Word: nekhlyudov
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...that plot: Katyusha emerges from prison for her trial while Prince Nekhlyudov arrives for jury duty. She is falsely charged with theft and murder while he realizes she is the love of his youth--whom he had impregnated, given an unwanted hundred rubles, and deserted. She is unjustly sentenced to four year's hard labor while he becomes obsessed by his guilt. She lives contentedly in jail while he tries everything to get her out. She turns down his offer of marriage while he succeeds in having her pardoned. Finally, she opts for another while he carriages off into Siberian...
That's what happens when you summarize Tolstoy in a paragraph. What is important here is evil--when Nekhlyudov stopped listening to his conscience, evil began. So, too, the vices of bureaucrats and the injustices of procedure share Nekhlyudov's guilt for Katyusha's dilemma. But forgiveness is also important: both Katyusha and Nekhlyudov emerge "good people" after their long and torturing period of atonement. Not to mention the people, the imperfect masses Tolstoy cherished...
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