concept
Wise Virgins
wise virgins
also: мудрые девы
Figures from the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) who keep their lamps ready for the bridegroom; applied ironically by Chekhov to the indiscriminate crowds of Krasnaya Gorka brides.
Reading notes
- Krasnaya Gorka §44 wise virgins
An allusion to the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), in which five 'wise' virgins keep their lamps trimmed and ready for the bridegroom; Chekhov applies the phrase ironically to the crowds of Russian women marrying during Krasnaya Gorka week, deserving or not.