Excerpt

Excerpt from Master and Man, by graf Leo Tolstoy

But in spite of his resolution to go quietly, he rushed forward and
even ran, continually falling, getting up and falling again. The horse’s
track was already hardly visible in places where the snow did not lie
deep. ‘I am lost!’ thought Vasili Andreevich. ‘I shall lose the track
and not catch the horse.’ But at that moment he saw something black. It
was Mukhorty, and not only Mukhorty, but the sledge with the shafts
and the kerchief. Mukhorty, with the sacking and the breechband twisted
round to one side, was standing not in his former place but nearer to
the shafts, shaking his head which the reins he was stepping on drew
downwards. It turned out that Vasili Andreevich had sunk in the same
ravine Nikita had previously fallen into, and that Mukhorty had been
bringing him back to the sledge and he had got off his back no more than
fifty paces from where the sledge was.

IX

Having stumbled back to the sledge Vasili Andreevich caught hold of it
and for a long time stood motionless, trying to calm himself and recover
his breath. Nikita was not in his former place, but something, already
covered with snow, was lying in the sledge and Vasili Andreevich
concluded that this was Nikita. His terror had now quite left him, and
if he felt any fear it was lest the dreadful terror should return that
he had experienced when on the horse and especially when he was left
alone in the snow-drift. At any cost he had to avoid that terror, and
to keep it away he must do something--occupy himself with something. And
the first thing he did was to turn his back to the wind and open his fur
coat. Then, as soon as he recovered his breath a little, he shook the
snow out of his boots and out of his left-hand glove (the right-hand
glove was hopelessly lost and by this time probably lying somewhere
under a dozen inches of snow); then as was his custom when going out of
his shop to buy grain from the peasants, he pulled his girdle low down
and tightened it and prepared for action. The first thing that occurred
to him was to free Mukhorty’s leg from the rein. Having done that, and
tethered him to the iron cramp at the front of the sledge where he
had been before, he was going round the horse’s quarters to put the
breechband and pad straight and cover him with the cloth, but at that
moment he noticed that something was moving in the sledge and Nikita’s
head rose up out of the snow that covered it. Nikita, who was half
frozen, rose with great difficulty and sat up, moving his hand before
his nose in a strange manner just as if he were driving away flies. He
waved his hand and said something, and seemed to Vasili Andreevich to be
calling him. Vasili Andreevich left the cloth unadjusted and went up to
the sledge.

---

Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy

Context of the Work

Master and Man (1895) is a late novella by Leo Tolstoy, written during a period when the author was deeply engaged with moral and spiritual questions. The story follows Vasili Andreevich Brekhunov, a wealthy merchant, and his peasant servant Nikita as they travel through a blizzard in search of a profitable land deal. The journey becomes a struggle for survival, forcing Vasili to confront his greed, pride, and humanity. The excerpt provided occurs near the climax, where Vasili, after losing control of his horse and nearly perishing in the snow, stumbles back to the sledge—only to find Nikita, whom he had earlier abandoned, barely alive.

Tolstoy’s work is deeply influenced by his Christian anarchist and ascetic beliefs, emphasizing themes of humility, brotherhood, and the futility of materialism. The story critiques the exploitative relationship between the Russian merchant class and the peasantry, while also exploring redemption through suffering and self-sacrifice.

---

Themes in the Excerpt

1. The Illusion of Control and Human Frailty

   • Vasili, a man accustomed to power and wealth, is reduced to a desperate, stumbling figure in the snow. His "resolution to go quietly" is immediately undermined by his panicked rushing, symbolizing how human will is fragile in the face of nature’s indifference.
   • The horse’s track fading mirrors Vasili’s loss of direction—both literally and morally. His fear of being "lost" is not just physical but existential.

2. The Reversal of Master and Servant

   • Earlier in the story, Vasili abandons Nikita, prioritizing his own survival and profit. Now, he finds Nikita half-buried in snow, forcing him to confront the consequences of his selfishness.
   • The snow-covered figure in the sledge is a powerful image—Nikita, the "man," is now the one in need, while Vasili, the "master," must decide whether to act with compassion.

3. Fear and the Struggle for Meaning

   • Vasili’s terror is not just of death but of being alone—his "dreadful terror" when abandoned in the snowdrift reflects his spiritual emptiness. His frantic activity (shaking snow from boots, adjusting his girdle) is an attempt to distract himself from existential dread.
   • Tolstoy suggests that busyness is a defense against meaninglessness—Vasili clings to practical tasks to avoid facing his moral failure.

4. Redemption Through Suffering

   • The moment Nikita rises from the snow, weak but alive, is symbolic of resurrection and second chances. His strange hand movements (as if driving away flies) suggest disorientation, but also a return from the brink of death.
   • Vasili’s shift from self-preservation to concern for Nikita marks the beginning of his moral awakening.

---

Literary Devices & Stylistic Analysis

1. Imagery of Snow and Cold

   • The snow is both an obstacle and a shroud—it erases tracks, buries objects (like Vasili’s glove), and nearly claims lives. It symbolizes death, oblivion, and the indifference of nature.
   • The horse’s twisted breechband and tangled reins mirror Vasili’s disordered state of mind.

2. Symbolism of the Sledge and Horse

   • The sledge represents the burden of materialism—Vasili’s greed has led him into this storm, and now it is also his potential salvation (if he chooses to help Nikita).
   • Mukhorty (the horse) is a symbol of endurance and instinct—unlike Vasili, the horse tries to return to the sledge, suggesting a natural morality that humans have lost.

3. Irony and Reversal

   • Vasili thought he was in control (of the horse, the journey, his fate), but the storm humbles him. His physical exhaustion ("stood motionless, trying to calm himself") contrasts with his earlier arrogance.
   • The lost glove is a small but potent symbol—something once useful, now buried and forgotten, much like Vasili’s moral compass.

4. Stream of Consciousness & Psychological Realism

   • Tolstoy immerses the reader in Vasili’s panic through short, fragmented thoughts ("I am lost! I shall lose the track").
   • The sudden shift from terror to relief when he sees Mukhorty and the sledge mirrors the unpredictability of human emotions under stress.

5. Biblical & Religious Undertones

   • Nikita’s emergence from the snow evokes Lazarus rising from the dead—a moment of grace and possible redemption.
   • Vasili’s attempt to "occupy himself" reflects the human tendency to avoid spiritual reckoning through distraction (a theme Tolstoy explores in The Death of Ivan Ilyich).

---

Significance of the Passage

This excerpt is pivotal in the story because it marks the turning point in Vasili’s character arc. Up until now, he has been selfish, greedy, and dismissive of Nikita’s humanity. However, the shared suffering in the storm forces him to see Nikita not as a servant, but as a fellow man.

• Moral Awakening: Vasili’s decision to help Nikita (instead of leaving him to die) is the first step toward his redemption.
• Critique of Materialism: The blizzard strips away all pretense—Vasili’s wealth, status, and plans mean nothing in the face of nature’s power and his own mortality.
• Christian Humanism: Tolstoy suggests that true humanity is found in self-sacrifice, not self-interest. The warmth of compassion (even in a frozen wasteland) is the only thing that can melt the ice of greed.

---

Conclusion: The Deeper Meaning

Tolstoy’s excerpt is not just about survival in a snowstorm, but about the soul’s struggle against ego and fear. Vasili’s physical battle—falling, getting up, losing his glove—mirrors his spiritual battle to reclaim his humanity. The snow-covered Nikita is both a judgment and an offering: will Vasili continue in his selfishness, or will he choose mercy?

In the end, Master and Man is a parable about what it means to be truly human—not through power or wealth, but through humility, compassion, and the recognition that we are all, in the end, just men in the snow.