I wasn’t prepared to observe the high class family of Ranevskaya only talk about money and its importance in life.
The Cherry Orchard’s main theme is simply that. People’s desperate obsession, no matter what economic status, for money. Early into Act III we find Pishchik talking to Trofimov about his medical condition and how he is “a full-blooded man, I’ve already had two strokes, and dancing’s hard work for me, but as they say, ‘If you run with the pack, you can bark or not, but at least wag your tail’” (Chekhov, 352). The importance of being seen as a strong, wealthy man is clearly seen in the landowner’s speech. As seen on the screenshot to the right, Pishchik is an obese man, somehow accenting his condition and supporting his enthusiasm towards dancing. The whole scene results quite comical: the overweight man trying to regain his breath, commenting on his medical condition and his dancing with younger individuals to a skinny, thoughtful man.
Chekhov further pursues his readers to laugh about his character’s desperation for finding money. Pishchik replies to Trofimov’s gloomy speech on the family’s need for money by stating: “Nietzsche [. . .] says in his works that it is possible to forge banknotes” (Chekhov, 353). Out of all the references Pishchik could have made on Nietzsche’s sagacity, he decides to level him to his own intellect in terms of forging currency. Trofimov questions Pishchik’s reference by asking him if he read Nietzsche, resulting in a dissimulated no, again provoking the reader’s laughter. The screenshot to the left exposes Pishchik’s deep concern and thought on these matters.
A third example of Chekhov’s comical situations occurs when Pishchik states that he is “in such a state now that I’m just about ready for forging” (Chekhov, 353). The character describes how he needs to collect some money to pay for something the day after tomorrow. As he tries to reach for the money in his pocket, he jumps out and desperately searches through his clothes, finding it in the coat’s lining. He then hugs Trofimov, as seen in the screenshot to the right, and lets the money fall to the ground. The character’s conversations seem to always deal with money, status and life’s superficial elements. The scenes in which such topics are involved result quite comical and amusing as they depict how wealthy individuals are, ironically enough, always involved and concerned with money as if they were poor, which in a way they truly are.
I wasn’t prepared to observe the high class family of Ranevskaya only talk about money and its importance in life. The Cherry Orchard’s main theme is simply that. People’s desperate obsession, no matter what economic status, for money. Early into Act III we find Pishchik talking to Trofimov about his medical condition and how he is “a full-blooded man, I’ve already had two strokes, and dancing’s hard work for me, but as they say, ‘If you run with the pack, you can bark or not, but at least wag your tail’” (Chekhov, 352). The importance of being seen as a strong, wealthy man is clearly seen in the landowner’s speech. As seen on the screenshot to the right, Pishchik is an obese man, somehow accenting his condition and supporting his enthusiasm towards dancing. The whole scene results quite comical: the overweight man trying to regain his breath, commenting on his medical condition and his dancing with younger individuals to a skinny, thoughtful man. 
Chekhov further pursues his readers to laugh about his character’s desperation for finding money. Pishchik replies to Trofimov’s gloomy speech on the family’s need for money by stating: “Nietzsche [. . .] says in his works that it is possible to forge banknotes” (Chekhov, 353). Out of all the references Pishchik could have made on Nietzsche’s sagacity, he decides to level him to his own intellect in terms of forging currency. Trofimov questions Pishchik’s reference by asking him if he read Nietzsche, resulting in a dissimulated no, again provoking the reader’s laughter. The screenshot to the left exposes Pishchik’s deep concern and thought on these matters.
A third example of Chekhov’s comical situations occurs when Pishchik states that he is “in such a state now that I’m just about ready for forging” (Chekhov, 353). The character describes how he needs to collect some money to pay for something the day after tomorrow. As he tries to reach for the money in his pocket, he jumps out and desperately searches through his clothes, finding it in the coat’s lining. He then hugs Trofimov, as seen in the screenshot to the right, and lets the money fall to the ground. The character’s conversations seem to always deal with money, status and life’s superficial elements. The scenes in which such topics are involved result quite comical and amusing as they depict how wealthy individuals are, ironically enough, always involved and concerned with money as if they were poor, which in a way they truly are.
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