Resurrection · Question
How does Resurrection develop the theme of Injustice of the Legal System?
Answer
Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy develops Injustice of the Legal System across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The novel exposes the corruption, hypocrisy, and arbitrary cruelty of the Russian judicial system, as seen in the wrongful conviction of Máslova and the classification of prisoners into arbitrary categories, highlighting how the law serves the powerful rather than truth or justice.
The trial of Maslova highlights the arbitrary and class-biased nature of the legal proceedings.
The chapter opens with the prison and court machinery, highlighting the impersonal and oppressive nature of the legal process that treats humans as numbered cases.
The chapter sets up the injustice of Katúsha's eventual trial and imprisonment, showing how her life of poverty and exploitation leads to her being criminalized.
Evidence in the book
- Book I
The trial of Maslova highlights the arbitrary and class-biased nature of the legal proceedings.
- I
The chapter opens with the prison and court machinery, highlighting the impersonal and oppressive nature of the legal process that treats humans as numbered cases.
- Chapter II
The chapter sets up the injustice of Katúsha's eventual trial and imprisonment, showing how her life of poverty and exploitation leads to her being criminalized.
- VI
The chapter exposes the manipulation of the legal system: the president rushes to finish for a romantic tryst, the prosecutor delays a case for political reasons, and a celebrated advocate uses legal tricks to steal an old woman's property.
- VII
The judges' personal preoccupations (the gloomy member's annoyance about dinner, Matthew Nikítich's superstition) contrast with the solemnity of the court, hinting at the system's flaws.
- VIII
The formal, solemn proceedings mask the potential for injustice, as the jury is sworn in and the trial begins.
- IX
The trial's mechanical questioning and the judges' indifference highlight the system's failure to address the human reality behind the charges, particularly for Maslova.
- Chapter X
The indictment process shows the legal system's reliance on circumstantial evidence and the shifting blame among the accused, highlighting potential miscarriages of justice.
