Narrative -VANKA

Vanka's story burdens us with heavy blocks of tears. How far do you agree with this statement. Prepare a narrative of the lesson Vanka.

Vanka ,the story ,scripted by the versatile Russian short story writer ,Anton Chekhov  unfolds the miserable life of a nine year old  boy .The child was thrown to wilderness to perish in  the dark corners of his Master's  room. He was physically and mentally tortured by his cruel master Alyakhin.Vanka, the  parentless child was brought up by his grandpa, his only relative in this entire world. His Grandpa, Konstantin Makarich, was a sixty five year old night guard at the estate of the gentleman called Zhivarev. As he was getting older, he finds it hard to take care of Vanka and suspects that there wouldn't be more time left to him. So he decided to send him to learn shoe making  under Alyakhin. A real hell opens up before the child as he enters the Alyakhins. The poor boy Vanka was subjected to all kinds of humiliation and harassment there. His master would force him to do all the works besides shoe making and would punish him mercilessly  for no fault of his own .He would  sometimes beat him with the stirrup-straps or the lasts and he would drag him by his hair. At night he had to rock their baby to sleep and would incur their wrath if it wails. He was not given a bed to sleep. Instead  he had to sleep in the passage. Most of the days, he wakes up sleep deprived. Moreover he wasn't provided enough food. A frugal meal of gruel would be the only left over he would get to fill his stomach. The child was at the brink of collapse. He really wished to fly away from the hell as early as possible .The senior apprentices there also didn't step back in harming the innocent child. They compelled him to visit the nearby tavern and bring vodka from there. They wanted him to steal the master's cucumbers. The poor soul would deny and would therefore be more likely to invite more troubles.  Alyakhin's wife also tortured the boy to every bits. She smeared the fish on him for cutting it on the tail end.In short, the child felt completely abandoned and lonely. Tears would roll down from his cheeks while thinking about the cruelties he was subjected to. He had great faith in his grandpa. Therefore ,he writes a letter to his grandpa at a Christmas night when the whole family of Alyakhins left for the mass.  The child was shiver as he wrote an account of his woeful tale to his grandpa. He was too scared of his master and wouldn't want to be caught writing in his absence .The child vests his hopes on his old grandpa to save him from Alyakhin and his ilk. But amidst his miseries, the child remembers the good old days he had with his grandpa. They were heavenly. Christmas time was the best. He compares his life with granyand life at Moscow. He couldn't find any interesting there. Instead innocence chained and freedom denied. His earlier life was too simple and more satisfying. He fondly thinks about everyone who touched his life in one way or the other. Finally he ends up his letter with a promise. Once he is rescued from there, he would grind the snuffpowder for his grandpa and would take care of his grandpa and even would pray for him after he has long gone from this world. He says he would be ready to embrace any thing. The child sobs at the end hoping his grandpa to come over there and take him from Alyakhin's custody. The story discussws the issue of child labour that was rampant there. Orphans and destitutes like Vanka were more prone to such inhuman practice. The authorities conveniently shut their eyes to the reality. Vanka and his heart rending story remains  as a chocked sob in every reader. All his share of child hood joys being nipped in the bud, we feel extremely sorry for his vengeful fate. We long for a justice too soon to him before he withers up. The writer has used a compelling language to reach out the effects and mood and tone of the story. The milieu is best portrayed. A  pen so mightier raised to question the complacent people sitting in their glass houses was so evident. Vanka, his grandpa, Miss Olga, the two dogs eel and Kashtanga, the cruel Alyakhins  etc are the characters which haunt us even after the story is done.