In the play The Bear, by Anton Chekhov, Toby begins as a symbol to Mrs. Popova of her late husband and how she refuses to let go of the past. After falling in love with a different man, Mr. Smirnov, Toby is nothing more than a sad reminder of her past and how she needs to move on. As mentioned above, when a person is ready to overcome the memory of a lost person, the object can then be replaced or