This post contains spoilers.
I read the Larissa Volokhonsky and Richard
Pevear translation of this story.
Like
many of his stories, Anton Chekov’s Ward No. 6 explores various aspects of the
human condition. It also takes a dive into stoic philosophy.
The
ward of the title is a small facility that is part of a hospital complex where
the severely mentally ill are housed. Several patients are described in this
tale. Central to the story is Ivan Dmitrich Gromov who is confines to the ward.
.He is philosophical thinker. Though he clearly is suffering from paranoid
delusion, he often shows also great deal of sanity and insight.
The
patients live under terrible conditions. They are physically abused. The ward
is squalor filled. Dr. Andrei Yefimych Ragin is the Director of the hospital. Though
he sees the terrible way in which that the patients are treated, he passively
allows it to continue.
There
is a lot going on in this story. At its heart are the philosophical discussions
between Andrei Yefimych and Ivan Dmitrich. The Doctor is a stoic. He references
Marcus Aurelius and other stoic philosophers at several points in the story.
Ultimately
Chekov seems to be labeling stoicism as hypocrisy. At one point Dr. Andrei Yefimych tries to
lecture Ivan Dmitrich on the advantages of a stoic attitude,
"You can find peace within yourself under
any circumstances. Free and profound thought, which strives towards the
comprehension of life, and a complete scorn for the foolish vanity of the
world— man has never known anything higher than these two blessings. And you
can possess them even if you live behind triple bars”
Ivan
Dmitrich is having none of this however. At one point he criticizes the
philosophy that the doctor espouses,
“I know that God created me out of warm
blood and nerves, yes, sir! And organic tissue, if it’s viable, must react to
any irritation. And I do react! I respond to pain with cries and tears, to
meanness with indignation, to vileness with disgust. In my opinion, this is in
fact called life. The lower the organism, the less sensitive it is and the more
weakly it responds to irritation, and the higher, the more susceptible it is
and the more energetically it reacts to reality. How can you not know that?
You’re a doctor and you don’t know such trifles!”
The
narrative contains several lively debates and interactions between the two men.
The fact that the doctor is preaching philosophical and emotional indifference
from a position of comfort and security is underscored.
When
Andrei Yefimych’s luck turns bad, he losses his position, financial security
and his home. In a twist of fate, as his mental health deteriorates he is
committed to Ward 6. However, he is unable to apply his stoic principles to
cope with his terrible situation.
It
seems clear, that based upon Andrei Yefimych fate, that Chekov is being highly
critical of stoicism. Ivan Dmitrich, critic of stoicism, seems to be the voice
of the author here. The hypocrisy and arrogance of Andrei Yefimych’s situation
is highlighted in both the dialogues and the storyline.
My
take on this is that Chekov has a point, but I do not go as far as him. For
people who are in positions of security and ease to lecture those who are not
so advantaged on the virtues of indifference, is the height of hypocrisy and
arrogance. With that said, people have applied stoic philosophy successfully in
dealing with terrible hardship as well
as a means to great success. As a useful
way to cope with suffering it can be enormously beneficial. Auschwitz survivor Viktor
Frankl is but one
of many examples of people who cite stoic ideals as the means through which
they persevered through horrendous circumstances. However, this thought system
should not be applied in a judgmental way. It also is not a universal solution
to all the world’s suffering.
Ward
6 is another example of thoughtful but dark Chekov tale. Like many if not most
of the author’s works, it is full of insights into human nature and life. This
tale in particular, is a intellectual tidbit for those interested in
philosophy.
