Chekhov's gun: History and Key Facts

Chekhov's gun (or Chekhov's rifle; Russian: Чеховское ружьё, romanized: Chekhovskoye ruzhyo) is a narrative principle emphasizing that every element in a story should be necessary, while irrelevant elements should be removed. For example, if a gun is included in a story, there must be a reason for it, such as being fired at some later point. The principle that all elements must eventually come into play over the course of the story is recorded, with some variation, in several letters by Anton Chekhov, as advice for young playwrights.

In recent years, the term has also taken on the meaning of a plot element that is introduced early in a story, whose significance to the plot does not become clear until later. This plot twist meaning is separate from Chekhov's original intent of narrative conservation and necessity.

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