Tolstoy’s story, “Master and Man,” was expertly written and I enjoyed it greatly. At first glance, the story seems bland with no true meaning but, with deeper insight and careful consideration, it has underlying meanings. To put it mildly, it’s not simply a story about a selfish man and his ‘worker’; it’s a journey not just for the characters in the story, but for readers as well. This story gives readers an accurate glance into Russian culture and way of life. Countless people have extremely biased and stereotypical views about Russia because of how the country is portrayed in our society. It pleased me to read a story about Russia that wasn’t marred by skewed views. Also, it was interesting to learn about Russian cultural values and what
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When people don’t meet societal expectations, appearance wise, people usually assume the worst. Massie informs us of a man who was judged harshly by those who encountered him, simply because he looked different and they didn’t speak Russian. She then goes on to say, “those who took the trouble to look beyond the rough surface and speak to the Russian in his native language invariably found the most striking thing about the Russian was his mildness and good nature” (pg. 170). If more people could look at the world with an open mind, and spent less time judging others and spreading lies, imagine how differently the world would be. Massie makes an interesting and on point observation when she says, It is striking to note the great difference in the accounts of travelers who knew the Russian language and those who did not. This knowledge seems to have made such a marked difference in their perception of the country that, in some cases, it makes one wonder if the travelers were visiting the same country (pg. 170).
By not knowing the language, travelers couldn’t communicate with the Russians therefore, every account about the Russians they brought back was inaccurate and unfair. The Russian language is an extremely harsh language unlike French or Italian. I honestly believe that is one of the reasons people categorize them as rude, uncaring, and generally cold people. Many people would most
When people don’t meet societal expectations, appearance wise, people usually assume the worst. Massie informs us of a man who was judged harshly by those who encountered him, simply because he looked different and they didn’t speak Russian. She then goes on to say, “those who took the trouble to look beyond the rough surface and speak to the Russian in his native language invariably found the most striking thing about the Russian was his mildness and good nature” (pg. 170). If more people could look at the world with an open mind, and spent less time judging others and spreading lies, imagine how differently the world would be. Massie makes an interesting and on point observation when she says, It is striking to note the great difference in the accounts of travelers who knew the Russian language and those who did not. This knowledge seems to have made such a marked difference in their perception of the country that, in some cases, it makes one wonder if the travelers were visiting the same country (pg. 170).
By not knowing the language, travelers couldn’t communicate with the Russians therefore, every account about the Russians they brought back was inaccurate and unfair. The Russian language is an extremely harsh language unlike French or Italian. I honestly believe that is one of the reasons people categorize them as rude, uncaring, and generally cold people. Many people would most