Fedor Sigaev discovers that his wife is unfaithful to him. He decides to take revenge on her. He visits the shop Schmucks & Co. The shop is the best place in the town to purchase firearms. He asks the shop owner to show him a good revolver. He wanted to kill his wife, her lover and then himself. He has not used a gun in his life, nor has he shot anyone in his life. He started imagining the heavy wounds that he will inflict on his wife and her lover.
The shop keeper was an active little man with a paunch, and he kept different types of revolvers on the counter. He suggests that Sigaev choose Smith- Wesson revolver which has six chambers. Shop keeper tells him that the gun can kill wolves, faithless wife and her lover. He even goes to say that it is the best gun to commit suicide. The price of Smith- Wesson was 45 roubles. Sigaev dismisses the gun saying that it is expensive. The shop keeper presents another gun was which was made in France with a price of 18 roubles. Sigaev hides the fact that he wants to kill his wife and her lover. He says that the gun will be used for frightening away the thieves. Immediately shop keeper tells him that there is another gun which is known as the Mortimer pistol. The shop keeper presenting new guns to make Sigaev close the deal.
Meanwhile, Sigaev started imagining how the gun wound would cause maximum damage to his wife. He is not sure whether he should kill her. Instead of killing her, he now wants to kill her lover and himself. He wants his wife to suffer the agony of the twin deaths.
Suddenly the shop keeper disturbs his daydream. He is now ready to offer a discount of five roubles on Smith Wesson. He offers other options like one revolver for 30 roubles.
Meanwhile, Sigaev drifts off to another daydream in which decides not to kill himself but only his wife’s lover. (paramour) He will not kill himself, but he will get himself arrested. He thinks that killing oneself is a sign of cowardice.
The shop keeper kept displaying new guns and kept talking about the merits and demerits of each gun.
Sigaev started thinking about the prospect of going to jail after killing his wife’s lover. He doesn’t want to go to a Siberian prison. In that case, his wife will get married to someone and she will be the victorious one. He decides not to kill anyone and decides to move the court for a divorce. He decides to leave the shop, but he felt sympathy towards the shopkeeper, and he decides to buy a net for eight roubles just to make the shop keeper happy.
The story ends with this line - The offended husband paid the eight roubles, took the net and left the shop.
Themes
Transformation
The character of the husband
Taking the law into our hands
Decision Making - 4 decisions made in a short time
The beauty of Anton Chekhov and the gender reversal
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