Resurrection · Question
How does Resurrection develop the theme of Revolution and Resistance?
Answer
Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy develops Revolution and Resistance across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Through the political prisoners (Kryltzóff, Mary Pávlovna, Símonson), Tolstoy examines the idealism, sacrifice, and moral complexity of revolutionary movements, portraying them as both noble in their rejection of oppression and flawed in their dogmatism.
The preface highlights the Doukhobors' resistance to military conscription and their persecution, linking the novel's proceeds to supporting their cause.
Véra Doúkhova, a political prisoner and revolutionary, reaches out to Nekhlúdoff, highlighting the presence of revolutionary activity and the plight of political prisoners.
The presence of political prisoners, including a mother with a child born in prison, underscores the resistance against the autocratic state.
Evidence in the book
- Translator's Preface
The preface highlights the Doukhobors' resistance to military conscription and their persecution, linking the novel's proceeds to supporting their cause.
- XLIX
Véra Doúkhova, a political prisoner and revolutionary, reaches out to Nekhlúdoff, highlighting the presence of revolutionary activity and the plight of political prisoners.
- LIV
The presence of political prisoners, including a mother with a child born in prison, underscores the resistance against the autocratic state.
- LV
Véra Doúkhova's detailed account of her revolutionary activities and the girl who falsely confessed to shooting a gendarme highlight the themes of political resistance and sacrifice.
- XXV
Shoústova's arrest and interrogation highlight the risks faced by those involved in revolutionary activities, and the psychological toll of resisting state pressure.
- XXVI
The aunt's reference to revolutionists who find rest in prison, and her own embitterment after being treated as a 'thing,' underscores the theme of resistance against an oppressive state.
- Chapter II
Simonson's direct confrontation with the officer and Mary Pavlovna's intervention embody acts of resistance against oppressive authority.
- III
The political prisoners are portrayed as self-sacrificing individuals who oppose the upper classes, and Máslova comes to admire and sympathize with their revolutionary ideals.
