When I was reading “Master and Man”, I found it boring because the story was way different than the books that I read. There wasn’t any action or a lot of scenes with strong emotions. The only scenes with strong emotions were when Vasili and Nikita were reflecting on their past mistakes, and that was a very depressing but touching moment.
I was surprised that Vasili actually helped Nikita out of the snow in the end and didn’t run back to Gorichkino for his life. I was questioning whether or not people can change in a short amount of time, especially when it comes to their order of priority. I was wondering why Vasili didn’t think about money in his final hours after the whole story was based on Vasili’s obsession. One of the things that surprised me the most at the end was the sudden turn of selflessness when Vasili helped Nikita out of the snow, knowing that he will die getting Nikita free.
This surprised me because Vasili was always using Nikita for his kindness and loyalty. It was written in the book ” Vasili Andreyich had also turned him out more than once, but took him back again, valuing his honesty, love for animals, and above all his cheapness. Vasili Andreyich didn’t give Nikita the eighty rubles such as a good worker deserves, but forty, paying it out randomly, eithr in cash, or more often in kind, in goods from his shop charged at a high rate.” [p. 64]. I was expecting Vasili to go back to Gorichkino, and then get someone else to get Nikita out of the snow. Or maybe just forget all about him and then remember to dig up his loyal worker after a few days.`
At the end of the Novella, I have one question. Can people really change over a short amount of time? Can someone suddenly have a different order of priority when they are being forced to choose in-between their priorities or the right thing?