Stories without Answers: Moral Uncertainty in the Works of Tagore and Chekhov

Abstract

Moral uncertainty is analyzed in the short stories of Rabindranath Tagore and Anton Chekhov. The novels by Tagore from colonial Indian and Chekhov from Tsarist Russia look very different, but they use nearly identical styles by not giving readers any clear advice on right and wrong. Both writers do not provide easy solutions and for this reason, ask readers to think deeply about life and join the creative process of understanding. This work examines ambiguous morality, reviews some tales by both authors and points out how not resolving moral questions builds our understanding of ethics and human life.