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CHAPTER - IV
Chapter IV
C O U N T L EO T O L S T O Y
Leo
T o l s t o y ( 1 8 2 8 - 1 9 1 0 ) w a s the y o u n g e s t of the
five
c h ild re n of his parents. H e lost both his pa ren ts at a y o u n g a g e
a n d w a s b r o u g h t up first by his g r a n d m o t h e r a n d later by his
aunts. Mo ral q ue s ti o n s interested him right from his e a rl y d a y s
in life.
an d
Q u e s t i o n s like the aim of life, w h a t d o e s m a n
live for
the immortality of soul a s s u m e d pa rticula r im p o r t a n c e for
him.
Tolstoy
was
a
voracious
reader
and
his
favourite
subjec t w a s p h i l o s o p h y an d p h i l o s o p h e r s like H e g e l , Volt aire
and R o u s s e a u . At the ag e of nineteen he started thinking about
the evil
of
serfdom and
his
sentiment
for
hard working,
suffering p e o p l e w a s no secret. W h e n he w a s
tw en ty four an d
stati on ed in the C a u c a s u s , he started writing
his big
“C h i l d h o o d , B o y h o o d , an d Y o u t h ”
Crim ean
war, w h e n British
and
Tolstoy
d e f e n d i n g th e city. A n d
it w a s his
admiration
navies beseiged
joi ne d
for the streng th, b r a v e r y
R u s s i a n soldiers, that inspired
literary
(185 4-185 6). During
French
fortress of S e v a s t a p o l —
novel,~
the
the
the a r m y w h i c h w a s
patriotic fe e lin gs,
and patience
the S e v a s t a p o l
of
stories.
his
the
The
w o r l d i m m e d i a t e l y r e c o g n i z e d their merit. T u r g e n e v
w ro te t he se stories w e r e
a miracle. T h e E m p e r o r A l e x a n d e r II
re a d the m and o r d e re d them transl ate d
into
E m p re s s shed
T o l s t o y re tu rn e d from
C r i m e a he
tears o v e r them.
w ent
to
When
F r e n c h . A n d the
St. P e t e s b u r g an d w a s a c c e p t e d by the
literary w or ld as a fully r e c o g n i s e d writer.
A fter 1861 the old patriarchal R u s s i a b e g a n r a pi d ly to
disintegrate
peasants
fleein g
boom
u n d e r the in f l u e n c e of w o r l d
capitalism.
w e re starving, w e r e be in g rui ne d as n e v e r
to the to w ns an d a b a n d o n i n g the soil. T h e r e
The
before,
was
a
in the con str uc ti on of railways, mills an d factories d u e to
c h e a p lab o u r of the ruine d
p e a s an ts .
d e v e l o p i n g in R u s s i a t o g e t h e r with
Big fi n a n c e capital w a s
large-scale com m erce
an d
in du str y resulting in turn in a c h a n g e in the attitude a n d v a l u e s
of life. T o l s t o y ha d a s o u n d
k n o w l e d g e of the rural R u s s i a , the
m o d e of life of the l a n d l o r d s
a n d the
p e a s a n t s . A n d this
k no w le d g e and un der sta nd in g of the situations, pe op le an d their
plight w e r e r e s p o n s i b l e for his articles
like ‘W h a t shall w e do
t h e n ? ’, w h ic h g r e w into a big boo k with the e p ig r a p h :
A n d the p e o p l e a s k e d him, say ing , w h a t shall w e
th e n ?
hath
H e a n s w e r e t h a n d s a y e th unto them:
two
coats let him impart to him
that
He
hath
no n e, an d he that hath m ea t let him do likewise.
( St. Lu ke, C h. 3, v. 10 ),
do
that
This
makes
awareness
clear
the
fact
about
T o l s t o y ’s
that the richer a m a n is the h a r d e r he
acute
is to re ach ,
th e m o r e d o o r m e n t h e r e s t a n d b e t w e e n hi m a n d th e l e s s
fortunate pe op le. C h a n g e w a s important an d T o l s t o y v i e w e d it
as both n e c e s s a r y an d po ss ib le but it had to be a c h a n g e
heart. T o l s t o y had himself u n d e r g o n e s u c h a c h a n g e a n d
that his fellow m e n co u ld do w h a t he had do n e. H e
the
inarticulate virtues of simplicity
of
felt
b e l i e v e d in
a n d fr e s h n e s s , m a k i n g
' t e m p e r a m e n t ’ w h ic h relies only on
its
a
in n e rm o s t r e s o u r c e s .
H a v i n g b e e n b r o u g h t up in the or th od o x Ch ri sti a n faith, T o l s t o y
r e a l i s e d e a r l y in life th a t
— stem m ing
from
fa ith
a thorough
a l o n e g a v e m e a n i n g to lif e
study
of
the
G ospels
and
un de rs ta n di ng the real m e a ni ng and es s e n c e of religion. To lstoy
with all the strength of his soul,
w a n t e d to s e r v e the A l m i g h t y
w h o m he s a w as spirit, as love, as the s o u r c e of all. Like a true
C hr is tia n, he b e l ie v e d that m a n ’s true wel far e lay
in fulfilling
G o d ’s will an d His will m ea n t that m e n s h o u l d love o n e another.
H e a c k n o w l e d g e d that e v e r y g o o d actio n i n c r e a s e d the true
w el fa re of o n e ’s eternal life an d
e v e r y evil action d e c r e a s e d it.
His pos itive attitudes of the C hr is ti a n tradition a g r e e d with the
demands
of his c o n s c i e n c e . F o r him so long as o n e ha d faith
in Christ, one could live as o n e w i s h e d - - an d this is faithfully
reflected in his short stories. A c c o r d i n g to him o n e h a d to find
real food for the pe opl e. A n d if this real food w a s fo u n d e v e r y
h u n g r y p e rs o n w o u l d take it. His plan s w e r e v e ry f a r - r e a c h i n g to
p r o d u c e bo o k s for the h u n g r y
millions
—
b o o k s of a spe ci al
kind. H e d e c i d e d to oust the bo o k s by old p o p u l a r L u b o k s with
n o b l e r texts, by his o w n short stories an d by rewritten
the saints,
as
many
lives of
of the folktales are. T o l s t o y w ro te ab o ut
forty five short stories of w h i c h t w e n ty - t w o w e r e folk tales. A s
a
re s p o n s i b l e
a n d c o n s c i o u s writer he w a s a c u t e l y a w a r e of
the fact that a n y reform at the social and political level w a s to
be p r e c e e d e d by
p a r a b l e s like
p e a s a n t dies
a spiritual reform. A n attitude illustrated by
How much Land Does A Man Need —
where
the
of e x ha u s t io n and his c o r p s e c o v e r s six feet of
earth w h i c h a n s w e r s the in te rrogative in the story. T h e story is
based
on
the
m at er ia l
furnished
b y the
ancient
Greek
historian H e r o d o t u s ’s the S c y t h i a n a g r a ri a n s y s t e m a n d that of
B a s h k i r s in
R u s s ia ,
an d p i n - points the
h e a p s on him self thro u g h
insatiable
lust
for
eventually
results
more
se l f -d e s t ru c ti o n m a n
his o v e r - p o w e r i n g g r e e d .
and
in the loss
more
of
blinds
e v e ry th i n g ,
The
reason, and
in c lu d in g life.
P a h o m , a l an dl es s pea san t, co u ld h a v e lived on happily, o n c e
he s u c c e e d e d in ac q u ir i n g fifteen de ssiatin ( o n e de ss iat in is
e q u al to 2 . 5 0 a c r e s ) but he g o e s on to a c q u ir e fifty de ss iat in s.
At first, “wh ile building a n d stocking, he had settled d o w n a bit,
he b e g a n to feel c r a m p e d a g a i n ”. T h e n e v e n 5 0 0 des siat ins ,
w h i c h he m a n a g e d to buy, fall short of his g r e e d a n d a lo n gw it h
his ser van t, he sets out for the land of the B as hk irs , w h e r e his
g u e s t ( m e r c h a n t ) h a d b o u g h t 5 0 0 0 d e s s ia t in s for o n l y 1 0 0 0
r o ub le s. H a v i n g b e e n told by the Sta rsh in a (the chieftain of the
B a s h k i r s ) that the rate is 10 00 ro u b l e s p e r day, that is as m u c h
la n d as P a h o m c o u l d c o v e r on foot fr o m s u n r i s e to s u n se t,
P a h o m is so thrilled a n d excited that he c a n n o t sl ee p , but onl y
d o z e s off the p r e v i o u s night. H e gets f o r e w a r n e d in his d r e a m
that he is h e a d i n g for destruction,
but the g r e e d h as bli nd ed
him, a n d he r u s h e s h e a d l o n g into his o w n d o o m losing all in the
p r o c e s s . H a v i n g b e g u n his wa lk ear ly in the d a y to c o v e r the
l a n d that w o u l d be his, he s u c c u m b s to the t e m p t a t i o n of
g ra b b i n g the max im um land, unmindful of his physical resources.
After including all that land wh ich he thought g o o d for cultivation,
on his w a y b a c k to the starting point, he b e c o m e s c o n s c i o u s of
his h a v i n g o v e r - s t r a i n e d himself. H e ha d lost all th o u g h t of the
land n o w an d all he tho ug ht of w a s to a v oi d d y in g from exertion.
B ut h a v i n g o n c e s u c c u m b e d to the s n a r e s of t e m p ta ti o n , it
b e c o m e s im po s si b le for him to get out of it. Finally, he d o e s
m a k e it to the starting point an d the c hi ef ta in’s w o r d s ring out
ironically:
A h , t h a t s ’ a fine fe llo w I H e
has gained much land ! 1
as P a h o m is fo un d b l e e d i n g from his m o u th an d de ad .
P a h o m ' s se r va n t “d u g a g r a v e long e n o u g h for P a h o m to lie in,
an d bur ied him in it six ■ feet from his h e a d to his he el s w a s all
he n e e d e d ”2.
T o ls to y s e e m s to affirm that g r e e d is the D evi ls in strum ent
for th r o w i n g m a n into isolation, r e s tl e s s n e s s a n d dest ruc ti on.
T o l s t o y v a lu e d fee lin gs a n d took the se as real
ma tter
of art. T h e art w h ic h transmits fe el in g s le a d in g
well be in g an d a d v a n c e m e n t of m a n k in d is
real art, an d the art w h ic h d o e s
not fulfil
art at all. T h e fe elings c o n d u c i v e
are the fe el in g s
of the
according
subject
to the
to him,
this p u r p o s e ,
to the p r o g r e s s
religious p e r c e p t i o n s
is not
of m a n k in d
or the h ig he s t
u n d e r s t a n d i n g of life of the g iv en time and society. If m a n k in d
has to a d v a n c e ahe ad , our art is re quired to transmit the feelings
of the religious p e rc e p ti o n s
re ligiou s p e rc e p ti o n s
of our time.
of ou r times —
Describing
th es e
and describing these
in
the w id e st an d most practical applications is the c o n s c i o u s n e s s
that
ou r w e l l - b e i n g , both material
an d
spiritual, individual
a n d c o l l e c t i v e , t e m p o r a l a n d et e rn a l , lies in the g r o w t h
brotherhood among men —
in their loving
h a r m o n y with
of
on e
another. T h i s is a glaring truth of C h r i s t ’s te a c h in g an d all the
g rea t m e n of past a g e s and the best
of o u r times. T o l s t o y ' s
’ C o l l e c t e d s t o r i e s of T o l s t o y : V o l . 2 , ( N e w D e l h i , R u p a a n d C o 1 9 9 4 ) , P. 5 2 7 .
2|bi d., P. 5 2 7 .
81
narrative te chn iqu e is rich and varied for this stressed religious
and
spiritual
factor. H e g ra d u a l l y
builds
his
stories
taking
his c u e from the scriptures, treats it ne at ly a n d offers spiritual
solace
in an d
according
to the t e a c h in g s of Ch ris t.
Tolstoy
a v o i d s direct and c o n ti nu o us narrative as if to de s tr o y m er e plot.
In
Hadji Murad
the result of an ev ent is a lw ay s r e v e a l e d before
pr e s e n ta ti o n of the e v en t itself an d the
c o n s ta n tly a n d ra pid ly
shifting
of m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s .
scenes
reinforce
The Death of Ivan lllych
the
irony
r e v e rs e s
the two parts to e m p h a s i z e the
Two Hussars
stories like
o p e n i n g with the
or
m o m e n t of illumination. O t h e r
Family Happiness
co n tr as t the
clo s in g part. Direct a p p r e h e n s i o n of reality
a g a i n b e c o m e s poss ible . Insofar
it m a y be
the te m po ra l s e q u e n c e of
viewed
as form o p e r a t e s to that end,
as a n o t h e r g e s tu re in a s ta n c e central to
T o l s t o y ’s art.
Two Hussars,
is c o m p o s e d like a diptych. T h e h u s s a r s of
the title are father a n d son. M o r e or less cstthe s a m e age, but at
an interval in time of ab o ut thirty y e ar s , th e y h a p p e n to arr ive in
the s a m e place, to b e c o m e the g u est s of the s a m e family, an d
to meet, in a different manner, the s a m e incidents. T h e s y m m e t r y
of the situation, and the sh ar p contrast b e tw e e n the two different
outc om es, ap p e a r all too deliberately contrived. T h e writer ma k es
the first of the two officers b e h a v e like an attractive rake, an d
the s e c o n d like a r e p u l s i v e cad. T o l s t o y d o e s so p r e c i s e l y
b e c a u s e his aristocratic a n d c o n s e r v a t i v e t e m p e r c o m p e l s him
to feel a sen tim ent al in d u l g e n c e for the d a s h i n g b e h a v i o u r of
the n o b l e s of the old g e n er at i o n , and an utter c o n t e m p t for the
m e a n a n d c al cul at in g c o n d u c t of their d e g e n e r a t e offspring.
S o m e t i m e T o l s t o y o p e n s his story with a direct c o m m e n t
on the subject.
The candle b e g i n s with
a c o m m e n t on the times,
the mast ers, the pe op le an d their be haviour. A n d he re the bl a m e
is not put on m as te rs but on their a g e n ts — w h o a c c o r d i n g to
T o l s t o y c o m e from serfs; upstarts an d are te rm ed as brutes. O n e
of these, the steward, o rd er s the p e a s a n t s to p l o u g h at Easter.
T h e y refuse, but a m o n g them is a g o d l y m an Peter, he fixes a
five K o p e c k c a n d l e to his p l o u g h an d starts to turn the soil over.
H e lifts his p l o u g h an d kno c ks the soil from it, but the c a n d l e
d o e s not go out. T h e other p e a s a n t s c u rs e the s te w a r d that his
belly burst an d guts dr ib ble out.
T h e S t e w a r d is not a l a r m e d by their threats, but he is
a m a z e d by the mira cle of the c a n d l e that k e e p s b u rn in g . H e
g o e s to the fields to see it, an d the re is Peter, p l o u g h i n g a n d
singing. T h e
S te w a rd feels u n e a s y and returns ho m e.
He
d i s m o u n t s from his horse, o p e n s the gate s an d m a k e s to m o u n t
ag ai n. His ho rs e shies, the ste wa rd falls an d his b o d y b e c o m e s
im p a l e d on the pol es by the fence, ripping his belly o p e n rolling
on to the g ro un d.
U nl ik e most of the folk tales
The candle
is not b a s e d on
the P r o l o g u e s and lives of the Saints, but on folklore. A n d it w a s
on the in sis te nc e of C h e r t k o v that To l s to y hesi tantly ( o b e y i n g
but not a g r e e i n g ) altered the e n d i n g to the S t e w a r d re p e n ti n g in
the en d an d c h a n g e d the h e a d i n g of the story as
The candle or
H o w the G o o d p e a s a n t o v e r p o w e r e d a w ic k e d S t e w a r d .
‘P s y c h o l o g i c a l E v e s d r o p p i n g ’ is a n o t h e r v e r y
important
as p e c t of T o l s t o y ’s art. In fact, no subject is too trivial for T o ls to y
as a sta rting poi nt a n d n o n e too c o m p l e x at
the e n d . A n d
b e t w e e n the starting point an d end there are two essential lines
of d e v e l o p m e n t .
The
first
is p e r h a p s
the
true
line
of
p s y c h o l o g ic a l e v e s d r o p p i n g . It b e g in s with the relatively sim ple
q u e s t i o n s t h a t r u n t h r o u g h th e m i n d of th e t e n - y e a r - o l d
p r o t o g o n i s t at the b e g i n n i n g of ‘c h i l d h o o d ’ as he
w h e t h e r he m a y e v e r be forgiven, h o w
he
c o u ld h a v e th o u g h t
s u c h cruel things, and w ha t his fe elings really are.
such
limited
reflections
as
wonders
N ok ol ai R o s t o v ’s
It le ad s to
‘W ill I or will I
n o t’ , ' am l a c o w a r d or not’ , a n d the infinitely m o r e
complex
q u es ti o ns p o n d e r e d by Pierre, A n d r e y or Levin. T h e other line
makes
a
startling a p p e a r a n c e in
Sevastopol in May ,
in the
multiplicity of thou ght s and se n s at io ns that run th r o u g h a m a n ’s
mi nd in the split
second
between
the de to na tio n of a
shell
a n d his death, and r e a p p e a r s as the interior m o n o l o g u e m o re
directly to the visible an d au dible world, as in P ri n ce G a l t s i n ’s
trip to the railroad station at the end of part seven;
Having
with
difficulty
pushed his
way
through the porch among the wounded who
had come
on foot and the bearer’s who
were carrying in the wounded and bringing
out
the
room,
dead, Galtsin entered
gave
involuntarily
a
look
turned
the
round,
back and
first
and
ran
out
into the street. It was too terrible. 3
T h e r e har dly s e e m s to be a n y as pe ct of h u m a n
that
Tolstoy
c a n n o t tr an s m it ei th e r b y
behaviour
com m unicating
thoughts of his ch aracters or b y indicating their g es tu res —
with the authority of g e n u i n e and
the
ea ch
legitimate u n d e r s t a n d i n g .
F o r T o l s t o y the e x c e l l e n c e of t e c h n i q u e
d o e s no t
com plexities and u n n e c e s s a ry o rn aten ess
of
lie in
art b u t in
c le a r n e s s , beauty, simplicity and c o m p r e s s i o n , as are fo u n d
in
all p e a s a n t art. T o l s t o y often u s e d the te c h n i q u e of c h o o s i n g a
pr o v e rb , a p a ra b le for a
the me.
With
m a t te r of taste w h i c h later fo u n d
a
him p a r a b l e
h i g h e r ju st if ic at io n
s an ct io n in his p e d a g o g i c a l the o rie s or e v a n g e l i c a l
It w a s in a well k n o w n
passage
in
What is Art ?
w a s to define the p a ra b le as the pur est
was
an d
a
or
doc trine s.
that T o l s t o y
the hi g h e s t of all
C o lle c te d stories of Tolstoy: Vol,1.( Ne w Delhi, Rupa & Co. 1994), P. 165.
literary forms. It w a s
not o nl y
as
a moralist but also as
an
artist that T o l s t o y c h e r i s h e d this literary ve hi c le .
The Devil,
c o n c e r n s w ith t e m p t a t i o n th a t s o u n d s as
m o d e r n as a n y 20th c en t ur y s u c c e s s story. It projects the sexual
a g o n i e s of a y o u n g m e m b e r of the g en tr y — E u g e n e
Irt en ev ,
w h o ha d en te re d into a liaison with a p e a s a n t girl for r e a s o n s of
health, as an outlet for his e x u b e r a n t sexuality. H e h o p e d that
after m ar ri a g e there w o ul d be no ne ed to ca rry on and the liaison
w o u l d e n d quietly. O n the girls side it doe s, it re m a i n s q u is c e n t
for Irtenev also for a year. After a y e a r the old p a s s i o n s re s u rg e ,
the
old to rm ent s c o m e back, with time th e y a s s u m e the s h a p e
an d conte nt of a frenzy. W h a t e v e r Irtenev might do to c o u n t e r it,
his feet h a v e a volition of their own, th e y ca rr y him in to the
p a th s of the girl. E v e n tu a l l y ,
Irtenev kills himself. G i v e n his
character, a sexuality so potent and a c o n s c i e n c e tenderly faithful
to his wife, his situation w a s p e r h a p s insoluble.
The Devil is an
i m p re s s i v e story, strong in the ps y c h o l o g ic a l realism of Ir t e n e v ’s
i m p o s s ib le situation.
Some
critics find a u t o b io g r a p h ic a l
traces
in s o m e
im portant parts of the story w h ic h they relate to s o m e entries in
T o l s t o y ’s d i a r i e s .
In t h e s e e n t r i e s h e is b e l i e v e d to h a v e
c o n f e s s e d his affair with a p e a s a n t w o m a n on his estate. T h e
r e f e r e n c e s to the m e e ti n g s in the forests, c o n f e s s io n s of efforts
to break off the relationship, expressions of intense self­
depreciation find reflection in Irtenev’s remarks.
Whatever the case, Tolstoy seems to affirm that temptation
and gresd is Devil’s instrument for throwing man into isolation,
restlessness and destruction. Innocence in this story in the shape
of the child, and truth are the only saving grace.
Next
to
his
personal
experiences
(which
are
so
important for every writer),the richest source of the subject
matter for Tolstoy was popular folktales and legends especially
those of Russia and the one’s which he had heard from others.
Many a story that he has written take their cue or are based on
such tales.
What Men Live By is believed to be
one such tale.
Th e story was narrated to Tolstoy by the famous peasant story
teller U. P. Shchegolenok.
Tolstoy was meticulous in working
on this story for which he is believed to have prepared some
thirty three separate drafts and selecting and rejecting various
titles. This shows how particular he was about what he was
giving people. This story underscores the value of compassion
and love in human relationships as these act as the sustaining
forces of life, without which men will inevitably suffer and perish.
Michael — actually an angel of God, sent to the earth as a
punishment — learns the three truths of God which he was
enjoined to do, through Matrena’s (the poor Cobbler’s wife)
c o m p a s s i o n for himself; he learns that the thing that dw el et h
in m e n is love, thr o ug h the rich ar ro g a n t m a n ’s o rd e r to S i m o n
for a pair of leather boots, w h e n he w a s g o in g to die the s a m e
e v e n i n g ; he learn s that G o d
w a s needful for e a c h o n e
ha d
not r e v e a l e d
because
to m e n w ha t
G o d did not w a n t t he m to
live ap art from o ne a n o th e r and th r o ug h the l a d y ’s affection for
the h e l p l e s s infants,
by taking
th o u g ht
he
learns that m e n
o nl y a p p e a r to live
for t h e m s e l v e s , but that in reality t h e y live
by love alone.
The
t h e m e of
Two Old Men
also runs th r o u g h
Russian
folk literature and can be traced back to the 12th. century. To lstoy
le a r n e d of it from the story -telle r S h e r e g o l e n o k .
the
story reads,
'S a lv a t io n
is
A su b-title
to
po s s ib le a n y w h e r e ’. H e r e he
e m p h a s i s e s the spirit, or the intention of the w o r s h i p p e r and
the s ig n if ic a n c e of se r vi n g
beings.
C h ri s t t h r o u g h s e r v i n g o n e ’s fellow
O f the two f r i e n d s
Jerusalem —
q u e n c h his
w h o set
the on e w h o stops
thirst
the in c u m b e n t s —
o nl y
out for p i l g r i m a g e to
( E l i ja h )
and
en te r s a hut to
to e n c o u n t e r a h e a r t - r e n d i n g plight of
an old w o m a n sitting on a b e n c h , h e r h e a d
b o w e d up o n her. arms,
a thin,
pa le
p o t -b el lie d
b o y c lu tch in g
h e r at sl e e v e an d cr ying for bread, a y o u n g e r w o m a n lying face
d o w n w a r d s on
a shelfbunk, w rithing in pain a n d m o a n i n g , the
w o m a n ’s h u s b a n d dy in g
in the ya rd — as the vil la ge ha d b e e n
struck
by famine.
Elijah stops to fetch them water, b u y s
the m
w h e a t flour, milk and all that w a s n e c e s s a r y from shop. H e cook s
some
soup
pe op le .
and
p o r r id g e an d g iv e s b r e a d
to
the s ta rvi ng
S i n c e their land ha d b e e n m o r t g a g e d Elijah d e c i d e s to
b u y out their land for them a n d a ho rs e for the m a n to cart his
s h e a v e s , an d a c o w as well. H e is a m a n w h o
a n y t h in g in life ex cept his sins. His
think of w ha t avail is it to go
sensitivity p r o m p t s him to
across
all the time he lost the C hr is t
n e v e r regre tt ed
the sea
to s e e k C h ri s t if
that is within h i m ? A n d w h e n he
restarts his j o u r n e y to J e r u s a l e m his fu nd s are i n a d e q u a te . But
it w a s
E li ja h 's
makes
clear,
pilgrimage which w as successful —
Elfin,
who
reaches
the g re a t
Tolstoy
C h u r c h of
Re su rr ec ti on , clearly s ee s Elijah praying at the H o l y S c p u l c h r e ,
s t a n d in g a h e a d of all the c o n g re g a t io n .
The Three Hermits
u s e d by
Tolstoy
w e s t e r n fo lk
and
is a n o th e r of the m a n y R u s s i a n tales
in his w o r k s , a n d is c o m m o n
religious
literature.
u n d e r v a l u e s the form of p r a y e r —
This
as
we ll
story
th e r e b y setting a s i d e
in
also
the
ritualistic r e q u i re m e n t s of religion. T h e A r c h b i s h o p w h o directs
the ship to the island of the three hermits a n d t e a c h e s them
e m p h a t i c a l l y the m a n n e r of prayer, learn s
later b e y o n d do u b t that ir re sp ec ti ve
prayer, th e y (the thr ee
her m it s)
of
an d is
convinced
the m a n n e r
of
their
are b l e s s e d b y G o d . F o r at
night he notices a light c o m i n g from the direction of the island,
w h i c h s lo w ly g r o w s
as if it w a s ha rd
Archbishop
into the thr ee
old m en , r u n n i n g on w a te r
surface. R e a c h i n g the ship, th e y a d d r e s s the
a n d ask him to
te ac h
them
the
c or re c t
prayer
ag ai n, as the y h a d forgotten e v e r y w o r d of it. But he o nl y says,
“It is not for me to te ac h you. P r a y for us s i n n e r s ”4.
T h e v e r y th o u g h t of mo st of T o l s t o y ’s short stori es
C h r i s t ia n
as is the tre atm ent of the sa m e . T h i s is
Elias w h ic h
is
e v id e n t in
emp hatic all y n e g a te s that riches are at all n e c e s s a r y
for h u m a n h a p p in e s s alth ou gh m an p u r s u e s riches relentlessly.
H a v i n g a m a s s e d c o n s i d e r a b l e w e a l th o v e r thirty five
Eli as, a
Bashkir, o n c e falls o n b a d times
an d b e c o m e s
Hi s ne ig h b o u r, M u h a m m a d S h a h , out of pity for him,
E li a s a n d his wife S h a m - S h e m a g i , to do
W h e n o n e of M o h a m m a d S h a h ’s gu es ts ,
y e ar s ,
s u n d r y jo b s
poor.
employs
for him.
w ho had heard
of
E l i a ’s fa me as a rich man, asks Elias h o w he felt to be a servant,
he sa y s he is h a p p y an d gets his wife to con firm
explains
that
co n s ta n t
it. W h e n
she
w o r ri e s r e g a r d i n g the e n t e r ta i n m e n t
a n d b o a r d an d lod g in g of gu est s, anxieties ab o u t the live stock,
small d i s a g r e e m e n t s
b e t w e e n h u s b a n d an d wife as to h o w a
pa rti cu la r thing is to be d o n e the y “ ... p a s s e d from o n e trou ble
to another, from o ne sin to another, a n d fo u n d no h a p p i n e s s ”5—
the g u e s t s laugh, not taking S h a m - S h e m a g i
'Collected stories of Tolstoy : V o l . l l ^ N e w
5 Ibid.,
P. 4 0 7 .
seriously. A t this
Delhi, R u p a & C o.
1 9 9 4 ) . P. 4 7 9 .
90
E lia s
a d m o n i s h e s them,
matter for jesting —
“D o not laugh, friends. It is
not
a
it is the truth of life’’6— the m ul la h a m o n g
the g u e s t s puts his holy seal of authority by a d d i n g , “ T h a t is a
w is e s p e e c h . Elias has s p o k e n the exact truth. T h e s a m e is said
in H o l y W r i t ”7 .
T o l s t o y re in forces the idea that riche s c a n n o t
happiness
in
Croesus and Solon by m a k i n g
p r o v id e
king C r o e s u s
ask
S o l o n , the re pu te d w is e s o j o u rn e r as to w h o w a s the h a p p ie s t
m a n a n d S o l o n refers to a certain po o r m a n living in A t h e n s .
Dwelling
says
on the r e a s o n of the p o o r m a n ’s
happiness,
Solon
that the m an of w h o m he s p o k e h a d w o r k e d ha rd all
his
life, b e e n content with little, re are d five children, s e r v e d his city
h o n o u r a b l y , a n d a c h i e v e d a no b le reputation. T h e fli m sin ess of
the s o u r c e of the k i n g ’s h a p p i n e s s is r e v e a l e d to him w h e n he
lo se s ev er y th in g .
In
fact, if an yt hin g, the riches p r o v e to be a
mischief, di sc or d and d e g ra d a ti o n . T h e p o o r
Imp and the Crust
disappointed
All
when
s o u r c e of
farmer,
in
The
toiling at his p l o u g h d o e s not feel at all
he finds his onl y
he says, w h e n he is feeling
very
crust
hungry
of
b r e a d stolen.
and e x h a u s t e d ,
is: “ A fter all, I s h a n ’t die of hu ng er. N o do u b t w h o e v e r took the
b r e a d n e e d e d it. M a y it do him g o o d f 8 . A n d the s a m e pea san t,
ha v in g g row n rich, flies into a rage w h e n his wife unintentionally
6
Collected stories of Tolstoy : V o l . l l , P .
7l bi d, P. 4 8 0 .
8l bi d. ,
P.
482.
407
spills a little vod ka, w hile se r vi n g
mean, you
slut?
f l o o r ? ”9 T h e
c or n than
ma n ,
but
yo u think
little devil,
disharmony
chief Devil,
Do
the
its’
g o o d stuff like o v e r the
responsible
an d e n c o u r a g i n g
g u est s " W h a t do you
for s p r e a d i n g dis cor d,
the brute in man, smirks to his
^ AlI I did w a s to s e e that the p e a s a n t h a d m o re
he n e e d e d .
The
blo od of the b e a s ts is a l w a y s in
as long as he has only e n o u g h corn for his n e e d s , it
is kept in bounds'*10 To ls toy with his strong traditional Ch ristian
sensibility wrote, T h
e Death of Ivan lllych
.Th e
story of Ivan
ll l yc h ’s life w a s the most simp le o rd in a r y an d terrible story for
Tolstoy,
A n d this
m ai n o c c u p a t i o n —
most
simple, o rd in a ry
for all that he w o u l d h a v e
mo ral s, to re c o n s i d e r the
lives of the saints.
representative
from
his society.
liked
and
to p r e a c h
c h a n g e the
his chief c o n c e r n to s h o w p e o p l e
a n d terribly. T o l s t o y r e g a r d e d the
of s e l f - p l e a s u r e
characterized
passes
political e c o n o m y ,
It w a s
that t h e y live d s e n s i b l y
p rinciple
an d terrible w a s his
as
a
death
H e s el ec te d
of this society.
A
principle
Ivan lllych
w hich
as a true
prov inci al ju d g e , Ivan lllych
a p l e a s a n t an d p r o p e r life to death, by w a y of
g reat phy sical and moral suffering from a trivial a c ci de nt — lying
in his sick bed, he re vi e w s his past life a n d re al is es that it has
b e e n a lie, a d e c e p ti o n — a life 'aside from tr uth ’. H e lived a
ple as ant ,
e a s y going, w e l l - b r e d life a p p r o v e d b y his s o ci et y
9Collected stories of Tolstoy : V o U I , P . 483.
1°lbid., P. 681.
a n d w o r k e d for the gratification of his amb ition a n d vanity. T h e
most important principle for him w a s d e c o r u m . H e did not allow
the
hum an element
others,
to
not e v e n with
lack of a n y h u m a n
fr ie n d s for Ivan
lllych,
that
friends. A s he
d u ri n g he r
his
wife
concern
ex is ti n g a m o n g the
re al is es
interfere
in
his r e l a t i o n s h i p
a n d children.
of his family
Tolstoy shows
members
of the
Through
members
the
a n d his
the a b s tr a c t relation
society.
he is an e m b a r r a s s m e n t
did not s h a r e
with
Iva n
lllych
for his wife an d his
in the past the pain of his wife
a d v a n c e d s ta ge of p r e g n a n c y , similarly s he n o w is
not r e a d y to be in vo lv e d
in his pain. All this le ad s him to s ee
hi ms el f u n d e r an a sp ec t as h i d e o u s as the p e o p l e with w h o m
he lives.
T h e ho rr or of death alters Ivan ll lych’s point of view. W h a t
agonizes
truth
him most is the reali za ti on that he lived as i d e from
by d i s c a r d in g h u m a n
im p u ls e s
of
love, k in d n e s s , pity
an d sacrifice an d h o w the more he m o v e d up in official and social
status, the m o re d e - h u m a n i z e d he b e c a m e . His
of v i e w
e n a b le s
him to attach
the trivial a c c i d e n t of
his
altered point
a m e t a p h o r ic a l m e a n i n g
to
fall from the stool w hi le h a n g i n g a
picture in his n e w apartment.
And
the
v e lo c it y fla she d
m e t a p h o r of a ston e falling
into his mind as
with
in c r e a s i n g
life a serie s of i n c re a s i n g
93
sufferings
is f a l l i n g f a s t e r t o w a r d s
its
goal,
w hich
is
u n s p e a k a b l e suffering, — "I am fa lli ng. .. ” . Illych s e e s his past
n o w as a lie, a d e c e p ti o n
hiding
the reality of life an d death.
T h e truth is r e v e a l e d to him that this is the a g o n y of a life lived
as i d e from truth. H e n o w finds the a n s w e r
to the pe rsi st ing
q ue st io n as t o ‘w hat is the real t h i n g ? ’, in his s o n ’s ex p re s s io n
of love an d pity
his a r m s
seizes
for
him wh ile
ab o ut a fe w ho u rs
his
ha n d, p r e s s e s
w a s at this m o m e n t
Ivan
s c r e a m s w ild ly th r o w i n g
before
his death, his son V a s y a
it to his lips, an d b e g in s to cry. It
T o l s t o y m a k e s Ivan Illych p l u n g e into the
w h o l e an d see the light, that re ve al s to him the fact that th o u g h
his
life had not b e e n w ha t it o ug ht to h a v e be en , yet he co u ld
still m e n d matters.
The
in n o c e n c e
child
is
u s e d as a s y m b o l of
love,
an d fr eq ue n tl y Illych himself takes
pur ity
recourse
an d
to the
sw e e t m e m o r i e s of his c h il d h o o d to e s c a p e the h o r r o r of death.
A n d in his q ue st for truth To l s to y d i s c o v e r e d that
im pro ve m ent
can
only
be
obtained
by
true
each
social
separate
in dividual attaining a state of religious and m oral perfection.
Master and Man
of T o l s t o y —
w a y of
and other parables and tales e m b o d y this belief
for in it he c r u s a d e s ag ai ns t all that s ta n d s in the
moral perfection
re g e n e r a t i o n
of m a n .
It h i g h l i g h t s t h e m o r a l
of the protogonist, Vasili A n d r e i v i c h B r e k h u n o v —
who
b e s i d e s be in g
m e r c h a n t.
the m ak i n g
a
A selfish
C h u r c h sexton, is also a h a r d - b o i l e d
m e a n pe rs o n, a l w a y s p r e o c c u p i e d with
of m o n e y an d u n a w a r e of the m i s e r a b l e plight of
his p o o r h o n e s t a n d faithful ser vant. A n d the s a m e he a rtl es s
master,
h a v in g had a br u s h with dea th t o w a rd s the c o n c l u d i n g
section, in an effort to e s c a p e dea th g iv e s w a y to c o m p a s s i o n
when
Nikita (the servant) tells him that he is dying. H e re m o v e s
the s n o w c o v e r i n g
himself
over
Nikita a n d u n b u tt o n i n g his fu rco at thr ows
Nikita, c o v e r s him c o m p l e t e l y a n d
begins
to
transmit his wa rmth to the half froze n servant. A c o m p l e t e moral
tr an sf o rm at io n c o m e s o v e r him as he is s t r u g gl in g
to re vi v e
Nikita. T e a r s of jo y a n d trium ph as the first sig n s of life in the
s e r v a n t b e g in to str eam his
Vas ili , c o u l d h a v e lost
eyes
himself
an d he w o n d e r s
in
how
he,
the p u r s u i t of m a t er ia l
prosperity. His ap o c a l y p ti c m o m e n t c o m e s w h e n he is protecting
Nikita with his o w n b o d y - w a r m t h “ . . . a n d
he w a s Nikita and Nikita w a s
he, and
it s e e m e d to him that
that his life w a s not in
hi ms el f but in Niki ta .”11
H e r e T o l s t o y is ca sti ga ti ng the n a r r o w c on fi ne s
of
the self, w h ic h h u m a n s like Vasili e n c a s e t h e m s e l v e s
T h e y ar e d e p r i v e d of the true joy w h ic h results from s h a r i n g
in.
of
the self with others, w h e n the egoistic barri ers b e t w e e n the self
and others break down.
Master and Man
11 Collected stories of Tolstoy, Vol.ll,P. 681.
is a
powerful
illustration of h o w dea th in life is tr an s f o rm e d into life in death.
J a m e s J o y c e w a s full of adm ir ati on for this
story as he said to
F r a n k B u d g e n , “T o l s t o y is a great writer. T h i n k of the story of
the
rich
m a n ’s d e v o tio n
M a ster and Man"
Tolstoy
did
to
his
poor man
servant
_
12.
not
take d e a t h to
mean
e x t i n c t i o n but
ab so rpt io n into the totality of life. His religion of love is fo u n d e d
on
this
wisdom and teaches
how
this
can
be a c h i e v e d
in
life t h r o u g h love that binds o n e to the other and form s a totality.
F o r him all is b o u n d up in love alone. L o v e is G o d , a n d dy in g
m e a n s for him a particle of love,
to go
back
to the u n iv e rs al
a n d external s o u r c e of love and living a life of self p l e a s u r e is
living in d i s c o r d with the u n iv e rs e an d this is the root c a u s e of
m a n ’s fear
a c c o r d i n g to Tolstoy.
T h i s fact is beautifully d e m o n s t r a t e d b y T o l s t o y in
Deaths
—
Three
in w h ic h he s h o w s three ty pe s of d e at h - of a lady, of
pe a s a n t, a n d that of a tree. T h e
w o r l d l y lady
is pitiable
and
w re tc he d , since she has lived s ur r ou nd e d by lies and dies while
s u r r o u n d e d by them. T h e p e a s a n t dies in p e a c e , s in c e it is the
re ligion of N at ur e ami dst w h ic h he dies. T h e tree dies c a l m l y in
f r e e d o m an d beauty, b e c a u s e it k n o w s no falsity, no distortions,
no f e a r s a n d re gr et s. T h e
un iv e rs e . It is felled to ma ke
tree
lives
in h a r m o n y with
a w o o d e n c ro ss
the
out of it. T h a t is
96
12E s s a y s on L e o
P. 1 0 0
To ls to y ed. (T. R. S h a r m a , S h a l a b
Prakashan,M eerut, 1989),
w h a t T o l s t o y m ea n t by
living
for others
by
giv in g up o n e ’s
self, b y forgetting all ab o ut o n e ’s p e rs o na l s e p a r a t e n e s s , an d
the n de at h will
lose
its sting. B y lov in gl y
m e r g i n g o n e ’s self
with the col lective g r o u p soul, by giv in g up o n e ’s self w hi le still
alive, not only the fear of
h a r m o n y an d
dea th is t r a n s c e n d e d but also the
p e a c e of the
u n i v e r s e is p r e s e r v e d . T o l s t o y ’s
fiction r e ve al s this two fold m e a n i n g that fu se s life a n d dea th
thr o ug h the e p ip h a n y of death. Yet, o nc e agai n in Tolstoy, death
acts as the
most powerful a g e n c y for the reform
consciousness.
A s a crucial ex p e ri e n c e , it not o nl y
of
human
br in g s out
the extreme, but logically possible rea ch es of h u m a n character,
it also q u ic k en s in ma n his do rm ant m a g n a n i m i t y an d p r e p a r e s
him for the life of soul. It t ea ch es m a n the most essential virtue,
one
that,
in the l a n g u a g e
of W o r d s w o r t h :
... pen et rat es, e n a b l e s us to m o u n t
when
high, m o re high, an d lifts us w h e n falle n( T h e P r el u d e, 12, lines 2 1 2 - 1 3 )
Tolstoy
frequently
uses
the s k y as
symbol
of this
loftiness of the s o u l , ’ that lofty, rig hte ou s an d kindly s k y ' w h ic h
a b s o r b s the th o ug ht of P ri n ce A n d r e y as he
lies w o u n d e d on
the hill of P re tz e n . T o l s to y s h o w s h o w dea th strips m a n of all
his illusions, liberates him from his pettiness,
out of his conception
of existence.
and dr ives him
It ev oke s an ex tra-ordinary
consciousness
an d g e n e r a t e s
w h i c h w o r k s o ut
for m a n
in mind a d e e p moral anxiety
his l i b e r a t i o n f r o m i n a u t h e n t i c
ex ist enc e an d te a ch e s him h o w to live by practising the religion
of love, w h o s e main tenets are selflessness, love an d sacrifice.
Another
a s p e c t of T o l s t o y ’s writing is that
s p e a k s in his o w n pe rso n. H e br in g s fo r w ar d the
he
hardly
characters
a n d then allows the m to speak, feel an d act , an d th e y do it so
that e v e r y m o v e m e n t is true an d a m a z i n g l y exact in full a c c o r d
with the c h a r a c t e r of th o s e po rt ra ye d. E a c h c h a r a c t e r b e h a v e s
in a w a y w h i c h is natural to him. Not o n l y
ac ti o ns , figu res ,
m o v e m e n t s an d s p e e c h of the actors but their w h o l e inne r life
is s h o w n to us by e q u a l l y
cle ar
and
distinct traits
—
so ul s a n d hearts are ba re d to ou r view. T o l s t o y t e a c h e s
their
us to
p e n e t r a t e b e n e a t h the c h a r a c t e r s ’ externality i.e. c l e v e r n e s s ,
streng th, b e a u ty an d so
forth as in
God Sees the truth but
waits.
T o l s t o y be lie v e d in k i n d n e s s an d purity of heart b o r n e out
in his folk tale story
The Godson -
w h e r e a s in n e r w h o w a n t s to
s a v e his soul g o e s out into the wor ld in o r d e r to s e e h o w to go
ab o u t it, an d k n o w s that e v er y th in g he will see will be a pa rab le .
H e s e e s that o n e c a n ’t drive a calf out of the b a rn by for ce for
the
fea r of t r am pl in g the grain. A n d instead of force it ca n be
ca lled out with gentle w o r d s an d this will result in e v e r y b o d y ’s
h a p p i n e s s — the master, the mistress, a n d the calf as well. H e
fu rthe r re alises a table c a n n ’t be w a s h e d with a dirty cloth —
o n e must w a s h the cloth first, that one c a n n ’t b e n d the rim before
first m ak i n g it fast a n d g iv in g the rim a hold. If the re is no hold,
o n e w o u l d ste am the rim forever, an d e n d in twisting r o u n d with
it. L o v e , c o m p a s s i o n an d fo r gi ve n es s s er ve as the c o r n e r stones
of p e a c e , h a r m o n y a n d h u m a n h a p p i n e s s . Ma rt in , the p o o r
c o b b l e r in
where love is, there God is Also , attains
communion
with G o d t h r o u g h love for m a n k in d. His h o s pi ta li ty to the po o r
step an itch, w h o w a s cle ar in g off s n o w in the bitter cold, an d his
t e n d e r c ar e of the destitute w o m a n with a baby, he later learns,
w a s offered to C hr is t himself. H e is a true Ch ri s tia n, living the
Bible.
For
I was
an
hungered,
and Ye g a v e M e meat. I w a s
thirsty an d ye g a v e M e drink.
I w a s a s tr a n g e r an d
ye took
M e in.13
T o l s t o y g a v e free e x p re s s io n to s u c h t e n d e r f e el in g s in
his stories an d the m et ho d he e m p l o y e d is similar to the s o u r c e
of th e s e stories.
Tolstoy
tapped
r e li g io u s
literature of
s e c u l a r literature of E u r o p e for his inspiration
his
own
an d
thus e v in c i n g
13L e o Tolstoy, Mas t er and M a n and O t h e r Par abl es and tales, 1910. rpt. ( Lo n d o n :
J . M . D e n t & S o n s Ltd. 1 9 58) , P. 143.
mo ral a n d artistic affinity to a re m a r k a b l e d e g r e e an d this had
a
v e r y ef fective
role
c h a ra cte rs w h e n they
in
determining
are
not
c o m p l e t e l y in te gr at e d e v e n in
M u r a d ’s religious devotion,
to h o n o u r c o m m it m e n t s or
mo ral probity and innate
in w h o m pe rs o n a l
T h r o u g h their
and
his t e c h n i q u e .
His
s a t ir i c a l ly p o r t r a y e d ,
ar e
their
sho rt c o m i n g s .
cle an lin e ss , certitude as to w h e n
ig n o re
them are fu nc tio n s of his
nobility. T o l s t o y
so ci o -h is to ri c al
pe rs o n a l e x p e r i e n c e
cr e a t e s
c h a ra c t e rs
fates c lo s e ly conjoin.
the c h a r a c t e r s
They,
a r e o r i g i n a l l y Imked a n d i n v a r i a b l y s h a p e d b y th e m .
A c c o r d i n g to
of the
in
with
in this
im portant p r o b l e m s
come
t o uc h
However,
the historically
Hadji
ag e.
p r o c e s s the y do not lose their personality.
Tolstoy
c le a r n e s s , simplicity
th e e x c e l l e n c e of t e c h n i q u e
is
in
and c o m p r e s s i o n . T h i s he has exhibited
in his short story writing with su c c e ss .
Toistoy
crusaded
for a so cie ty in w h ic h m e n
live
by
cert ain positive v a l u e s of h u m a n e n e s s , s e l f le s s n e s s , fe l lo w feeling, humility, love an d c o m p a s s i o n . H e m a k e s full us e of all
the for ce of his c re at iv e talent to e m p h as is ^ su ch id ea s b e c a u s e
for him, “Art, like sp e ec h ,
h e n c e of p r o g r e s s that is
is a m e a n s of c o m m u n i c a t io n an d
of
m a n k i n d ’s a d v a n c e t o w a r d s
pe rfe cti o n”14. T o l s t o y ’s short stories be a r witn ess to his high
artistic ex ec ut io n as he s u c c e e d s in fixing o u r g a z e on w h a t
100
14E s s a y s on Leo Tolstoy, ed. ( Meerut, T . R . S h a r m a : S h a l a b P r a k as h an , 1989) , P. 250.
o c c u p i e d his
command
th e
soul
an d his s u c c e s s c a n
of his in strum ent —
scene
only
be
attributed
w h ic h w a s art.
as r e f l e c t e d in the m i n d
He
of
to the
describes
one
of his
c h a ra c t e rs . H e d o e s not a p p e a r be h in d the actors no r d o e s he
d r a w e v e n t s in the abstract an d in this r e s p e c t his w o r k
artistic marvel. T o l s t o y has s e i z e d not m e r e l y s o m e
traits
but
different
is an
a w h o l e living a t m o s p h e r e w h i c h
indi vid ua ls
a n d different cla s s e s
a d m ir a b l e realist w h o s h o w s
is an
separate
varies
around
of society. T o l s t o y
us alike the ex c el le nt an d
the c o n te m p ti b l e traits in his c ha ra ct ers .
befo re us the actions, figures, m o v e m e n t s
We
not o n l y h a v e
an d s p e e c h of the
actors, but their w h o le in ner life is s h o w n to us b y e q u a l l y cle ar
a n d distinct traits.
T h e s to ry of Ivan the fool an d of his two brothers, S e m y o n
the s o ld ie r an d T a r a s the Big Belly, a n d of his D u m b sister,
Malania,
a n d of the old D e v i l a n d t h r e e little I m p s ,
interesting rea di ng . Ivan the fool is
make
a p e as an t, S e m y o n the
s o l d i e r— a w a r r i n g n o b l e m a n , T a r a s the Big Be ll y — a m e r c h a n t
a n d the old Devil, w h o w o r k s with his brain a n d te m pt s Ivan, is
an intellectual.
T h i s story is not b a s e d on b o r r o w i n g s from a folk s o u rc e.
T h e o nl y folklore el em ent s he re are the trinity of the br oth er s
a n d the p r e f e r e n c e for
the third an d y o u n g e s t b ro th er w h o is
t h o u g h t to be a fool. In folk tales the three br oth er s ar e of equal
social ran k a n d h a v e eq ual w i s h e s the y are p e a s a n t s a n d all
strive for s u c c e s s , w h ic h takes the fairy tale form of m a r r y i n g
the T s a r ’s da ughter. But in T o l s t o y s
story the elde st brother,
S e m y o n the soldi er re p r e s e n t s the r e g i m e of military drill in the
re ign of N i c h o l a s I with the m a r c h i n g soldiers, all alike as ears
of c or n a n d without individual traits, b o u n d to g e t h e r in s h e a f re gim en ts.
T h e s e c o n d brother - T a r a s the Big Belly is capitalist order,
the rule of money. T h i s m o n e y
is p r o d u c e d by Ivan the fool by
r u b b i n g the o ak l eav es. S o l d i e r an d a military state, m o n e y an d
the m e r c h a n t state — all this is alien an d u n n e c e s s a r y to Ivan
the fool. H e a c k n o w l e d g e s onl y a tiller’s hard toil... In the folk
tale, he c u r e s the T s a r ’s d a u g t h e r and she falls in love with him.
S h e is an utterly s u b m i s s i v e w o m a n an d w h e n h e r h u s b a n d ,
h a v i n g inherited the kin g do m , still r e m a in s a pe a s a n t, s he also
b e c o m e s a p e a s a n t w o m a n . T h e old Devil c a n n o t tempt I v a n ’s
k i n g d o m , n o b o d y the re w i s h e s to w o r k for him. A g a i n s t m o n e y
a n d sol di ers the p e a s a n t s in T o l s t o y ’s story set n o n - r e s i s t a n c e
an d fo r g i ve n e s s — wh ic h re m ai n s a dom in an t idea in his writings.
In a way, T o l s to y c an be v i e w e d as the re p r e s e n t a t i v e of
the c o m m o n m a n in R u s s i a e s p e c i a l l y the u n c o r r u p t e d
an d
u n s o p h is t ic a t e d pe as an t. H e s e e s in the mind a n d the soul of
the R u s s i a n p e a s a n t all that is g o o d a n d s u p r e m e l y w is e, an d
w o u l d like to see all the s ta n d a rd s of culture s u b o r d i n a t e d to
the instinct of truth of the R u s s i a n m a s s e s , as o p p o s e d to the
egoti sm an d perv erte d morals of the hi ghe r classes. H e praises
the high quality of f o r e b e a r a n c e w h ic h
is a re cu r re n t pr o b l e m
of his m a n y tales.
L e n i n w r o t e a b o u t T o l s t o y i n h i s a r t i c l e ‘ L . N . T o l s t o y ’.
T o l s t o y t h e a r t i s t is k n o w n t o a n
i n f i n i t e s i m a l m i n o r i t y e v e n in
R u s s i a . If h i s g r e a t w o r k s a r e
re a lly to b e m a d e th e p o s s e s s i o n
o f al l, a s t r u g g l e m u s t b e w a g e d
a g a in s t the s y s te m of s o cie ty
w h i c h c o n d e m n s m illions a n d
s c o r e s of m illio n s to i g n o r a n c e ,
benigh tedness, d ru dgery and
p o v e rty a socialist re vo lu tio n m u s t
be
a c c o m p a n i e d !5
To l s t o y ’s art is the co n q ue st of the s u b c o n s c io u s by lucid
u n d e r s t a n d i n g . His art p r o v e s his talent a n d the
fact that he
h a d e x tr a o rd i n a ry p o w e r s of o b s e rv a t io n an d w a s c a p a b l e of
acute psychological
analysis.
It also s h o w s
that
he
was
simple, truthful an d s traig htfo rwa rd like the saints of Y o r e w h o
103
15Vi ct or Shk l ov sk y : L e v Tolstoy, ( Mo sc o w, Pr ogr es s Publishers, 1978) , P. 569.
ta u g h t us in p a ra b le s. H e did not strain after literary effect but
let the si m ple truth h a v e its
h u m a n society
with
own
effect.
a s im pl ic it y
s e e m s fo r b id d e n to m a n y a writer —
He walks
and naturalness
through
which
he looks, he listens and
he paints the im a g e an d fixes the e c h o of w h a t he has he a rd . It
is p e r m a n e n t and has a truthfulness w h ic h w e are f o r c e d to
applaud.