MAJOR 2

HOME ASSIGNMENT;

•  Write a note an realism.

Explain one of the Tolstoy story on it.

👉🏻 Realism is a literary and artistic movement that emerged in the mid-19th century, aiming to depict contemporary life and society exactly as they are, without romantic idealisation or supernatural elements.

🔸 What is realism?

Instead of focusing on heroic figures, grand myths, or emotional extremes (which were common in Romanticism), Realism shines a light on everyday, middle- and lower-class characters dealing with ordinary, often harsh, realities.

Tolstoy’s realism plays a fascinating role in both contexts, particularly through his short story/parable "Father Sergius", which directly critiques the traditional, religious concept of canonization and sainthood.

The Story: "Father Sergius"

In "Father Sergius", Tolstoy uses his trademark realism to dismantle the romanticized, legendary idea of Christian saints and official church canonization.

1. The Plot: The story follows Prince Stepan Kasatsky, a proud, aristocratic military officer with a brilliant future. When he discovers that his fiancée was previously the mistress of the Tsar, his pride is shattered. He abruptly quits his high-society life, cuts ties with the world, and enters a monastery, taking the monastic name Sergius.Sergius spends years striving for absolute spiritual purity and battling the sins of the flesh and pride. He becomes famous for his piety, is forced into isolation as a hermit, and eventually gains a widespread reputation as a holy healer. Crowds flock to him, and the institutional church begins viewing him as a living saint—primed for formal canonization.

2. The Realist Deconstruction of Sainthood: 

Instead of presenting a glowing hagiography (a idealized biography of a saint), Tolstoy uses harsh realism to show Father Sergius’s internal torment:

The Illusion of Piety: Sergius realizes that the more the public and the church praise him as a saint, the less actual faith he feels. He is constantly fighting intense lust and deep spiritual pride.

The Falling Point: His "sainthood" completely collapses when he gives in to temptation and sleeps with a fragile, young woman who comes to him for healing.

3. True Sanctity vs. Church CanonizationRuined and deeply ashamed, Sergius flees into the wilderness. He has a dream that directs him to seek out Pashenka, a simple, impoverished woman he knew in his childhood.

When he finds her, he discovers that she lives a grueling, thankless life: she is constantly abused by her husband, works tirelessly to feed her family, and is considered a failure by society. Yet, she acts out of pure, unselfish love without expecting any reward.

Sergius has a massive realization: Pashenka is the true saint, while his own "saints' life" was just an act to satisfy his pride. He becomes a nameless, traveling vagabond, wandering from place to place, doing quiet acts of good without any desire for institutional recognition.