A TRANSGRESSION

In “A Transgression,” the story unfolds around Collegiate Assessor Miguev, who, while reflecting on a past indiscretion with his former housemaid Agnia, finds himself in a dilemma when she threatens to expose him. Agnia demands he secure the future of their illegitimate child, threatening to leave the baby at his doorstep. One evening, haunted by the encounter, Miguev discovers a bundled baby left at his bungalow. Panicked and ashamed, fearing societal repercussions—ranging from spousal disappointment to public humiliation—he decides to abandon the baby at another’s doorstep to conceal his sin.

Miguev’s internal torment is palpable as he contemplates the baby’s uncertain future while he carries it through the streets. Struggling with guilt and the recognition of his responsibility, he imagines the potential life and hardships the child might face if left at the foundling hospital. Miguev’s conscience battles between the desire to rid himself of the problem and the innate paternal instinct towards the innocent child.

Upon reaching Merchant Myelkin’s home, intending to leave the baby there, Miguev is torn between societal fear and a sudden rush of paternal love. Imagining a future where the child might grow up without feeling his father’s love or even knowing him, Miguev decides against abandoning the baby. Overcome with a sense of what’s right, he heads back home, resolving to confess everything to his wife, Anna Filippovna, and plead for her understanding to raise the child as their own.

In a dramatic twist of fate, as Miguev prepares to admit his wrongdoings, he learns from the porter, Yermolay, that the baby he had taken was actually the child of Aksinya, the washer-woman, who had momentarily placed her baby at his steps. This revelation saves Miguev from the immediate need to confess but leaves him in a turmoil of guilt and missed opportunity for redemption.

Through Miguev’s journey, Chekhov explores themes of guilt, responsibility, societal judgment, and the complexity of human emotion when faced with the consequences of one’s actions. Miguev’s story is a profound comment on the human condition, illustrating how a moment of moral reckoning can lead to profound self-reflection and the desire for redemption.