America in A.P. Chekhov’s Creative Mind

Abstract

This paper focuses on American motifs and imagery, which form a single conceptosphere in the artistic world of Chekhov's prose. The absence of practical experience in knowing America, as well as the enrichment of the Russian world described in the texts with American references, are explored in the context of the writer's world modeling. The primary types of American representation are noted. A comparison of the settings, in which A. P. Chekhov's short stories reference America, exposes not only the consciousness of the perceiving character, but also helps to demonstrate the author's non-judgmental attitude toward ethnic stereotypes.