In the late 1880s, Chekhov created over 400 short stories, including masterpieces such as "The Fat Man and the Thin Man" and "The Death of a Small Civil Servant," which won the Pushkin Prize. Encouraged by his literary predecessors, he created works such as "Grassland" and "Mental Disorder", and his play "Ivanov" caused a sensation. Although Chekhov's literary talent and originality are recognized, mainstream critics accuse his works of lacking ideas and worldviews, being far from the national characteristics of Russian thought, and that he is not a "thinker". Chekhov persevered in seeking the strength to overcome crises in adversity. In 1889, Chekhov's brother Nikolai passed away due to illness, and he suffered the pain of mourning. At the same time, he keenly sensed the internal writing bottleneck. From 1888 to 1889, Chekhov explored the theme of the "Dark Forest" in his play "The Tree Spirit". Tree Spirit "is considered to be the" predecessor "of" Uncle Vanya ", but due to immature characters and structure, and poor premiere effects, there is relatively little specialized research in China. Western scholars classify it as Chekhov's early and immature theatrical experiment, while the Russian academic community compares it more to 'Uncle Vannia'. The Tree Spirit "is an unsuccessful attempt by Chekhov to emerge from the crisis, but it holds an important position in his creative and intellectual development history. It reflects Chekhov's unique thinking on Russian geography, culture, social and historical environment, and traditional national consciousness, clearly explaining his internal motivation for diagnosing Russian society as a "dark forest" at that time, and describing his prescription for moral redemption to overcome the law of the "dark forest". More importantly, this work provides a meaningful material prototype for one of Chekhov's greatest plays, Uncle Vannia.

1、 The significance of forests for the Russian nation and civilization

In the 19th century, Russian historian Kryuchovsky emphasized the importance of forests to Russian history and national worldview, believing that forests were not only resource providers and natural barriers, but also places where hermits sought spiritual salvation. Chekhov mentioned in his works the regulating role of forests in climate and their gentle influence on human character, which echoes the environmental determinism of the German historical geography school. Chekhov may have been influenced by the theories of historian Solovyov on the relationship between climate and human emotions, as well as the views of British historian Buckle on the impact of natural states on society. Russian scholar Dorrenkov pointed out that Bakr's ideas had a profound influence on Chekhov, believing that the natural environment determines human life and ways of thinking. Chekhov explored the oppression of the human soul by the vast space of Russia in his works. The research of Russian climatologist Voyeikov had an impact on Chekhov's understanding of the impact of forests on climate.

2、 The Law of the Dark Forest: 'Everyone is against everyone's war'

In depth exploration of the character Dr. Khrushchev ("Tree Spirit") in Chekhov's plays, he regards forests as natural beauty and wealth, and shoulders the mission of protecting forests and transforming the climate. Dr. Khrushchev attempted to restore social civilization and harmony against the backdrop of deteriorating interpersonal relationships and moral degradation. He criticized those who irrationally destroy nature, waste talent, and insult those close to him, and projected his ideals into the grand vision of millennium history, human destiny, climate control, and God's creation. Professor Yelena Andreevna's wife praised Khrushchev's brave spirit, free mind, and grand ambition, believing that the small trees he planted foreshadowed the happiness of humanity a thousand years later.

3、 An unsuccessful rehearsal to step out of the 'Dark Forest'

Explored Chekhov's play "The Tree Spirit" as a transitional work in his attempt to create a new type of drama called lyrical comedy novel. Chekhov expressed his positioning for the new script and his breakthrough in traditional stage rules in his letters. The innovation of "The Tree Spirit" lies in its portrayal of the characters' inner struggles and the hidden trends of the times. The main plot is composed of complex relationships between a group of different characters, rather than the actions of a single protagonist. Although "The Tree Spirit" was criticized at the time for being more like a novella than a theatrical work, Chekhov insisted on his innovative attempts, emphasizing that drama should be closer to real life. Although the structure of "The Tree Spirit" is crude, the problem is that Chekhov has not yet escaped the formulaic routine advocated by critics. Chekhov later rewrote "The Tree Spirit" into "Uncle Vannia". In the latter play, the idle conversations, boring arguments, daily trivialities, listless or cynical characters not only expose the banality of selfishness and weakness, but also shine with astonishing virtues of perseverance and self sacrifice. At the end of 'The Tree Spirit', there appears a pair of lovers, while Yelena, who has run away, reconciles with Professor Sheleblyakov. The atmosphere of everyone's happiness is not only obviously inconsistent with the death of a relative, but also highlights the frivolous mentality and vulgar habits of these happy people. In the late 1880s when Chekhov created this play, he was under the influence of Tolstoyism, so the people on stage forgot their sadness without any pressure and regrouped to find happiness for themselves. The most representative example of moral self-improvement in the script is Old Orlovsky's description of overcoming a midlife crisis. After wasting his absurd first half of his life, Orlovsky in "The Tree Spirit" suddenly felt a torment from the depths of his soul, and an indescribable pain surged in his heart. He said to the professor, "Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes, my body swayed, and I shouted loudly to the entire courtyard with all my strength, 'My friends, my good people, for Christ's sake, forgive me!'" At this moment, my soul became pure, kind, and warm. Dr. Khrushchev, who is naturally fond of preaching, also delivered a long and heart wrenching confession in Act Four. He concluded that no matter what sacred work one engages in, the starting point should be to care for, pity, and help those around them. Otherwise, even if the forest is protected, people's lives will still fall into a self destructive "dark forest". This final scene is meaningfully arranged in the forest, where due to people's sincere repentance and mutual forgiveness, the universal law of war of "all against all" is completely abolished, and the "Dark Forest" has turned into what Fedor Ivanovich called an "oasis" and a place to create "miracles".

4、 From 'Dark Forest' to 'Diamond Sky'

Explored the profound hatred and symbolic significance between the protagonists Voynitsky and Sheleblyakov in "The Tree Spirit" and "Uncle Vanya". Analyzed how Sheleblyakov's refusal to repent reflects a departure from Russia's "culture of sin" and how he uses the name of God to cover up selfish purposes. The chapter also discusses Voynitsky's fighting spirit, in which he regarded Serebryakov as an enemy in the "Dark Forest" and maintained an uncompromising attitude. Further analysis was conducted on how the conflict between Voynitsky and Sheleblyakov in "Uncle Vanya" transcends the individual level and touches upon the spiritual crisis that humans face when faced with nothingness. Chekhov portrays this crisis through inner play rather than external actions in the play, emphasizing that the norm of life is the surging of hidden currents under calm. The role change of Dr. Astrov, from "Tree Spirit" to "Uncle Vannia", represents the loss of the ability to love, symbolizing the dilemma of not being able to become a guiding star. Sonia's optimism and belief, as well as her anticipation for the "sky full of diamonds," provide a glimmer of hope for the pessimistic mood in the drama. Finally, the chapter points out how Chekhov created a new dramatic ending for "Uncle Vannia" through Sonia's beliefs, which went beyond traditional suicide and marriage endings and opened up a new era for drama.