Reparation of internal objects in A. P. Chekhov’s biography and writing

Psychoanalysis of literature

Abstract

The life and work of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov have been extensively studied from many different angles – literary, biographical, epistolary. There is a specific direction in literature called "chekhovedeniye" where it’s studied in detail materials created by Chekhov – works, letters, drafts, articles, personal notes. Few researchers venture into the territory of a deeper analysis of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's personality, his "mental", his inner world, and relate this to what kind of plots and conflicts unfold in the pages of the author's works. This paper explores aspects of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's biography and work from the psychoanalytic side, especially his 'talking' pseudonyms as a possible reflection of the process of internal object reparation.

According to Melanie Klein's theory the reparation of inner objects is a powerful impulse for the creative activity of the subject. The reparation of internal objects can thus be embodied through external reality – through the products of artistic creation that enrich both the author and the readers.