Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy constantly expressed his desire for people to live a more simplistic life. He felt that society had put too much of an emphasis on materialistic things such as wealth and other status symbols. Tolstoy gave up his materialistic possession including money so that he could pursue his ideals and dreams. “What nobody knew- was that he would donate all…

Leo Tolstoy’s masterful novella, The Death of Ivan Ilych addresses the formation and continuation of cultural norms on a superficial society, propelled by wide-spread acceptance of unjust, unfulfilling means to happiness. The piece follows the life, and death, of Ivan Ilych, a dreadfully mundane man in a overbearing society, disillusioned by severe sickness and left alone to deal with the consequences of such discoveries. Tolstoy’s work successfully integrates the life of a judge as the means…

live, and living to die is expressed throughout history in all manners of literary works. Of the endless writers whom illustrate the theme of death, four authors whom depict this leitmotif are John Keats, Rosalía de Castro, Emily Dickinson, and Leo Tolstoy. The works albeit different, transcribe the desire to accomplish their goals; to blossom, before they are faced with their mortality; to perish. This idea is both beautifully motivating to fulfill ones dreams, yet exceptionally terrifying…

When Russian literature is mentioned, the two giants Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky overshadow the majority of other writers. However, it is not the case for Anton Chekhov. Chekhov emerged into the scene during the 19th century, the same time as Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. As a short-stories writer and dramatist, Chekhov made a mark for himself, as he is “the only other one to make much of an impression abroad.” (Brians) Chekhov wrote during the early 1900s, when Russia saw “the rise of the…

Art can be represented in many ways and is differently approached by different artists. One way to define art is by explaining the three factors that are described by Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy, a Russian writer and philosopher, defined art by three characteristics: individuality, clearness, and sincerity. He refers to individuality as the uniqueness of any work of art. The activity of art is an act where the performer portrays specific emotions that connect with the listener or the person being aimed…

For my Comparative Literature assignment, I will be comparing Jack London’s Call of the Wild and Leo Tolstoy’s “Master and Man”. One of the central themes of Call of the Wild is nature vs. nurture, which is demonstrated through the main character Buck and his regression into an almost feral state. A central theme for “Master and Man” is human foibles, shown through Vasili’s overall character flaws and treatment of Nikita. While each story has their own central theme, they also share a…

fiction book by Jon Krakauer about Christopher McCandless and his journey as he discovered who he was, independently from his family. For the majority of his youth Chris idolized non-conformist authors such as Henry David Thoreau, Jack London, and Leo Tolstoy who influenced his development and beliefs. When Chris begins his solo voyage, he utilizes their thoughts to guide him, and he discovered who he was aside from those authors he learned from. The character traits that Chris showcases in his…

Christians should consider that pacifism, which is the belief that violence cannot be justified under any circumstance, is interpretable from Christianity. While this is a strong stance, there are compelling arguments connecting faith and nonresistance. John Howard Yoder lays out the argument that violence is an offense directly against God that cannot be justified. Just War Theory is often raised as a sway for Christians to commit to nonviolence except in certain circumstances. Even if violence…

Many off the Doukhobors were able to come to Canada due to one of the leaders named Leo Tolstoy and his followers. In 1902, 500 more Doukhobors came to Canada with Verigin, another leader/novelist of the Doukhobors making the Doukhobors the largest single mass migration in Canada’s history. Verigin led his followers to the southern parts of…

Leo Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace deeply illustrates the lives of many characters. A compelling novel, Tolstoy maintains the characters’ verisimilitude through the use of body language and conflicts. The lives of Prince Andrei and Pierre -- two foil characters -- parallel each other as they embark on their journey towards a deeper self-understanding. Through the use of details, interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts, and the subtle juxtaposition of Prince Andrei and Pierre, Leo Tolstoy is…