Akutagawa vs. Tolstoy: The Similarities and the Differences

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Akutagawa vs. Tolstoy: The Similarities

and the Differences

        In Akutagawa’s “In a Grove” and Tolstoy’s “How Much Land Does a Man Need” both short stories conveys a theme to the audience.  Both Akutagawa and Tolstoy use symbolism as a vessel for conveying their themes, however, their usage of setting/atmosphere and point of view, differ. Akutagawa uses point of view to create shifts and conflict; whereas Tolstoy uses it to assist tone. Akutagawa uses setting/atmosphere to compliment his use of symbolism, while Tolstoy uses it delicately and vaguely, asserting the reader imaginative responsibilities to the reader. Tolstoy and Akutagawa’s use of literary devices can be compared and contrasted. Their styles are very different while their usage of these devices may be different; it is irrefutable that they increase the quality of their works.
      Akutagawa’s emphasis on symbolism encourages the reader to discover themes of his story.  In the final testimony of “In a Grove”, the samurai states”…only a lonely light lingered on the cedars and mountains…the light gradually grew fainter, till the cedars and bamboo were lost to view” (Akutagawa 510). There are several components of symbolism in this reference. The light is a natural symbol from nature, representing the truth and the honesty of the testimonies, but the fading of the light represents the loss of hope the investigations sustains with each additional testimony. The grove on the other hand, is symbolic of the bias and uncertainty that places the truth and the investigation, just as the grove inhibits the physical ability to see and maneuver through the grove. These references to symbolism help convey the overall theme of “In a Grove”- being that the truth is hindered by the bias inevitably present in every individual.

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Tolstoy as well uses symbolism to portray a theme of the story to the reader. Tolstoy’s use of symbolism can be seen in the final scene of “How Much Land Does a Man Need” when Pahom is mapping of his land, “This [land] is so fine, it would be a pity to lose it. The further one goes, the better the land seems” (Tolstoy 225). The land referred to in this excerpt is symbolic of the greed Pahom experiences over the course of the story. It takes over Pahom’s subconscious and manifests itself in all of Pahom’s thoughts. This use ...

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