God Sees the Truth but Waits by Leo Tolstoy

 God Sees the Truth but Waits by Leo Tolstoy

Title's Meaning: Aksionov trusts in God's plan after the human-controlled judicial system of this planet fails him. He is aware that only God is the source of his knowledge with whom he should make an appeal.

About the Writer: Leo Tolstoy, who was born in 1828 into an affluent Russian family, is best known for his works War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1878), which are sometimes recognized as the best examples of realist literature. Tolstoy also produced plays, articles, and short stories. He was a social reformer and moral philosopher who held firm moral convictions. He became a committed Christian anarchist later in life. His books, especially The Kingdom of God is Within You, which are believed to have had a considerable influence on important 20th-century leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi, show his non-violent resistance attitude to life.

Three Major Characters: 1. Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov (Protagonist)

                                            2. Makar Semyonich (Antagonist)

                                            3. Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov's Wife

Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov: The central protagonist, a successful young businessman, is accused of murder and sentenced to life in prison in Siberia. As a result of the incident, the protagonist prematurely ages into a kindly old man with gray hair and a long beard, who has a strong belief in God. This man has the ability to make peace with both the authorities and his fellow prisoners and dies after forcing them to confess.

Aksionov's Wife: She forbids her spouse from attending Nizhny Fair. In her nightmare, she witnesses him having his hair turn white as a result of some dreadful misfortune. She calls to remember her admonition. When she pays him a visit in jail, she runs her hand over his hair.

Makar Semyonich:Makar Semyonich is an antagonist, who first appears as a fellow prisoner in Siberia. Aksionov suspects that Semyonich is the man who killed the fellow merchant and framed Aksionov for the crime. Semyonich shows no remorse/lament for his actions until Aksionov decides not to tell the governor about digging a tunnel to escape and finally goes to Aksionov to beg forgiveness.

Symbols: Aksionov's house and two shops represent both his family and his personal goods. The prison represents Aksionov's suffering and ultimate spiritual transformation. His gray hair can represent pain, aging, and punishment, as the stress of his wrongful imprisonment prematurely ages him. The blood-splattered knife represents Aksionov's lack of control over his fate. The Lives of the Saints represents his religious devotion, and so on.

About the Story: In spite of his wife's objections due to a horrible dream she had on that night, Aksionov made forced to travel to a fair in Nizhi, who insisted on going in order to bring his family wealthy gifts and to have good fortune. After traveling 25 kilometers, he finally ran upon a fellow trader, and the two of them spent the night in the inn. After sharing a cup of tea, they retired to sleep in nearby rooms. He got up in the middle of the night since he didn't want to stay awake any longer. He returned to the inn for dinner. Ivan was stopped by two soldiers along the route and questioned about the merchant. The merchant who had spent the previous night with Aksionov had been discovered with his throat slashed, so they discovered a knife with blood on it in his bag and turned him into a criminal. Despite the fact that Aksionov was actually innocent, he was put on trial and accused of killing a businessman and stealing 20,000 Roubles. The incident caused suffering for his wife, and the kids were too little to deal with it. The petition they attempted to file was unsuccessful. Everyone had suspicions about him, and even his wife began to have doubts, but he insisted that only God knew the truth.

Aksionov spent 26 years inside a Siberian prison, who also earned money while incarcerated by making boots. He earned the nickname "Grandpa" among other prisoners. Aksionov received no correspondence from his family, and he had no idea whether his wife and kids were still alive. One day, fresh prisoners arrived, including Makar, a native of Vladimir who had previously traveled to Siberia. Aksionov spoke with Makar and posed a few queries. He started to believe Makar was the one who killed the merchant as their chat progressed. Aksionov learned about Makar's escape plan when he was incarcerated, but he did not inform the officer who dug the tunnel. After that occurrence, Makar understood his error. He acknowledged killing the merchant and that he had kept the knife in Aksionov's backpack. Makar apologized and knelt on the ground to beg for forgiveness. But by the time they gave Aksionov permission to go home, he had passed away.