The Head-Gardener's Story
Submitted by Taylor Stoehr (profile)

Title and Author: The Head-Gardener's Story (full text) by Anton Chekhov
Genre: Short story
Theme: Trial and guilt; the nature of human innocence
Class type: Any group of probationers

This is a story-within-a-story, told by the title character to several middle-class listeners, including the narrator. The introduction gives the context: the listeners are prone to negative judgment of human nature. The gardener is a wise man, though his position is menial and his character rather that of a crank. His story is of a doctor who was so good a man that everyone in the village revered him. Even "robbers" in the forest, when they came upon him, rather than robbing him, gave him a warm garment and helped him on his way. But then, to the astonishment of all, the doctor was found murdered. No one could believe that a human being was capable of such an act, and popular belief was that the doctor had fallen down a ravine by accident, until a disreputable vagrant was discovered with the doctor's lancet "set in gold" and his bloodstained garments. The vagrant was tried on this evidence, and despite the feeling that still prevailed - that no one could possibly harm their doctor - the decision was guilty and the sentence death. But as the presiding judge opened the decision and began to read, he was struck by the same unwillingness to believe in such an act of inhumanity, and rather than read out the sentence, he judged the vagrant not guilty and sent him on his way, to the satisfaction of the entire village, which had shouted out in the courtroom, "Let him go!" The gardener concluded his tale: "The sentence of acquittal may bring harm to the inhabitants of the town, but on the other hand, think of the beneficial influence upon them of that faith in man - a faith which does not remain dead, you know; it raises up generous feelings in us, and always impels us to love and respect every man. Every man! And that is important."

Suggested questions: We use the story in combination with Karl Capek's The Last Judgement at the end of the semester, in a session on "Who has the right to judge?" in which we discuss problems of justice and punishment and the moral impulse in human society. Our effort is not to push any particular lesson at this point in the semester, but rather to give students an opportunity to discuss human nature and issues of justice and mercy, punishment and forgiveness.

Writing prompt: Although we ask students to address the stories in their homework, our in-class writing exercise on this last night is the following:

(1) Make a list of the most memorable things that have happened this semester, whether in class or outside, that seem important in your experience of Changing Lives Through Literature.

(2) What do you get out of reading accounts of other people's experience? How does reading literature change lives? - or does it?

(3) What have been the turning points of the semester? Do you think our course has affected your life, or the lives of your classmates? What will you take with you?

Other reading: Karl Capek's The Last Judgement