At this point in the story,the reader
meets the characters and learns
where exactly this story takes place.
Rising Action
During the rising action of the story, the two old friends share a time of reunion. This part includes Porfiry talking about his profession and his family.
Climax
The climax of this story occurs when Misha tells Porfiry that he is a privy councilor, which is a higher rank than Porfiry's job.
Falling Action
At this point in the story, Porfiry's demeanor changes completely. He starts to hide his enviousness by putting on a fake smile. He is obviously uncomfortable and embarrassed by the news he just heard. His family also displays some awkwardness as well
These characters are ROUND CHARACTERS because the reader reads about the emotions that they possess, and these two characters are the two main characters in the story. Their past (being in school together) is also revealed.
These characters are flat because the reader does not know all of the emotions of the characters, and the characters do not use any dialogue during the whole story.
Irony
What is ironic about this story is that Porfiry was all boastful about how happy his life is, and how successful he was, not expecting anything good out of Misha based on his appearance. He never thought the fat man would be more successful than the thin man.
Conclusion
After Porfory's whole demeanor changed, Misha became sickened. He was disgusted that his old friend treated him so much differently when he found out what job he possessed. He simply shook Porfiry's hand, and walked away leaving the family astonished.
About the Author: Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekov was a Russian physician, dramaturge, and author during the late 1800's-early 1900's. Some of his famous works includes the plays "The Cherry Orchard", "The Three Sisters", and "The Seagull". He worked as medical doctor throughout most of his literary career. He once said "Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress".
Point of View
The point of view is 3rd person because it has a narrator telling the story, instead of one of the characters.