Who Was to Blame?

Who Was to Blame ? : Anton Chekhov (1860-1904)

Summary

The author of the story "Who Was to Blame" was Anton Chekhov. The main theme of this tale is the humor of a mentally ill individual. No one in this world, whether a creature or a person, can be forced to learn since learning involves mutual understanding between the teacher and the pupil.

The speaker in the tale contrasts his existence with that of a tiny cat. The story's protagonists are the speaker's uncle and a young kitten, with Parsakova, the servant, acting as a female role. The narrative begins with the kitten being taught to kill rats since the uncle used to become upset when they would gnaw on the top of his hat or the corner of his grammar book. The kitten struggled to keep up with the pace of the baby mice throughout training, hence it was unable to capture the mice. The kitten was living in a strict atmosphere with writer uncles' rules and regulations. The little kitten failed the uncle's trial and test a number of times, so he threw it away. After some time had gone, the skinny, fragile kitten had developed into a wise and sturdy tom cat. One day as he was walking home, he came across the same cat, which was still failing at its task, making him realize how much time he had wasted educating it. Due to his lack of interest, the story's speaker also never learns Latin English grammar.

Application of Four Levels

• Literal Comprehension
  • This tale is a sketched-out list of stories by "Anton Chekhov." This tale is about a mentally ill individual who finds humor. The narrator of the narrative contrasts his existence with that of a tiny kitten. The story's narrator has designated his uncle, a young cat, and Parsakova, the servant, as the story's key characters. The tale starts with the kitten being taught to kill the rats that used to annoy the uncle by occasionally nibbling the corner of the grammar book and occasionally the tip of the hat. The kitten struggled to keep up with the pace of the baby mice throughout training, hence it was unable to capture the mice. The kitten lived in a place where the speaker uncles had rigorous rules and regulations. The small kitten was abandoned by the uncle after failing multiple times in tests and experiments. After a few years, the skinny, fragile kitten had developed into a robust, wise tom cat. One day as he was walking home, he passed the same cat, which was still failing at its task, and he realized how much time he had wasted educating it. The speaker of the story also never learns Latin English grammar because it is outside of his interests and preferences.
• Interpretation
  • The story's central concept is that a creature cannot be forced to learn. They don't want to study, and it doesn't interest them. A person needs to be early and keenly interested in learning anything. It will eventually spontaneously adapt to the surroundings and become useful for their tasks and responsibilities. As in the myth, the little kitten was made to capture the mice, which was beyond its physical and mental capacity, proving that no creature can adapt to a strict and restrictive environment. Because he had no interest in learning Latin grammar, the story's speaker was also unable to do so.
• Critical Thinking
  • This tale demonstrates that no one can be forced to learn. Although it is a well-written and insightful novel, I disagree with some of the views that are put forth. In actuality, do any cats flee when they spot a rat? Is maintaining a cat the only way to get rid of rats? How is it possible for a trainer to not comprehend cat emotion? Such a question might be raised by a reader like myself.
• Assimilation
  • Earlier than reading this tale I once believed that someone could be taught to have good mental and physical talents. However, after reading this narrative, I realized that no one can advance beyond their areas of interest. There are numerous such things that creatures have adopted for themselves over time from nature. Anyone should not teach such things.

Reference

(Subedi, K.P. and Bhandari, M.B. (2014). Business English. Kathmandu: Highland Publication P. Ltd.)