Enemies by Anton Chekhov (1906)

Name: Enemies
Author: Anton Chekhov

On a September evening the young son of the district doctor Kirilov dies of diphtheria while the doctor's wife kneels in despair beside the bed. Just then a stranger, Abogin, arrives urgently begging Kirilov to come treat his wife, who has suddenly collapsed with what he fears is aneurism. Kirilov, numb and preoccupied, tells Abogin his son has just died and he cannot come, but Abogin, distraught and pleading in the name of humanity, eventually persuades him with the promise that the trip will take only an hour. Kirilov dresses and goes with him. They ride together mostly in silence through the dark countryside, past the hospital, a pond, and a river, under a red half-moon, each man wrapped in his own grief and impatience. Abogin grows increasingly anxious as they approach his house, worried by the silence within. At the house, Abogin leaves Kirilov in a richly furnished drawing room and goes to check on his wife. He returns transformed—not relieved but wild with horror and rage: his wife has deceived him, feigning illness only to run off with a man named Paptchinsky, using the pretext of sending for the doctor to cover her escape. Abogin, in anguish, pours out the whole story of his devotion to his wife and his sense of betrayal to Kirilov, showing him her photograph and raging against her duplicity. Kirilov, still raw from his own son's death, is outraged rather than sympathetic—he feels used as a "stage property" in another man's domestic drama and accuses Abogin of vulgarity and self-indulgence, contrasting his own real, poverty-marked suffering with what he sees as Abogin's shallow, well-fed unhappiness. Abogin, stung, retaliates, and the two men hurl bitter, unjust insults at each other, each blind to the other's pain. Abogin throws money at Kirilov as payment, which the doctor furiously rejects as an insult. Abogin rings for the servants, orders carriages for both of them, and threatens to dismiss his entire staff. The men part in cold contempt, each riding off separately into the night—Abogin to "protest, to do absurd things," Kirilov home, brooding not on his wife or dead son but on hatred and contempt for Abogin and people like him. The narrator closes by noting that Kirilov's grief will eventually pass, but the unjust, ungenerous conviction he has formed against such people will remain with him for the rest of his life.

By Anton Chekhov · First published 1906 · Genre: Drama, Tragedy, Psychological Fiction · 6,298 words

First lines

Between nine and ten on a dark September evening the only son of the district doctor, Kirilov, a child of six, called Andrey, died of diphtheria. Just as the doctor's wife sank on her knees by the dead child's bedside and was overwhelmed by the first rush of despair there came a sharp ring at the bell in the entry.

What this Textopian page supports

Enemies is listed on Textopian as a short story by Anton Chekhov, dated 1906 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Anton Chekhov
Date: 1906 CE
Language: English
Genres: Drama, Tragedy, Psychological Fiction, Realism, Social Commentary
Length: 6,298 words
Structure: 1 section, 90 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Enemies by Anton Chekhov
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering Enemies?
How does this short story by Anton Chekhov fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Drama first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Drama — The work explores intense emotional conflicts and character interactions, typical of dramatic literature.
Tragedy — The themes of loss, despair, and moral dilemmas reflect tragic elements, particularly through the doctor's grief and ethical struggles.
Psychological Fiction — The narrative delves into the psychological states of the characters, particularly their emotional turmoil and moral conflicts.
Realism — The portrayal of everyday life, social issues, and human emotions aligns with the principles of realism.