In “Gooseberries,” Ivan Ivanych expresses his deep skepticism against those who desire joyful, comfortable lifestyles; he thinks that pain is a necessary prelude to a meaningful existence and that seeking happiness is the wrong course since it results in complacency and stagnation. The majority of the story is that Ivan relates to his friends Alekhin and Burkin about his brother Nikolai, who spent decades of his life-saving money for a country house where he could live a simple, comfortable lifestyle. Ivan believes that creating a happy life this way is selfish and delusional since it only shields one from the reality of the outer world. he then talks about the hypocrisy of landowners who disregard the pain of others less fortunate than themselves as the subject of this tale. Chekhov, however, also brings up a more complex subject than class differences, as we can see when Ivan affirms the hollowness of individual success.

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