The Orator by Anton Chekhov (1877)

Name: The Orator
Author: Anton Chekhov

The Orator is a short story written by Anton Chekhov in 1889. The story follows the character of Ivan, a traveling salesman who is known for his ability to persuade people with his eloquence. Ivan is invited to give a speech at a local gathering, where he uses his skills to convince the audience of his message. However, as he continues to speak, Ivan begins to realize that his words are having little impact on the audience, and he becomes increasingly frustrated. The story explores themes of communication, persuasion, and the limits of language in conveying meaningful ideas.

By Anton Chekhov · First published 1877 · Genre: Short Story, Psychological Realism, Drama · 1,699 words

First lines

One Sunday morning they were burying the Collegiate Assessor Kiril Ivanovitch, who had died from the two ailments so common amongst us: drink and a scolding wife. While the funeral procession was crawling from the church to the cemetery, a certain Poplavski, a colleague of the defunct civil servant, jumped into a cab, and galloped off to fetch his friend Gregory Zapoikin, a young but already popular man. As many of my readers know, Zapoikin was the possessor of a remarkable talent for making impromptu orations at weddings, jubilee celebrations, and funerals. Whether he was half-asleep, or fasting, or dead drunk, or in a fever, he was always ready to make a speech. His words always flowed from his lips as smoothly and evenly and abundantly as water out of a rain-pipe, and there were more heartrending expressions in his oratorical vocabulary than there are black beetles in an inn. His speeches were always eloquent and long, so long that sometimes, especially at the weddings of merchants, the aid of the police had to be summoned to put a stop to them.

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The Orator is listed on Textopian as a short story by Anton Chekhov, dated 1877 CE.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Anton Chekhov
Date: 1877 CE
Language: English
Genres: Short Story, Psychological Realism, Drama, Literary Fiction
Length: 1,699 words
Structure: 1 section, 25 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Genres

Short Story — The work is a short novella written by Anton Chekhov, a form of literature he is well-recognized for.
Psychological Realism — As with many of Anton Chekhov's works, 'The Orator' heavily features psychological underpinnings and focuses on the complexities of human emotions and interactions.
Drama — Considering the plot's tension and conflicts within the characters in the book, this falls under the Drama genre.
Literary Fiction — Chekhov is well-known for his contributions to literary fiction, offering deep human experiences and high-quality writing, both found in 'The Orator'.