Class 11 English : Stories: 3. God Sees the Truth, But Waits by Leo Tolstoy
God Sees the Truth, But Waits
Leo Tolstoy
About the Author
Leo Tolstoy was a Russian writer (September
9, 1828- November 20, 1910) from Yasna Polyana Russia. He was a novelist, short
story writer, playwright and essayist.
His best Creations are War and Peace,
Anna Kerenina, The Kingdom of God is without You, Resurection.
About the story.
This story is about the sufferings of a
person who has spent 26 years in prison without doing any crime. He has waited
for God´s decision in his lifetime. God’s decision has finally arrived but it is
very late. There is always victory of the truth.
Themes in the story
Injustice, Faith, forgiveness, acceptance,
self-realization
Forgiveness and
forgetfulness are the best form of revenge.
Characters
Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov
Aksionov´s Wife
Fellow merchant
Officer
Two Soldiers
Makar Semyonich
Governor
Summary
This
story is about Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov who was a young merchant. He lived
in Vladimir, a town in Russia. Aksionov was a quite handsome
man. He had two shops and a house. He was very jovial (=cheerful/ charming) and
very fond of singing. In his youth, he had habit of drinking and he was violent while drinking much. But after
marriage, he was responsible and well-liked by people who knew him. One day he
decided to go to the Nizhny fair for his business, but his wife pleaded for him
not to go because of a nightmare (=bad dream) she had the
previous night in which his hair had turned grey at the time of returning.
Aksionov laughed and said that it was a sign of luck.
On the
way to the fair, Aksionov met another merchant form Ryazan. They decided to
travel together. They checked into (=stayed at) an inn and had a good time
drinking. Then they slept in adjoining rooms. Next day, Aksionov woke up early
in the next morning. He set off for the fair with his horses and coachman
without the other merchant. After going for about 25 miles, Aksionov stopped to
feed his horses. Then began to play guitar. At the meantime, two soldiers and a
district officer came to him to ask a lot of questions related to the murder of
the merchant with whom he had spent the night. They explained that the merchant
had been found in the room with his throat cut and robbed. Then they searched Aksionov's bag. They found
a bloody knife. Aksionov claimed that he was not the murderer. He trembled with
fear. He was charged for murdering and even for robbing twenty thousand roubles
from the merchant. He was arrested and sent to Siberia.
After
hearing this, his wife finally came to visit him with her small children. After
begging much to the officers she got permission to meet her husband. She
fainted to see her husband among other criminals in criminal´s
dress. Later she informed her husband about the rejection of his petition to
the Czar.
She
asked him if he had not killed the merchant. Aksionov wept when his own wife
raised a suspicious question to him. He
said goodbye to his family for the last time. He was tortured severely the
prison.
Aksionov spent 26 years in Siberia. His hair and beard
turned white and grey. He walked slowly, spoke very little and never laughed.
He learned to make boots and earned money. He bought a book named " The
lives of the Saints". He used to
read the book in the dim light of the cell. He dedicated his life to God. Every
Sunday he used to read and sing the chapter at the church. He became a mediator
of fights in the prison, and he was well respected by the other prisoners as
well as by the guards. He was also called grandfather or saint.
One day some new prisoners were transferred to the prison. There
was
a
tall strong man of about sixty with grey hair in the group. He was called Makar
Semyonich. He told the other criminals how he was arrested. He was accused of
stealing horses . He was from Vladimir. When Aksionov knew it, he asked for his
family if he knew. Makar said that he had heard of Aksyonov’s family as
prosperous merchants whose husband (or father) was locked up in Siberia. Makar
asked Aksionov why he was imprisoned, but Aksyonov didn’t like to speak of
his misfortune. He said that he was for 26 years for his sin. His companion
told Makar
about the merchant’s murder and
unjust arrest as a bloody knife was found in his bag. Makar’s reaction to this
information led Aksionov to suspect that it was Makar who
had committed the murder for which he had been blamed. Aksionov was with
great anger at Makar, and he thought of his family. The past events of his
life. He also thought of the punishment he had got. The chains, the 26 years of his prison life
and his premature old age made him think of killing himself.
One night Aksionov discovered Makar digging
an escape tunnel under the wall of the prison. When it was seen by him, Makar
threatened him not to disclose the matter otherwise he would kill him first .
The next day, the authorities discovered the hole, and the Governor arrived on
the scene to question the prisoners as to find out who was trying to escape. Nobody
knew about it. Then Aksionov was asked. He told the Governor that he knew
nothing about who dug the tunnel. It was not his place to
speak about the matter.
Makar Semyonich approached Aksionov that night in a terrible
state, eventually admitting to Aksionov that it was he who killed the merchant
and he had also planned to murder Aksionov but spared him after hearing noises
outside. Aksionov forgave Semyonich, and he felt as if a terrible weight has
been lifted. Makar Semyonich confessed to the authorities, and the process for
Aksionov to be cleared had begun. However, Aksionov died before he was
released.
Understanding the text
Answer these questions.
a. What bad habits did Aksionov have before
his marriage?
Ans: Aksionov was
a very handsome and jovial person who used to seek his happiness. Before
marriage, he had very bad habits of drinking alcohol and involving in fights.
He used to drink much and become riotous.
b. What can be the meaning of his wife’s
dream?
Ans:- The meaning
of his wife dream can be a sign of bad omen. In her dream, she had seen her
husband returning from town with grey hair. She was very afraid of her
husband's changed appearance. She supposed the dream as a sign of evil or bad luck for husband.
c. Why did Aksionov think of killing himself?
Ans:- Aksionov
thought of killing himself because he remembered all those harsh situations
which he had faced in his life without committing any crime. He remembered his fortune, the people around him while he was in chains, the convicts, twenty-six
years of imprisonment, his premature old age etc. All these painful thoughts
made him think of killing himself.
d. Why did Makar disclose that he had
killed the merchant?
Ans:- Makar
disclosed that he had killed the merchant because he felt ashamed of himself.
He felt pity over Aksionov. Aksionov saved Makar from the governor though he
was a victim of Makar’s crime. The act of Aksionov made Makar feel ashamed and
disclose his crime.
Ans:- Aksionov
doesn’t wish to return his family at the end of the story because he has become
quite Old. He has spent his entire life in prison without committing any crime.
He is weak too at this age. He thought his family might not recognize him. He desires to die in the prison instead of going
to his family.
Reference to the context
a. “Well, old man,” repeated the
Governor, “tell me the truth: who has been digging under the wall?”
i. Who is that old man?
Ans:- That old man
is Aksionov who has spent his twenty-six years in prison.
ii. Which truth is the speaker asking
about?
Ans:- The speaker
is asking about the truth of digging an escape hole.
iii. Which wall does the speaker mean?
Ans:- The speaker
means the prison’s wall.
b. Describe Aksionov’s character.
Ans:- Ivan Dmitrich
Aksionov was a young wealthy merchant in the town of Vladimir in Russia. He had
two shops and a house. He was a handsome man with fair-curly hair. He was full
of fun and very fond of singing. He used to drink much before marriage but
later on, he changed himself and became a good man. He had virtuous qualities
such as faith, forgiveness, freedom and acceptance. He was accused of murdering
a fellow merchant and robbing him. He suffered a lot in prison and spent his
twenty-six years waiting for God’s judgement. He was also mentally strong
because he was able to endure many unfortunate events, such as losing his home
and his business. Finally, he displayed a strong religious devotion by growing
closer to God during difficult times. He was a truthful man, holding his peace
till the end but circumstances changed his fate and he died in prison at last.
c. What is the theme of the story?
Ans:- We find
various themes here in this story “God Sees the Truth, but Waits”. The major
themes in the story are guilt, forgiveness, faith, conflict, freedom and
acceptance. The story has presented all these themes. Among these themes,
forgiveness is one of the greatest themes. Here, we find forgiveness of
Aksionov for Makar Semyonich. Although Aksionov has spent his twenty-six years
in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he is able to forgive Makar who
committed the crime. This story has shown the best form of revenge which is
forgiveness.
d. Which symbols are used in the story and what do they indicate?
Ans:- Answer: We find the use of many symbols here in this story. Following are the symbols used in the Story:
1. House and Shops: House and shops symbolize the earthly
material possession which doesn’t favour anyone and remain forever. Aksinonov
doesn’t get the support of his possession till the end.
2. Nightmare (grey hair): The terrible
dream of Aksionov’s wife symbolizes the terrible fate of Aksionov. The story
has presented the bad results of the nightmare. The grey hair in the dream
turns out to be real in Aksionov’s life.
3. The prison: The prison itself is a
symbol of Aksionov’s suffering and his eventual spiritual transformation.
Prison is the place where he finds pains, tortures and even spiritual
transformation.
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