“Every coin has two sides, but the truth lies in between.”
War is not only a frequently explored theme in Uzbek literature but also in world literature. Among all the books I have read so far, the ones that have left the deepest mark on my heart, inspired me to reread them, and encouraged me to share their stories with others are those about wartime and the people who lived through it. The characters in these stories are unique—their fates, dreams, and inner struggles are entirely different from those in ordinary narratives. One such novel is The Book Thief, written by renowned Australian author Markus Zusak. The very title of the book immediately captures the reader’s attention. This novel portrays life in Nazi Germany during World War II, depicting the country’s political and social conditions through the story of a young girl named Liesel.
Before reading this book, I had never truly considered the lives of Germans during the war—people from the very nation that instigated World War II and brought immense tragedy upon the world. However, The Book Thief revealed that Germans, like other nations, also endured hardships. It showed that ordinary people longed for peace, that they lived through extreme difficulties, and that they sometimes had only one bowl of pea soup a week. The exposition of the novel begins with Liesel Meminger, the main protagonist, being sent to live with a foster family by her mother. On the way, her younger brother dies, and at his burial, she steals her first book from the cemetery. The novel’s composition is masterfully structured, with a seamless sequence of events that keeps the reader emotionally engaged until the very end. The plot revolves around Liesel’s life with her foster family, her father Hans Hubermann teaching her to read, her growing passion for books leading her to steal more, and the hidden Jewish man living in their basement. The story ultimately culminates in a heartbreaking conclusion.
What is the turning point of the novel? One could argue that it is the moment when Liesel’s family decides to shelter a Jewish man, risking their own lives in Nazi Germany. And the resolution? Death. At the end of the novel, Liesel loses her entire family and closest friends. Death takes away her unfinished story. The most emotionally intense moment—the climax—occurs during the bombing that kills Liesel’s family. Interestingly, the novel is narrated from the perspective of Death itself, which adds a unique and haunting depth to the story.
So, what does this remarkable novel teach us? The Book Thief is not just about war. It delves into themes of racial and religious discrimination, the devastating consequences of war and conflict, and the profound impact of books on human life. Above all, it teaches us that even in the darkest times, friendship, kindness, and compassion are the greatest courage.
Ochildiyeva Shahnoza
Journalism and Mass Communications University of Uzbekistan
Faculty of International Relations and Social Humanities, 1st-year student
The Problem of Emptiness and Loneliness of the Modern Individual in Chekhov’s Dramaturgy
Philology and History Faculty
Department of Native Language and Literature: Russian Language Specialization, Group 242
Annotation: this article analyzes the theme of existential emptiness and loneliness of the modern individual in Anton Pavlovich Chekhov’s dramaturgy. The author examines Chekhov’s plays such as “Uncle Vanya,” “Three Sisters,” “The Seagull,” and “The Cherry Orchard,” focusing on the characters’ inner emptiness, instability, and alienation from society. The paper draws parallels between literary characters and the philosophical-psychological views of J.-P. Sartre, E. Fromm, and V. Frankl. It demonstrates how Chekhov artistically portrays the loss of human vitality, inner suffering, communicative incapacity, and the search for meaning in modern life.
Аннотация: в данной статье анализируется тема экзистенциальной пустоты и одиночества современного человека в драматургии Антона Павловича Чехова. Автор рассматривает пьесы Чехова, такие как «Дядя Ваня», «Три сестры», «Чайка» и «Вишнёвый сад», сосредотачивая внимание на внутренней пустоте, нестабильности и отчуждённости персонажей от общества. В статье проводится параллель между литературными образами и философско-психологическими взглядами Ж.-П. Сартра, Э. Фромма и В. Франкла. Показано, как Чехов художественно отражает утрату жизненной энергии человека, его внутренние страдания, неспособность к коммуникации и поиск смысла жизни в условиях современной реальности.
Keywords: Chekhov’s dramaturgy, emptiness, loneliness, existentialism, modern individual, psychological crisis, communication, search for meaning.
Ключевые слова: драматургия Чехова, пустота, одиночество, экзистенциализм, современный человек, психологический кризис, коммуникация, поиск смысла.
The transformations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries left a profound imprint on human consciousness. Scientific progress, the crisis of spiritual values, and the contradiction between personal freedom and social restrictions raised new questions in the minds of individuals. It was precisely during this period that Anton Pavlovich Chekhov’s dramaturgy offered a deep expression of the modern individual’s spiritual state, inner emptiness, and loneliness. Through the characters’ inner torments, unfulfilled dreams, instability, and difficulty in establishing human connection, Chekhov reveals the universal problems of his time [1]. In plays such as Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, and The Cherry Orchard, the absurdity of life, the lack of purpose, and the inevitability of loneliness become central themes. Chekhov’s characters seem to act, but they fail to achieve real change [2]. Their passivity, inner contradictions, and inaction align closely with modern existentialist philosophy [3].
In Chekhov’s work, the emptiness and loneliness of the modern individual are portrayed not only as personal but also as social problems, analyzed from psychological perspectives as well. Erich Fromm emphasized that loneliness and the lack of meaning in modern society are consequences that emerge alongside the acquisition of freedom [4]. Viktor Frankl showed that when a person loses meaning in life, emptiness and inner suffering arise [5]. Chekhov’s characters face precisely this kind of meaninglessness. This article examines how Chekhov’s dramaturgy portrays the emptiness and loneliness of the modern individual, analyzing the artistic representation and philosophical foundations of these states. Through the inner world of his characters, Chekhov addresses the most pressing issues of our time.
Chekhov’s dramaturgy is distinguished by its psychological depth and subtle artistic expression of socio-philosophical issues. One of the central problems in his plays is the emptiness and loneliness of the modern human being. This theme acquires a unique aesthetic and philosophical layer in plays such as Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, and The Cherry Orchard.
The Psychological State of Chekhov’s Characters and the Sense of Emptiness
In Uncle Vanya, the protagonist comes to realize that his life has been wasted. Vanya experiences anger, despair, and deep inner torment upon realizing that he has spent his life serving others, only to be left with nothing. He declares, “I have squandered my life…” – thus transforming loneliness from a mere social condition into a deeply personal tragedy [6].
This state of inner emptiness resembles Jean-Paul Sartre’s concept of “freedom without ownership.” Sartre argues that although man is free, he is alone in the face of choices [7]. This very loneliness underlies the inaction and internal imbalance of Chekhov’s characters.
The Crisis of Communication and Futile Aspirations
In Three Sisters, the protagonists are dissatisfied with their current lives and dream of returning to Moscow. However, their longing never turns into real action. Their dialogues are filled with melancholy, loneliness, and emptiness. Often, their conversations fail to connect — a clear sign of the communication crisis [8].
Vladimir Kataev notes that behind their dreams, Chekhov presents the individual as a “mysterious being in the world.” According to him, for Chekhov’s characters, “a dream is not an action, but a desire for salvation” [9].
The Seagull and the Tragedy of Non-recognition
In The Seagull, Treplev’s artistic aspirations and attempts to assert himself end in rejection and failure. His life loses meaning, leading to one of Chekhov’s first clear depictions of suicide. Treplev finds no meaning in life and recognizes the absurdity of existence [10].Albert Camus, in The Myth of Sisyphus, declares life absurd – meaningless but still to be continued. Treplev, however, rejects this struggle and puts an end to his life [11]. This deepens the psychological realism found in Chekhov’s plays.
The Cherry Orchard and Clinging to the Past
In The Cherry Orchard, the characters are unprepared for change. Ranevskaya and her family cannot accept the changing world. They are emotionally attached to the past and live in memories, refusing to confront real problems. This reflects the condition of a modern person detached from reality, searching for meaning but unable to find it [12].
Boris Tomashevsky described the characters of The Cherry Orchard as “a collection of individuals who failed to find their place in life.” According to him, Chekhov explores the problem of modernity not through action, but through inaction [13].
Psychological Foundations: From the Perspective of Fromm and Frankl
According to Erich Fromm, modern man’s loneliness stems from his alienation from society, abandonment of close relationships, and inability to understand himself. Chekhov’s characters experience precisely this: they speak, they dream, but they are unable to connect [14].Viktor Frankl argues that when a person cannot find meaning in life, inner emptiness and psychological stagnation follow. For Chekhov’s characters, this void leads to the loss of vitality — they live, but they do not feel alive [15].
Anton Chekhov’s dramaturgy reveals the inner world of the modern individual, especially their sense of emptiness and loneliness, through unique and unconventional artistic forms. Chekhov’s characters are those who do not act, who dream but do not strive for real change, who attempt to communicate but fail to establish connections. They are alienated from society, unable to find their place in life. These conditions align closely with modern psychological and philosophical perspectives: Sartre’s concept of loneliness within freedom, Fromm’s notion of alienation, and Frankl’s idea of lost meaning are vividly embodied in Chekhov’s literary figures.
In Uncle Vanya, suffering and inertia; in Three Sisters, passive dreams; in The Seagull, lack of recognition and lost meaning; and in The Cherry Orchard, the inability to let go of the past — all serve as artistic representations of spiritual crisis. Chekhov depicts psychological stagnation, hopelessness, and isolation against the backdrop of social upheaval. This makes his dramaturgy intimately connected to the existential concerns of the modern era.
Thus, through Chekhov’s works, we gain a profound understanding of one of the most crucial inner problems of the modern individual — the feeling of emptiness and loneliness. He is not merely a writer of his time, but a modern thinker who compels even 21st-century readers to reflect deeply. Chekhov’s characters suffer not from life itself, but from themselves — from their inaction and alienated emotions. This makes him an eternally relevant author.
References
1.Rayfield, D. (1997). Anton Chekhov: A Life. London: HarperCollins, p. 302.
2.Magarshack, D. (1960). Chekhov the Dramatist. New York: Hill and Wang, pp. 110–115.
3.Etkind, A. (1985). Chekhov’s World: A Study of His Drama. Cambridge University Press, p. 87.
4.Fromm, E. (1941). Escape from Freedom. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, p. 36.
5.Frankl, V. (1959). Man’s Search for Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press, p. 106.
buried deep in the most intimate part of her core.
Encapsulated and safeguarded
so intimidatingly, so protectively
within its shell—
to prevent even the thinnest fabric of its wisp
from escaping and entering
anyone else’s mind.
The mere thought
of it being infused into the creations
of unborn souls and unformed minds
creates a corequake within her.
But she ferociously pulls
its loosely held, fragmented parts inward—
gravitating them toward the very center,
holding them together
by the unvanishable force
of her integrity.
The Sound of Existence
Silence is not the absence of sound,
for it’s the natural frequency of itself.
To listen to the pure sound of the cosmos,
you must silence the beat of emotions.
Sound embodies the essence of Trimurti—
Brahma, the origin, from whom it emerges.
Vishnu, the flow, through whom it sustains.
Shiva, the vibration, in whom it oscillates.
Sound is the only perceivable form
of blended energies of the Supreme Trinity,
in a world ruled by senses.
And in that moment,
when you sense producing sound,
you understand—
you are nothing but Naadam.
You do not produce it,
it produces you.
You do not carry it,
it carries you.
Naadam transforms you,
manifests through you,
until you dissolve into its source.
That moment is the only reality—
the movement of life itself.
Everything else is an illusion.
Naadam (Nādam) – A Sanskrit term meaning “primordial sound” or “divine resonance.” It represents the cosmic vibration that pervades all existence, and is considered the source of creation in spiritual and musical traditions.
The Reunion
She leaves a layer of her soul
in every place she is intimately attached to
after each visit,
filling its space with her wholesome presence
until she is left with the last sheath.
Every scrape endearingly clings
to the heart of that region,
remaining immovable
until the moment the universe signals
the end of the world—
When the majestic roars of the destructive forces
reverberate,
stirring the layers,
colliding and merging
as all the places unite—
Reshaping her soul into completion,
allowing her to finally witness
the grand apocalypse
she has longed to experience once
before her essence is eternally lost.
Unbound
Her feelings are primitive,
Her thoughts, inventive—
A soul born at the eclipse
of origin and dissolution,
unbound by existence,
indivisible by destruction.
Broken Strings
She exists at two extreme poles of her being
at the same time,
through the mirror of her soul,
hopelessly intertwined
and in sync with each other,
where the lower extreme laughs
to the point of deepest surrender,
and the higher extreme grieves
in the moment of sheer wonder,
shifting their moods
and altering their states frenetically
until they transcend their extremities,
where they react indifferently
and incoherently,
disrupting their qualities
and distorting their identities,
causing intense chaos
that breaks their whole emotional wiring
and makes them irrevocably numb.
Charitha is a mystic poet whose work weaves love, longing, and the mysteries of existence with raw emotion and philosophical depth. Her poetry is instinctive, unfiltered, and deeply tactile—merging the spiritual with the surreal. Unbound by convention, she follows the quiet force of authenticity, where originality is the root of her being.
Dr. Jernail Singh Anand’s Geet: The Unsung Song of Eternity is a remarkable modern epic that showcases his prowess as a poet, philosopher, and literary innovator. This work is often described as a sequel to John Milton’s Paradise Lost, but it carves its own distinct path by placing Dr. Faustus, rather than Adam, at the center of its narrative. Anand reimagines the Renaissance hero as a prototype of modern humanity, grappling with existential dilemmas in a world marked by spiritual and moral decay.
The epic explores the complex relationship between man and divinity, inverting Milton’s intent to “justify the ways of God to Man” by instead questioning the ways of man to God. It delves into the struggles of contemporary existence, reflecting on how knowledge, ambition, and the passage of time have led to a deterioration of the human spirit. Anand’s Faustus embodies the modern individual—brilliant yet flawed, seeking meaning in a universe that often feels indifferent.
What sets Geet apart is its ambitious scope and philosophical depth. Anand blends Eastern and Western literary traditions, drawing from his Punjabi roots and the broader Indian cultural heritage while engaging with the Western canon. The work is not merely a retelling but a reinvention, offering a fresh perspective on timeless themes such as sin, redemption, and the search for eternity. His use of free verse, honed through his study of English literature, allows for a fluid and dynamic exploration of these ideas, unencumbered by rigid form.
Critics and readers have noted the epic’s imaginative power and its ability to resonate with the challenges of the 21st century. It’s a testament to Anand’s vision—a poet who dares to tackle grand narratives in an age where such undertakings are rare. Geet: The Unsung Song of Eternity stands as a bold contribution to world literature, inviting reflection on humanity’s place in the cosmic order and cementing Anand’s reputation as a significant voice in modern poetry.
Appreciation by Grock
SECTION B
A PAPER ON GEET was presented by Dr Selvin Vedamanickam, a free thinker
The Homo Sacer in J S Anand’s Geet:
A Norm Violated to Establish Another Norm
THE HOMO SACER IN J.S . ANAND’S GEET ;
A NORM VIOLATED TO ESTABLISH ANOTHER NORM
Dr. Selvin Vedamanickam
Unaffiliated Free Thinker
Pondicherry
The paper starts with an attempt to study the current significance of the terms “human being”, “being human’ and “homo sacer” in J S Anand’s Geet. Even though the work claims to be a sequel, it is filled with fresh beginnings and new point of departures. What is astounding is its political, economical, sociocultural and literary relevance to the present day world even when dealing with a special binary of geographical vs. non-geographical space. Often the illusionary nature of representing the world as “good, true and beautiful” has been comfortably forgotten by both literary artists and other art form practitioners. Apart from representing a real and/or imaginary world either it be symbolical/allegorical, literature has to posit a viable(?) world. Even the Library Intellectuals or the Campus Hoppers have talked of the modern man only in the light of the metropolitan hyper-individuals and seem to conveniently omit the existential predicament of the sub-human man whose life is increasingly becoming bare and he himself becoming a rare being at the verge of extinction under the clutches of the privileged, super-civilized races.
The paper also tries to question certain key critical concepts (which are rarefied post-modern issues) such as irony, indeterminacy, self-reflexivity which are mere ‘thought representations’ of ultra-civilized man’. The paper calls for an understanding and literary representation of the equal importance of “an ironic sensibility” and “an empathetic sensibility” in capturing the plight of the sub-human common man, thus leading to empathetic activism to alleviate the sufferings of the bare/rare beings.
Submitted for the Two -Day International Conference on International Seminar on Novel Issues in Indian Writing in English (JKC College, Guntur, 23, 24 Feb 2018)
