"Ilyás" ("Ильяс", 1885, sometimes translated as "Elias") is a short story by Leo Tolstoy written in 1885. It is the story of the farmer, Ilyas, who grew up successful but loses his fortune through mistake, in the end only finding peace without having property.

"Ilyás"
Short story by Leo Tolstoy
Original titleИльяс
CountryRussia
LanguageRussian
Publication
Publication date1885

Plot

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According to the literary critic Ernest Joseph Simmons, "Elias" is a story that combines feelings universal to all men with plots and trappings of a supernatural or otherworldly character.[1] Elsewhere, Simmons said that this was one of the wrote as an illustrative text alongside pictures.[2] According to lyricist Robert Hunter, the moral of this story is that one should serve one's master with honesty and humility, no matter how oppressive one's master is.[3]

History

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It was translated to English in 1899 by Nathan Haskell Dole[4] and in 1904 by Leo Wiener.[5]

The story is regularly included in academic, literary material for university-level students.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ernest Joseph Simmons (2004). Tolstoy. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781317668886.
  2. ^ Ernest Joseph Simmons (1968). "8. Later Short Stories". Introduction To Tolstoy's Writings.
  3. ^ Robert Hunter (1914). Why We Fail as Christians. Macmillan Publishers. p. 70.
  4. ^ Tolstoy, Graf Leo (1899). The Complete Works of Lyof N. Tolstoï. Vol. 13–14. Translated by Nathan Haskell Dole.
  5. ^ Leo Tolstoy (1904). Fables for Children, Stories for Children, Natural Science Stories, Popular Education, Decembrists, Moral Tales. Translated by Leo Wiener. Dana Estes & Company. p. 473. ISBN 9781465511003.
  6. ^ Elizabeth McCallum Marlow (2018). How to Teach World Literature: Student Review Questions and Tests. WestBow Press. ISBN 9781973631521.
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