Class 11 English Lesson 3: Reference beyond the text

 

Reference beyond the text (page 214)

a.      What role does religion play in Aksionov's life? How does he undergo a spiritual transformation in the story?

Religion plays a very important role in Aksionov’s life. He spent almost his entire life in prison waiting for the right judgment of God for him. When his wife suspected him of murder, he gave up all his hopes and told God only knows the truth and the reality. After spending twenty-six years in the Serbian prison, he grew old, feeble, and weak. He earned money in prison by making boots and bought a book entitled ‘The Lives of the Saints. He started reading and singing the book in the prison’s church on Sundays. He realized various aspects of human life, including fate related to religion. His fellow prisoners respected him, saying ‘Grandfather’ or ‘The Saint’. He learnt about fate, spirituality, the righteous path, acceptance, and forgiveness. He even saved the real murderer of the merchant, but did not disclose it before the governor. He gained peace in the form of forgiveness. Hence, we find him and his life transformed from materialism to spiritualism only due to religion.

b.     What does the story tell us about the existence of an unfair system of justice?

The protagonist or main character of the story has been a victim of an unfair system of justice because he is put into prison for a crime that he did not commit. An innocent man is unjustly imprisoned and sentenced to up to twenty-six years in prison. The main character of the story is only accused of murdering the merchant based on some circumstantial evidence. He faces more suffering in his prison life, but eventually, he faces a situation and dies quietly in prison. Hence, we learn about an unjust judicial system with the help of the bitter experience of the main character of the story.  

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atEW_Rya5eg 

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