Chekhov Plays in Terms of the 19th Century Russian Social Transformation: The Examples of “Ivanov,” “The Cherry Orchard,” “Three Sisters,” “The Seagull,” and “Uncle Vanya”

The Russian society of 1880–1900’s shows the effects of the modernization, industrialization, and social change, which had been affecting social life since the beginning of the century. In Anton Chekhov’s plays, we encounter the effects of social change on individuals and society. The aim of this article is to analyze the examples related to the Russian social transformation in Chekhov’s plays using certain social sciences theories. During this study, Anton Chekhov’s great plays “Ivanov,” “The Seagull,” “Uncle Vanya,” “Three Sisters,” and “The Cherry Orchard” were analyzed after a literature review on mentioned social sciences theories. As a result of this study, it is concluded that during the transition from the traditional society to modern society, the way that individuals perceived their lives and their system of values changed. As a result of this change, individuals were dragged into a search of meaning, hopelessness, and purposelessness. Additionally, individuals owned economic, social, and cultural capital, which enabled them to cope in social arenas, and which determined their social class. With the change of social dynamics, these types of capital could pass into different social classes, and individuals tried to not lose the capital that they owned. These results have been exemplified in plays of Chekhov