Tolstoy God Sees the Truth But Waits | An Analytical Study

Tolstoy God Sees the Truth But Waits | An Analytical Study

Tolstoy God Sees the Truth But Waits | An Analytical Study

Tolstoy God Sees the Truth But Waits | An Analytical Study

‘God Sees the Truth but Waits’ is a Russian short story by Leo N. Tolstoy (1820-1910). It is tragic and pathetic and deals with the themes of crime, punishment and repentance.

The story is about a Russian merchant named I. D. Askyonof. One day he set out for business to a fair. His wife asked him not to leave home that day as she dreamed of a bad dream. But he laughed it off and drove away. On the way, he met one of his acquaintances, and at night both stayed at an inn. Askyonof was an early riser. The next morning he got up very early and paying off his bill he restarted his journey. After passing twenty-five miles he stopped for lunch and to feed his horse. Suddenly a troyka drove up with tinkling bells and an official alighted followed by two soldiers. The officer began to cross-question him. Askyonof got bewildered. The officers accused him of murdering a merchant and stealing of twenty thousand roubles. Askyonof was afraid and stammered and he denied it. Then the officers searched his luggage and surprisingly found a blood-stained knife. Askyonof swore that he had not done that and he had not seen that merchant after they had had tea together. The police officer ordered the soldiers to bind him and put him in the cart. He was sentenced to lifelong imprisonment. His wife visited him in the prison and she also suspected him. Later on, he was sent to Siberia. Thereafter spending twenty-six years, one day a fresh gang of convicts came to the prison. Among them, there was a man named Makar Semyonitch who was from the same place where Askyonof came from. One night he came to the chamber of Askyonof and confessed that the man was he who murdered the merchant and hid the knife under the pillow of Askyonof. He also planned to murder him also. But he heard a noise outside and went off through the window. Then he begged of Askyonof’s forgiveness. He confessed his guilt to the concerned authorities and at last, Askyonof was ordered to be released. But before the order came Askyonof was dead.

There are two main Characters. But Askyonof is the head character. The author has given a detailed account of his habit and manner. He was a handsome, fair-haired, curly-headed fellow, full of fun and very fond of singing. In prison, he received honour and respect from everybody because of his good manner. He is a tragic as well as a pathetic character in the story. The readers’ attention and sympathy go to him while reading the story.

The second character of the story is Makar Semyonitch. He is the villain of the story. He is cruel, inhumane and a fraud. For him Askyonof, an innocent person had to suffer long twenty-six years in prison. Later on, he came to repent and ask of Askyonof’s forgiveness. 

In narrating the story the author has employed the Objective Method with skill. In this method, an author keeps himself away from his story and delineates his story objectively.

The story, in Structure, is a perfect one. It bears visibly all the stages of a good short story. The opening is direct. In the opening, the storyteller introduces his principal character, I. D. Askyonof. The bad dream dreamed by his wife is alluded to here which brings curiosity to the story. Then the story goes forward to the complication. The climax of the story meets when the wife of Askyonof visits him in the prison and she also suspects him to have committed the crime. The falling action begins when Makar Semyonitch introduces himself to Askyonof. With the death of Askyonof before the order of his release reached him the story meets its denouement meets. 

The Setting of the story is consistent with the events and situation. The author gives a good deal of description of his main character along with the environment of his event.

The Dialogues employed in the story are very logical as he uses them sparingly but all the dialogues take his story ahead and unfold the inner nature and motives of his characters.

The Philosophy of Life is also found in the story. The author has not expressed it directly but leaves it to be drawn out by his readers after the reading of it. The story suggests that sometimes innocent people happen to suffer a lot in life.

The Language of the story is very simple as it is characterized by the use of concrete and formal (not unfamiliar) words and phrases and is free from poetic imagery and much emotional expression.

All the Qualities of a good short story as —unity of purpose, brevity, spontaneity and universality are present in this short story. The brevity which is taken off as the soul of a short story is also maintained throughout the story as all the component elements of a good short story are employed in the story with possible economy without causing any harm to the perfectness of the story. Thus the universality is gained by means of the reliable representation of the theme and event. The story begins and ends with a spontaneous logical order and the author seems not to use any force in bringing about the denouement of his story through proper stages.

 As a short story, its Length is ideal as —neither very short nor long.

As all the component elements along with the required qualities of a good short story are present in it in a logical order so it may be called that it is a short story of the First Grade. 0 0 0. Tolstoy God Sees the Truth But Waits

Tolstoy God Sees the Truth But Waits | An Analytical Study

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Tolstoy God Sees the Truth But Waits

N. B. This article entitled ‘Tolstoy God Sees the Truth But Waits | An Analytical Study | Tolstoy God Sees the Truth But Waits’ originally belongs to the book ‘World Short Story Criticism‘ by Menonim Menonimus. Tolstoy God Sees the Truth But WaitsTolstoy God Sees the Truth But Waits | An Analytical Study

Books of Literary Criticism by M. Menonimus:

1. World Short Story Criticism
2. World Poetry Criticism
3. World Drama Criticism
4. World Novel Criticism
5. World Essay Criticism
6. Indian English Poetry Criticism
7. Indian English Poets and Poetry Chief Features
8. Emily Dickinson’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
9. Walt Whitman’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
10. Critical Essays on English Poetry
11. Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: Return of the Spirit-An Analytical Study
12. Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: ‘Yawmiyyat Naib Fil Arayaf’-An Analytical Study
13. Analytical Studies of Some Arabic Short Stories
14. A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Pre-Islamic Period …