Chekhov's Vanka - The Pathos of Vanka Immediately after Chekhov's death, the Russian philosopher Shestov (1866-1938) wrote an essay entitled "Creation from Emptiness ", in which he declared: "Chekhov was a singer of despair... Chekhov did only one thing: one way or another, he shattered human hopes." Anton Chekhov's "Vanka" accomplishes this quite comprehensively. Vanka, the only active character, believes himself to be assailed on all sides by his dark world and counts on his own innocence and naivety to protect it. The basic premise of the story centers on the boy, including his futile epistolary plea for release from his questionable grandfather, while the author highlights the dangers of the boy's reliance on his innocence. The author's exploitation of Vanka's innocence and naivety calls into question the sentimentality of Chekhov's "Vanka." Vanka assumes that his grandfather, the vivacious Konstantin Makarich, will lovingly bring him out of his dark existence after receiving the letter, but upon closer inspection, his grandfather is unfit and an unlikely savior. “Vanka” presents two distinct aspects. Either the boy concentrates on writing his letter, or he gets lost in the memory of his grandfather. However, the boy's fond memories contain evidence of his grandfather's disturbing character traits. In one instance, Vanka remembers his “laughing face and drunken eyes” (47). This fond memory alludes to a perpetual state of alcohol-induced confusion. Her grandfather, a likely drinker, was also likely a womanizer, since Vanka imagines him "pinching first the housekeeper, then the cook" (47). Thus, the author establishes that the grandfather is unfit to take care of Vanka. To further discredit the grandfather, the author uses rel...... middle of paper...... mitigating the pathos of the story, this final joke acts as a hardener of the heart, transforming despondency shot down in caustic hilarity. The degree to which Vanka's innocence is exploited in Chekhov's narrative changes the tone of the story. The growing sentimentality towards Vanka and her grandfather dies away, replaced by meaningless cheerfulness. Although it begins as a tale of cutesy sentimentality, the author uses Vanka's naivety to demystify the grandfather, then ends "Vanka" with an ironic and twisted joke, similar to that of " The necklace" by Maupassant. “Vanka” Understanding fiction. 3rd ed. Ed. Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1979. 46-50de Maupassant, Guy. “The Necklace” Understanding fiction. 3rd ed. Ed. Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1979. 66-72