A. P. Chekhov and the concept of “degeneration”: to the problem of cryptopoetics of Russian literature

The concept of “degeneration” is associated with the fin-de-siècle period and came to Russian soil from Western Europe. First and foremost, it was represented there by Cesare Lombroso and his popularizer, the author of the book Degeneration , Max Nordau. The concept of degeneracy was studied by the scientist using the work of outstanding representatives of European art, including Leo Tolstoy. The book was a scandalous success in Russia and a subject of numerous magazine reviews. Chekhov implicitly participated in this polemic. The writer’s cryptic review of the fashionable problem of degeneracy can be seen in the image of Dr. Dorn, which allows to examine the elements of Chekhov’s cryptopoetics. The surname of this character in The Seagull is considered as a transformation of the surname Nordau. An analysis of Dorn’s behavior and speech suggests that the author of the play uses it to express his position regarding the “nervous age” and the fatigue and degeneration associated with it. The intertextually expressed polemic between Chekhov and Nordau allows to define the role of Dorn as a hidden trickster. This is an additional argument that proves the validity of the author’s definition of The Seagull as a comedy.