Leo Tolstoy’s “God sees the truth, but waits” was one of the best stories we have read in this class. Why? cause I could understand and follow along. The story is much shorter and less about the specifics than the others, it’s straight to the point. I also enjoyed the story because I am a religious person and I enjoy stories where the character’s have inspiring morals. Tolstoy illustrates the way man should constitute himself when faced with a situation of the such. The main character, Ivan, who is framed for a crime he did not even commit, shows that the greatest weapon we have as humans is forgiveness. Ivan destroys his enemy without even turning him in. Ivan seeks God’s forgiveness after all is loss, which give him the power to continue on. This story could be about religion in the sense that Tolstoy is trying to say that God’s punishments will come in time. He wants to test you and see what you will do when in the face of your enemy and with the means to destroy them. Although it seems like Ivan has just given up hope he actually decides that he must be a worse sinner than Makar, and that if he dies in jail his sins would be cleansed. Regardless the story illustrates a corrupted justice system and a man who’s morals are bigger than life.
-Kyle Blessing
LITERATURE OF THE SPINE 