My thoughts about Master and Man are leaning towards boring. I will probably forget about it in a few months although I do not think it is bad. What I enjoyed was Vassili’s character development. From being shown to be greedy and not caring towards his family by trying to buy land on Christmas (Pg. 63). Then saving Nikita by laying on top of him when they are both buried in the snow, dying in the process “But Andreyich does not answer, and his belly and legs are solid, cold and heavy as iron weights.” (Pp. 107-108). Vassili is a semi complex character as he is not a horrible person but in no way he is good until the end of the story I guess.
Nikita on the other hand I find to be far more boring. I find his only character development is him getting over being an alcoholic. But to be fair it is a forty-seven page novella so I do not expect some of the most complex well developed characters to ever exist. Again I do not think he is a bad character, just not a very good one. Nikita clearly wants to be with his family. And because of his alcoholism his wife and children are living in a separate household. “Nikita was not invited to live with her.” (P. 64).
I do like the story. The relationship of a land owner and his laborer going on a journey through a snowstorm ending up with the “Master” of the story dying for his “Man.” all because Vassili wanted more money and land. I would like to read some of Leo Tolstoy’s other works like “The death of Ivan Ilyich.” because I think Leo is a good writer and Master and man was even just a few pages longer, like 60 or something. I think it would be amazing.