Mourouzis 1

Jack Mourouzis

Professor Juharyan

Russian 36

19 May 2017

Personal Transformations: The Revelatory Moment in Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy focuses much of his work on the human experience, reflecting on his own life and journey from a spiritual perspective, and ultimately culminating his works in an exploration of the meaning of life. Throughout his writings, he depicts the development of the individual over time, documenting the different changes that occur throughout life; Tolstoy draws particular attention to moments of revelation and epiphany that people experience throughout their lives. These ‘revelatory moments’ mark periods of significant perspective change, wherein the subject realizes something new about life, and from that point on, is a different person; Tolstoy’s revelatory moments not only depict periods of change in the lives of his characters, but the evolution of these moments over time throughout his works also reveal the author’s own shift in perspective over the course of his long life.

As these various revelatory moments are compared, a series of patterns emerge in which the moments parallel one another in structure. Each revelatory moment consists of five distinct aspects: preparation, the experience of epiphany, the newfound knowledge, the trigger, and the consequences. The preparation is a unique aspect in that Tolstoy prepares characters for their moments of epiphany; though seemingly counterintuitive at first glance, these preparations ultimately are what cause the change in the subject as they go through the process of realizing knowledge. The recognition of epiphany is when the subject realizes something new in their perspective, recognizing that a change is occurring or has occurred. The newfound knowledge is Mourouzis 2 the knowledge realized during the epiphany, often contrasted with the old knowledge. The trigger is the specific occurrence that results in the epiphany occurring. Finally, the consequences are the subsequent questions raised by the epiphany, coupled with the subject’s reaction to their newfound knowledge. These aspects do not necessarily occur in chronological order in each revelatory moment, but all play a role in each epiphany penned by Tolstoy.

Among Tolstoy’s earliest works is the trilogy of Childhood, Boyhood, Youth, which documents the development of a young aristocratic boy, Nikolenka, from the boy’s own perspective. Childhood depicts Nikolenka’s early life, primarily spent interacting with his immediate family and tutors, and includes only one short section on the arrival and interaction with extended family, the Ivins. At the conclusion of the story, Nikolenka endures the loss of both his mother and a beloved serf, Natalya Savishna. Nikolenka’s first revelatory moment, however, does not occur in direct response to this profound loss; it occurs in the third chapter of

Boyhood, entitled “A New View.” Nikolenka has been spending time with other, non-relative acquaintances and friends, and has developed a particularly close relationship (indeed, a crush) with Katenka, the daughter of a French woman. He and Katenka are discussing their families’ wealth, and how Nikolenka comes from a wealthy family, but Katenka is relatively poor, and bursts into tears as she resigns herself to the fact that she may enter a convent. Nikolenka is upset by this, and he “became so ashamed that we were rich and they were poor that I turned red and couldn’t bring myself to look at Katenka” (Boyhood 132).

At the conclusion of his exchange with Katenka, Nikolenka experiences his first of two notable revelatory moments. Perhaps the most striking aspect of this moment is the stylistic change that Tolstoy employs; instead of following the first-person, objective thoughts of the narrator, the text “breaks the fourth wall,” and directly addresses the reader: Mourouzis 3

“Has it ever happened to you, reader, suddenly to realize at a certain time in your

life that your view of things was undergoing a complete change, as if everything

you had known before had suddenly turned a different, unknown side towards

you? That kind of mental change took place in me for the first time during our

trip, which I also consider the beginning of my boyhood.” (Boyhood 133)

This passage, as a critical moment in one of Tolstoy’s earliest writings, acts not only as an important moment within the trilogy, but also within Tolstoy’s writings in general. The author establishes precedent; moments in which “your view of things was undergoing a complete change” and “everything… had suddenly turned a different, unknown side towards you” play major roles in Tolstoy’s future writings, in many ways acting as focal points for the works, if not simply profoundly important moments within the work.

After this characterization of the epiphany as a revelatory moment, Nikolenka describes his specific change in mentality, claiming that “I clearly realized for the first time that we – that is, our family – weren’t the only ones in the word, that not all interests revolved around us, that another life existed of people who had nothing in common with us, who didn’t care about us and who had no idea we even existed” (Boyhood 133). This is the characterization of the exact nature of the epiphany, wherein the subject, Nikolenka, realizes something new and life-changing.

Interestingly, Nikolenka also describes how he “had known all that previously, but I didn’t know it the way I came to know it then: I wasn’t conscious of it and I didn’t feel it” (Boyhood 133).

This statement acts as a unique description of the nature of the epiphany; in this case, Nikolenka possesses the knowledge beforehand, and thus, the epiphany is him becoming cognizant and aware of that knowledge.

Tolstoy characterizes Nikolenka’s revelatory moment further by describing the exact Mourouzis 4 trigger of the epiphany, stating that “A thought becomes a conviction only by following a certain path… My conversation with Katenka, which touched me deeply and forced me to think about her future position, was such a path for me” (Boyhood 133). The deep, personal connection that

Nikolenka and Katenka develop – a ‘crush,’ as it were – is a new kind of relationship for

Nikolenka, and thus influences in a new and unique kind of way, resulting in his epiphany.

Finally, Nikolenka indulges the reader with a series of questions he raises after his newfound knowledge strikes, as he inquires “…What was it that occupied [other families] if they didn’t care anything about us? And from that question arose others: how and by what did they live, how did they raise their children, did they teach them, did they let them play, how did they punish them? and so on” (Boyhood 133). These questions serve as a reorientation for Nikolenka, which arises as a result of the epiphany; he becomes aware of his social, societal surroundings, and becomes inquisitive into their exact nature, wanting to know more about the world he has only just now discovered.

Prior to this, however, it has become evident that his attitude towards life has shifted slightly; early on in Boyhood, the narrator remarks that “now picturesque new places and things continually capture my attention and interest” (Boyhood 120). Soon after this, while stopped at an inn, he notices several pilgrims along the road, and thinks to himself “I wonder where they’re going and why, and if their journey will last long… it seems strange in a way that those faces have nothing in common with me and that I may never see them again” (Boyhood 121-122). It is clear to the reader that, leading up to the revelatory moment, Nikolenka has already experienced these new feelings, foreshadowing his forthcoming epiphany. This constitutes his preparation; the epiphany moment itself is a sudden, spontaneous event, but Nikolenka has clearly experienced these feelings before, and only becomes aware of it through his revelatory moment. Mourouzis 5

Tolstoy’s reliance on the critical revelatory moment is not limited to his earliest works; the device is utilized in his larger works as well, notably in the epic War and Peace. Perhaps the most important revelatory moment in this work occurs in the third part of the second book, when

Prince Andrei Bolkonsky is conflicted over his thoughts for Natasha Rostova. The most important aspect of this epiphany is not simply the revelatory moment experienced by Andrei, but rather its connection with the physical description of the oak tree. Andrei’s epiphany is triggered by his observation regarding the oak tree, which, at first glance, appeared as though it

“refused to yield to the charm of spring, or notice either the spring or the sunshine” (War and

Peace 449). After passing it by several times, Andrei notices that “Under the oak, too, were flowers and grass, but it stood among them scowling, rigid, misshapen, and grim as ever. “Yes, the oak is right, a thousand times right… Let others – the young – yield afresh to that fraud, but we know life, our life is finished!” (War and Peace 449). This connection with a physical manifestation is unique in the realm of Tolstoy’s revelatory moments, but also functions as a metaphor as Andrei notices the fresh spring roots beneath the malevolent-looking tree, representing his family and friends’ prosperity despite the war. Here Tolstoy ventures into the realm of the allegorical – something which his earlier writings did not strive towards. The oak also seems to speak to Andrei, questioning him directly as an extension of his consciousness: Are you not weary of that stupid, meaningless, constantly repeated fraud?… as they have grown so I stand, and I do not believe in your hopes and your lies” (War and Peace 449).

In addition, up until this moment, Andrei has experienced preparation for his transformation; in an earlier conversation with Pierre concerning marriage, Pierre remarks that marriage is a final event, with nothing coming after. Andrei responds that “Nothing’s for ever…

It is not given to man to know what is right and what is wrong. Men always did and always will Mourouzis 6 err and in nothing more than in what they consider right and wrong” (War and Peace 410). Here,

Andrei already seems convinced of the notion that he is less in control of life as it may seem; he follows through with this notion during his revelation at the oak tree. Indeed, the oak tree seems to echo this sentiment as it speaks to Andrei right before his revelatory moment: “I do not believe in your hopes and your lies” (War and Peace 449).

The words of the tree trigger the revelatory moment in Andrei, and the third-person narrator describes this, stating “A whole sequence of new thoughts, hopeless but mournfully pleasant, rose in his soul in connection with that tree” (War and Peace 449). Tolstoy describes this realization as a “journey” in which he now “considered his life afresh.” In this example, however, the newfound information seems to blend closely with the consequences of Andrei’s revelation. His realization is that “it was not for him to begin anything anew – but that he must live out his life, content to do no harm, and not disturbing himself or desiring anything” (War and Peace 449). Ultimately, this realization manifests itself in Andrei’s subsequent actions – his pursuit of both Natasha and Sonya reflects the decision made clear to him by his experience beneath the oak tree.

A further example of the revelatory moment as depicted in War and Peace coincides with

Pierre Bezukhov’s captivity under the French army. In his time as a prisoner, Pierre witnesses first-hand the execution of several other prisoners, and nearly is murdered himself. During this series of events, he undergoes a clear preparation for his impending epiphany. Witnessing the faces of the involves Russians and Frenchmen, Pierre “read the same dismay, horror, and conflict that were in his own heart” (War and Peace 1039). As the execution takes place, Pierre “With ever-growing horror, and no sense of joy or relief… gazed at what was taking place” (War and

Peace 1039). Pierre’s revelation of nihilism and hopelessness have already begun to seep into his Mourouzis 7 psyche; however, it is not until the explicit revelatory moment that he realizes.

After the executions, Pierre is left in the church in solitude, and can do nothing but reflect on the horrors he has just witnessed until he is pardoned, saved from death. The trigger, in this case, is relatively straightforward: he is brought to a prisoners’ barracks, and looked the men around him, dissociating himself from the events taking place:

“He looked at them without understanding who they were, why they were there,

or what they wanted of him. He heard what they said, but did not understand the

meaning of the words and made no kind of deduction from or application of them.

He replied to questions they put to him, but did not consider who was listening to

his replies, nor how they would understand them. He looked at their faces and

figures, but they all seemed to him equally meaningless.” (War and Peace 1041)

In this moment, Pierre becomes aware that the murders he witnessed have profoundly affected him, prompting his realization of epiphany, as “From the moment Pierre had witnessed those terrible murders committed by men who did not wish to commit them, it was as if the mainspring of his life, on which everything depended and which made everything appear alive, had suddenly been wrenched out and everything had collapsed into a heap of meaningless rubbish” (War and

Peace 1041).

A notable aspect of this revelatory moment is that instead of gaining tangible newfound knowledge, Pierre acquires an omission of knowledge: instead of gaining faith in an idea, he is losing it. The narrator describes that “his faith in the right ordering of the universe, in humanity, in his own soul and in God, had been destroyed” (War and Peace 1041). In addition, Pierre also acknowledges that this was knowledge he had dealt with before – as in the vein of Nikolenka’s initial revelatory moment in Boyhood – evident in the claim that “He had experienced this Mourouzis 8 before, but never so strongly as now” (War and Peace 1041). In addition, Tolstoy also makes use of a metaphorical explanation of this epiphany, describing how Pierre “felt that the universe had crumbled before his eyes and only meaningless ruins remained, and this not by any fault of his own” (War and Peace 1041). Finally, the consequences of this revelation manifest in Pierre’s future actions, hinted at by the claim that Pierre “felt it was not in his power to regain faith in the meaning of life” (War and Peace 1041). Rather than manifest in Pierre’s future action, however, these consequences are more accurately described as future omission – Pierre’s subsequent lack of action regarding moral progression, and continued pessimism.

The importance of the revelatory moment carries through even to Tolstoy’s late works, notably playing a central role in Master and Man. As Vasily Andreevich and Nikita trudge through the blizzard on their long trek, Vasily’s preparation for his revelatory moment becomes quite clear. Initially the master-and-serf dynamic is the predominant mentality of the two; however, it is made clear that the trek breaks down this norm. As the two debate over which direction they must head, it is Nikita who takes the reins, owning the situation both find themselves in. First, Nikita takes the whip from the sleigh, symbolically transferring power to himself. After this moment, he falls completely into his role as ‘master:’ ““We must go to the right,” he said decidedly. “The wind was blowing on our left before, but now it’s straight in my face. Drive to the right,” he repeated with decision. Vasily Andreevich took his advice” (Master and Man 203). Not only does Nikita claim much of the power of the relationship, but he even seems to flip the dynamic, establishing himself as superior over Vasily.

Vasily’s ultimate experience with death also mirror the four elements of a revelatory moment. The recognition of epiphany, for Vasily, occurs at the moment of his death. As he lies on top of Nikita, “it seemed to him that he was Nikita and Nikita was he, and that his life was not Mourouzis 9 in himself but in Nikita… “Well, it was because he did not know what the real thing was,” he thought, concerning that Vasily Brekhunov. “He did not know, but now I know and know for sure. Now I know!”” (Master and Man 232-233). This recognition of epiphany also crosses lines with the newfound knowledge that Vasily gains; indeed, in his situation, his newfound knowledge is less tangible. It is metaphorically expressed in his final words, after realizing that he and Nikita were one: ““Nikita is alive, so I am alive too!” he said to himself triumphantly”

(Master and Man 232). Vasily’s revelation is that master and subordinate ultimately have no natural power relationship, and that all are equal not only in death, but in life as well. In addition, the specific trigger for Vasily’s epiphany is not entirely clear; though ultimately due to Nikita’s collapse in the snow, Vasily’s epiphany stems from his decision to lay upon Nikita:

“Vasily Andreevich stood silent and motionless for half a minute. Then

suddenly… he took a step back and turning up his sleeves began raking the snow

off Nikita and out of the sleigh… he hurriedly undid his girdle, opened out his fur

coat, and having pushed Nikita down, lay down on top of him, covering him not

only with his fur coat but with the whole of his body, which glowed with warmth”

(Master and Man 230).

This decision to save his subordinate’s life is what ultimately allows him to come to the realization of life’s equality. Finally, the consequences of Vasily’s revelatory moment are quite clear and striking; his own death occurs as a product of his realization, but ultimately is the perfect culmination of his experience. He has recognized the importance of every man and broken down the barriers between master and man, and becomes equal only in death.

Tolstoy offers a confirmation of this revelatory process via his commentary in A

Confession. The parable of the two brothers provided in the opening chapter acts as a Mourouzis 10 metaphorical representation of the effects of epiphany and revelation through a religious lens, while also providing a specific emphasis on the preparation leading up to the revelatory moment.

First, Tolstoy provides the reader with the trigger of the epiphany, which simply involves the elder brother addressing the younger: ““Do you still do that?” Nothing more was said between them” (A Confession 20). This is followed immediately by the consequences: “From that day on

S. stopped saying his prayers and going to church. And for thirty years he has not prayed, has not received communion, and has not gone to church” (A Confession 20). The newfound knowledge is conveyed in connection with the consequences of his revelation: “Having recognized their meaninglessness he could no longer continue doing them” (A Confession 21). The brother’s faith in church, prayer, and religion in general has been completely lost. The preparation for this moment is also made quite clear, as “These words indicated that the place where he had thought faith to be had long been empty and that the words he spoke, the signs of the cross and genuflections he made in prayer, were essentially meaningless actions” (A Confession 20-21).

Tolstoy also provides a critical metaphor for the experience, which also functions as the recognition of epiphany. The younger brother describes how “this comment of his brother’s was like a finger being pushed against a wall that was on the verge of collapsing from its own weight” (A Confession 20). In a sense, this metaphor describes all of the revelatory moments present in Tolstoy; a man, throughout the course of his life, gradually realizes things about the world, picking away at the wall, until something puts a little pressure against the wall, causing it to come crumbling down, resulting in epiphany, revelation, and allegorical rebirth.

Finally, Tolstoy’s utilization of the revelatory moment is a useful framing tool for his evolution as a writer from his early to late stages of works. The realization of epiphany is the best aspect of the revelatory moment that displays this transition, moving from Tolstoy’s more Mourouzis 11 realism-based, narrative works to more philosophically focused writings. The realization of epiphany evolves from an explicit, clearly-defined transformation of mentality into less explicit, yet equally meaningful fragments. In Tolstoy’s early work, Boyhood, this moment is most explicitly defined: the first-person narrator directly address the reader, telling him specifically how his mentality has shifted. In Tolstoy’s mid-career work War and Peace, this aspect of epiphany is manifest through a more indirect, narrative description of the realization process.

The case of Pierre is the best example of this, as the third-person narrator describes how “From the moment Pierre had witnessed those terrible murders committed by men who did not wish to commit them, it was as if the mainspring of his life, on which everything depended and which made everything appear alive, had suddenly been wrenched out and everything had collapsed into a heap of meaningless rubbish” (War and Peace 1014). Finally, the example of this moment from Tolstoy’s later work, Master and Man, reflects how his writing has shifted to a greater focus on philosophy and the reflection of characters through their own words and actions, and less through exposition. In this example, Vasily’s realization of epiphany comes in the form of an uttered phrase: ““Nikita is alive, so I am alive too!” he said to himself triumphantly” (Master and Man 232). In this statement, no specific transformation in mentality is tangibly provided.

Instead, Vasily’s triumphant nature and joy at life marks a shift in mentality – in this case,

Tolstoy shows rather than tells. This quality of Tolstoy’s writing in his metaphorical depiction of the revelatory moment present in A Confession, another of Tolstoy’s later works. In this passage, there is no explicit moment wherein the epiphany is realized; instead, the subject’s transition in mentality is represented through his actions, in addition to being further clarified by the metaphor of the finger against the crumbling wall.

Tolstoy’s reliance on the revelatory moment is not only an important crutch for the Mourouzis 12 development of his characters, but also serves as a lens with which to view his development as both an author and a person. Tolstoy focuses heavily on the characters of his various works, and achieves this development in part through utilizing the “revelatory moment” in which the subject undergoes a significant change in knowledge and perspective, and in which their perceived meaning of life is transformed. From the Childhood, Boyhood, Youth trilogy, through his epic novel War and Peace, and finally in his later, philosophic works such as Master and Man and A

Confession, Tolstoy conveys not only his own spiritual journey and transformation, but reflects the universal dynamism of the human experience.

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Works Cited

Tolstoy, Leo. A Confession and Other Religious Writings. Jane Kentish, Penguin Books. 1987.

Print.

Tolstoy, Leo. Childhood, Boyhood, Youth. Judson Rosengrant, Penguin Books. 2012. Print.

Tolstoy, Leo. Tolstoy’s Short Fiction. Michael R. Katz, W. W. Norton & Company. 2008. Print.

Tolstoy, Leo. War and Peace. Amy Mandelker, Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.