Anton Chekhov: The Man in a Case
“The Man in a Case” (Chelovek v futlyare) is a short story by Russian writer Anton Chekhov, published in July 1898 in the magazine Russkaya Myslʼ. Through the account of a high school teacher, we meet Byelikov, a Greek teacher who lives with obsessive rigidity. He fears everything new, avoids any emotion, and takes refuge in rules and prohibitions. Even his clothes seem like armor against the world. The story, told among hunters during a quiet night, becomes a subtle critique of those who live prisoners of fear, locked in a case that separates them from life.
