The selected stories of Anton Chekhov depict the Russian people as they were, not as they wished them to be; this is why he never “lived in his works”. Instead, Chekhov acted as a moral compass for the Russian generation. His genius lay in the use of "impressionist realism" and the ubiquitous mass after the official end of serfdom in (1861), allowing him to encompass more aspects of Russian life. His stories are constantly studied because of the individuality of his writing techniques. Although Chekhov's use of irony, characterization, and imagery provides insight into 19th-century Russia, it is through characterization that we understand the minds of contemporary Russians. Chekhov manipulates his reader's expectations to emphasize his point through irony. “With the light, my burning face was caressed by a delicious and sensual perfume; it was undoubtedly the smell of an aristocratic bedroom” (At Sea pg#). Chekhov uses irony to subvert the assumption that "aristocratic" characters have higher morality than the dirty sailors who spy on them, highlighting the fact that everyone, regardless of class, can be devoid of morality. Another common technique in Chekhov's stories is to include ironic narration. Often the narration shifts from the objective and external to the consciousness of the narrator. “Long conversations followed, arguments; in their pleasure in each other... Makar and his new acquaintance disowned each other's talent, unable to accept each other, envy, hatred and anger followed, and they separated the enemies” (In the Spring p. #). Makar is looking for someone who could understand him and relate to him, when he finally found someone who was like him, who knew what it was like to be a writer (not middle of paper... ...s; it shows the dependence on men and exposes gender roles in Russia Chekhov included techniques such as imagery, irony and characterization in all of his stories, but what is. Truly remarkable is how he was able to reveal the thought process of the Russian people through his characters while maintaining a neutral point of view. We develop a better understanding of Russian life as it was in the 19th century. century through imagery and ironic storytelling, but everything we learned about the interaction between Russians was solely determined by the interaction and thought process of the characters in his stories. Chekhov was not aware that his writings would be read so far into the future, nor did he intend to do so. It was possible that his intentions were only to please the Russians. the very culture they inherit.