"The Man in a Case"
...itude. Byelinkov is engaged to marry Varinka, whose personality, on the other hand, is completely opposite of his own. She lives moment by moment, where as he plans out everything. Varinka has an almost childish personality and temperament to her. The two only seem to belong together if the saying opposites attract is in fact true. Where Byelinkov enjoys only his studies and the proper things in life, Varinka enjoys everything that is not proper or sophisticated. Most of the play takes place in a garden, where Byelinkov and Varinka discuss their plans of marriage. In the opening line of the play Byelinkov exclaims to Varinka “You are ten minutes late.” She ignores his coarse greeting and continues to tell him of a gift she received earlier in the day from the lady at the market. The lady told her how fond of Byelinkov she was and asked Varinka to give him a basket of apricots. Again, he responds with an unthankful jester of “I don’t care for apricots” (980). Another example of Byelinkov’s seriousness is displayed when Varinka mentions how happy they will be married and he replies with “happiness is for children” (981). Varinka shows up the garden on her uncle’s bike and Byelinkov refuses to let her ride it home. He attempts to ride it home for her and immediately falls to ground because the rigid teacher has never ridden a bike before. He considers the marriage as a challenge presented to him rather than a lifelong opportunity for happiness and love. Byelinkov has a set of bizarre rituals that he has followed for years and years and does not plan on letting Varinka change any of them once they are married. There is specific pl...