze simplyreflectsthewolf's riddle,for,in the
revisedversionat least,it is neverrevealedwhetherthewolfwhichhas bittenNilov's shoulderis rabidor not.The wolf's "saliva," Nilov says,"got on
mylip" {UC 99; P 5: 42)- theepiphaniccomponentof gleamingmoisturebut if there'sno way to know whetherthewolf is rabid,we cannotknow if
the epiphanyis one of bliss or bale. When the doctorassuresNilov thatthe
chances are against his dying,Nilov is so happy thatit seems "even the
teardropssparklingin his broad black beard" are "rejoicingwithhim" ( UC
104; P 5: 45). Terrorhas turnedtojoy, buttheepiphanyremainsopaque, for
thegleamingepiphanicpointsof lightare simultaneously
teardropsandjoydrops.Similarly,thereaderis keptin doubtwhethereitherjoy or terroris lederivablefromthecentralmirroring-epiphany
of man and wolfor
gitimately
fromits coda withthe glittering
the mixed emoteardropsof joy mirroring
tionsof thevolatileand possiblydeludedNilov. Despite themultiplebright
theepiphanyis opaque.
mirrorings,
2
As we shiftourostensiblefocusof emphasisfromTerrorto Beauty,brightness will continueinseparablefromopacity:extremes,whetheremotionalor
epistemic,covertlyimplyeach otherin a Chekhovianepiphany."OtherPeople's Misfortune"
[1886] beginswithan epiphanyof seemingjoy, whichsoon
modulatesintoterrorand despair,bothemotionalextremescharacteristically
expressedin the same patternof linkedepiphanicindicators:glassy sparkles
and bright,squarishforms,accompaniedherealso by appearancesof a spectrumindicatinga brokenwhiteness.As thehoneymooning
Kovalyovsare on
theirway to purchasea countryestate,"the significanceof the stillsummer
outof a fairytale,"dreamlike,fantastic;
morning"strikesthem"as something
"the earth,clothedin green,sprinkledwithdiamonddew," seems "beautiful

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Bright

283

and happy,"as the sunlightlies "in brightpatcheson the forest"and "shimand

river,"so that"all ofGod's world"feels"refreshed
mers] on thesparkling
glimmering
pointsof lighton
invigorated"( UC 107; P 5: 231). Reflections,
theriverand in thesparklingdew,and sunlitpatchesin thewoods give us all
of focus
the epiphanicsigns; even the expectedblurrinessor indeterminacy
may be providedwhen Verochkadecides she "like[s] the view" precisely
whilesheis "Shakingwithvivaciouslaughter"( UC 108; P 5: 232). Whiteness,
and sparklescontinuein abundance:"thewindowpaneswere irireflections,
descentwithage"; "a pondsparkledinthesun";"Two ducks"appear;thepond
"birches"( UC 110; P 5: 233).
is "surrounded"
by white-barked
and despairinstantly
Butterror
superveneas theepiphanycontinues:"Sudwas
a
woman's
heard";"one ofthewindowsbanged
distinctly
weeping
denly
flashed
and two largetear-stained
brieflybehindthe iridescentpanes"
eyes
revelationof a
the
"iridescent"
Behind
P
5:
color-spectrum
234).
{UC 111;
dividedwhiteness,theepiphaniccomponentsofblurryfocus,pointsof glassy
light,and square shapes take on a terribleforcein the tearyeyes flashing
behindthewindow,forthe landowner'swifewill shortlystartweeping"as
thoughsomeonewerebeingbeatenor murdered"( UC 111; P 5: 234). Kovalwithhis wife's dowry,but at theend of thetale there
yov buystheproperty
is "much [...] to be done, [...] much to be torndown, in orderto erase the
( UC 113; P 5: 236). For the reader,
memoryof otherpeople's misfortune"
nothingcan erase it. The dewy Eden of the openingimpliestheweepingof
self-critical
theclose. Both are partsof thesame equivocal,self-dismantling,
epiphany.
the desireto terrify-is the
In "Home" [1887] terror-more specifically,
motiveforan epiphanyof desolatingbut paradoxicallyreassuringbeauty.
to Chekhov;in thisstorythe
Smoke,likehaze, fog,mist,is alwaysinteresting
to scarehis littleson Seryozhaoutof smoking,somelawyerBykovis trying
TalentedSeryozhaintrothingtheboy does to attracthis father'sattention.
duces his own littleepiphany(white square,blindingbrightness,
pointsof
were
"cut
half-sheets"
of
of
on
a
he
draws
when
("a
heap
paper
piece
light)
on purposeforhim")a housewithsmokein theshapeofa "flashof lightning"
and guardedby a bayonetedsoldier with mere brightpoints or "dots for
eyes"; Seryozhaalso likes to divide whitenessintoChekhovianspectrums,
associatingformswithspecificcolors,so that"whenhe paintedlettershe invariablypaintedtheletterL yellow,M red,A black,and so on" (G 12: 72-74;
P 6: 101-3).
sermonin a formthatwill appeal to his
Tryingto deliverhis anti-smoking
the
a "veryold emperor"who "lived in a
tells
tale
of
boy,Bykov
imaginative
in thesun,like a greatpiece of clear
and
which
sparkled glittered
glass palace
ice," a wonderfulChekhovianepiphanicpictureof a square or cubic form
and reflective,
bothtransparent
yetopaque (blindedby itsdiamondlikereflections,one can't see throughtheice-glasspalace). A spectrumof "birdsof dif-

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ferentcolourssang" in thepalace garden,and "On thetreeshunglittleglass

bells" because "Glass gives a softer,tenderernotethanmetals";it is a paradise of epiphanicglassy sparklesvisible and audible.The epiphaniccomponentof mistor vapornextappears:"Therewere fountainsin thegarden,"and
"thejets of waterreachedto the top of the highestpoplar" (G 12: 76; P 6:
104-5). But because the prince smoked,he died, and the helpless father,
"withoutanyoneto help him" (G 12: 77; P 6: 105), is killed,thepalace destroyed.Seryozha'seyes are "clouded" by thissmoke-terminated
epiphany,
whichenigmatically
revealsbothhis father'sterror
tactics(coldness,ice) and
and love (themonarchis helplesswithoutthepreciousprince).
vulnerability
The endlesslyreflectedsparklesadd up to a finalcloudingof theeyes.
"The Beauties" [1888] poses Chekhov'srecurrent
questionof theenigma
of epiphanicbeautyin perhapsits most explicitlyskepticalform.Firstwe
have themagnificent
and utterly
Chekhovianepiphany.In a dreamlikeatmosphere introducedby the epiphanicmotifsof glass and blindingbrightness
theschoolboytravelersees at an innan Armeniangirlwhosetran(lightning),
loveliness
can onlybe conveyed,in Chekhovianterms,by a cloudscending
filledsky coloredby the glowingsun witha lavish spectrum,coupled with
gleams,flashes,reflections,
quiveringblursof lighton trees,and a finalwhite
blurof flyingbirds:
I glanced
atthegirl,
whowashanding
mea glassoftea,andfeltallatonceas though
a wind
wereblowing
overmysoul[...].I sawthebewitching
features
ofthemost
beautiful
faceI have
evermetinreallifeorinmydreams.
Before
mestood
a beauty,
andI recognized
that
atthefirst
as I should
haverecognized
glance
lightning.
I amready
toswearthatMasha[...]wasa realbeauty,
butI don'tknowhowtoproveit.It
sometimes
that
clouds
arehuddled
indisorder
onthehorizon,
andthesunhidhappens
together
them
colors
them
andtheskywith
tints
ofevery
shade-crimson,
ingbehind
possible
orange,
a third
oftheskygleams
onthe
gold,lilac,muddy
pink[...].Theglowofsunset
enveloping
crossonthechurch,
flashes
onthewindows
ofthemanor
isreflected
intheriver
andthe
house,
onthetrees;
farawayagainst
thebackground
a flock
ofthesunset,
ofwild
far,
puddles,
quivers
ducks
isflying
homewards.
And[everyone]
thinks
itterribly
butnooneknows
orcan
beautiful,
lies.(G 9: 281-82;P 7: 160-61)
sayinwhatitsbeauty
Yet a skeptical,self-dismantling
Chekhovianepiphanyoddlytakesback what
itgives; sadnessbecomescoequal withrapture,
withwonder,opacperplexity
itywithbrilliance:
I feltthisbeauty
rather
Itwasnotdesire,
norecstasy,
norenjoyment
that
Mashaexstrangely.
citedinme,buta painful
sadness.
Itwasa sadness
as a
though
vagueandundefined
pleasant
dream.
ForsomereasonI feltsorry
formyself,
formygrandfather
andfortheArmenian
as though
weallfour
hadlostsomeevenforthegirlherself,
andI hada feeling
[innkeeper],
find
itwasenvy
andessential
tolifewhich
weshould
never
again.[...]Whether
thing
important
I
ofherbeauty,
orthat
I wasregretting
that
thegirlwasnotmine,
andnever
wouldbe,orthat
wasa stranger
I vaguely
toher;orwhether
felt
that
herrarebeauty
wasaccidental,
unnecessary,
onearth,
ofshort
orwhether,
wasthat
and,likeeverything
duration;
perhaps,
mysadness
peculiarfeeling
inmanbythecontemplation
which
isexcited
ofrealbeauty,
Godonlyknows.
(G 9:
283,286;P 7: 161-63)

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This is so powerfully
articulatedthatone feelsthemovementsof Chekhov's
own meditativemindas he pondersthe expansiveintensity
and opaqueness
of enigmaticepiphany.
The transition,
then,fromclarityto cloudiness in the plot of so many
Chekhov stories- fromice-palace brillianceto Seryozha's clouded eyes
("Home"), or fromMasha's radiantbeautyto thenarrator'ssubsequentsadness ("The Beauties")- is really the temporalunfoldingof the inherently
double natureof a fineChekhovianepiphany,its intensegloryand its epistemicblankness."The New Villa" [1899] embodiesthistwo-sidednessin an
epiphanywhichsimilarlyunfoldsitsdoublenaturein two stages.As theNew
Villa is beingbuilt,we see workers"in whiteapronsdiggingnearit"; thereis
"a littlefountain";"a globe of looking-glass"flashes"so brilliantly"
thatit is
to
look
and
two
horses
are
"white
as
at";
snow,"
"painful
finally,
broughtin,
like"Perfectswans"( G 6: 62; PIO: 115-16). The epiphaniccomponentsconstitutea fairy-tale
scene: glassy sparklesand reflections,
fountainmoisture
and vapor,and preternaturally
whitesurfaces.But multiplemisunderstandingsbetweentheownersand thepeasantsunfoldtheequivocalityof theinitial revelation.Even good deeds are misunderstood:
whenthemistressgives
the "verypoorest"peasantwoman a lavish gift,the woman,who has been
looking"at thecarriagefacingthesun,"so thatherface smilesand wrinkles
up "as thoughshe wereblind,"takesthepresentand "suddenly"bursts"into
thegiver( G 6: 64-65; P 10: 117).
tears,"confusingand embarrassing
Afteraccumulatedmutualirritations
have resultedin theowners'departure
and sale of theproperty,
of
blindingbrilliance- stillpresentin therecurrence
theepiphany-revealsmoreclearlyitscoequal implicationof obscuringfog.
"Broad saws curvedover [thepeasants'] shoulders;the sun was reflectedin
them.""It was quiet at the New Villa"; "only golden pigeons- golden because the sunlightwas streamingupon them- were flyingover the house."
The peasantsrememberthe "whitehorses"; the past seems like an illusion
But "Whyhad theypartedlike enemies?
now,"like a dreamor a fairy-tale."
How was it thatsome mist had shroudedfromtheireyes what mattered
most?"(G 6: 81-82; P 10: 127) The glittering
reflections
have notchanged,
norhas theenshrouding
mist.Glitterand mistwereenigmatically
thereat the
startand will last till the end, fortheyare mutuallyinterimplicated
in the
epiphanicmomentthatmatters.
"Rothschild'sFiddle" [1894] epitomizesneatlythe sadness of epiphanic
beauty,itsdoubleburdenof terrorandjoy. Yakov,coffinmakerand part-time
overcomeby his wife'sdeathand by his own guiltforhavingcontinfiddler,
Rothuallyabusedherand others,includinghis beleagueredfellow-musician
schild,sees an epiphany.He looks at a watermeadow wherea birchwood
used to be, at a "bare hillside"wherea forestused to appeara "bluishpatch
[togdasinel]"' thenhe closes his eyes,and "in his imaginationhugeflocksof
whitegeese soared,meetingone another"(G 8: 237; P 8: 303). The birches'

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bluishindistinctness
culminate
whiteness,thehill's barenessand remembered
in a hugebrightepiphanicblurofhostsofwhitebirdsconverging.Long meditationsfollow,filledwithYakov's penitentregret;he latercrieswhile playing the fiddle,experiencingan "agonizingecstasy [muchiteVnyi
],"
vostorg
paradoxicallyappropriateaftera Chekhovianequivocal epiphany.At his
deathbedconfessionYakov wills his fiddleto Rothschild,who now elicits
fromthatinstrument
a tear-inducing
air so muchlikedthatofficialsand merchantsmake himplay it "over again a dozen times"(G 8: 241; P 8: 305). It
is the spiritof Yakov's own equivocal Chekhovianepiphany,his own "agocathartic
nizingecstasy"translatedfromvisiblebrightblurintomysteriously
sound.
3
Chekhovtheskepticalepiphanistis happyto parodyhis own revelationsof
indecision:such a self-parodyis "A Joke"[1886], our earliestexhibitof his
epiphaniesof Love. As thestoryopens,theepiphanicscene is set:
Itwasa bright
winter
wasa sharp
frost
andthecurls
onNadenka's
[...].There
snapping
midday
with
frost.
Shewasholding
andthedownonherupper
myarm
lipwerecovered
silvery
temples
a
andwewerestanding
hill.From
where
westood
totheground
belowthere
stretched
ona high
descent
inwhich
thesunwasreflected
as ina looking-glass.
smooth
(G 13:251;P 5:21)
sloping
The snowyslope mirrorsthe sun as Nadenka's frostytemplesand upperlip
mirrortheday's sharpfrost:whatis seen is a "looking-glass"fortheseer.As
fora tobogganride down
thenarrator
takesNadenka,"pale and trembling,"
thehill,notonlydoes hershakingblurhervision,buttheextremerapidityof
to "tear"their"heads
thecouple'smotion,withthe"cruelly"angrywindtrying
P
makes
the
entirelandscapeone
off" their"shoulders"(G 13: 252; 5: 21),
giganticChekhovianepiphanicwhiteblur,betokeningtheusual Chekhovian
impenetrable
mystery.
What'scomic aboutthisepiphanicenigmais thatit's a deliberateprank:as
the couple speed down the slope, thenarratorsays, "I love you, Nadya!" in
such a "low voice" thatshe thinksthe wind mighthave caused an auditory
afterward,
hallucination;thenarrator,
simplystandsthere,calmly"smoking"
(G 13: 252; P 5: 21-22). Nadenka wantsthe ride repeated;in fact,she becomes addictedto theseepiphanicriddle-rides(theybecome her"alcohol or
questionin the world,"whetherthe
morphia")though"the most important
love declarationwas realityor illusion,remainsunanswered,untilthenarratorfinallyleaves forPetersburg
(G 13: 252-54; P 5: 22-23). In thestory'slast
remainsa riddleforitsperpetrator,
sentencewe learnthattheepiphany-prank
too: "now thatI am older,I cannotunderstandwhy I utteredthose words,
whatwas mymotivein thatjoke...." (G 13: 257; P 5: 24). The finalellipsisis
Chekhov's.The finalepistemicellipsis in any skepticalepiphanyis always
Chekhov's.

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In "A Misfortune"
[ 1886], SofyaPetrovnaperceivesan enigmaticepiphany
thanshame,reason,or fear"
thatChekhov'sauthorialpersonacalls "stronger
( G 4: 327; P 5: 259). Married,she triesto dismissherwould-beloverIlyin,
buttheChekhovianepiphaniccomponentsof thescenariobuild up an expewhite
rience thatoverwhelmsher. The courtshipscene features"Featherymasses of cloud" and a "largewhitechurch"(the requisitewhitepatchesor
squarishforms(G 4: 305; P 5: 247)). AfterIlyinhas kneeledto her,Sofya
Petrovnais struckby thesandypatcheson his knees:"thesand on his knees,
thefluffy
clouds,"stand"outin herimagination"(G 4: 3 17; P 5: 254) as cogto unravel
natewhitishpatches.She feelsa "tangle"of emotions"as difficult
as to counta flockof sparrowsrapidlyflyingby"- the recurrent
epiphanic
motifof a blurrypatchof bird-motion
(G 4: 316; P 5: 253-54). Aftershe has
"dreamed"a good deal and has "looked at herselftwo or threetimesin the
looking-glass"(mirrormotif),Sofyanoticesforthefirsttimea "snake with
diamondeyes" on Ilyin's tie pin; naturally"she could have kissed it on the
spot" (G 4: 319, 321; P 5: 255-56), forthisis theclimacticepiphaniccomponent,therequisitehyalinescintilla.Mirroreffectsof opaque whitenesstake
overnow: Sofyacan see "how white[bleden]"Ilyinis, and she realizes she
herselfhas "turnedin a day!"- "Like milk"(G 4: 322, 325; P 5: 256, 258).
Her husbandcan hardlycompetewithall thisepiphanicinput.But of course
theepiphanyis skepticalas usual: Sofya is filledwithdoubtsas she desperatelyrunsaway to Ilyin,whilethecombinationof her"pettinessand egoism"
withIlyin'slikingfor"cutting
jests" (G 4: 321; P 5: 256) intimatesa dubious
futureforboth(thoughthetwopeople maybe meantforeach other- we can
neverknow).
ridIn "Verotchka"[1887] an epiphanyof love presentsa pathetic-comic
dle, ironicallyrevealing to the protagonistOgnev (meaning "fire") his
"strangecoldness"as "simplyimpotenceof soul" (G 8: 32; P 6: 80). As usual,
of an experiencethat
thisrevelationis theutterlyinconclusiveundermining
had seemed farmorepromising."Nothingin life is so preciousas people!"
says the initiallycheerfulOgnev,but enigmasappear as epiphaniccomponentsgather:"a finesoftmistsoaked throughand throughwithmoonlight,"
"coils of mist thatlooked like phantoms,""transparent
patches of mist,"
if
to
it
is
as
white
shadows"workmen,
"trying
lightup thegar"wandering
den withwhiteBengal fire,hid behindthebushesand let offclouds of white
smoketogetherwiththe light"(G 8: 18; P 6: 71). Certainlythisis enough
mistinessand moonlight,cloudinessand whitefireto
opacity,transparency,
offerthe prospectof an irresolubleepistemicdilemma. Verotchais that
dilemma.
"As thoughcovered with a veil all naturewas hidden in a transparent,
clear and somehow hazy to
colourlesshaze"; what is both transparently
in
is
a
his
he
has
"neverhad a romance"but
is
that
there
"blank"
lifeOgnev
has somehownevernoticed"the blank [probela]" (G 8: 21; P 6: 73). His

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emptinesshas been opaque to him.Vera,too, is sick of herblank life,"our

colourless,pale people, who are all as like one anotheras two drops of
water!"(G 8: 29; P 6: 79). But when she tremblingly
declaresherconcealed
love, Ognev cannotrespond.As he watchesthe "glaringpatchesof moonlight"that"gleamedhereand there,"he regretshis apparentfailurebutcontinuesirresolute;we last see himgazing"a long,longtimeat thelight"( G 8:
32-33; P 6: 80-81), buthe remainsunilluminated.
"Lights"[Ogni, 1888] focuseson a similarlyskepticallove epiphanybut,
title,thestorymakeseven morevividthanusual the
givenitsironic-symbolic
Chekhovianepistemicundermining:
the opacityof clarity,non-illumination
by "lights." EngineerAnanyev wants to convince skeptical studentVon
that"Solomon's 'vanityof vanities'"(G 13: 23, P 7: 110) is a danShtenberg
gerousphilosophyfortheyoung,but- poor polemicistthathe is- all he can
do is demonstrate
its seeminglyplausibleapplicabilityto his own love affair.
wife in a remoteCaucasus town,but,
True,he won the love of a frustrated
ashamedof thefacilityof his conquest,as he escapes by trainfromthescene
ofthecrimehe receiveshis predictably
equivocal revelation.Looking"outof
thewindow" (squarishform),he findsthe turquoisesky "serenelymirrored
[gliadelos']" in thesea and thesettingsun"reflected"
by "goldendomes" and
the
town
is
shrouded
in
the
mistof evening"(re"windows,"though
"already
flectionand opacitycombined(G 13: 58; P 7: 134)). Everything
is equally
and
and
to
as
he
looks
"at the
transparent enshrouded,bright hazy, Ananyev
whitemistthatcoveredthetown"and imagines"how a womanwitha senseless blankfacewas hurrying
up and downin thatmistbythechurchesand the
houses,lookingforme and moaning,'Oh, my God!"' (G 13: 58; P 7: 134).
Ananyevgoes back and weeps withhis (ex-)mistress,but that'sthe (inconclusive) end of it- a dull blanknesslike theone on herface thatmirrorsthe
blanknessof themistytown.As thenarratorleaves the scene of theconverat theblindinglybright"sun-scorchedplain"
sation,he looks simultaneously
and the equally indistinct"hazy distance.""Yes, there'sno understanding
whereupon(in the last sentence)
anythingin this world!" he says blurrily,
"The sunbegan to rise ...." (G 13: 68; P 7: 140), itsbrilliancedimmedby the
familiarChekhovianconcludingskepticalellipsis.
"Neighbours"[1892] concludes our section on Love with an unusually
darkepiphany,yetstillwithplentyofpallor,whiteness,ghostliness,
mist,and
mirrorlike
reflections
of the seer in the seen. PyotrMihalich,a prematurely
aging bachelorwho loves only his immediatefamilyand dislikesthe word
"woman,"wantsto protestwhen his sisterZina goes to live withtheirmarried neighborVlassitch,a person in whose "exteriortherewas something
colourlessand indefinite"
(G 2: 239, 242; P 8: 61, 63), a seemingmirrorof
thecolorlessPyotr.But aftertalkingwiththetwo offenders,
Pyotrfeelsindecisive,weak: "I am an old woman!" he thinks,gazing"steadilyat thewater,"
and imagineshe sees "his sister'sdespair,hermartyr-like
pallor" (G 2: 255;

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P 8: 71). The sister'swomanliness,imaginedin thereflecting

water,mirrors
Pyotr'sown,just as her "pallor"reflectshis own colorlessness.Indeed,"on
thebackgroundof smooth,darkwaterand amongpale femininefigureshe
saw himself,a weak, cowardlyman witha guiltyface" ( G 2: 256; P 8: 71).
Pyotrthinkshe sees a "ghost";it is only an "old rotten"piece of wood. He
smells "lilies of the valley" (whitenesstheme),but theirbright(non-)color
yieldsquicklyto theopaque, for"thewhole of life"now seems "as darkas
thiswaterin whichthe nightsky" is "reflected"( G 2: 256; P 8: 71). The
thatof life.
bright-dark
opacityof love mirrors
4
here
to
include
traditional
ritualsas well as personal
Religion(interpreted
and
fascinates
the
myths
fairy-tale
imaginings)
self-undermining
epiphanist
Chekhov;indeed,his next-to-last
tale,"The Bishop,"whichwe will consider
showsChekhov'sabsorptionin thisthemeuntilnearlytheend of his
shortly,
shortlife.All the"religious"epiphaniesare skepticalmasterworks;
"The Reis
and
terse.
quiem" [1886] especiallymoving
The requiem-epiphany
forMariyaevokes thepathosof our distancefrom
Truth.WhenAndreiAndreitch
submitsin writinga requestfora prayeron behalfof his deceased daughter,
whomhe calls "theharlotMaria" because she
"was an actress,"the respectable,dull-wittedFatherGrigoryis horrified:
"harlot"is notthewordto use in churchaboutsuch a celebrity,
whose death
was even noticed"in thenewspapers"( G 9: 223-24; P 4: 352-53). But AndreirarelynoticedMariya duringher life; only occasionallywould he "rememberthatshe was his daughter,"
and thenhe would scareherwithcautionhomethreeyears
aryBible tales (G 9: 226-27; P 4: 354). Whenshe returned
beforeherdeathand marveledat thelovelyravinesof herbirthplace,
Andrei
had counteredbrusquely,"Thereis no moreprofitfromthemthanmilkfrom
a billy-goat"(G 9: 228; P 4: 355), introducing
a nice Chekhovianimage for
the ImpossibleWhiteness,the riddlingpurity-opacity
unfoldedin the concludingrequiem-epiphany:
Bluish
smoke
coiled
thecenser
andbathed
inthebroad,
ofsunshine
which
upfrom
slanting
patch
cutacross
thegloomy,
lifeless
ofthechurch.
Anditseemed
asthough
thesoulofthe
emptiness
deadwoman
weresoaring
intothesunlight
with
thesmoke.
Thecoilsofsmoke
likea
together
child's
curlseddied
round
andround,
tothewindow
floating
upwards
and,as itwere,
holding
alooffrom
thewoesandtribulations
ofwhich
that
poorsoulwasfull.(G 9: 228;P 4: 355)
The squarishpatchof sunshinecomingthroughthewindowintersects
on the
wall withtherisingincensesmoke.The brightsquare is opaque; thecurling
smoke suggeststhe innocence of a curly-hairedchild, but as the partly
translucent
exhalationrisesitblendswiththeopacityof thenon-colorwhite.
We know almostnothingaboutthe lifeof theactressMariya,farless about
herstateof "spirit."The "requiem"epiphanyis Chekhovianin offering
no re-

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of an intense,expanperplexity
quies or peace, onlythedisquiet,fascination,
sive mystery.
In "Art"[1886] theepiphanicfocusin a religiousriteis dazzlingbrilliance
ratherthan smoke-mutedwhiteness,but the ambivalenceof its emotional
meaningsmakes it equally opaque and deceptive.The riteis theblessingof
thewater,accompaniedby theunveilingof a magnificent
religiousice sculpture,on "Epiphanymorning"( G 12: 271; P 4: 291). It is an elaboratecarving: "Behindthelecternthereis to be a highcrossto be seen by all thecrowd
and to glitterin thesun as thoughsprinkledwithdiamondsand rubies.On the
cross is to be a dove carvedout of ice" (G 12: 270; P 4: 290). The themeof
along withthespectrumof a
dazzlingepiphanicpointsof lightis heightened,
thepegs, and thecrossin
"The
the
wooden
whiteness:
lectern,
ring,
prismatic
theice are iridescentwiththousandsof colors.The cross and thedove glitter
so dazzlinglythatit hurtstheeyes to look at them"( G 12: 272; P 4: 291).
The prieststryto prolongthebeautifulceremonyso as to drawoutthe"joy
and whentheclimaxcomes withguns and
of prayingall gatheredtogether,"
ice
the
brilliant
bells, Seryozhka,
sculptor,"listensto thisuproar,sees thousandsof eyes fixedupon him,and thelazy fellow'ssoul is filledwitha sense
of gloryand triumph"(G 12: 273; P 4:292). Lazy? Yes, Seryozhahas been
in his ceaseless "fault-finding"
lazy,as well as "venomousand contemptuous"
withhis hapless co-workerMatvei; his "commands"have been "senseless,"
his "reproaches"endless,as he constantly
"displays"himselfin the"greatness
P
4:
The
scene ofthe"epiphany"is a giant
of his talent"( G 12: 266-69;
288).
mirrors
theglorioussunin myriads
mirroring-butofwhat?The ice sculpture
mirof blinding-bright
jewels. But arrogantSeryozha's"soul" simultaneously
his
own
rorsthe"thousandsofeyes" thatseemto himto be fixatedupon
glory:
he takes in whathe feelsto be theboundlessadmirationthoseeyes express,
In theconcluding,climacticrevelationof the
and his conceitis thousandfold.
story,we see thatSeryozha'sepiphanyis opaque to all glorysave his own.
"On the Road" [1886], which inspiredRachmaninoff'stone poem "The
Rock,"offerstheequallyskepticalepiphanyofa verypersonalpiece ofmythic
buthis beliefshave
fertileimaginer,
imagining.Likharyovis an uncommonly
alwaysbeenas changeableas theywerezealous: once he had learnedin school
the(centrallyChekhovian)concept"thatwhitelightis notwhite,butis made
up of seven colours,"he "glowed withhatredforanyonewho saw in white
lightnothingbutwhitelight"(G 8: 211-12; P 5: 469). A morerecentbeliefhis "new faith!"- is thatwoman's"sublimeslavery,"hercapacityforendless
devotionto a man,is "thehighestmeaningof woman's life"(G 8: 216-17; P
5: 472-73). As thewomanto whomhe has been explainingthislatestcreed
preparesto quittheinn,Likharyov'sepiphanyensues:restlessclouds of "big
in herlook "at himthroughherlong eyelashes
softsnowflakes"are mirrored
withlittlespecksof snowon them."Likharyovbeginsto feel,withentireconviction,as ifthelady,"withanothertouchor two,"wouldhave "followedhim

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291

withoutquestionor reasonings,"withthetotaldevotionpositedby his current

faith.As he watches her carriagevanish into the snow-covereddistance,
theseen- himselfturns,at story'send,intoa
Likharyov-theseermirroring
mass
of snow: "Soon thetrackof therunnershad
undifferentiated
seemingly
vanished,and he himselfcoveredwithsnow,began to look like a whiterock,
in thecloudsof snow" ( G 8: 223-24;
butstillhis eyeskeptseekingsomething
P 5: 477). Like all Chekhovianseers, Likharyovscrutinizesthe enigmatic
his own earlier
of his desireforFaith,or Truth-forgetting
blanc fora mirror
into
a spectrumof
itself
when
that
whiteness,
analyzed,discomposes
insight
possibilities.
multiple,coequal, contrasting
imaginingsof buried
"Happiness" [1887], a conversationabout fairy-tale
whose
a
double
has
treasure,
predictablebrightopacityensuresthat
epiphany,
will
remain
its meaning,too,
equivocal, a treasurein its wideningintensity,
butwithits"meaning"securelyburied.First,theold shepherdtellsof an apparition:a "whitebullock" comingalong his pathmagicallyturnedintothe
local wizard Yefim,who shows "the whitesof his eyes" while the sky is
"streakedwithlightning"(G 6: 255; P 6: 212). This is the demonicside of
white opacity-and-brilliance:
Yefim,thoughhe knew the secret of buried
would neverdivulgeit in his selfishness;he also "murderedpeople
treasures,
withviper's [white]fat,"and whenone tooka walk withhim,one saw "little
flames,littleflames[...] littleflamesas thoughfrombrimstone";indeed,"little circlesof light"spreadoutfromtheoverseer'spipe as he listensto this(G
6: 256-57; P 6: 213). In thesecondstageof theepiphany,as theskybecomes
so indistinct
"you could notmake outwhetheritwas clearor coveredthickly
withclouds,"the"silverywormwood,theblue flowersof thepig's onion,the
yellow mustard,the [violet]corn-flowers-all burstintogay colors" as the
spectrummotifaugmentsthewhitenesstheme(G 6: 260, 264-65; P 6: 215,
characterof
fairy-tale
218). Whiletheyoungshepherdponders"thefantastic,
humanhappiness,"a "hundredsheep started,and in some inexplicablepanic
as at a signal,dashedaway fromtheflock"- a wonderfulhugewhiteblurto
completethe epiphany.What do we make of thesemyriadfiresand lights,
and whitenessesmagical and diabolic,climaxed
lightnings
spectrum-colors,
blurof brightopacity?The old shepherdand
enormous
and
an
motiveless
by
"each" is "livingin his own
his younglistenerare no longercommunicating;
too" (G 6: 265; P 6: 218), as is thereader.
life."The "sheep" are "pondering,
Chekhov'sfinalthoughtson skep"The Bishop" [1892], perhapsoffering
remainsfaithfully
Chekhovianin itsresticalepiphaniesin religioussettings,
The whole storyis a briefthree-part
olute lack of finality.
dream-epiphany
awakenedby thepressuresof an unfromwhichtheBishop is intermittently
welcomereality.
As thestoryopens and "eveningservice"is beingcelebrated
"in a sortof mist"of "twilight,"the "crowd" seems "heavinglike the sea";
"In themist"theBishop cannot"see the doors; thecrowdkeptmovingand
looked as thoughtherewere no end to it" (G 7: 3; P 10: 186). Amid thissea

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ofmist,"as thoughin a dreamor delirium,"theBishop thinkshe sees his own

themist
mother,and "Tearsglistenedon his face and on his beard,"mirroring
and the"weeping"thatfillsthechurch( G 7: 3-4; PIO: 186). Whitenessjoins
theepiphanicmotifsin thenextparagraph:"thewhitewalls,thewhitecrosses
on thetombs,thewhitebirch-trees
[...] seemednow livingtheirown life"in
the"brilliant,
peacefulmoonlight"( G 7: 4-5; P 10: 187).
in "at thewindows,
Stage two in theepiphanyshows"sunshine"streaming
throwing
brightlighton thewhitetableclothand on Katya's red hair,"which
springsup fromunderthecomband standsout"likea halo"; thegirl"had broken a glass beforesittingdown" ( G 7: 10-11; G 10: 190-91). But theradiant
halo andtransparent
tableclothare
glass andbrilliant
rectangleofthesunbright
all opaque orobscureto theBishop;thoughKatyakeepsbreakingdishesto get
his attention,
he is thinking
of different
whitenesses:the"perfectly
new white
church"by thesea wherehe lived foreightyears,the"fiveloftylightrooms"
of his flat,all thatpastbrightness
which"had retreated
faraway intothemist
as thoughit were a dream"(G 7: 14; P 10: 193). In theclimacticstagethree,
theBishop sees on bothsides ofthechurch"a perfectsea of lights,"thoughhe
can "notsee thepeople,"and itseems"as thoughthesewereall thesamepeople as had been roundhimin thosedays,in his childhoodand his youth;that
theywould always be the same everyyear and till such time as God only
knew"( G 7: 21-22; PIO: 198). Afterhis death,whenhis mothertellspeople
thatshe had a son who was a bishop,she fearsshe will notbe believed."And,
indeed,"saysChekhovin conclusion,"thereare somewho do notbelieveher"
(G 7: 26; P 10: 201). The Bishop had neverbeen quitereal; otherpeople had
neverbeen quitereal to him.In his finalepiphany,as he blendsintoa perfect
sea of blendedlights,a blurrily
meldedvisionintowhichtheinvisiblepeople
are transformed,
the Bishop himselfloses the distinctindividuality
thathad
been slippingaway foryears.Mirroring
theopaque worldof brighthaze that
he sees surrounding
him, the Bishop becomes a Chekhovianepiphanyof
dreamlikemistybrightness
and specularindistinction.6
The followingmonologuefoundamongChekhov'spaperssumsup his lifetimeself-questioning
epiphanicproject:
I wasa child,
Solomon
islife!Nonight,
when
soterrified
mebyitsdark(alone):Oh!howdark
nessas doesmyinvisible
existence.
thougavest
ofharLord,toDavidmyfather
onlythegift
andsounds,
tosingandpraise
theeonstrings,
tolament
tomakepeowords
sweetly,
monizing
mind?
butwhyhastthougiven
mea meditative,
pleweeporadmire
beauty;
sleepless,
hungry
I hideindarkness;
andinfearanddespair,
allshaking
andshivLikeaninsect
born
ofthedust,
aninvisible
I seeandhearineverything
Whythismorning?
Whydoesthesun
mystery.
ering.
ofwomen?
Where
behind
thetemple
andgildthepalmtree
? Whythisbeauty
comeoutfrom
"alltruths
arerelative,"
inenforcing
themessage
that
6. Kramer
that
"TheBishop,"
claims
theultimate,
subthatChekhov's
"lasttenyearsrepresent
bestembodies
thethesis
though
overthedream"
oftheskeptical
ofthechameleon
dued,triumph
(173).Butmyanalysis
in"Dreams"
andother
stories
showsthatforChekhov
theepiphanic
"dream"
was
epiphanies
chameleonic.
always

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Bright

293

ifitanditsyoung
andtheplacetowhich
ofitsflight,
doesthebirdhurry
, whatisthemeaning
I hadnever
beenbornorwerea stone
Itwerebetter
turn
todust?
ithastens
,
will,likemyself,
Inorder
all
totireoutmybodybynightfall,
neither
towhich
Godhasgiven
eyesnorthoughts.
butnowthenight
hascomeand
I carried
marble
tothetemple;
likea mere
workman
yesterday,
toldmethat
ifoneimagines
aflock
Phorses
I cannot
ofsheeprunsleep...I'll goandliedown.
andonefallsasleep.I'll doit...
one'sattention
getsconfused
uponit,themind
ningandfixes
added)
(N 15n;/47: 194;emphases
(exit).
hereincludethephrasesI italicize:we
Elementsof epiphanicself-portraiture
have motifsof blurrymotion(shakingand shivering,rapidflightof birds),
brilliantillumination(sun gildingthe palm tree),whiteness(marbleforthe
temple),and a finallargewhiteblur,brightand opaque (a flockof sheeprunning,whose motionbafflesthe mind's eye). As we know from"Lights,"
ChekhovlinkedSolomon to the "vanityof vanities"philosophyof Ecclesiastes.As skepticalepiphanisttheRussianwriteris akinto bothof theseHebrewsages. But he is also akinto theHebrewsingerDavid, whom Solomon
envies.7Chekhov'sself-critical
epiphaniesare inseparablefromhis inclusive
a specout
whichrules
conciliatingsolutionsbecause it affirms
imagination,
to
"words
and
trumof conflicting
sounds, singand
possibilities:to harmonize
praise,""to lament,""to make people weep or admirebeauty."The ellipses
in thequotedpassage are Chekhov's,includingthesignof inof irresolubility
conclusivenessthatconcludestheepiphany.
An entryin Chekhov'snotebookshows the epiphanist'slove of self-diswill triumph';butitis unmantling
paradox."Theysay: 'In thelongruntruth
we
true"(N 73; P 17: 179). Yet ifthefinaltruthis thattruthwill nottriumph,
Like the famousparawhichin the long runtriumphs.
knowthefinaltruth,
candox abouttheCretanwho said all Cretansare liars,Chekhov'sstatement
cels itself.A notebookentrysumsup thelifelongepiphanicstrategiesof the
relentlessepistemicself-questioner:
butwhite,
that
canbeadmitted;
iswhite,
with
N.N.V.never
"Yes,theceiling
agrees
anyone:
thatin
anditis quitepossible
ofthespectrum,
consists
ofthesevencolors
as faras isknown,
ofpure
fortheproduction
thanis necessary
orbrighter
thiscaseoneofthecolorsis darker
iswhite."
that
theceiling
a bitbefore
I hadrather
think
(N 123;P 17:104)
white;
saying
cloudy-clearis thewhitenessof fineChekhovian
Epistemicallydark-bright,
of
epiphanies brightblur,blindinglight,blankpage.
REFERENCES
: Selections
theWorks
andReverie
OnPoeticImagination
Gaston.
Bachelard,
from
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gloomy
poas well,andI do notequateChekhovian
to
etryin themonologue
epiphanic
skepticism
Solomon's
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in
AdditionalEpiphanies,MostlyFragmentary,
Appendix-Chart:
ChekhovStories
(All page numbersreferto volumesin G.)
VOLUME/
STORY TITLE

BLINDING
LIGHT

1 "TheDarling"1899
1 "ThreeYears"1895 290 Painful
brilliant
light
2 "ThePrincess"1899
3 "Ionitch"1898

BRIGHT BLUR

BLANK PAGE

8 Messageread
arms
withshaking
290 Smokecoils

8, 22 Whitepage
telegram
290 Flashing
oblongwindows

311-12Bodysways
on clouds;sheis
a cloud
herself

76-77Wallof
whitemoonlight
intimates
a world
ofmoonlight

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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Blur,Blinding
Light,BlankPage
Bright
3 "TheBlackMonk"
1894

6 "ThePipe"1887

9 "In Exile"1892
10 "TheHorseStealers"1890
1903
11 "Betrothed"

11 "A Play"1887
12 "Grisha"1886
12 "A Chameleon"
1884

51 Bitofglass
gleamslikea
lamp

12 "TheDependents"
1886
12 "WhoWasto
Blame"1886

295

147whiteenvelope
or
150Whirlwind
149whiteletter
waterspout
of
147softblending
spectrum-colored
reflections
105Eyelidsquivered107,110Spotsof
112facecovered
lightlikeopaque
withthickdropslike glass,patchesof
tears
light
111stone,clay,
wantsnothing
18 Whitecloudsof
snow,giantsinwhite
robes,whitecorpseface,horse,swans
oflife
72 Sunlight
mustbe seen
a prism
through
(themeofblank
glass)
113Ladymeltsinto 113Ladyappears
withtable
toretreat
dingymist

208 Whiteborzoi
all
puppytrembles
over
223 Eyesdimmed
by
hazeall day,can'tsee
hisownfingers
228 In mista saucer
ofmilkgrowspaws,
runs

160Themistthat
145Piecesof
U "An
bottles veilsthegrassalso
1888 broken
Unpleasantness"
andjarsdazzle becloudshisthoughts

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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

296

SlavicandEastEuropeanJournal

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