AP English Literature students are bringing Anton Chekhov’s short story In the Cart to life by moving through various spots on campus on Thursday and Friday to mimic the narrator’s extensive journey in her cart.
“[The short story] is a pretty linear story, she is struggling with her internal thoughts and feelings, kind of unhappy with her life, and the journey itself mirrors the weight she’s feeling,” AP Literature teacher Elizabeth Evans said. “Rather than just sit in the classroom and read it, I wanted us to get out and walk with her and so we could feel the trajectory of plotting through the school and having to stop at different spots just like they did in the story.”
As the short story delves in depth into the narrator’s thoughts, this activity intends to simplify the narrator’s feelings at each location in the cart.
“An advantage was that we stopped at each section and each time we stopped we looked at a summary of what was happening and what was going on with her and what kind of evidence was given to us,” Evans said. “Because we were physically moving and stopping, it helped to really focus on one section at a time.”
For senior Maha Hassan, this activity helped her synthesize the information provided in the short story.
“I think going outside was really good because it was more stimulating and we weren’t stuck in the classroom,” Hassan said. “It also helped going to different areas to divide up sections of the story. It helped us synthesize it better and make clear distinction between different sections.”
Other students such as senior Angie Fei thought this activity was a way to understand the short story.
“I thought it was a really creative and fun way to ask us to be more enthusiastic about it because sitting in class would have been really boring,” Fei said. “I think it was smart because for example, when we went up the steep hill we went up the stairs and I thought that was really fun and interactive.”
Through physical movement, Evans hopes this activity will help students understand the themes of the short story in a captivating way.
“Sometimes when we are sitting in a classroom reading it all at once we lose focus,” Evans said. “Hopefully by getting up, walking in between and moving to a new spot we are able to have our brains reset and rethink about the new learning.”
