but is kulygin then a villain? not at all. he probably would have been happier married to someone else, perhaps to olga, who admires his knowledge. from time to time, one character or another behaves in a manner unusual in a more realistic drama. another makes little proclamations or strange sounds, reciting poetry, addressing remarks to no one in particular. some are profound while others seem not to have much insight at all. how is the audience to know what these people actually feel? begin by listening. oh well, never mind. yes, we must work. i suppose you're thinking i'm a sentimental german but i assure you i'm not, i'm russian. i don't speak a word of german. my father was brought up in the greek orthodox faith. you know, i often wonder what it would be like if you could start your life over again, deliberately, i mean, consciously. i mean, suppose you could put aside the part of your life that you've lived already as though it was some sort of a rough draft and then start another one that could be a copy. now i think if