Misery by Anton Chekhov Misery is a narrative written story with the focus on the characters psychological state rather than physical surroundings The word misery meaning great mental or emotional distress Dictionary com 2011 sets the mood of the story This story is about grieving over the death of a loved one and how insensitive people can be Iona the main character lost his son to an illness During his encounters with many people Iona tries to speak of about his misery but no one is willing t