Meanwhile, Masha, the daughter of Pyotr Sorin’s manager, is hopelessly in love with Konstantin, just as much as he is in love with Nina. As soon as they begin to fight, his mother bursts into tears that make Konstantin feel bad for upsetting her. Every so often, he loses his temper and he and his mother get in terrible arguments. In spite of the way she treats him, Konstantin remains very attached to his mother, which causes him to develop a morbid fascination with his work and life in general. Her brother, Pyotr Sorin, criticizes her about the treatment of her son, which she responds to by claiming that she is herself in poverty, although in reality she simply prefers to spend her money on herself. She gives him little to no spending money so that he is forced to wear the same suit until it is almost threadbare. Because of this, she tries as much as possible to keep Konstantin in the country and out of the public eye, where he may be associated with her. She is a famous actor, one whose career depends on preserving her youth and good looks, which results in her being resentful of the reminder that she is the mother of a twenty-five-year-old man.

Madame Arkadina’s behavior at her son’s play is indicative of her attitude in every aspect of their relationship. Trigorin only finds merit in Nina’s portrayal of the lead role. Madame Arkadina and Trigorin are present in the audience, though they refuse to take the production seriously. The play is put on to a lukewarm reception, although the audience acknowledges that it certainly has literary merit. The performance is staged outside on the estate of Konstantin’s uncle, Pyotr Sorin.

The Seagull by Anton Chekhov