Tolstoy: War, Truth, and Love

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Tolstoy was relentless in pursuing the truth and raising crucial questions about life: how can one be an authentic self? How can one live a meaningful life? How should I/ an individual relate to others/ community? What is the purpose of art? What is the Good? As one of the great Realist writers of the 19thc, he created memorable characters that confront such questions as they face daunting moments in their lives. In this course we will consider the intricacies of his characters and literary works, and how one can reconcile his championing clarity and simplicity with the complexity of his literary texts and his views on life. We will examine these issues in several works: an early story from the Sevastopol Tales, his great novel War and Peace, “The Death of Ivan Il’ich,” his play The Power of Darkness, “Hadji Murat,” and his booklet What is Art?.