# Akoulína — The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories character guide

> Akoulína in The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Aunty Akoulína

**First appearance:** 0041-a-spark-neglected-burns-the-house

## Snapshot

A peasant woman whose quarrel with a neighbor over a trifle ignites a feud that spreads through the whole village.

## Who they are

Akoulína is a village woman caught up in the ordinary frictions of peasant life, where a straying hen or a harsh word can become a matter of family honor. Her temper and her readiness to take offense draw her into a dispute that neither side will let drop. What begins as a petty grievance between neighbors escalates through pride and stubbornness, showing how a single spark can consume a community.

## In the story

### [Polikoúshka](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/poliko-shka)

Polikoúshka's wife. She is anxious and weeping, fearing her husband will be taken as a soldier. She tends to their many children in their cramped cubicle.

### [Strawberries](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/strawberries)

A peasant woman whose son, Míshka, is found sleeping in the woods by Ólga while picking strawberries. She represents the off-stage peasant life.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/characters/akoulina
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/characters