The Cherry Orchard Mortality Quotes Page 1
Citations follow this format: (Act.Line). Every time a character talks counts as one line, even if what they say turns into a long monologue. We used Julius West's translation.
| Quote #1 ANYA. [Thoughtfully] Father died six years ago, and a month later my brother Grisha was drowned in the river--such a dear little boy of seven! (1.75) |
From the beginning of the play, death is on the characters' minds. They remember the deaths of Lubov's husband and Grisha, and regularly comment on Fiers's closeness to death.
| Quote #2 FIERS. [Joyfully] The mistress is home again. I've lived to see her! Don't care if I die now. ... [Weeps with joy.] (1.80) |
Like Anfisa in Three Sisters, Fiers is the dedicated old servant who eventually outlives his usefulness. He becomes a burden, a problem to be dealt with, even as he seeks to serve.
| Quote #3 LUBOV. Thank you, Fiers. Thank you, dear old man. I'm so glad you're still with us. (1.96) |
Fiers is a link to times gone by. The fact that he's still alive, wearing his livery, scolding Gaev as if he were a child, allows Lubov to hang on to the past.
