Hadji Murat, Tolstoy’s second book with the Caucasus as its setting can be considered a work of historical fiction that is a beautiful tale of resistance, and a window into not only the Caucasian War of the mid-nineteenth century, but also the culture of the Russian Empire during this period. As a work of fiction the reader must be wary of depictions of actual persons such as Tsar Nicholas I, whom Tolstoy was not enamored with, to say the least, but many insights about the period and its people can be gleaned from the story. The novel is one of great contrasts between Chechens and Russians and also of what life was like during this time.
Tolstoy’s emphasizes deeply with the Chechen people as he details their suffering at the hands of the Russians. Through Hadji Murat we get to know the people of the Caucasus and their peaceful existence, followed by the depiction of a brutal Russian raid on a Chechen village. The Russians burn the food reserves of the town, kill livestock, and raze many of the buildings as well. The structures that are not completely destroyed are defiled by the Russian troops, including the village’s mosque. Even the well is fouled. The village chosen by the Russians was the same that gave hospitality to Hadji Murat at the beginning of the novel. Sado, the man who offered his home to Hadji Murat returns to find it destroyed and his son dead, bayoneted in the back by the Russians. The outrage that Tolstoy must have felt in writing this is palpable, played out in the unimaginable hatred that the Chechen villagers feel towards the Russians. To Tolstoy, this feeling of hatred towards the Russians was just as natural a feeling a feeling as the feeling of self-preservation (Tolstoy p85). Like the thistle in the opening of the novel these people would not submit until destroyed. These villagers are left with task of rebuilding and then choosing to continue to resist and have the same thing occur again, or to submit to the destroyers and defilers of their home. They decide to ask Shamil for help, revealing one of Tolstoy’s messages in Hadji Murat; that oppression and violence will only breed more dissent.
The brutal attacks by Russian soldiers can also be likened to Nicholas I’s suppression of dissent in the rest of the Russian empire, particularly political dissent. When he was deciding on the public punishment of a...
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...ther Akim had apparently done the same the night before the chapter he appears in takes place.
Being a work of fiction, the characterization of people and events in Hadji Murat is largely a product of Tolstoy’s own imagination. This does not, however, take away from his message, from the story, or from truths about Russian culture found in the novel. Tolstoy believed strongly in nonviolence, which is evident in his message about oppression; that it only breeds more dissent and resentment. The thistle in the opening sold its life so dearly in its attempt at self preservation, and the Chechen villagers’ hate of the “Russian dogs” is said by Tolstoy to be just as strong, they would fight just as hard as that simple thistle did. Aside from Tolstoy’s message and any biases he had against any of the historical figures in his novel, his book is a wealth of information about stratified Russian society from the top to the bottom, making it very valuable in the study of Russian history and culture.
Works Cited
Moss, Walter G.. A History of Russia, Volume I: To 1917 (Second Edition). Wimbledon Publishing Company, London. 2002.
Tolstoy, Leo. Hadji Murat. Hesperus Press Limited, London. 2004.
Moss, W., 2014. A History of Russia Volume 2: Since 1855. 1st ed. London, England: Anthem Press London, pp.112-113.
Schools are meant to give our children a healthy and nurturing environment, and yet so much of the lunches in schools are fattening; does this stop schools from achieving the aforementioned goal? Childhood obesity in the United Sates continues to be a growing problem despite so any new programs to help combat it, and new research is showing how schools may be playing a large role in childhood obesity. School lunches are showing to be the problem, they encourage poor nutrition in our nation’s students, and simple reform is proving to not be enough to stop the rise in obesity rates.
I am very interested in the topic of Organ transplantation. I am interested in biology and the process of surgeries. What intrigues me is the process of saving someone’s life in such a dramatic and complicated process. My dad happens to be a doctor and in his training he cut open a human body to see for himself the autonomy of the body. So being interested in the field of medicine is in my blood. Modern technology helps many people and saves people around the globe. However even with modern technologies that progress mankind, bio medical and ethical dilemmas emerge. And ultimately life falls into the hands of the rabbis, lawmakers and philosophical thinkers.
Wood, A. (1986). The Russian Revolution. Seminar Studies in History. (2) Longman, p 1-98. ISBSN 0582355591, 9780582355590
The arena for this ideological contest is Petersburg, full of slums, revolutionary students and petty titular councilors. Scientifically and artificially constructed in the midst of marshland, the city itself is a symbol of the incompatibility of logical planning with humankind's natural sensibilities. The city did not grow randomly or organically, but entirely by czarist decree. Nonetheless, it is a dank and depressing place to live, at least for those in the vicinity of Haymarket Square, where the story takes place. Joseph Frank, Dostoevsky's biographer, says of ...
Unfortunately, the life-saving potential of transplantation is limited by the shortage of organs available for donation. In general, several suitable organs from deceased individuals are not harvested for donation (for reasons that will be discussed later) and this largely contributes to the shortage1. In 1968, the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act gave individuals the right to donate organs and tissue in the United States1. Donors can either be living or deceased. Living donors are individuals who choose to donate portions of vital organs or a single kidney. Their donations can be directed to a specific recipient or can be an indirect altruistic donation; however, altruistic donations are very rare. Majority of donations come from deceased donors2. Deceased donors are individuals who have been medically declared dead, and who have previously registered as organ donors or whose legal representatives (usually their family members) have authorized organ donation on their behalf. One deceased donor can make up to eight donations from different organs, and therefore, can save up to eight lives4. Candidates for donation are chosen based on their blood-type (it must match the donated organ) and their medical need for a donation (the most critically ill patients are more likely to receive donations). The organs that are currently approved for transplantation are the kidney, heart, lung, and liver. Although living donations are a significant proportion of donations in the United States, this paper will focus on increasing the number of deceased
Someone who is willing to take on all the responsibilities and do their best knowing the struggle that college brings should be praised for their enthusiasm and dedication. On the other hand, a good number of students are pushed by their parents, family, and high school administration like teacher to go to college, when they really do not want to. The people pushing act as if there is no other way to be successful in life unless you attend a university. The young adults that are pushed and are not willing to go to college are more likely to believe they will not do well and in doing so will not pass their classes resulting in wasting their time and money. The stress of college, if they are not prepared for it and are not ready to handle their new found responsibilities they will crack under the pressure. To not be ready and spend the money to go can be a disappointment in and of itself, but when you could wait and continue with your schooling when you are ready and have the money to do so then go forth to gain new knowledge. In Julie Scelfo article Suicide on campuses and the pressure of perfection she tells the story of a girl with so much presser on her to be perfect because everyone else is that it gets to he and she takes her life. She was not ready for college and was not prepared for what college was all
Up until that point, the opt-in system for organ donation was working perfectly. Then it experienced a breakdown in communication. Due to this miscommunication, not one in the “62,000 people desperately clinging to life” was given hope (Krauthammer 622). It was not the fault of the system. The opt-in system of organ donation in the United States today is a good system, but
Riasanovsky, Nicholas V., and Mark D. Steinberg. A History of Russia. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford, 2005. Print.
A. The Epic of Russian Literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1950. 309-346. Tolstoy, Leo. "
There is a lot of pressure put on high school students to go to college. Junior and Senior year of high school all students hear is ‘where are you going to college’ and ‘what are you going to do with your life’. Such questions can be overwhelming and cause a lot of stress for students. It’s been put into everyone’s minds that in order to be successful you absolutely have to go to college and get a degree. Not every successful person went to college. The idea of college can put a lot of stress onto a person when they think it is the only way to be successful, but it is possible to be successful without a degree thus students should not be pressured into going to college as soon as they graduate high school.
There are also several very important steps you can take to help reduce the damaging effects of both chemotherapy and radiation therapy to your skin.
Today, more than 120,000 patients in America are on the waiting list to receive a vital organ that would save their lives. Another name is added every twelve minutes. Far under this number is the number of donors willing to sign a donor card and donate their organs after their death. Only around twenty eight thousand of these transplants are filled every year; the others are still waiting and most are not too fortunate. As the number of waiting lists patients goes up, many people find that signing the organ donation card will bring them no real cost and is a noble deed, but the need for organ donors in America is increasing daily and doctors know that, which, is often an issue. Organ donation is a dominating controversial topic, many think it should be required to donate organs after death in America, however, there are opposing arguments that present a real case against it.
One way of preventing dry skin is to spend less time in the bath or shower. Bathe or shower once a day and make sure you are in and out within fifteen minutes. This means your body's natural oils are not stripped. Use gentle cleansers on your skin, preferably ones which contain added moisturizers.
Organ donations plays a major role in health care today. With thousands of people all across the United States in need of an organ transplant, organ donations have become a benefit. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of organ donors because of the myths and facts associated with organ donation. With many people being placed on a waitlist, there are very few people willing to be donors. In addition, factors such as complications during surgery, incompatibility between donor and recipient, and surgical procedures can inhibit the likelihood of one undergoing organ donations. Aside from the disadvantages, organ donations also has its advantages such as giving a life to a person