Gods Sees The Truth But Waits
summary
Author: Leo Tolstoy
"God Sees the Truth but Waits" is a powerful short story written by the famous Russian author Leo Tolstoy. It explores themes of fate, justice, forgiveness, and faith. The story revolves around a young and honest merchant named Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov who lives in the town of Vladimir. One day, while traveling to a fair, he meets another merchant. They stay at the same inn, but the next morning, Aksionov is falsely accused of murdering the merchant and stealing his money.
Despite his innocence, Aksionov is arrested, tried, and sentenced to twenty-six years of hard labor in Siberia. Over the years, he transforms into a deeply religious man, gaining respect from fellow prisoners and guards alike. However, he remains sorrowful about the injustice he has suffered and loses hope of ever seeing his family again.
Many years later, a new prisoner named Makar Semyonich arrives. Aksionov eventually discovers that Makar is the real murderer. At one point, Makar tries to escape from the prison by digging a tunnel, but Aksionov refuses to report him, even though he knows about the plan.
Moved by Aksionov’s forgiveness and kindness, Makar confesses that he was the one who committed the crime for which Aksionov was imprisoned. He begs Aksionov for forgiveness. Although Makar promises to tell the truth to the authorities, Aksionov, at this point, feels that his soul is finally at peace. Before Aksionov could be freed, he passes away in prison, finding true freedom through forgiveness and faith in God.
Theme: The story teaches that although justice may be delayed, truth and divine justice always prevail in the end. It also shows the strength of faith, the power of forgiveness, and the idea that suffering can lead to spiritual salvation.
Understanding the text
a. What bad habits did Aksionov have before his marriage?
Aksionov used to drink before his marriage and was riotous when he drank too much.b. What can be the meaning of his wife’s dream?
The meaning of his wife’s dream can be the bad fortune or unluck.c. Why did Aksionov think of killing himself?
When the Aksionov meet the real murderer of the businessman, he had lost everything. He was not getting support from the family members too, kept in prison for 26 years, grown old before time. So he thought of killing himself.d. Why did Makar disclose that he had killed the merchant?
Makar disclosed that he had killed the merchant because he realized his mistake and thought that he should not let other be punished for his crime. He did so because he felt pity over Aksionov.e. Why doesn’t Aksionov wish to return to his family at the end of the story?
Aksionov doesn’t wish to return his family his wife was dead, he didn’t know about his children and lived in the name of God at the end of the story.Reference to the context
a. "Well, old man," repeated the Governor, "tell me the truth: who has been digging under the wall?"
i. Who is that old man?
That old man is Aksionov.ii. Which truth is the speaker asking about?
The speaker is asking about the truth of digging an escape hole.iii. Which wall does the speaker mean?
The speaker means the prison’s wall.b. Describe Aksionov’s character.
Aksionov is the protagonist of the story “god sees the truth but waits” written by Leo Tolstoy. He is a young merchant. He is a handsome, fair-haired, curly-headed fellow, full of fun and very fond of singing. He used to drink much before marriage but later on, he changed himself and became a good man. He had virtuous qualities such as faith, forgiveness, freedom, and acceptance. His comfortable life is disrupted when he is framed for a murder he didn’t commit and was sent to a Siberian prison camp. He earns a reputation as a good person among the prison officials and fellow prisoners. After finding himself imprisoned with the man who framed him, Aksionov is ready to kill himself. However, at the end of the story, he is able to forgive Semyonich. He dies shortly before the authorities order him to be released.c. What is the theme of the story?
In the story ‘God Sees the Truth, But Waits’ by Leo Tolstoy we have the theme of guilt, forgiveness, faith, conflict, freedom and acceptance. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator the reader realizes after reading the story that Tolstoy may be exploring the theme of forgiveness.If the plea of his wife to the Czar is denied, Aksionov realises that he cannot rectify his wrong. He commits himself to God to offer him that righteousness which a man cannot give him.
Aksionov becomes a modest and pious person in jail. Officials and inmates appreciate him in settling disputes for his neutrality. Aksionov’s trust in God is so great that he thinks that he must be wicked to deserve God’s tortured life.
After Aksionov is reluctant to report the drilling of Semyonich’s tunnel, Semyonich is disturbed by the compassion of Aksionov. Aksionov eventually gives forgiveness to Semyonich.