Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy is a recognized classic of Russian literature throughout the world. “Our Everything” is in literary prose: writer, thinker, philosopher, founder of the religious and moral direction “Tolstoyanism”, which gathered a lot of followers in Russia and abroad. For his long life, Leo Tolstoy wrote not so much by today's standards: several novels (though quite lengthy), several short stories, many stories and essays. All together was included in 90 volumes of the Complete Works. Among other things, the story “After the Ball” was written, which will be discussed later.
Summary: Tolstoy, After the Ball. Introduction
The story begins with how a dispute arose in one of the living rooms, the subject of which was the question: can a person distinguish good from bad without being attached to a certain environment? It has been suggested that it is the environment that determines the criteria for evaluations. One of the guests, Ivan Vasilievich, a middle-aged, respected person, expressed the opinion that everything is decided by the case, and offered to prove it by the example of an episode from his life.
Summary: Tolstoy, After the Ball. At the ball
The described events occurred in the forties of the nineteenth century. At that time, the narrator was young and in love with the colonel’s daughter, Varenka, a real beauty who, despite universal admiration, remained a sweet and welcoming girl, capable of awakening the brightest feelings.
The young man was handsome, rich, in love and happy. He was dancing a mazurka with his chosen one, and his feelings overwhelmed him so much that he was ready to embrace the whole world. At the height of the ball, Varenkin’s father appeared - a tall elderly man with a military dress and the same sweet smile on his lips as that of his daughter. At the request of the mistress of the house, father and daughter performed a solo dance. They danced, and the wave that swept the young lover in relation to his daughter covers his father, and now the young man already unites them for himself in a single whole and loves both. The old-fashioned colonel's boots with square toes and without heels seemed especially touching to him. The young man understands that in order to ensure that his daughter goes to the light at the proper level, the old soldier is forced to save on himself.
Summary: Tolstoy, After the Ball. Through the system
After the ball ended, the young man returned to his home, but could not sleep. The legs themselves carried him to where Varenka’s house was standing on the edge of the field. Approaching, the young man hears sharp piercing music and sees a formation of soldiers through which a half-naked man is tied to two guns of officers. They explain to him that this Tatar is driven through the ranks in punishment for escaping. The unfortunate were led between the soldiers, and each hit him with a stick on his bare back. He repeated: “Brothers, have mercy,” he fell, but they lifted him up and invariably led him on. Next to the person receiving the punishment was a high military commander, in which the narrator recognized the father of his beloved, several hours ago dancing so famously at the ball. The old man made sure that all soldiers respected the force of the blow, and when one of them hit hard enough, he whipped the poor fellow in the face with gloves. The young man could no longer endure this sight and went home, taking away in his soul a terrible, heavy anguish.
Summary: Tolstoy, After the Ball. Conclusion
This incident affected the impressionable young man so much that he abandoned his plans for joining the military. The heavy scene of the “run” overshadowed the ball’s impressions. The young man could not separate the image of the cruel military leader from the image of the good father of the family, although he tried in every possible way to justify him in his eyes. Soon, the aversion to his father grew into a cooling of his daughter, and in the end, love came to naught.
Such is the summary of “After the Ball” by Leo Tolstoy. The story is really small, but the scenes described in it literally arise before reading. Therefore, if you see the title “Tolstoy. "After the ball". Summary ”, do not limit yourself to reading it. Take the collected works and get acquainted with the story in the form created by the author.