Synthesized answer
By presenting "Resurrection" as "founded upon an actual occurrence" but "completely rewritten" and dedicating its profits to the Doukhobors, a persecuted sect [1], Tolstoy seems to be advocating for a spiritual truth related to compassion and social justice. The Doukhobors were persecuted for "refusing to learn war" [1], suggesting a critique of violence and a call for peace. By supporting a group suffering for their convictions, Tolstoy highlights the mistreatment of those who hold different beliefs and urges readers to recognize and address such injustices.
The passages also suggest a broader societal criticism. Despite the arrival of spring, a time of renewal and gladness for nature and children, "men, grown-up men and women, did not leave off cheating and tormenting themselves and each other" [3]. Instead of valuing the beauty of the world and the peace and love it inspires, they focus on "their own devices for enslaving one another" [5]. This implies Tolstoy aims to expose the spiritual emptiness and self-inflicted suffering caused by human cruelty and the pursuit of power over genuine connection and well-being. The dedication of the book's proceeds to a persecuted group…
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
nd America such outlandish views are attributed to him, that an outlandish spelling is desirable to match those views. This novel, written in the rough by Tolstoy some years ago and founded upon an actual occurrence, was completely rewritten by him during the last year and a half, and all the proceeds have been devoted by him to aiding the Doukhobors, a sect who were persecuted in the Caucasus (especially from 1895 to 1898) for refusing to learn war. About seven thousand three hundred of them are settled in Canada, and about a hundred of the leaders are exiled to the remote parts of…
Produced by Jim Tinsley RESURRECTION By Leo Tolstoy Translated by Mrs. Louise Maude [Transcriber’s Note: The following paragraph is on a page of its own, in cursive writing, apparently in Tolstoy’s own hand.] This English version of “Resurrection” is pub- lished by Dodd, Mead and Company by my authority. Leo Tolstoy TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE Opinions about Tolstoy and his work differ, but on one point there surely might be unanimity. A writer of world-wide reputation should be at least allowed to know how to spell his own…
money to patch up their wounds after the battle. LOUISE MAUDE RESURRECTION CHAPTER I. MASLOVA IN PRISON. Though hundreds of thousands had done their very best to disfigure the small piece of land on which they were crowded together, by paving the ground with stones, scraping away every vestige of vegetation, cutting down the trees, turning away birds and beasts, and filling the air with the smoke of naphtha and coal, still spring was spring, even in the town. The sun shone warm, the air was balmy; everywhere, where it did not get scraped away, the grass revived and…
disappear, and before our spiritual eyes rises only the principal expression of one exceptional, unique individuality. Yes, though dressed in a prison cloak, and in spite of the developed figure, the fulness of the bosom and lower part of the face, in spite of a few wrinkles on the forehead and temples and the swollen eyes, this was certainly the same Katusha who, on that Easter eve, had so innocently looked up to him whom she loved, with her fond, laughing eyes full of joy and life. “What a strange coincidence that after ten years, during which I never saw her, this case should have…
nd the children. But men, grown-up men and women, did not leave off cheating and tormenting themselves and each other. It was not this spring morning men thought sacred and worthy of consideration not the beauty of God’s world, given for a joy to all creatures, this beauty which inclines the heart to peace, to harmony, and to love, but only their own devices for enslaving one another. Thus, in the prison office of the Government town, it was not the fact that men and animals had received the grace and gladness of spring that was considered sacred and important, but that a notice,…
More questions about this book
- Given Tolstoy's explicit insistence on the spelling of his name and his personal authorization of this translation, what does this reveal about his perceived authorial control and the potential significance of how his ideas are presented to a new audience?
- The novel's proceeds are dedicated to the Doukhobors, a sect persecuted for "refusing to learn war," aligning with the translator's "prevention is better than cure" philosophy. How do these stated motivations suggest a moral or activist dimension to "Resurrection" beyond a simple narrative?
- How does the translator's preface, particularly its commentary on Tolstoy's "outlandish views" and the humanitarian cause, prepare the reader for the stark contrast between natural beauty and human degradation presented in the opening paragraph of Chapter 1?
- Explain, as if to a skeptical peer, the central tension Tolstoy establishes in the first chapter by juxtaposing the vibrant, renewing power of spring with the "cheating and tormenting" actions of humanity. What specific details amplify this contradiction?