
Master and Man
by Leo Tolstoy
'Master and Man' Summary
In this short story, a land owner named Vasili Andreyevich Brekhunov takes one of his peasants, Nikita, for a short journey by sleigh. They are traveling to visit another landowner so that Vasili Andreyevich can purchase a forest. He is impatient and wishes to get there more quickly before other contenders can get there.
The two men find themselves in the middle of a blizzard, but the master, in his avarice, wishes to press on. Due to snow, they find themselves losing the road and getting lost. They eventually find themselves in a town and stop to rest. Vasily Andreyevich decides they must set back out.
The men lose the road and the horse gets tired out, so they decide to try to sleep out the night and find their way in the morning. Nikita, who is not as warmly dressed as Vasily Andreyevich, soon finds himself about to die from hypothermia.
Vasily Andreyevich decides to leave Nikita to die and sets out on his own on the horse. He wanders through the snow in circles and eventually falls off the horse, finding himself back by Nikita and the sleigh. The master attains a spiritual/moral revelation, and Tolstoy 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. In the morning, peasants dig out the sleigh, which was only half a mile from town. They find Vasily Andreyevich and the horse dead but Nikita is still alive.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
RussianPublished In
1895Authors

Leo Tolstoy
Russia
Leo Tolstoy was a significant figure in Russian literature, known for his novels "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina." These works are celebrated examples of realist fiction, examining human experience...
Books by Leo TolstoyDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare
King Lear, an aging monarch, decides to divide his kingdom amongst his daughters based on their expressions of love. This rash decision sets in motion...

The Death of Ivan Ilyitch by Leo Tolstoy
The Death of Ivan Ilyich first published in 1886, is a novella by Leo Tolstoy, considered one of the masterpieces of his late fiction, written shortly...

Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard
“An Adventurer – He that goes out to meet whatever may come!” This is the credo of Allan Quatermain, the quintessential, swashbuckling protagonist of...

Cuervo by Edgar Allan Poe
El Cuervo es un poema narrativo de Edgar Allan Poe que se centra en un hombre que se encuentra inmerso en la profunda tristeza por la pérdida de su am...

Marie Antoinette and Her Son by Luise Mühlbach
Marie Antoinette lives a happy life in a glittering court as Queen of France, but that soon changes as the revolution begins. Her son is Louis Charles...

Crown of Years by Robert F. Murray
Crown of Years is a collection of poems by Robert Fuller Murray, a Victorian poet who spent most of his life in St Andrews, Scotland. Murray's poems...

Miss Sara Sampson by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Miss Sara Sampson is a play by the Enlightenment philosopher, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. Written in 1755 while the author was living in Potsdam, it is...

Aunt Jane's Nieces by L. Frank Baum
Aunt Jane's Nieces is a classic novel that explores the themes of inheritance, family, and legacy. The story centers around Jane Merrick, a wealthy, e...

Novelle per un anno, vol. 05: La Mosca by Luigi Pirandello
'La Mosca' is a short story by Luigi Pirandello, first published in 1923. The story follows a young man who becomes obsessed with a fly that has lande...

Idiot (Part 03 and 04) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Idiot is a profound and moving exploration of the human condition. Dostoyevsky delves into the depths of the human psyche, exposing the fragility...
Reviews for Master and Man
No reviews posted or approved, yet...