A Sociological Analysis of Chameleon

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

It’s a story written by Anton Chekhov, a Russian story writer and dramatist. Chameleon is one of the most notable stories of Chekhov. He presented the different colors of a police officer where the authoritarian ruling has been working. The society was divided into two parts in the story. The well-to-do and the poverty stricken people are in the conflict. The police officer Ochumelov, his constable, and a gold smith, Khryukin were main characters.

Actually the indirect conflict is shown between the General and the gold smith. The dog of the General’s brother bits Khryukin. He has chased the dog and is able to catch by the hind leg. Ochumelov encounters it on the way to his duty. He promises to punish the person who has kept such dog. But he hears that the dog belongs to some well-to-do family and he has changed his mind instantly. He thinks that his duty to protect the rich family.

The dog belongs to the General’s brother and he has also got the same respect from the police officer. The social conflict is clearly shown in the story. We can see a class conflict in the story and the prevalence of authority. The rich are respected by the state and there is no value of the poor one.

The police officer has changed his ideas as the chameleon lizard has changed its color. At first Ochumelov is ready to punish the dog holder. When he hears that the dog belongs to the General’s brother, he has changed his ideas. Rather he blames the gold smith that he may have scratched himself. He also makes fun that he has tried to stick cigarette in the mouth of the dog the dog would bite him.

The story can be also matched with the Nepalese context. The same situation is going on these days in our country. The Russian realist movement in the 1940s comes to true to us in the 21^st century. So we should go several steps to meet the goal of development like the Western world. The same type of sociological problem is existing in our country these days.

The poor people have no chance to get justice. The administration is operating to foster authoritarian. The poor people wouldn’t get any chance unless the privileged have got it. The class conflict is going on in our context these days. We have got equality in paper not in practice as Khryukin argues in the story.

The realist presents the real incident which is happening daily in our life. They are able to present the general incidents in a vivid way. Thus the stories of Russians like Anton Chekhov have spoken the problem of grass root level. They have been able to present the reality of the society. Mostly the realists have taken the miniature incidents of the society and develop into a story so that they can be the true friends of common people.