Master and Man (Illustrated)In this short story, a land owner named Vasili Andreevich Brekhunov takes along one of his peasants, Nikita, for a short journey to the house of the owner of a forest. He is impatient and wishes to get to the town more quickly 'for business' (purchasing the forest before other contenders can get there). They find themselves in the middle of a blizzard, but the master in his avarice wishes to press on. They eventually get lost off the road and they try to camp. The master's peasant soon finds himself about to die from hypothermia. After leaving his peasant to die, and returning to the same place he had fled from, the master attains a spiritual/moral revelation, and Tolstoy once again repeats one of his famous themes: that the only true happiness in life is found by living for others. The master then lies on top of the peasant to keep him warm through the cold night. Vasili is too exposed to the cold though and dies. Nikita's life is saved, but he loses three of his toes to frostbite. |
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amble asked Nikita asked Vasili Andreevich astray awoke barking began breath breechband Brekhunov cheerful cigarette cold collar cook's husband covered with snow crupper dark drink drove drugget drunk ears evidently eyes feel feet felt boots fluttering forest front frozen fur coat gave girdle gone Goryachkin Grishkino hand harness head heard holiday horse's hung icons kerchief knees knew legs listened longer looking manure master match minutes moustache move Mukhorty Mukhorty's neighbour Nikita took once peasants Petrushka phosphorus ravine reins replied Nikita road round rubles sackcloth samovar seemed shaft-bow shafts shaking sheepskin coat shirt shivering shook shouted Vasili Andreevich side skirt sledge snow-drift snowy stay the night stood stopped straight straw suddenly talk terror There's thing thought Vasili Andreevich turned the horse village vodka warm warmer way-marks whip whistling wife wind wormwood wrapped yard