Forgiveness in Tolstoy's Short Story

Story Summary

• The story "God Sees the Truth But Waits" is a lesson about forgiveness that explores religious and spiritual themes.
• The main character, Ivan Dmitritch Aksenov, is a successful merchant from Vladimir who is wrongly accused of murder and sentenced to hard labor in Siberia.

Ivan's Journey

• Ivan sets out on a business trip, ignoring his wife's pleas to stay longer due to a bad dream.
• He meets an unknown merchant at a hotel and spends the night with him, leaving the next morning without waking him up.
• The police stop Ivan and accuse him of murdering the merchant and stealing 20,000 rubles after finding a bloody knife in his baggage.

Ivan's Imprisonment

• Ivan is imprisoned and sentenced to hard labor in Siberia, where he spends 26 years and earns a reputation for gentleness and piety.
• He is given the nicknames "Grandfather" and "The Saint" by other prisoners.

Makar's Confession

• A new prisoner, Makar Semenich, is introduced, and Ivan suspects him to be the real murderer.
• Makar digs a tunnel to escape and asks Ivan to join him, threatening to kill him if he refuses.
• Ivan remains silent when questioned by the police, feeling that speaking out would be betraying Makar.
• Makar confesses to the murder and asks for Ivan's forgiveness, which Ivan grants, saying that God will forgive him.

Adaptations and Influences

• The story has been adapted into a TV series, radio production, and films, including "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" and "The Woman Who Left".
• The story has been influential in many literary works.

About the Author

• Leo Tolstoy is considered one of the greatest authors of all time, known for his novels "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina".
• He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature and Peace multiple times.
• Tolstoy wrote many works of fiction, including short stories and novellas, and is known for his semi-autobiographical trilogy "Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth".

Early Life

• Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828 to an old aristocratic family.
• He lost both parents at an early age and grew up with relatives along with his siblings.
• In 1844, Tolstoy attended Kazan University to study law and oriental languages.

Abandoning Studies and Military Service

• Tolstoy abandoned his studies, preferring the reckless and hedonistic life of the Russian aristocracy.
• In 1851, he joined the army to pay off his heavy gambling debts.
• He became an artillery officer and later a lieutenant in the Crimean War.

Literary Beginnings

• The Crimean War experience had a profound impact on Tolstoy, allowing him to observe and reflect on human nature.
• After the war, Tolstoy was horrified by the number of deaths he witnessed and left the army to focus on writing.
• Between 1852 and 1856, he published his first major literary work, Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth, a semiautobiographical bildungsroman.
• In 1855, Tolstoy published Sevastopol Sketches, based on his experiences in the Crimean War, showcasing his interest in simplicity and straightforward realism.

Ivan Dmitrich Aksenov's Character Development

• Ivan Aksenov is initially described as a "handsome, curly-headed fellow, full of fun and very fond of singing".
• Despite his youth being marked by excessive drinking, he settles down after marriage.
• Neighbors regard him as "a good man".
• However, Aksenov's materialistic pursuits and inconsiderate behavior towards his family reveal his spiritual shortcomings.

Aksenov's Transformation

• After being wrongly convicted of murder, Aksenov undergoes a spiritual transformation, recognizing God as the sole source of truth and mercy.
• This shift is mirrored in his physical appearance: his hair turns white, he grows a long beard, and develops a stoop.
• Aksenov's behavior also changes, becoming more subdued and serious; he speaks little and never laughs.
• His fellow prisoners come to regard him with respect, calling him "Grandfather" and "The Saint", and his defining quality becomes his meekness.