Literary Analysis of

God Sees the Truth, But Waits

by Leo Tolstoy

Short Story Analysis Course

Supervised by
Assist. Prof. Dr. Behbud Muhammedzade

Prepared by:
Osama Mirkhan Nabi

November 27, 2014

1
Introduction

Russian author, essayist and philosopher, Leo Tolstoy enriched the literature;
specifically the Russian literature heritage with enormous astounding genius
literary works. The inconstancy of Tolstoy’s life has left a great impact on his
style of writing; approximately most of his works meant to be didactic, in which he
arouses controversial topics and tackles them. Among dozens of short stories
written by him, “God Sees the Truth, But Waits” is to be considered one of the
best, and it was first published in 1872 in which this period has its significance on
Tolstoy’s life.

In this short story, Tolstoy instigates many questions in readers’ mind about truth,
injustice and fate as he resides his readers between both spiritual and
materialistic worlds throughout the course of the story. In spite of the fact that this
story is a realistic fiction, it attracted our attention due to the allegory it implies
and the significance of the values it reveals. Above all, it could happen physically.

Thus, this paper aims to analyze the story literary and provide necessary
illustration. The major characteristics of a short story are considered in which we
discuss about plot, conflict, characters, themes, tone, and personal value. In
each aspect, we develop and prove with good evidences.

2
1. Biography

Russian novelist, short story writer, philosopher Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy also
called Leo Tolstoy was born on September 9, 1828 in Tula Province, Russia. He
was the youngest among his four brothers. He was only 18 months old when his
mother died after giving birth to a baby girl. Later on, in 1837, Tolstoy's father
died and they were brought up by their aunt. After she passed away, he and his
siblings went to Kazan, Russia to live with their second aunt. Tolstoy received his
education at home by German and French tutors.1 In 1843, he entered Kazan
University and started Oriental languages then switched to Law. His teachers
described him as "both unable and unwilling to learn."2 He finally left the
university without attaining the degree, and decided to return to the estate they
lived in before in Yasnaya Polyana.

In 1851, Tolstoy went with his older brother to the Caucasus and joined the army.
During his service in army, he worked on his very first writings autobiographical
story called Childhood. In it, he wrote about his fondest childhood memories.
Then it was followed by Boyhood in 1854 and Youth in 1857. Once the war
ended, he left the army, returned to Russia and declared himself an anarchist.
Upon his returning to Yasnaya Polyana, he set up a school for the village
children and settled down to run the estate. On September 23 rd in 1862, Tolstoy
married Sophia Andreyevna Behrs and for nearly twenty years he lived a settled
life on his estate. In June 1863, his wife had the first of their 13 children. These
years were considered as golden era for him in which he wrote some of his best
known novels such as War and Peace.

Then suddenly in one of his trips in September 1869, stopping in the village of
Arzamas for the night, he experienced an anxiety crisis so violent that he

1 "Leo Tolstoy." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 Nov.

2014<http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
2"Author Data Sheet, Macmillan Readers". Macmillan Publishers Limited. www.macmillanenglish.com. 22
Oct. 2010. 28 Nov. 2014 . <http://www.macmillanreaders.com/?s=Leo+Tolstoy>

3
believed he had gone mad. He felt he had met his own death. He described this
moment in Memoirs of a Madman: “An explosion inside me caused me
unspeakable terror . . . something inexpressible was shattering my spirit yet not
completely: . . . something tearing me apart without tearing me apart. It was
harrowing, painfully sharp, and awful.”3 And this was the turning point in his life
that caused him spiritual crises for the next ten years of his life. In two years,
three of his children died and he become desperate. He lost the will to live and
became preoccupied by the idea of suicide. His long essay A Confession
(published in 1882) shows the state of despair into which he sank. Fortunately,
he had his talent back and started writing Anna Karenina and took seven years of
time to complete it. During this period, he wrote many short stories such as God
Sees the Truth, but Waits. He found religion as an outlet to overcome his crises
and started searching for a meaning of life and rebelled against the dogma and
ritual of Orthodox Church. As a result, in 1901, he was excommunicated.

After years of increasing friction with his wife, Tolstoy renounced his aristocratic
life and left his home in late October 1910. He became ill and died in a railroad
station at Astapovo,Russia, ten days later, on November 7, at the age of eighty-
two.4

3
Anargyros-Klinger, Annie.” The Thread of Depression Throughout
The Life and Works of Leo Tolstoy.” Int. J. Psychoanal. 83 (2002): 407.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1516/2M6C-51NQ-W7N5-AYT2/abstract>
4
ibid

4
2. Title of the Story and Tolstoy

The title of the story holds an implied allegorical meaning according to the plot.
Having a first look to the title God sees the Truth, But waits arouses the question
why God waits as long as He sees the truth? and leaves the reader restless as it
gives the sense of suspense to discover the notion behind it. The events of the
story one by one feed the reader’s sense of suspense with contentment as well
as astonishment.

The story has an obvious relationship with the author Leo Tolstoy; it was first
published in 1872, the period that Tolstoy was experiencing his journey looking
for a meaning to the life then finally found the religion as the most proper to get
over the burdens of anxieties he suffered from. The story is a clear reflection of
Tolstoy’s religious concepts which he carried in that period and latter on.5 In
addition, the story is centered about forgiveness justice and injustice.

3. Plot Summary

The story begins with describing a young handsome merchant whose name is
Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov who lives in Vladimir with his family. Ivan used to drink
too much when he was young but after got married, he settled down. On a
summer day, he plans to go to Nizhny fair and prepares himself; his wife pleads
him not to go saying that she saw a bad dream about him that all his hair turned
to grey after his return from the town in her dream. But Ivan laughs as if he does
not care and goes on the fair. He meets another merchant on his way; they
together continue their venture and stop in an inn for the night. While staying in

5 Jahn, Gary R. “A Structural Analysis of Leo Tolstoy’s God Sees the Truth, But Waits.” Studies in Short
Fiction 12 (1975): 261. connection.ebscohost.com. web. 27 Nov. 2014 .
<http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/literary-criticism/7134374/structural-analysis-leo-tolstoys-god-sees-truth-
but-waits>.

5
the inn, they drink tea together then go for sleeping separately. Since Ivan is not
used to sleep for long hours, he wakes in the early morning and decides to
continue his journey without the other merchant. After traveling twenty-five miles,
he stops to feed the horses and brings out his guitar and starts playing it.
Suddenly a troika stops, an officer alights from it followed by two soldiers and
starts to interrogate with Ivan asking about the merchant whom he met and
stayed together in the inn, since he was found with his throat cut. They start to
search among Ivan’s things and they find a blood-stained knife in his bag. Ivan
swears that he has not done the crime but his face was down, pale and he was
trembling with fear. The officer orders the soldiers to bind Ivan and take him to
the cart since all evidences points out Ivan to be guilty. After Ivan’s trail takes
place, he becomes accused of killing the merchant and stealing twenty
thousands of rubles. His wife becomes despaired and pays a visit to Ivan in the
prison with her children and a one on her breast, but after much begging, they let
her to see him. She tells Ivan they must petition to Czar, and they try but it was
not accepted by Czar. Then she remembers her dream and tells Ivan it was not
for nothing she had that dream. She asks Ivan about what happened, he tells her
everything in details, but she reassures again by asking him to tell the truth
whether he made the crime or no? Here Ivan becomes even sadder when hears
this from her. The officer comes and asks his wife to leave, and Ivan says good-
bye to them for the last time. After they are gone, he recalls what has been said
and even his wife now suspects him He thinks that only God knows the truth and
He is the only one who he should appeal and ask mercy from. Ivan gives up all
the hope and stops writing petition. He only prays for God. Later on, Ivan is sent
to Siberia.6

Here, the second part of the story starts in which he is depicted as white hair
man who has spent twenty-sex years convicted in the prison. But now he is a
well grounded and God-fearing man, he has dedicated his life to God and lives

6
Chain. "God Sees the Truth but Waits." StudyMode.com. StudyMode.com, 09 2013. Web. 09
2013. <http://www.studymode.com/essays/God-Sees-The-Truth-But-Waits-1935052.html>.

6
the life of saints, and well-liked by the prison authorities for his meekness, and is
called Grandfather or The Saint among his fellow-prisoners. Ivan knows no news
about his family and knows not whether his wife is alive or dead. Then One day,
a fresh gang of convicts come to the prison. The old prisoners gather around the
new comers and ask them of which cities they come from and what they were
sentenced for. Among the new convicts, there is a tall man in his sixties named
Makar Semyonich, he tells the other that he is in the prison for nothing but he
should have been there for something he has done before, and declares that he
is from Vladimir. Ivan asks him if he knows anything about the merchants of
Aksionov in Vladimir. Makar assures that Aksionov merchants are now rich and
their father is convicted in Siberia like him. Makar asks Ivan for the for why he is
sentenced, but Ivan does not utter a word, then the prisoner tells Makar all the
story. Makar slaps his knee and happily tells Ivan that is wonderful he meets him
there but tells Ivan that he has grown old. Ivan wonders that perhaps Makar
knows the person who killed the merchant. But Makar replies that the killer must
be the one whose knife was in his bag, then Makkar tells Ivan how is possible
that someone else put the knife in his bag while it was under his head.7

Ivan now is completely sure that Makar is the murderer who killed merchant. He
miserably feels unhappy and recalls his old memories, children, wife and all the
twenty-six years of his prison. So wretched, Ivan thinks to take revenge upon
Makkar, but then just avoids him at the day for not seeing him, and keeps awake
the whole night repeating the prayers, though not obtaining peace. Until one
night, Ivan sees some earth rolling out from the shelves where the prisoners
sleep. He goes out and sees Makar. Makar tells him not to tell a word about what
he has witnessed or else he will kill him. Ivan trembles with anger but says that
God will direct everything. Next day, the soldiers discover the secret tunnel and

7
Sunmin,Lee.“5 Thoughts on God Sees The Truth, But Waits By Leo Tolstoy.”
vitadolcelit.wordpress.com.7 Sep. 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
<vitadolcelit.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/god-sees-the-truth-but-waits-by-leo-tolstoy>

7
 start interrogate all the convicts.8 They all deny having any knowledge about it.
The Governor takes Ivan alone and tells him to speak what he knows about the
secret tunnel. At the beginning, Ivan thinks to tell the Governor everything, but
then changes his mind as he knows Makar will be flagged to death and thinks his
suspect about him might not be right. At the night when Ivan is on his bed, Makar
quietly gets close to him and begs him for forgiveness. Ivan asks him what for to
forgive him? Makar confesses to him he was the one who killed the merchant.
Ivan does not forgive him at the first, Makar beats his head on the floor and starts
sobbing. Ivan as well weeps and forgives him. Mara says that he would confess
to the officer the truth of the murder; hence, Ivan obtains his freedom. After Ivan
grants Makar forgiveness, his heart grows light and no more has the desire to
leave the prison just waits for his last hours. Makar confesses the truth, but when
the paper of Ivan’s release comes, he is already dead.

4. Conflicts

The issues presented in the story are mainly concerned with the protagonist Ivan,
and shows how he deals with them and tackles. The main problem showed is the
murder case of the merchant, whom Ivan has been charged with and sentenced
for twenty-six years of prison. Throughout the story, we are exposed to different
sorts of conflicts such as man versus man, man versus himself, man vs. society
and man vs. fate.

The conflicts could be presented as a series of sequences due to their correlation

and linking together. For instance, in the first part of the story when Ivan
coincidently meets a merchant and they decide to continue their trip together.
While stopping in an inn for one night, Ivan leaves the merchant the next day
and starts his travel alone. Here, the first conflict is presented in the story when
Ivan stops for a short break, and suddenly an officer with two soldiers appear and

 8
Kurtmen. "God Sees the Truth but Waits." StudyMode.com. StudyMode.com, 08 2013. Web. 27
Nov. 2013. <http://www.studymode.com/essays/God-Sees-The-Truth-But-Waits-1879744.html>.

8
interrogate with him about the merchant who was found with his throat cut. Ivan
here struggles to prove himself as not being guilty but the soldiers find a bloody
knife in his bag, and he gets arrested. Yet, in the second part of the story Ivan
confronts with the authority again while they discover a secret tunnel made for
eloping. The Governor interrogates with Ivan to tell his knowledge truthfully about
the tunnel. Here, this conflict leads to other two types of conflicts which are man
versus himself and man versus man. Since Ivan knows the truth about the
tunnel, as he found Makar digging it at the middle of the night, he had been
threatened to be killed by Makar if he says a word about it. Ivan experiences an
inner struggle whether to tell the truth or not, from one side he wishes to reveal
the truth to take his avenge upon Makar, but at the same time, he decides not to
tell it as he thinks he might be wrong for his suspension of Makar being the true
murderer of the merchant. By taking this decision, Ivan gets to his final conflict
with himself while Makar comes to him at night confiding of being the one who
murdered the merchant and now seeks for the forgiveness from him. Here, Ivan
experiences a severe internal struggle to grant Makar with forgiveness, but finally
he wins himself in this struggle and gains the absolute internal liberty from spite
restrains and having his heart growing light.

5. Characters
There are three main characters in God Sees the Truth, but Waits. The following
are a brief introduction to each one of them:

5.1. Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov

In this short story, we have Ivan as the protagonist who is accused of a murder of
a merchant; as a result, he is convicted and sent to Siberia for Twenty-Six years.
While reading the story, we discover that Ivan is a dynamic character who
changes physically and spiritually. At the very begging of the story, he is
described as fair-haired, full of fun and fond of singing, but when shifting to the

9
second part of the story we see he is described as “his hair turned white as snow
and his beard grew long, thin, and grey. All his mirth went; he stooped;
walked slowly, spoke little, and never laughed, but he often prayed.” 9 These
descriptions show what a great transformation occurs to him through the course
of the story. Ivan; however, developed spiritually to a great extent and his
personality transformed from frailty to be steadier, since in the first part of the
story when he confronts the officer and the two soldiers, he is described as “his
voice was broken, his face pale, and he trembled with fear as though he went
guilty.”10 And when his wife suspects him, he becomes despaired and starts
weeping. But in the second part when he encounters Makar at the night and
being threatened by him, he is described “trembled with anger as he looked at
his enemy.”11 when at the end Makar comes to Ivan asking to forgive him and
starts sobbing Ivan as well as weeps. Here, we distinguish the difference
between the adjectives and adverbs used to describe him, as in the first he is
described trembling with fear but in the second part he is trembled with anger.

5.2. Makar Semyonich

Makar Is the antagonist and joins to the events of the story in the middle of the
second part. Makar is described as a tall strong man in his sixties. Throughout
the story up to the end, Makar is presented as a vicious but at the same time
demonic He twice put Ivan in critical situations as for the first time he meets Ivan
plays with words to show him that he murdered the merchant but does not reveal
directly. And the second time, when he is discovered by Ivan while digging a
secret tunnel for elopement. He threatens Ivan for killing him if he says a word.
But at the very end of the story, he is highly affected by Ivan’s manner towards
him, as he repents and goes to him asking for forgiveness. However, he is now
transformed from maliciousness to a full charity, but still goes to the authorities to

9
Tolstoy,Leo. Twenty Three Tales. Trans.by L. and A. Maude. London: Oxford University Press, 1923.
10
Ibid
11
ibid

10
confess the truth on the murder of the merchant so that Ivan could get his
release paper.

5.3. Ivan’s Wife

Ivan's wife only appears in the first part of the play twice. Firstly, when Ivan
prepares himself to go on fair, she attempts to prevent him as she had a bad
dream about him that she considered to be a bad omen. Secondly, when Ivan is
convicted, she pays him a visit but finally leaves him despaired as she too
suspects him. Here, she plays a crucial role in Ivan’s transformation as he says
God is the only one who knows the truth and should be asked for mercy. This is
considered his first step towards the great spiritual transformation.

6. Themes
Many significant themes are found in God Sees the Truth but Waits. The most
important ones are presented below:

6.1. Faith and Forgiveness

Tolstoy indirectly leads the readers to infer the true value of faith and forgiveness
and the importance of their outcomes by deducing that through Ivan’s character.
The fact which Tolstoy wants to teach the readers is that God is the only one who
knows the complete truth about everything, including our realities. But He
sometimes may lead us to discover our realities through some slight or even
harsh trials. In the case of Ivan, at the beginning he is described to be full of fun
and a heavy drinker also indirectly to be unaware of his reality. But after being
convicted and suspected even by the closest person to him, his wife, he returns
to God as he says “It seems that only God can know the truth, it is to Him alone

11
we must appeal, and from Him alone expect mercy.”12 Thus, Tolstoy shows the
readers the significance of the faith in our life, as in the story, Ivan believes that
only God is capable of showing the truth. Yet, Ivan is exposed to face another
trial to prove his real charity, when he encounters his enemy Makar, the readers
may expect a destructive reaction from him towards Makar, but just the opposite
happens and Ivan tells Makar “God will forgive you. Maybe I am a hundred times
worse than you.” The two characters both come to the understanding that God’s
forgiveness and mercy towards humans are incomprehensible. Therefore, here,
readers realize that outcomes of faith are crucial to the life as it makes the whole
person to change towards the best and to develop both spiritually and morally.

6.2. Materialism and Spirituality

Ivan begins as a material being unaware of his spiritual nature as being
described full of fun. All of a sudden, he loses his confidence in his materialistic
life and begins to be aware of his spiritual nature. He has not yet achieved full
spiritual consciousness. Only after the second great shock, his protecting and
finally his forgiving Makar, his spiritual nature comes to full expression as he
feels that his soul is finally released only when renouncing his longing for his old
materialistic life; “He no longer had any desire to leave the prison, but only hoped
for his last hour to come.” Later it is said, "When Aksenov's pardon arrived, he
was already dead." The pardon that is to bring Ivan freedom has become
dispensable, for the full and final freedom of his spirit from its material burden
has already been achieved.13 Tolstoy seems to make his readers think that what
make us sinners is our attachments to materialistic world, including our homes,
businesses, and families. Even if these things do not really cause us to sin, the
attachment itself makes the risk of sin possible, and once we lay down, our

12
Grace Shinae Lee. “God Sees the Truth, but Waits” Commentary. graceshinae.blogspot.com.
blogspot.com. 24 Nov. 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2014 < http://graceshinae.blogspot.com/2009/11/god-
sees-truth-but-waits-commentary.html>
13
Jahn, Gary R. “A Structural Analysis of Leo Tolstoy’s God Sees the Truth, But Waits.” Studies
in Short Fiction 12 (1975): 261. www1.umn.edu. web. 27 Nov. 2014. < http://www1.umn.edu/lol-
russ/PopLit/tolstoy's_god_sees_the_truth,_but_waits.htm>

12
material values, desire for worldly things, often things that are improbable, are
laid down as well. Only when we give up those things, we can fully become free.
14

7. Symbols

The first of these is Ivan’s home and his two shops. They are used to reflect the
materialistic aspect of his character. From the very beginning of the story, the
first things the reader learns about Ivan is that he has two shops and a house.
While in prison, Ivan receives no news from home, but it is clear that he earned
an interest in it since it was the first question he asked Makar when he learned
that they were both from the same town. Having guessed that Makar was the real
murderer, he begins longing for his former life, home, wife and children.
Considering Ivan's home as the symbol of his material life, we find a reference to
the importance of the home exactly equals the initial dominance and final
surrender of the material aspect of Ivan’s character.

The second one is the prison which symbolizes his tragedy and grief, while home
was the object of his longing and desire. This opposition is maintained until the
act of forgiveness. After that, prison and home are no longer opposed but are
rather connected in relation to a third and more important consideration. "And he
ceased longing for home and no longer wanted to leave the prison, and he only
thought about his final hours." 15

14
Grace Shinae Lee. “God Sees the Truth, but Waits” Commentary. graceshinae.blogspot.com.
blogspot.com. 24 Nov. 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2014 < http://graceshinae.blogspot.com/2009/11/god-
sees-truth-but-waits-commentary.html>
15
Jahn, Gary R. “A Structural Analysis of Leo Tolstoy’s God Sees the Truth, But Waits.” Studies
in Short Fiction 12 (1975): 261. www1.umn.edu. web. 27 Nov. 2014. < http://www1.umn.edu/lol-
russ/PopLit/tolstoy's_god_sees_the_truth,_but_waits.htm>

13
8. Tone
The tone of the story is considered more objective and didactic rather than being
passionate or pessimistic. Since it does not give the very basic details of the
characters' life as it is seen in a very quick shift, the time difference between the
first part and the second is twenty-six years. Rather than this, it emphasizes on
depicting the reaction of the characters, specifically Ivan, while encountering the
obstacles. it is inferred from this that the center of the interest in the story is to
show new and unfamiliar concepts about faith, justice, and materialistic life.

8. Conclusion

In this essay, it is been attempted to analyze all the literary important

characteristics of the short storyof God Sees the Truth, but Waits by the famous
Russian novelist, essay writer and philosopher Leo Tolstoy. A short biography of
the author was presented and then discussed shortly the title of the story and its
relation with the righter and how it reflects his concepts and philosophy. The
events of the story go around a young man whose name is Ivan Aksionov and
how he goes under severe conditions but at the same time these conditions
changes him to be a whole good better person. Tolstoy’s aim in this story is to
bring up reader’s attention to realize the importance of faith and its significance in
the process of moralizing the members of the society and to build up a correct
notion about materialistic aspect of their life.

Main elements such as plot, conflict, themes, symbols, characters with examples
and evidences from the story were also discussed. All these features were very
interesting to discuss broadly and provide more details, but because of size of
this essay, I only focused on the main essential points and analyze them
literarily. For further studies, it is worth comparing Tolstoy's themes of God Sees
the Truth, but Waits with other short stories of other writers of the same era to
figure out the differences and similarities.

14
8. Bibliography

Anargyros-Klinger, Annie.” The Thread of Depression Throughout

The Life and Works of Leo Tolstoy.” Int. J. Psychoanal. 83 (2002): 407.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com.Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1516/2M6C-51NQ-W7N5-AYT2/abstract>

"Author Data Sheet, Macmillan Readers". Macmillan Publishers Limited.

www.macmillanenglish.com. 22 Oct. 2010. 28 Nov. 2014 .
<http://www.macmillanreaders.com/?s=Leo+Tolstoy>.

Chain. "God Sees the Truth but Waits." StudyMode.com. StudyMode.com, 09

2013. Web. 09 2013. <http://www.studymode.com/essays/God-Sees-The-Truth-
But-Waits-1935052.html>.

Grace Shinae Lee. “God Sees the Truth, but Waits” Commentary.
graceshinae.blogspot.com. blogspot.com. 24 Nov. 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2014 <
http://graceshinae.blogspot.com/2009/11/god-sees-truth-but-waits-
commentary.html>.

Jahn, Gary R. “A Structural Analysis of Leo Tolstoy’s God Sees the Truth, But
Waits.” Studies in Short Fiction 12 (1975): 261. connection.ebscohost.com. web.
27 Nov. 2014 . <http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/literary-
criticism/7134374/structural-analysis-leo-tolstoys-god-sees-truth-but-waits>.

Kurtmen. "God Sees the Truth but Waits." StudyMode.com. StudyMode.com, 08

2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. <http://www.studymode.com/essays/God-Sees-The-
Truth-But-Waits-1879744.html>.

"Leo Tolstoy." Encyclopedia of World Biography.

2004. Encyclopedia.com.Web. 28 Nov. 2014<http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Sunmin,Lee.“5 Thoughts on God Sees The Truth, But Waits By Leo Tolstoy.”
vitadolcelit.wordpress.com.7 Sep. 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
<vitadolcelit.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/god-sees-the-truth-but-waits-by-leo-
tolstoy>.

15
Tolstoy,Leo. Twenty Three Tales. Trans.by L. and A. Maude. London: Oxford
University Press, 1923.

16