In the story, "An Upheaval," written by Anton Chekov, the protagonist, Mashenka Pavletsky, is a governess working in the house of the Kushkins. One day, the madam of the Kushkins, Fedosya Vassilyevna, has lost her brooch worth two thousand dollars; therefore, she has been searching every employee's room thoroughly. Mashenka, who regards herself as a superior, educated person, finds the searching very insulting and then decides to quit her job and leave. In order to prevent Mashenka from leaving, the master of the house, Nikolay Sergetich, confesses the stealing of the brooch; however, "this candid avowal" (Chekov 102) strengthens Mashenka's leaving decision. Although it seems like Mashenka is the victim of this story, her reactions after the search reveal her impulsive and arrogant characters.
             Mashenka is unique in the house of the Kushkins due to her education; as a governess, she cannot bear the fact that Fedosya treats her the same way as other maidservants. Mashenka clearly holds contradictory beliefs to Liza's (one of the maidservants) towards Fedosya's behaviour; throughout her conversation with Liza, Mashenka keeps questioning what gives the right to Fedosya to search the room. However, Liza explains to Mashenka by only stating the fact that a brooch is stolen. In Liza's belief, she and Mashenka both are only residents and servants, thus it is reasonable for the host to search everywhere in the house when the brooch is stolen. Liza is not the only one who holds that view; Fedosya, the madam of this newly rich family, has no proper manners and shows no respect toward the poors or "learned paupers" (Chekov 100). For Fedosya, every poor person is potentially a thief. Mashenka's educated mind enables her to judge the actions of Fedosya but it does not gain her any power in this house because of her dependent position. Her life entirely relies on Kushkins' paying an...