Though Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky, two of Russia’s greatest authors, differ greatly, many of the themes that show up throughout their writings are strikingly similar. Perhaps the most notable of these shared themes is the concept of lust, strong sexual desire. This idea can be traced throughout many, if not all, of both authors’ works, large novels and short stories alike. Both authors seem to agree that, under many circumstances, lustful feelings and actions are terribly sinful and lead to awful consequences. Both War and Peace and The Brothers Karamazov, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky’s greatest works, respectively, portray characters that have an incredible sexual desire for a person or several people. From Natasha in War and Peace to Fyodor
…show more content…
Though she seems hopeless, her later marriage to Pierre, a man she truly loves, completely changers her. With Pierre, Natasha feels that, “her bond with her husband held, not by those poetic feelings that had attracted him to her, but by something else, indefinite but firm, like the bond between her own soul and body” (Tolstoy 1155). Tolstoy writes such this to show the difference between lust and love and how, while lust will eventually have terrible effects, love can completely bind two people together. As Natasha is completely absorbed by her family, she is finally content. Yet, Tolstoy is sure to imply that Natasha’s sexual desire is continued when he mentions that she has four kids between 1813 and 1820 (Tolstoy 1154). The book leaves Natasha incredibly happy with her family, so it is clear that Tolstoy does not believe that sexual activity in itself is a sin with terrible consequences. Rather, it seems that Tolstoy is demonstrating that sex and a desire for it can contribute to a happy and healthy life when the participants are in a stable …show more content…
The novel focuses on the three Karamazov brothers and their father, Fyodor Pavlovich, who is known around town as a drunk fool. Fyodor is an immoral man whose only concern is to make himself feel good. A self-declared sensualist, he frequently finds pleasure in his sexual conquests, engaging in a number of affairs after his first marriage and continuing them throughout his second. From the very first page, Dostoevsky informs readers that Fyodor Pavlovich has suffered a tragic death, so as to warn readers that his actions should not be followed. After that, Dostoevsky reveals the details of his personality, allowing the reader to see the type of character he is, including his affinity for sex, even with those that cannot consent, such as Stinking Lizaveta. Still, one of Fyodor’s must startling confessions comes when he declares that when he gets older, “The wenches won’t come to me of their own accord, so I shall want my money” (Dostoevsky 164). The idea that Fyodor would be keeping money from his children, only to save it for paying women to sleep with him later in life, is a striking claim and demonstrates Fyodor’s only interest. Fyodor picking sex over his children causes the audience to see the flaws of his character and, more importantly, forces them to see sex and the character’s lust as the cause of his neglect. This, of course, demonizes sex
Though she seems hopeless, her later marriage to Pierre, a man she truly loves, completely changers her. With Pierre, Natasha feels that, “her bond with her husband held, not by those poetic feelings that had attracted him to her, but by something else, indefinite but firm, like the bond between her own soul and body” (Tolstoy 1155). Tolstoy writes such this to show the difference between lust and love and how, while lust will eventually have terrible effects, love can completely bind two people together. As Natasha is completely absorbed by her family, she is finally content. Yet, Tolstoy is sure to imply that Natasha’s sexual desire is continued when he mentions that she has four kids between 1813 and 1820 (Tolstoy 1154). The book leaves Natasha incredibly happy with her family, so it is clear that Tolstoy does not believe that sexual activity in itself is a sin with terrible consequences. Rather, it seems that Tolstoy is demonstrating that sex and a desire for it can contribute to a happy and healthy life when the participants are in a stable …show more content…
The novel focuses on the three Karamazov brothers and their father, Fyodor Pavlovich, who is known around town as a drunk fool. Fyodor is an immoral man whose only concern is to make himself feel good. A self-declared sensualist, he frequently finds pleasure in his sexual conquests, engaging in a number of affairs after his first marriage and continuing them throughout his second. From the very first page, Dostoevsky informs readers that Fyodor Pavlovich has suffered a tragic death, so as to warn readers that his actions should not be followed. After that, Dostoevsky reveals the details of his personality, allowing the reader to see the type of character he is, including his affinity for sex, even with those that cannot consent, such as Stinking Lizaveta. Still, one of Fyodor’s must startling confessions comes when he declares that when he gets older, “The wenches won’t come to me of their own accord, so I shall want my money” (Dostoevsky 164). The idea that Fyodor would be keeping money from his children, only to save it for paying women to sleep with him later in life, is a striking claim and demonstrates Fyodor’s only interest. Fyodor picking sex over his children causes the audience to see the flaws of his character and, more importantly, forces them to see sex and the character’s lust as the cause of his neglect. This, of course, demonizes sex