This is a story of a young woman who gives herself entirely to her love interests. Olenka Plemyannikova loves with her whole being, sacrificing herself entirely to the person she is with - whether it's a husband, a lover or a child. Her level of empathy is insanely high, making her a caricature of codependence that many of us should be able to see, at least slightly, in ourselves. This character study is quintessential Chekhov, as he draws the caricature, injects the story with a bit of humor, and leaves any kind of judgement of Olenka to the reader.

Anyone reading this story will recognize the caricature and be able to think of someone they know who suffers a similar ailment, even if to a lesser extent.

Translation by Avrahm Yarmolinsky, read from The Portable Chekhov