Tolstoy`s Master & Man

A Response to Tolstoy 's Short Story Master and Man

Tolstoy 's short story Master and Man ' tells of the experiences of Vasili Andreevich , who is a rich man , and his servant , the peasant Nikita . Vasili 's greed and desire to accumulate worldly wealth contrasts with Nikita 's resigned attitude towards life and his acceptance of his miserable life . Among the many themes in this story are human inequality , as depicted in this conflict between the haves ' and the have-nots ' selflessness , and human fellowship

The omniscient narrator is able to present the

inner dialogues and ponderings of the two characters . The narrative is very realistic , in the sense that the environment around the characters is well described The narrative focuses extensively on the blizzard , which serves as an essential background to the intense and profound experiences of Vasili and Nikita as they are forced to confront the idea of death . The language is very simple and straightforward which makes it very accessible . Without using complex and highly sophisticated language Tolstoy is able to deliver the experience of the main characters effectively

Upon lying on Nikita to keep him warm , Vasili experiences a profound joy and satisfaction . Vasili 's sudden act of selflessness contrasts sharply with his former self and brings into relief the universal need of humans for fellowship with others

However , I could not bring myself to feel sorry for Vasili because he seemed to deserve his icy death , and that it was a sort of poetic justice that he died in to save Nikita . I also feel , however , that it would have been interesting if Vasili had survived as well . Would he revert to his old self once the night was over...