Medical and colonial discourses in A. P. Chekhov's book “Sakhalin Island”

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the conceptual and medical context of the book “Sakhalin Island”, examines Chekhov's attitude to medicine and literature, and analyzes various (including foreign) approaches to studying medicine and problems of colonization in literary texts. The topic is also relevant because, as we know, in the XIX century publicism was rather restricted by the government, both in the choice of topics and in the ways of their coverage. In many ways, literature took on the role of defender of ordinary people, including exiled convicts. The authors examine how, in addition to the lack of basic medical care, poor sanitation, and the specific local conditions causing various illnesses in people unaccustomed to Sakhalin climate, these people had feelings such as loneliness, melancholy, despondency, and unwillingness to live - in short, all the symptoms that are now commonly referred to as depression and psychopathology. Through a number of literary devices, A. P. Chekhov creates a satirical effect and disavows the authorities' allegations. The authors show that the focus of Chekhov's book is on the living conditions of the people and the serious mistakes made by the state during the exploration of Sakhalin. Comparing Chekhov's observations with statistics and factual data from other sources, the authors emphasize that government officials do not understand the importance of Sakhalin for Russia, the need to develop its natural resources, the inadmissibility of ignoring local ethnic and cultural conditions, the neglect of people, etc. The article concludes that Chekhov's observations are closely related to legal, economic, and historical records of the time.