Tolstoy saw the dissipation and extravagance of high society, and also the injustices and poverty of serfs. Serfs were the people forced to work on the land in Russia’s feudal system. The feudal system in Russia meant that poor families received land, food and housing from a nobleman, and they worked and served him in return. These people were treated very badly, they lived among horrible conditions and they had no hope of ever improving their condition of life because they never received any education. Tolstoy clearly saw the injustices of this situation and he was saddened to see generations of people sentenced to working for someone else with no way out. He was determined to become a model farmer and a “father” to his serfs. (McGraw-Hill, p.481) He traveled to France and Germany and visited several dozen elementary schools across Europe. Finally, Tolstoy set up a school for peasant children, giving them a way to escape their destiny. Because of these actions Tolstoy became in conflict with higher society, which was not happy about the increasing awareness of serfs. His family also limited his generosity; his wife was especially annoyed because of her husband’s charity towards the poor.
Tolstoy married his wife when he was 34 and Sofya Andreyevna Bers was 16 years younger then her husband. She was a very intelligent, strong-willed woman who gave Tolstoy great happiness and 13 children. Tolstoy continued to work with his serfs and convinced his friends and other people around him to try and better the life of the work force. To everyone’s astonishment his estate thrived under the new system where serfs were paid and given education and they lived among better conditions. By making these changes in his estate’s economic life and managing it successfully, he convinced many other landowners to improve, too.
After the birth of his children, Tolstoy had his own family to think about. Although he never had financial problems, he had to provide a living for his quickly growing family. In the next 15 years he raised a large family and as an escape from everyday problems into the past he wrote his two greatest novels: War and Peace and Anna Karenina.
War and Peace represents a high point in Tolstoy’s life. It is the story of 1812 when Napoleon, a French general attacked Russia. The story contains 559 characters; important military battles and portrays of historically famous people. The main theme, however is the changing lives of four Russian aristocratic families. Its general message is love of life in all circumstances which was inspired by Tolstoy’s personal happiness. The shorter novel of Anna Karenina also deals with high Russian society, but it is more of a psychological work than any of his other pieces. This novel gives the reader the idea that Tolstoy greatly disapproves of intellectuality and urban sophistication and is tormented by the mission of humans in this world (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/6681/tolstoyb.htm). War and Peace and Anna Karenina realistically portrays Russian society in the early 19th century and probably that is the reason why every generations of people all over the world enjoy Tolstoy’s works.
The next 15 years were spent with seeking the ultimate meaning of life. Tolstoy went through a serious, long-lasting spiritual crisis that gave birth to two of his lesser-
known works: Confession and Critique of Dogmatic Theology. In these writings he bravely attacked social inequality and the ultimate powers of government and church. His life was more and more dominated by the desire to achieve social justice and an acceptable system of moral principles. At this time he became involved with public matters and participated in many social events. During this period Tolstoy’s relationship with his family became estranged. He planned on giving away all his wealth, but his wife would not hear of it. She would not share the thought of her husband that by doing good things to others might help you achieve understanding of the meaning of life. Finally, they reached a compromise and Sofya received the copyright to all his works before 1881. (McGraw-Hill, p.483)
Tolstoy’s last years were filled with his worldwide celebration, but they bought him great unhappiness. During these years he lived far from the world, and led a quiet life. Rejecting the foundations of Russian society and religion he established his own religion in which he explained that God lives in all people. The Eastern Orthodox Church for his view of God excommunicated Tolstoy. At the age of 82, in 1910, increasingly tormented by his personal beliefs, religious persecution, his personal wealth and by the hopeless quarrels with his wife, he decided to leave his family. He set out on his last pilgrimage in search of justification and truth. Three days later he fell ill and died on November 20, in the home of a station manager. He was later buried at his dear Yasnaya Polyana, where he spent most of his happiest years.
Tolstoy benefitted from many things he received in his childhood. When foreign teachers tutored him he learned their languages completely. Therefore he knew Russian, his native language, and he spoke French and German perfectly, too. He later applied this knowledge in his books, writing in all three languages.
The concept of God and the purpose and meaning of religion troubled Tolstoy throughout his life. He had always been in search of the concept of right or wrong, but never could achieve an understanding of the matter. Tolstoy’ on ideas on religion and on nonresistance to evil influenced Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Both of these men fought nonviolently for rights and the well being of their people: Gandhi in India against the British and Luther King for equality for blacks. Other famous Russian authors of this period were Fyodor Dostoevsky and Ivan Turgenev. (McGraw-Hill, p.484)
Tolstoy’s life seems a little bit of struggle at some points, but he really gave a lot to this world. He made a huge difference by getting rid of his convictions and doing what he thought was best for society. He even had the courage to express his views that were not welcomed by most of the people around him. Tolstoy is known for his books, however, that bought him worldwide acclaim in his living, but he is still celebrated today as one of the world’s greatest author of all times.
The greatest Russian author of the 19th century
Kata Fustos
World lit. & Comp.
Ms. Kahn
period 7
4/8/99
Bibliography
Chertkov, Vladimir. The Last Days of Leo Tolstoy. New York: Linguadex, 1997
Prentice Hall Literature. New Jersey: Viacom, 1996
Robin Milner-Gulland with Nikolai Dejevsky. Cultural Atlas of Russia and the Soviet
Union. New York: Oxford, 1989
Stearns, D.R.S. and others. World History. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.,
1989
The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography. New York: McGraw-Hill Book
Company, 1973
Tolstoy, Leo. War and Peace. New York: Penguin Books, 1968
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/commonwealth/Russia_sm97.gif
Outline
I The first years
A Birth
1. birth date
2. orphaned
B Education
1. tutors
2. university
II Tolstoy’s connection to the Enlightment
A Jean Jacques Rousseau
1. ideas on society
2. favorite quote
B Conflict
III Injustices of society
A Feudal System
1. higher society
2. serfdom
B School for peasants
IV Family life
A Marriage
1. Sofya Andreyevna Bers
2. 13 children
B First books
V Most famous books
A. War and Peace
B Anna Karenina
VI Siritual Crisis
A Attacking the higher classes
B Helping the poor
C Conflict with family
VII Last Years
A Excommunicated by the Church
B Quiet life
C Death
VIII Impact on Tolstoy’s life
A Tutors
B Religion
IX Impact on others
A Mohandas Gandhi
B Martin Luther King Jr
