figure
Dymov
also: Дымов
A reckless, swaggering young wagon-driver in "The Steppe," son of a well-off peasant, whose bullying high spirits (killing a grass snake for sport, taunting Yegorushka) mask a deep boredom and dissatisfaction with his lot. In this letter, answering a question from Pleshcheev about the character, Chekhov calls Dymov's kind of nature made "expressly for revolution," predicts Russia will never have one, and calls him "a superfluous man" -- doomed instead to drink himself to ruin or end in prison. A fictional character of the novella, not a real person.
Reading notes
- To A. N. Pleshcheyev, 9 February 1888. Moscow. §10 that scapegrace Dymov
The reckless young wagon-driver of "The Steppe." Answering a specific question from Pleshcheev about the character ("you write that you liked Dymov as material"), Chekhov offers an unusually direct piece of authorial commentary: natures like Dymov's are made "expressly for revolution," but since Chekhov holds there will never be a revolution in Russia, such a man is doomed instead to drink or prison -- "a superfluous man," invoking the well-known Russian literary type (lishny chelovek) of the talented, purposeless man out of step with his society.
Mentioned in 3 works (97 mentions)
To A. N. Pleshcheyev, 9 February 1888. Moscow.
The Steppe: The Story of a Journey
- §297 Dymov
- §298 Dymov
- §303 Dymov
- §307 Dymov
- §322 Dymov
- §324 Dymov
- §325 Dymov
- §338 Dymov
- §342 Dymov
- §346 Dymov
- §353 Dymov
- §358 Dymov
- §360 Dymov
- §362 Dymov
- §364 Dymov
- §366 Dymov
- §402 Dymov
- §414 Dymov
- §415 Dymov
- §431 Dymov
- §434 Dymov
- §436 Dymov
- §439 Dymov
- §441 Dymov
- §442 Dymov
- §459 Dymov
- §467 Dymov
- §472 Dymov
- §475 Dymov
- §487 Dymov
- §492 Dymov
- §493 Dymov
- §494 Dymov
- §506 Dymov
- §515 Dymov
- §518 Dymov
- §520 Dymov
- §533 Dymov
- §536 Dymov
- §559 Dymov
- §560 Dymov
- §564 Dymov
- §566 Dymov
- §569 Dymov
- §570 Dymov
- §571 Dymov
- §575 Dymov
- §582 Dymov
- §585 Dymov
- §588 Dymov
- §603 Dymov
- §670 Dymov
- §699 Dymov
The Grasshopper
- §4 Dymov
- §6 Dymov
- §7 Dymov
- §10 Dymov
- §11 Dymov
- §13 Dymov
- §15 Dymov
- §19 Dymov
- §22 Dymov
- §23 Dymov
- §24 Dymov
- §32 Dymov
- §33 Dymov
- §34 Dymov
- §35 Dymov
- §37 Dymov
- §38 Dymov
- §40 Dymov
- §41 Dymov
- §45 Dymov
- §54 Dymov
- §55 Dymov
- §56 Dymov
- §68 Dymov
- §82 Dymov
- §95 Dymov
- §102 Dymov
- §104 Dymov
- §111 Dymov
- §118 Dymov
- §120 Dymov
- §121 Dymov
- §129 Dymov
- §141 Dymov
- §143 Dymov
- §148 Dymov
- §150 Dymov
- §161 Dymov
- §168 Dymov
- §178 Dymov
- §184 Dymov
- §185 Dymov
- §187 Dymov