Final answer:
The main conflict in 'A Happy Man' is internal, with Ivan Alexyevitch struggling with personal dissatisfaction. The story uses irony and hyperbole to create a comical tone and explores the theme of the efficacy of creating one's own happiness through the protagonist's experiences and his interactions with Pyotr Petrovitch.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main conflict in Anton Chekhov’s short story ‘A Happy Man’ is primarily internal, centering on the character’s personal dissatisfaction with life despite outward successes. The character is initially in denial about his unhappiness, maintaining a facade of satisfaction.
Ivan Alexyevitch is foreshadowed to face a crisis by his obsessive thinking about happiness and comparing himself with others. The comical tone of the story is enhanced through literary devices like irony and hyperbole. The story explores creating one's own happiness and its effectiveness through the interactions and contrasting viewpoints of Ivan Alexyevitch and Pyotr Petrovitch.
The narrative conveys the idea that while creating your own happiness can be good, it is not always effective. Pyotr Petrovitch argues against being the creator of one's own happiness, which, in the context of the story, is proven by the empty feelings experienced by the protagonist despite his efforts to convince himself otherwise.
The title 'A Happy Man' reflects deeper themes such as the subjective nature of happiness and the internal versus external sources of satisfaction. It is a satirical take on what it means to be truly happy and how societal expectations can distort our perceptions of happiness.