Final answer:
Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard concludes with the symbolism of a shutting door as the family leaves the estate, and Firs the butler dies alone, representing the change and loss of the old society.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ending of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov concludes not with dramatic violence or the death of a character but with a less tangible form of loss. The play ends with the sound of a door shutting, signifying the end of an era and the departure of the family from their cherished estate. This final act embodies the sense of inevitability and change that underscores the entire play. The Cherry Orchard's property has been sold to pay off family debts, leading to the dismantlement of a once-great estate to make room for holiday cottages. In the final scene, the elderly butler Firs, inadvertently left behind and forgotten, laments the passing of the life he knew. As the sound of trees being felled echoes in the background, Firs lies down on a couch and quietly passes away. This concludes Chekhov's exploration of the characters' psyches and the social changes Russia faced during this period.
Reflecting on dramatic endings, Chekhov steered clear of the traditional tragic conclusion common in classic tragedies. Instead, he offers a bittersweet resolution – the old society is gone, symbolized by the departure of the family and the last vestiges of the orchard – but there is no violence, only the sobering reality of change. The play's ending emphasizes the theme of the passing of an era and the transformation of Russian society.
While Chekhov does not provide the kind of climactic conclusion found in plays like A Doll's House, where the protagonist makes a dramatic exit, or the violently tragic resolution of Romeo and Juliet, The Cherry Orchard's ending is powerful in its subtlety and sense of an ending. The resolution through the shutting door leaves audiences with a reflection on change and the inexorable march of time.