"The Lady with the Dog" explores many different kinds of isolation. First there is the isolation from the rest of the world that two secret lovers feel when together. Despite this closeness, the two lovers are separated even from each other, due to an inability to understand the world from the others' perspective. In its final pages, the story suggests that in fact every man is isolated from all other men, since that which is most valuable is always kept secret from the rest of the world.
Questions About Isolation
- When Anna leaves Yalta, Gurov believes that "he had seemed to her different from what he really was," and concludes that "he had unintentionally deceived her." What does Anna think of Gurov at this point, and how is this different from what he really is?
- What did Anna do to make this man who despises women fall in love with her?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Anna and Gurov remain emotionally isolated from each other, even at the story's conclusion.