Previous
Act 3
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Uncle Vanya, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Old Age and Regret
Industry vs. Idleness
Impossible Desires
Legacy and Prestige
Summary
Analysis
Later that evening, Marina and Telegin sit in Voynitsky’s room, which doubles as an office and has a map of Africa on the wall. Both wind wool for knitting stockings in the quiet room. Telegin mentions that Serebryakov and Yelena are leaving for Kharkov immediately, and Marina remarks that they’ll be better off there. The couple is leaving as quickly as possible and traveling light, planning to send for their luggage later. Telegin supposes they were fated not to live in the house. Marina agrees, figuring that things will go back to normal in the house now. The calm order that defined the house before the professor’s arrival will soon be restored, in her estimation. Telegin mentions that someone in town called him lazy — a “sponger,” but Marina tells him not to worry about it. Telegin works as much as anyone, she says, and everyone is a sponger on God.
This quiet conversation is a stark contrast to the frantic action of the previous scene, indicating that the play’s tension is beginning to wind down. It seems the chaos and idleness that affected the house from the beginning of the first Act is finally about to resolve into order again. Still, a slight tension lingers in the house as long as Serebryakov and Yelena remain there. Marina’s remark about God is a reminder that even the most hardworking people are at the mercy of a stronger force. The map of Africa on the wall is yet another symbol of the success and travel Voynitsky failed to experience—it visually depicts all the things he hasn’t done and the places he hasn’t seen.
Themes
Literary Devices
Voynitsky and Astrov enter the room, and Voynitsky tells Marina and Telegin to leave him alone for an hour. As the two of them depart, Voynitsky tells Astrov to leave as well. Astrov admits he wanted to leave hours ago, but he won’t go until Voynitsky returns what he stole from him. Voynitsky denies having stolen anything from Astrov, but the doctor remains skeptical. After a pause, Voynitsky calls himself a fool for shooting Serebryakov twice and missing both shots. Astrov asks why Voynitsky didn’t shoot himself instead, but Voynitsky doesn’t answer this directly. He laughs bitterly as he reflects on how no one is going to try him for attempted murder, so they must consider him to be insane.
After grappling with abstract, long-term regrets for most of the play, Voynitsky must now face the fresher and more immediate regret of shooting Serebryakov. It’s difficult to tell which he regrets more: deciding to shoot the professor in the first place, or failing.to fire and accurate shot. Either way, it’s clear that his mistake is weighing him down immensely. Even as the play’s tension begins to lift, Voynitsky is still in an agitated state after making a fool of himself.
Themes
As Voynitsky continues to stew in his anger, he says that he saw Astrov kissing Yelena. Astrov doesn’t deny it, but he thumbs his nose at Voynitsky without showing a hint of guilt. Voynitsky declares that the world is mad and so is he, so he can’t take responsibility for his actions. Astrov counters this by telling him that the average condition of humanity is strangeness and eccentricity, so Voynitsky is “quite normal.” Voynitsky breaks down and laments how ashamed and anguished he feels, asking Astrov what he can do. Astrov tells him that there’s nothing he can do, but Voynitsky continues to wonder how he can possibly fill the last few years of his life. He desperately wants a fresh start and a new lease on life, but he doesn’t know where to begin.
Voynitsky continues to show the depth of his character as he begs Astrov for a bit of hope. After his outburst, Voynitsky is more desperate than ever to find some meaning or comfort in something, but this may just be another impossible desire he clings to. Astrov’s remark that Voynitsky is “quite normal” challenges Voynitsky’s claim that he can’t take responsibility for his actions due to his (and the world’s) madness. Astrov seems to suggest that the world is inherently unfair and disappointing, and thus everybody experiences feelings of regret and disappointment—but it’s up to each person to decide how they want to confront and respond to that unsettling reality. But after years of living in a state of hopelessness, Voynitsky doesn’t know how to live any other way.
Themes
Literary Devices
Astrov calls Voynitsky a fool for wanting a fresh start to life. The doctor insists that both of their situations are hopeless at their stage of life, but Voynitsky still begs for some kind of comfort. Astrov tells him to stop, explaining that future generations will hate them for being foolish, And while people in the future might have better lives, no such hope exists for the two of them. He concedes that maybe the two of them used to be good people, but “ordinary life” has dragged them down and made them commonplace and wretched.
It’s notable that Astrov’s speech offers hope for future generations, but not for Voynitsky or even Astrov himself. While Voynitsky is obsessively fixated on his own suffering in the present moment, Astrov looks to the future as usual, thinking of others more than himself. Once more, the play contrasts Astrov with Voynitsky. Both are growing old and full of regrets, but only Astrov seems at peace with his lot in life. This is because he can look beyond himself and take comfort in the world moving on and becoming happier without him, while Voynitsky thinks only of himself; the possibility of a better future fails to console him, as he cannot conceive of a world that continues to exist after he himself has passed.
Themes
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Suddenly, Astrov snaps out of this philosophical conversation to once again demand that Voynitsky give back what he stole: a jar of morphine from Astrov’s medicine chest. Astrov tells Voynitsky to simply shoot himself if he’s going to die by suicide. Just then, Sonya enters the room and Astrov takes the opportunity to tell Sonya what Voynitsky has stolen. Sonya asks if her uncle really stole a jar of morphine, but he doesn’t respond. Sonya insists that he give back what he stole, telling him that she’s just as miserable as he is, but she’s not giving up. She declares that she’ll endure until it’s her time to die, and Voynitsky must endure as well.
Voynitsky’s willingness to end his own life makes him perhaps the most tragic character in a play full of miserable people. As he refuses to give up the morphine, he shows just how hopeless he’s become now that he can no longer lean on the “mirage” (as he called it) of chasing Yelena’s affection. The crushing weight of his regret threatens to destroy him, but Sonya offers a touching moment of encouragement that might save his life. Though she’s younger and less troubled, Sonya can understand at least some of the deep disappointment with life that her uncle is feeling.
Themes
After more pleading and encouragement from Sonya, Voynitsky finally surrenders the stolen morphine to Astrov. But Voynitsky demands that he and Sonya must find some job to do immediately, as he feels he must get to work at once. Sonya agrees that they can start working as soon as the couple leaves. As Astrov packs up the morphine jar and gets ready to leave, Yelena enters and tells Voynitsky that Serebryakov wants a word with him. Sonya leads Voynitsky by the arm out of the room, telling him that he and the professor must make amends.
Without the possibility of suicide, Voynitsky immediately needs something to distract him from his despair. That he turns to work to distract him complicates the play’s established link between hard work and virtue. Voynitsky intends to use work as a way to distract him from his pain, meaning that hard work doesn’t improve one’s life or make one more virtuous—it simply distracts one from the underlying misery of one’s life and the shortcomings of one’s character.
Themes
Yelena puts her hand on Astrov and tells him goodbye. Astrov tells her that he’s leaving as well, keeping the promise he made to her. Before they part, Astrov once again brings up the possibility of he and Yelena meeting somewhere, maybe at the forestry station. Yelena won’t allow it, but she wants Astrov to think of her with respect. Astrov insists that Yelena will give in to her passions eventually, so she might as well do it now, and in a place full of romantic, natural beauty. Yelena still can’t bring herself to agree to it, but the two of them agree to part ways as friends.
This exchange is Astrov’s last attempt to cling to his impossible desire for Yelena. His persistence reveals a hidden layer of desperation to his character, as he still pursues Yelena one last time right after telling Voynitsky that there’s no hope left for either of them. This choice shows that Astrov, though often the play’s voice of reason, is flawed and human; he still has selfish thoughts and desires despite his noble concern for future generations. Despite his generally clear view of things, he still holds onto the impossible hope that Yelena will want to share in his legacy of environmentalism.
Themes
Astrov observes that there’s something strange about Yelena: it’s possible that her idle way of life infected everyone around her, and that maybe destruction will follow wherever she and the professor go. He claims to be joking, but he can’t help but feel like everything would have gotten much worse if Yelena had stayed here any longer. Yelena takes a pencil from Astrov’s desk to remember him by, and she allows him to kiss her goodbye. She embraces him until neither of them can delay their departure any longer. Astrov tells her to leave quickly, but then someone enters the room, interrupting them.
As Astrov and Yelena embrace, they let the temptation of their impossible desire for each other overwhelm them one last time. This implies that the characters’ desires will continue to haunt them long after the play’s conflict resolves. Astrov’s final remarks about Yelena’s idleness prove that he’s still committed to his beliefs, even as he’s trying to win Yelena’s heart. It does seem possible that Yelena and the professor’s presence (and idleness) in the house caused all the chaos. Astrov probably believes this more than he lets on, given that he’s willing to say this directly to Yelena herself.
Themes
Professor Serebryakov, Sonya, Voynitsky, Mariya Vasilyevna, and Telegin enter the room. Serebryakov emphasizes the importance of not bringing up the past as he officially accepts Voynitsky’s apology. Likewise, Voynitsky tells him that the payments to the professor will resume as before, and all will be as it was. As the professor and his wife say goodbye to everyone, Serebryakov leaves the group with one last observation: “one must do a job of work!” Voynitsky apologizes to Yelena and says that he’ll never see her again. She kisses his forehead as she wishes him goodbye. As Astrov prepares to leave himself, Serebryakov and Yelena depart from the estate for good. Astrov asks Voynitsky to see them off, but Voynitsky insists that he must start working on something at once.
It's almost comical that Serebryakov is the one to advise not bringing up the past and insist on the importance of doing work. Like several other characters, Serebryakov is haunted by the regrets and mistakes of his past, which he thinks about constantly. And Serebryakov also seems to preach the virtue of hard work—take advantage of others’ hard work—much more than he works himself. Given this, the professor’s advice to always “do a job of work” can’t be taken at face value, especially considering Voynitsky’s new fixation on working. Voynitsky clearly wants to use hard work as a distraction from his pain and regret rather than an opportunity to change his ways and live a more virtuous life.
Themes
Astrov remarks that the professor is probably glad to be out of this place, and Marina enters the room to confirm that the couple has left. As planned, Sonya and Voynitsky immediately get to work on account books and financial matters. They work in silence for a while, and Astrov admits that he almost doesn’t want to leave this cozy, peaceful place. But his horses soon arrive outside, and as he prepares to leave, Sonya asks him to sit down and take his time. A workman enters the room to tell Astrov that his horses are ready to take him away, and Astrov hands over his medical cases. As he gets ready to say goodbye, Sonya asks when she’ll see him again. He says that it’ll probably be a while, but he offers to come over if he’s needed.
Astrov’s theory about Serebryakov’s and Yelena’s idleness seems to be correct in this moment. Earlier, Astrov mentioned to Sonya that he couldn’t imagine living in this house, but now that the couple has left for good, he admits that the estate feels cozy and welcoming. With the idle characters gone and Voynitsky and Sonya already hard at work, the atmosphere has transformed from one of chaos to one of peace. However, Astrov might just be biased toward his own perspective. His offer to visit again someday indicates that his friendship with Sonya and Voynitsky might not be over, despite all that’s happened among them.
Themes
Just before Astrov leaves, Marina offers him tea, then vodka, which he finds much more tempting. After taking a drink, the doctor refuses an offer of bread and takes his leave at last. Sonya follows him out to see him off as Voynitsky continues writing diligently at his desk. Shortly after the sound of retreating horses is heard, Sonya returns. Telegin also returns with his guitar, which he begins to tune after sitting down.
It's possible that Sonya seeing Astrov off is a sign that she hasn’t fully let go of her impossible desire for him yet. Sonya’s return and Telegin’s arrival signal that the estate is finally at peace, or at least much less tense than it was when the professor and Yelena were there. None of the main characters seem much happier, but the play’s conflict has resolved, and everything seems back to normal, if only on the surface.
Themes
Voynitsky tells Sonya how heavy his heart is after all that’s happened, but Sonya tells him that they’ve got to carry on living anyway. She describes what the rest of their days might be like, toiling and struggling against whatever fate has in store for them. But then she explains how God will see how hard they’ve worked and have pity on them after they die. Their life on earth may be difficult and disheartening, but with enough hard work, their reward in the afterlife will be tremendous. Tearfully, Sonya says that maybe Voynitsky’s life has held no joy or comfort for him, but in heaven, they will finally rest.
Sonya’s final words of comfort to Uncle Vanya make the play’s ending ambiguous and bittersweet. Like Astrov, Sonya believes that hard work and diligence are the key to a happy and virtuous life. But now it’s clearer than ever that hard work really only distracts from the mundane suffering of everyday life. Voynitsky is eager to throw himself into his work not for any moral reason, but simply to occupy his mind with something other than his regrets and disappointments. Sonya’s promise of heavenly rewards is meant to comfort herself and her uncle, but her vision of paradise might be just another source of hope to help numb the pain of daily existence. Nonetheless, her speech ends the play on a faintly optimistic note. Even if Sonya and Voynitsky earn no respect or prestige during their lives on earth, they can find meaning and purpose in the hope that God will one day reward them for their efforts.
Themes
