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God Sees the Truth but Waits by Leo N. Tolstoy
MAIN INTRODUCTION
alight (v.): come down from a horse or vehicle
confess (v.): admit or state that one has committed a crime
convict (n.): a person found guilty of a criminal offense and serving a sentence of prison
Czar (n.): emperor, specifically the ruler of Russia until the 1917 revolution
despair (n.): absence of hope
flog (v.): beat (someone) with a whip or stick as punishment or torture
inn (n.): an establishment for the lodging and entertaining of travellers
knot (n.): a fastening made by tying a piece of string, rope, or something similar
mercy (n.): pity, compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone
mirth (n.): fun and enjoyment as shown by laughter
perish (v.): suffer death, typically in a violent, sudden, or untimely way
petition (v.): make a formal request to (an authority) with respect to a particular cause
riotous (adj.): involving public disorder; out of control; unruly
spree (n.): unrestrained activity of drinking alcohol
tinkle (v.): make or cause to make a light, clear ringing sound
troika (n.): a Russian vehicle drawn by three horses abreast
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE STORY
THEMES
MORALS
CHARACTERS
SETTING
DETAILED SUMMARY
SHORT SUMMARY
Write a short summary of the story "God Sees the Truth but Waits" by Leo Tolstoy.
The story “God Sees the Truth, But Waits” was written by Leo Tolstoy, a Russian philosopher. The story has revealed the importance of forgiveness in our lives.
This story is about the life of Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov, who was a young, handsome, and jovial merchant from Vladimir, a town in Russia. Before marriage, he used to drink a lot and even become riotous. He was the best singer. He had virtuous qualities such as faith, forgiveness, freedom, acceptance, etc.
One day, his wife dreamt badly about him. She dreamt that Aksionov had returned to his town with grey hair. She became afraid of him and tried to stop him from going to the Nizhny Fair.
But Aksionov went to the fair against his wife's will. On his way, he met a merchant of Ryazan and spent his night with him in an inn. The merchant was found dead the next morning. Aksionov was accused of killing the merchant and stealing twenty thousand roubles from him. His release petition was even rejected. His wife also asked questions about him being suspicious. He was severely tortured in prison and finally sent to a Siberian prison to work in the mines for 26 years. He grew old there. In Siberian prison, he was completely changed. He devoted every day to the name of God. The book "The Lives of the Saints" changed his life. He participated in the prison's church, doing religious activities. He was liked and respected by others.
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One day, Aksionov met Makar Semeyonich, the real murderer, in prison. He knew the truth about Makar. But he saved Makar from the governor for the crime of digging a tunnel under the prison's wall. Makar felt ashamed of himself and asked for an apology from Aksionov. He confessed his crime and got an excuse from Aksionov. Aksionov got self-realisation and died peacefully in prison.
Thus, the title reflects in this story that every decision of God needs enough time. We should wait for the truth to win. Faith in God gives us the answer to all our problems, as the title says, ‘God sees the truth but waits’.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
a. What does the title of the story mean?
Answer:
The title of the story means that every decision made by God needs enough time. The almighty God knows everything. There is nothing hidden in front of God's eyes. The judgement of God is always right, but there is a delay in the way of truth, which is God's way. We should wait for the truth to win with a deep faith in God. The truth provides us with answers to all our problems.
b. Is it fair to punish innocent people in the name of justice?
Answer:
No, it isn't fair to punish innocent people in the name of justice. As a human, the judge of the court doesn't know the reality of the suspects. He or she judges the case according to the proofs. In most cases, there is a wrong judgement by the judge, and the people become the victims of the wrong judgment.
c. Do you believe dreams might predict the terrible fate of a person?
Answer:
Yes, I believe dreams might predict the terrible fate of a person. This story itself suggests the same case. In our societies, most people believe in dreams. They try to find out the meaning of dreams and act accordingly. Our evil dreams sometimes turn out to be our terrible fate, and we have to bear the loss.
a. What bad habits did Aksionov have before his marriage?
Answer:
Aksionov was a very handsome and jovial person who used to seek happiness. Before marriage, he had very bad habits of drinking alcohol and getting involved in fights. He used to drink a lot and become riotous.
b. What can be the meaning of his wife's dream?
Answer:
The meaning of his wife's dream can be a sign of a bad omen. In her dream, she had seen her husband returning to his town with grey hair. She became quite afraid of her husband. She took the dream as a sign of evil.
c. Why did Aksionov think of killing himself?
Answer:
Aksionov thought of killing himself because he remembered all those harsh situations that he had faced in his life without committing any crime. He remembered his torture, the people around him while he was in chains, the convicts, twenty-six years of imprisonment, his premature old age, etc. All these painful thoughts made him so wretched that he was ready to kill himself.
d. Why did Makar disclose that he had killed the merchant?
Answer:
Makar disclosed that he had killed the merchant because he felt ashamed of himself. He felt pity for Aksionov. Aksionov saved Makar from the governor, though he was a victim of Makar's crime. The act of Aksionov made Makar feel ashamed and disclose his crime.
e. Why doesn't Aksionov wish to return to his family at the end of the story?
Answer:
Aksionov doesn't wish to return to his family at the end of the story because he has become quite old. He has spent his entire life in prison without committing any crime. He is feeble too, at this age. He desires to die in prison instead of going to his family.
REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT
a. "Well, old man," repeated the Governor, "tell me the truth: who has been digging under the wall?"
i. Who is that old man?
Answer:
That old man is Aksionov, who has spent his twenty-six years in prison.
ii. Which truth is the speaker asking about?
Answer:
The speaker is asking about the truth of a person who has been digging under the wall of the prison.
iii. Which wall does the speaker mean?
Answer:
The speaker means the prison's wall.
b. Describe Aksionov's character.
Answer:
Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov was a young, wealthy merchant in the town of Vladimir in Russia. He had two shops and a house. He was a handsome man with fair-curly hair. He was 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. He was accused of murdering a fellow merchant and robbing him. He suffered a lot in prison and spent his twenty-six years waiting for God's judgement. He was also mentally strong because he was able to endure many unfortunate events, such as losing his home, family members, and business. Finally, he displayed strong religious devotion by growing closer to God during difficult times. He was a truthful man, holding his peace till the end, but circumstances changed his fate, and he died in prison at last.
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c. What is the theme of the story?
Answer:
We find various themes here in this story, "God Sees the Truth, but Waits." The major themes in the story are guilt, forgiveness, faith, conflict, freedom, and acceptance. The story has presented all these themes. Among these themes, forgiveness is one of the greatest. Here, we find forgiveness from Aksionov for Makar Semyonich. Although Aksionov has spent his twenty-six years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he is able to forgive Makar who committed the crime. This story has shown the best form of revenge, which is forgiveness.
d. Which symbols are used in the story and what do they indicate?
Answer:
We find the use of many symbols here in this story. Following are the symbols used in the story:
1. House and shops
Aksionov's house and shops symbolise earthly material possession, which doesn't favour anyone and remains forever. Aksionov doesn't get the support of his possessions till the end.
2. Nightmare (grey hair)
The terrible dream of Aksionov's wife symbolises the terrible fate of Aksionov. The story has presented the bad results of the nightmare. The grey hair in the dream turns out to be real in Aksionov's life.
3. The prison
The prison itself is a symbol of Aksionov's suffering and his eventual spiritual transformation. Prison is the place where he finds pain, torture, and even spiritual transformation.
4. Book (The Lives of the Saints)
This book is the symbol of religious transformation within Aksionov. Due to this book, Aksionov devotes his life to God and keeps faith till the end.
REFRENCE BEYOND THE TEXT
a. What role does religion play in Aksionov's life? How does he undergo a spiritual transformation in the story?
Answer:
Religion plays a very vital role in Aksionov's life. He has spent his whole life in a Siberian prison, expecting the right judgement from God. After being suspected by his wife, he gives up all his hopes and tells himself that God only knows the truth. For twenty-six years as a convict in Siberia, he grows older. In prison, Aksionov works hard and learns to make boots. He earns a little money, with which he buys the book ‘The Lives of the Saints'. He devotes his life in the name of religion, being very faithful to God. He starts reading and singing this book in the prison's church on Sundays. He realises various aspects of life and fate in connection with religion. The prison authorities even like him for his meekness. His fellow prisoners respect him and call him “Grandfather” or “The Saint.” He knows about fate, spirituality, God's devotion, the righteous path, acceptance, forgiveness, etc. He keeps on showing his truthfulness. He meets the real murderer of the merchant but remains silent. He even saves the convict from the governor. He gets self-realisation and forgives Makar at the end. Aksionov realises that forgiveness is the path to peace. He obtains peace at last and dies. In this way, we find him and his life transforming from materialism to spiritualism only because of religion.
b. What does the story tell us about the existence of unfair system of justice?
Answer:
The story tells us about the existence of an unfair system of justice through the main protagonist's life. Here in this story, a good and innocent man is wrongly imprisoned on a charge of murder, punished for 26 years, and made to lose everything and his entire life for no fault or crime of his own, but only based on evidence. He suffers a lot throughout his life but gets self-realisation and dies peacefully at last.
VERY SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Who is the writer of the story "God Sees the Truth but Waits"?
Answer:
The writer of the story "God Sees the Truth but Waits" is Leo N. Tolstoy.
2. Who has narrated the story "God Sees the Truth but Waits"?
Answer:
An unnamed third-person narrator has narrated the story "God Sees the Truth but Waits."
3. When was the story "God Sees the Truth but Waits" published?
Answer:
The story "God Sees the Truth but Waits" was published in 1872.
4. In which country is the story "God Sees the Truth but Waits" set?
Answer:
The story "God Sees the Truth but Waits" is set in Russia (the Soviet Union).
5. Who is the story's main protagonist?
Answer:
Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov is the story's main protagonist.
6. Who is the story's main antagonist?
Answer:
Makar Semyonich is the story's main antagonist.
7. What activities was Aksionov fond of before his marriage?
Answer:
Before his marriage, Aksionov was fond of drinking and fighting.
8. What are Aksionov's first names?
Answer:
Aksionov's first name is Ivan Dmitrich.
9. What is Semyonich's first name?
Answer:
Semyonich's first name is Makar.
10. In which genre is "God Sees the Truth, But Waits"?
Answer:
"God Sees the Truth, But Waits" is a short story.
11. What did Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov's wife dream about?
Answer:
Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov's wife dreamt about her husband Aksionov returning home with grey hair.
12. Where did Aksionov set out at the beginning of the story?
Answer:
Aksionov set out to the Nizhny fair at the beginning of the story.
13. How did Aksionov interpret his wife's nightmare?
Answer:
Aksionov interpreted his wife's nightmare as a lucky sign.
14. Which town was Aksionov from?
Answer:
Aksionov was from Vladimir, a town in Russia.
15. Which mode of transport did Aksionov use to travel?
Answer:
Aksionov used to travel in a horse-drawn carriage.
16. Whom did Aksionov first meet on his way to the fair?
Answer:
Aksionov first met a fellow merchant from Ryazan on his way to the fair.
17. Where did Aksionov stay on his way to the fair?
Answer:
Aksionov stayed in an inn on his way to the fair.
18. What is a samovar?
Answer:
A samovar is a tea urn.
19. What was Aksionov doing when the police arrived to question him?
Answer:
Aksionov was playing his guitar when the police arrived to question him.
20. What did the official accuse Aksionov of having done?
Answer:
The official accused Aksionov of killing and robbing a fellow merchant from Ryazan.
21. What did the official find among Aksionov's possessions?
Answer:
The official found a bloody knife among Aksionov's possessions.
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