The Cherry Orchard - The Struggle Anton Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard introduces readers to a pre-Revolution Russian family dealing with the imminent sale of their their property, the cherry orchard. The main character of the work is the owner of the Cherry Orchard, Lyubov Andreyevna. It is in the play that Lyubov must ultimately decide whether to allow his cherry orchard to be cut down to make room for mansions or to sell the entire estate to pay off his debts. It is her unconditional love for both the Cherry Orchard and what it symbolizes to her that allows her to put the estate up for sale rather than tear down the Cherry Orchard. Although he belongs to the Russian upper class, Lyubov is hopelessly out of touch with reality and very irresponsible when it comes to finances. He often throws money around as if there are no consequences for his actions. After the death of her husband and the tragic drowning of her son in the Cherry Orchard, she fled to Paris and bought a villa, which she soon had to sell to pay off her debts. Lyubov dines lavishly and tips generously when in reality he doesn't have a cent to spend. He throws parties and hires orchestras that he knows he can't pay for. It is this type of behavior that put Lyubov so deeply in debt that he put his beloved property at risk. To Lyubov the cherry orchard means much more than acres and acres of beautiful cherry trees and rivers; much more than the piece of land described in the encyclopedia. For her it represents her sense of nostalgia, a longing for the past. It is the place where his grandparents lived. His mother and father also lived there. It reminds Lyubov of his youth. When she looks at the cherry trees she doesn't just see branches and flowers, she sees the time when as a little girl she walked in the orchard with her mother. She says: “I slept here when I was little…and here I am like a little girl again.” Lyubov's innocence also remains a part of the Cherry Orchard, for as a child she neither owned servants nor squandered her family's money. Even though the Cherry Orchard evokes thoughts of her lost husband and son, she still treasures it.