“The strongest of all warriors are these two- Time and Patience” (War and Peace Quotes by Leo Tolstoy). In a world enslaved by war and wealth, Leo Tolstoy achieved the impossible. He broke his shackles and saw the world beyond the surface. Money and power seemed worthless. Instead, morals formed over time with copious amounts of patience. These morals could only have been formed due to his life experiences. The work of the profound author Leo Tolstoy was molded by the culture and family life of 19th century Russia, the Chechen conflict and Crimean War, and a seemingly everlasting depression and spiritual epiphany. The rich history and culture of czar Russia fuelled Tolstoy’s early works, as well did his aristocratic background. Born August
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Encouraged by his brother, Leo first joined the military in 1851 to battle the Chechen natives. He wrote frequently when he was not on the battlefield. From 1853 to 1856, he served as an officer in the Crimean War. He was stationed in Sevastopol, a seaport that was frequently bombed. From these horrific experiences came the Sevastopol Sketches, a four part series describing the conditions. Edward Wasiolek exclaimed “the stories are on-the-spot descriptions of the siege and as such are historical fact, but they are also fiction in the sense that Tolstoy used his artistic skill to render them dramatic and interesting” (“Leo Tolstoy”). The series wonderfully depicted the bravery and patriotism of the Russian soldiers. Czar Alexander II loved the first part, but banned sections of the next three for military criticism. The last two installments particularly uncovered a glimpse of the pacifism that Tolstoy would later completely inherit. “You have but just opened the door when the sight and smell of forty or fifty seriously wounded men and of those who have undergone amputation-some in hammocks, the majority upon the floor- suddenly strike you” (“1: Sevastopol in December 1854”). Of course, the work of art that is War and Peace was crafted with not only the Napoleonic era in mind but also Leo’s war experiences. “Everything …show more content…
It is unusual for a child to feel emotions such as unworthiness, but Leo Tolstoy did. Even when he was a child, he worried about his self worth, morals, and future life accomplishments (“Leo Tolstoy”). The fact that he never earned a degree did not help ease his anxieties. He realized he wanted to live up to the expectations of a Russian noble. Tolstoy pursued his own version of these expectations by granting his estate’s serfs freedom and opening educational institutions for them (“Leo Tolstoy”). He became obsessed with the serfs’ freedom and education. When Czar Alexander II emancipated the serfs in Russia of March 1861 (“HISTORY OF RUSSIA”), Tolstoy himself settled the land arguments between former serfs and nobles. Working with these happy peasants and their religion temporarily gave him an answer to his spiritual troubles. The 1886 short story How Much Land Does A Man Need explores the idea that land and wealth does not equal happiness (“How Much Land Does A Man Need?”). Tolstoy, after some time renounced the serfs’ religion, which can be assumed the basis of this short story. Before his spiritual crisis exploded, the brewing of this is clearly evident in Anna Karenina (“Meet Leo Tolstoy”). This novel describes an unhappy wife, who on her search for happiness, abandons her family for another man. She later regrets this decision and kills herself
Encouraged by his brother, Leo first joined the military in 1851 to battle the Chechen natives. He wrote frequently when he was not on the battlefield. From 1853 to 1856, he served as an officer in the Crimean War. He was stationed in Sevastopol, a seaport that was frequently bombed. From these horrific experiences came the Sevastopol Sketches, a four part series describing the conditions. Edward Wasiolek exclaimed “the stories are on-the-spot descriptions of the siege and as such are historical fact, but they are also fiction in the sense that Tolstoy used his artistic skill to render them dramatic and interesting” (“Leo Tolstoy”). The series wonderfully depicted the bravery and patriotism of the Russian soldiers. Czar Alexander II loved the first part, but banned sections of the next three for military criticism. The last two installments particularly uncovered a glimpse of the pacifism that Tolstoy would later completely inherit. “You have but just opened the door when the sight and smell of forty or fifty seriously wounded men and of those who have undergone amputation-some in hammocks, the majority upon the floor- suddenly strike you” (“1: Sevastopol in December 1854”). Of course, the work of art that is War and Peace was crafted with not only the Napoleonic era in mind but also Leo’s war experiences. “Everything …show more content…
It is unusual for a child to feel emotions such as unworthiness, but Leo Tolstoy did. Even when he was a child, he worried about his self worth, morals, and future life accomplishments (“Leo Tolstoy”). The fact that he never earned a degree did not help ease his anxieties. He realized he wanted to live up to the expectations of a Russian noble. Tolstoy pursued his own version of these expectations by granting his estate’s serfs freedom and opening educational institutions for them (“Leo Tolstoy”). He became obsessed with the serfs’ freedom and education. When Czar Alexander II emancipated the serfs in Russia of March 1861 (“HISTORY OF RUSSIA”), Tolstoy himself settled the land arguments between former serfs and nobles. Working with these happy peasants and their religion temporarily gave him an answer to his spiritual troubles. The 1886 short story How Much Land Does A Man Need explores the idea that land and wealth does not equal happiness (“How Much Land Does A Man Need?”). Tolstoy, after some time renounced the serfs’ religion, which can be assumed the basis of this short story. Before his spiritual crisis exploded, the brewing of this is clearly evident in Anna Karenina (“Meet Leo Tolstoy”). This novel describes an unhappy wife, who on her search for happiness, abandons her family for another man. She later regrets this decision and kills herself