In "Misery", by Anton Chekhov, Iona, the main character, is oblivious to his surroundings, pain, and to the general public. He's on a mission to find anyone who will listen to him talk about the death of his son. Iona is comatose to the world around him. He portrays this trait of unawareness to his surroundings, through lack of feeling pain, numbness to the cold and by inadvertently isolating himself from reality and his present surroundings.
             Lack of feeling towards pain depicts unawareness of his surroundings, a trait illustrated through, Iona. "Iona hears, rather than feels a slap on the back of his neck." Iona is so caught up in his sons' death that throughout the story he is unaware to the reality of pain. This quote implied that if it isn't for the sound effect of the hunchback striking him, he wouldn't even know that he was hit. Thus, showing unawareness of his surroundings. "He sits on the bow without stirring, bent as double as the living body can be bent."Iona is positioned this way for the majority of the story, waiting on passengers in the cold. A person would think that after a while the pain of being hunched over would be unbearable. Just the way Iona sits himself, in that painful position, proves that he has a characteristic of unawareness to pain, therefore also to his surroundings.
             Another example of Iona's trait is seen through this passage, "Iona feels behind his back the jolting person and quivering voice of the hunchback. He hears abuse addressed to him, he sees people, and the feeling of loneliness begins little by little to be less heavy on his heart." Examining this quote prompts the question, "How can Iona stand the torment of abuse from his community?" Only through him being oblivious to the pain that words can give, can allow Iona to take in the verbal abuse. This point confirms that Iona is unaware of his surroundings. Another way Iona's unawareness to his surroundings is portrayed, is through his n...