person
Pyotr Dmitrich
also: Петр Дмитрия, Пётр Дмитрич
Fictional character in Chekhov's story "Хорошие люди" ("Good People"), discussed here in Chekhov's defense of the story against Pleshcheyev's criticism. Described by Chekhov as lying and playing the buffoon in court, heavy and hopeless, yet by nature a kind and gentle man. Not a real person -- kept distinct from the real, whom Chekhov explicitly denies having satirized in the same section.
Reading notes
- To A. N. Pleshcheyev, 9 October 1888. Moscow. §4 Петр Дмитрия лжет и буффонит в суде
Pyotr Dmitrich and Olga Mikhailovna are FICTIONAL characters from Chekhov's own story "Хорошие люди" ("Good People"), which Pleshcheyev has just read and criticized -- not real people. Keep distinct from the real "Pavel Mikhailovich" discussed two sentences later, whom Chekhov explicitly denies having satirized ("Христос с Вами!" / "Heaven forbid!").
- To A. N. Pleshcheyev, 10–11 October 1888. Moscow. §3 где я описываю председательство Петра Дмитрича
"Pyotr Dmitrich" is the same FICTIONAL court-presiding character from Chekhov's story "Хорошие люди" ("Good People") already established in the headnote to letter 3-497 (section 5) -- not a real person. Chekhov's worry here is that the censor will strike the passage because the fictional portrait reads as recognizable satire of how real court presidents actually behave, not because he has named any real judge.