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Anton Chekhov vs James Joyce

<Personal comparison between two authors based on short stories I encountered in World Literature class> 

    Both authors' stories appeal to the readers with unique filters they use when viewing their own world. Each story clearly has a moment of epiphany– didactic moments, and characters become mentally mature by passing through those specific moments. For instance, in ⟪The lady with the dog⟫ by Anton Chekhov, Gurov tastes a bit of true love and discovers a beauty within savagery that makes us think it is bearable to live on. In the same way, the boy in ⟪Araby⟫ by James Joyce realizes that the religious girl's reciprocation of interest is a mere hallucination created by desperation. This way, characters in both authors' stories resurrect from ignorance, paralyzed society, and from the erroneous monarch. Although moments of awareness are not superficially noticeable, they undoubtedly are melted into the story by the writers' perceptive utilization of metaphoric phrases.

    On the other hand, some distinctive differences exist. In the story of Anton Chekhov's, it is hard to find distinguishing events or outstanding themes that general readers would find interesting. For example, ⟪The Student⟫ shows a seemingly meaningless conversation between the widows and Ivan. Also, in ⟪Gooseberries⟫, two companions enter a house of their friend's to avoid the temporary rain and chit-chat about someone else's life. Although Chekhov's stories include themes possibly more profound than that of Joyce's, it was challenging for me to pinpoint them. Conversely, James Joyce had relatively straightforward pieces. For example, ⟪Araby⟫ is at first glance a story of the first crush of an innocent boy. I liked how I uncovered new hidden meanings based on the theme I have perceived Each time I read Joyce's stories.

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