Character of Lyubov: The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
Lyubov Ranevsky , an aristocratic lady, She is one of the main characters of the play. She fails to resolve the problems relating to her estate as well as the issues of her family and herself. She does not act when it is needed to though she claims "I cannot sit motionless". In past, she has been cheated in love. Her son died of drowning. Now, she has been under a cloud. She is under a lot of debt. She has already sold the bungalow. Her estate is due for auction for recovery of the debts. "There is nothing left now". She fails to save anything at all because she is a bit too emotional and she "doesn't seem to understand". She is a sort of indifferent to her family life. She cannot adapt herself to the social change which has taken place. Lopakhin gives her a reasonable solution of avoiding the public auction. But she does nothing to save herself and her family from the disgrace and loss of their pride. She is just an emotional fool that can't control her feelings:
"I just can't help myself; I know I am a fool".
with Lopakhin keeps on asking Lyubov "here's no time to waste." The day of auction is approaching soon. But Lyubov just cannot maker her mind cut the cherry orchard. She says: "I had a lot of money yesterday, but there's very little to-day. My poor Varya feeds everybody on milk soup to save money, in the kitchen the old people only get peas, and I spend recklessly."
Lopakhin gets frustrated when she does not respond for saving of her estate: "I've never met such frivolous people as you before, or anybody so non-business and peculiar. Here I am telling you in plain language that your estate will be sold, and you don't seem to understand." She asks Lopakhin to advice and he reiterates the leasing of the orchard to the vacationers to raise money. But she says no. Lopakhin cannot control himself here: "I must cry or yell or faint. I can't stand it! You're too much for me!" He stands up to go while Lyubov stops him: "Please don't go away. It's nicer when you're here".
Lyubov gets emotional: "Oh, my sins. ... I've always scattered money about without holding myself in, like a mad woman". She tells that after the death of her husband and her death, she fell in love with a cruel and selfish man. She left her home for that man and he just robbed her cheated on her. And today she is back in her home among her own people. Now her cheater lover is imploring her to return to him.
