Letters of Anton Chekhov (Tchekhov) - Penn State University

Anton Chekhovneither the conversation about pessimism nor Kisotcha’s story inany way help to solve the question of pessimism. It seems to me it isnot for writers of fiction to solve such questions as that of God, ofpessimism, etc. The writer’s business is simply to describe who hasbeen speaking about God or about pessimism, how, and in whatcircumstances. The artist must be not the judge of his charactersand of their conversations, but merely an impartial witness. I haveheard a desultory conversation of two Russians about pessimism—a conversation which settles nothing—and I must report that conversationas I heard it; it is for the jury, that is, for the readers, todecide on the value of it. My business is merely to be talented—i.e.,to know how to distinguish important statements from unimportant,how to throw light on the characters, and to speak their language.Shtcheglov-Leontyev blames me for finishing the story withthe words, “There’s no making out anything in this world.” Hethinks a writer who is a good psychologist ought to be able to makeit out—that is what he is a psychologist for. But I don’t agree withhim. It is time that writers, especially those who are artists, recognizedthat there is no making out anything in this world, as onceSocrates recognized it, and Voltaire, too. The mob thinks it knowsand understands everything; and the more stupid it is the wider itimagines its outlook to be. And if a writer whom the mob believesin has the courage to say that he does not understand anything ofwhat he sees, that alone will be something gained in the realm ofthought and a great step in advance.81