The Student, By Anton Chekhov (1894)
Yuna Song
12th Hero's Journey: Return with Elixir
Rating: 7.5/10
"The past is linked with the present by an unbroken chain of events flowing one out of another." This is the 'elixir' Ivan acquired through his journey.
At the beginning of the story, Ivan feels isolated and pessimistic. He feels as if the lapse of a thousand years would make life no better and he also matches his family and home with the depressing image.
However, after meeting two widows, he realized the common feelings that link everyone. The widow's reactions led Ivan to reinterpret his point of view regarding the overall life and it gave him the epiphany to somewhat perceive life as an 'enchanting, marvelous, and full of lofty meaning' subject. He started to view the past as a connection of all humanity through shared emotion, rather than in an impersonal way.
Finally, at the end of the story, he recalls the values of truth and beauty which had guided human life, looking towards his village which is contrasting with his mindset toward his home and parents before his journey. In this way, Ivan, finishes the hero's journey, by returning to the ordinary world with an optimistic perspective and feelings of connection. (194 words)
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