Class 11 English Lesson 3: God Sees the Truth but Waits by Leo Tolstoy

 

Lesson 3: God Sees the Truth but Waits by Leo Tolstoy

About the Story Writer

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a Russian writer and a master of realistic fiction. He was born in a wealthy family in Russia. His parents died when he was a child.

Characters of the Story

Major characters: Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov, as a protagonist, and Makar Semyonich. Minor characters: Aksionov's wife, the soldiers, and the police officer.

Theme of the Story

Tolstoy’s short story 'God Sees the Truth, but Waits', first published in 1872, is about the false conviction and imprisonment of a man for a murder he did not commit, and it takes the form of a fable for forgiveness.

Click for Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCdRtiCHje

Summary of the Story

Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov was a young merchant in Vladimir who had two shops and a house. He was full of fun and fond of singing. One summer, his wife had a bad dream that he returned from the town with grey hair. Aksionov laughed and said it was a lucky sign to bring her presents from the fair. They met at an inn and had tea together before going to bed. Aksionov woke up his driver before dawn and travelled twenty-five miles. He stopped for the horses to be fed and then played his guitar. When an official and two soldiers arrived, Aksionov was asked questions such as where he had spent the last night, why he had left the inn before dawn, and why he had left the inn before dawn.

Aksionov replied that he was travelling on his own and there was no need to question him. Aksionov is questioned by the police officer due to the discovery of a blood-stained knife in his bag. The police officer believes Aksionov is the only person who could have killed the merchant and stolen the money. Aksionov swore he had not done it. But his voice was broken and his face pale. Aksionov was imprisoned for murdering a merchant from Ryazan and robbing him of twenty thousand rubles. His wife was in despair and took her children with her to the town where her husband was in jail. When she saw her husband in a prison dress and chains, she fell and drew her children.

Aksionov's wife asked him to petition the Czar, but it had not been accepted. His wife suspected him, and he wept. A soldier came to take them away, and Aksionov realized that only God could know the truth. He wrote no more petitions and prayed to God for mercy. Aksionov was condemned to be flogged and sent to the mines. He lived in Siberia for 26 years, learning to make boots and earning money to buy The Lives of the Saints. He was respected by the prison authorities and his fellow prisoners, who called him "Grandfather" and "The Saint". One day, a new gang of convicts came to the prison, and the old prisoners asked the new ones where they came from. 

Makar Semyonich, a tall, strong man of sixty, was arrested and accused of stealing a horse tied to a sledge. Makar Semyonich was from Vladimir and knew the merchants Aksionov of Vladimir. Aksionov was unjustly condemned for his sins, and Makar Semyonich was surprised by the news. Makar Semyonich asked why he was so surprised and where he had seen Aksionov before, but Aksionov did not reply. Aksionov and Makar Semyonich meet, and Aksionov wonders if Makar Semyonich knows who killed the merchant.

Makar Semyonich tells Aksionov it must have been he in whose bag the knife was found. Aksionov feels unhappy and remembers his wife, children, and himself as a young and merry man. Aksionov was angry at Makar Semyonich, who had flogged him and executed him. He longed for revenge, but could not find it. One night, he noticed some earth rolling out from under one of the shelves on which the prisoners slept. Makar seized his hand and told him he had dug a hole under the wall, getting rid of the earth by putting it into his high boots and emptying it on the road. Makar Semyonich, the Governor of the prison, questioned all the prisoners to find out who had dug a hole in the wall.

Aksionov refused to tell the truth, as it was not God's will that he should tell. That night, someone came quietly and recognized Makar Semyonich, who asked Aksionov what more he wanted of him. Aksionov sat up and said, "What do you want? “Finally, Makar Semyonich asked Ivan Dmitrich to forgive him for killing the merchant and hid the knife in his bag. Aksionov was silent and did not know what to say. Makar Semyonich slid off the bed shelf and confessed his guilt, but when the order for his release came, Aksionov was already dead. Makar Semyonich hoped for his last hour to come, but when the order for his release came, Aksionov was already dead.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcdRtiCHje

Understanding the text (page 214)

Answer these questions.

a.      What bad habits did Aksionov have before his marriage?

He had very bad habits of drinking alcohol and was involved in fights before marriage. He used to drink much and become riotous.

b.     What can be the meaning of his wife's dream?

Her dream can signify the bad women of their family, especially in the life of her husband, Aksionov, because she had seen her husband returning from town with grey hair.

c.      Why did Aksionov think of killing himself?

Aksionov thought of killing himself because he remembered all those sufferings he had faced in prison without committing any crime. He also remembered the tortures given to him, people around him who saw him in the chains, and the imprisonment of twenty-six years. Hence, all these events of his life made him think so.

d.     Why did Makar disclose that he had killed the merchant?

Makar disclosed that he had killed the merchant because he was ashamed and had mercy to the innocent Aksionov who saved him from the governor being a victim of Makar’s crime.

e.      Why doesn't Aksionov wish to return to his family at the end of the story?

Aksionov doesn’t wish to return to his family at the end of the story because he is quite old. He had spent his entire life in prison without committing any crime. He was lean, thin, and feeble, wishing to die in prison instead of going to his family.

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