---
title: "Character sketch of Dmitri Gurov"
subject: "Communication English"
chapter: 2
key: "semester_5/communication_english:character-dmitri-gurov"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/character-dmitri-gurov
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Character sketch of Dmitri Gurov

Communication English · Chapter 2: Extensive Reading

- Asked in: 2073 Chaitra, 5 marks; 2078 Bhadra, 5 marks (asked 2 times)
- Video: [Plot summary, “The Lady With The Dog” by Anton Chekhov in 9 Minutes - Book Review](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yawxZ82hE1w) — Сliff Notes
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/character-dmitri-gurov
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_5/communication_english/chapter-2

## Question

Write the character of Dmitri Dmitritch Gurov in about 150 words. (The Lady with the Pet Dog)

## Short answer

Dmitri Gurov is a middle-aged, married Moscow banker who begins as a cynical womaniser, treating women as the lower race and seeking casual affairs. In Yalta he meets Anna Sergeyevna and is transformed by genuine love, leading a double life of public respectability and secret feeling.

## Answer

Dmitri Dmitritch Gurov, the main male character of Anton Chekhov's story "The Lady with the Pet Dog", is a middle-aged Moscow man who is changed by real love.

#### Background
Gurov is not yet forty, has three children, and is married to a woman whom he finds stiff and narrow-minded. He studied arts at the university but works in a bank in Moscow. He married young and does not love his wife.

#### Character
- **Womaniser.** At the start he treats women lightly, having had many affairs, and speaks of them as "the lower race". He fears his wife and yet deceives her.
- **Cynical and bored.** He finds married life tiresome and seeks easy pleasures at the resort of Yalta.
- **Intelligent and sensitive.** He is observant and capable of deep feeling, though he hides it behind a casual manner.
- **Changed by love.** His affair with Anna Sergeyevna, "the lady with the pet dog", begins as a casual flirtation but turns into genuine love. After returning to Moscow he cannot forget her, goes to her town and meets her secretly.
- **Double life.** He lives a public life of respectability and a secret, true life of feelings.

#### Conclusion
Gurov is a complex character who grows from a shallow seducer into a man who understands love, suffering and the falseness of his daily life.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What is Gurov's occupation and family situation at the start?
   A. An unmarried Yalta doctor
   B. A Moscow professor with no children
   C. A wealthy landowner who loves his wife
   D. A Moscow bank employee, married with three children, who does not love his wife
   Answer: D. He studied arts, works in a bank, married young and finds his wife stiff and narrow-minded. (Key point: Background)

2. How is Gurov at the beginning of the story?
   A. A devoted husband
   B. A cynical womaniser who treats women lightly
   C. A shy man who avoids women
   D. A strict moralist
   Answer: B. He has had many affairs and calls women 'the lower race', though he fears his wife. (Key point: Early character)

3. What change does his affair with Anna Sergeyevna bring?
   A. He remains unaffected and returns to routine
   B. He becomes more cynical
   C. He decides to reconcile with his wife
   D. A casual flirtation turns into genuine love and he cannot forget her
   Answer: D. He follows her to her town and meets her secretly, showing real love. (Key point: Change through love)

4. What does the 'double life' of Gurov refer to?
   A. Working in two cities
   B. A respectable public life and a secret true life of feelings
   C. Having two wives
   D. Two different jobs
   Answer: B. He hides his real feelings behind public respectability. (Key point: Double life)