In the short story Gooseberries by Anton Chekhov, Ivan tells a story about his brother and through the story he tells about his brother it is conveyed that Ivans understanding of happiness is that some one can only be happy from the sadness and neglect of others.In the over analyzation of his brothers life and everything that he thought not to be the way to live he then wishes he could do things differently.“Everything is quiet, peaceful, and against it all there is only the silent protest of statistics; so many go mad, so many gallons are drunk, so many children die of starvation. . . . And such a state of things is obviously what we want; apparently a happy man only feels so because the unhappy bear the burden in silence, but for which happiness would be impossible. It is a general hypnosis.”Here Ivan is saying that there are a lot of things wrong in the world yet we still remain as if nothing is wrong and the world continues as if happy with this decision thus meaning happiness is in relation to the downfall of others and without it happiness would not exist.In contrast to the downfall of others in order to be happy Ivan in a tone of a favor says “don’t be satisfied, don’t let yourself be lulled to sleep! While you are young, strong,wealthy, do not cease to do good! Happiness does not exist, nor should it, and if there is any meaning or purpose in life, they are not in our peddling little happiness,but in something reasonable and grand. Do good!” In other words Ivan is saying that happiness doesn’t just exist from the little things in life but possibly if it did it would be in the gestures and positive differences we do for others and make. In relation to Ivan’s definition of happiness one should live their life doing good.
-Kayla Ortiz