Leo Tolstoy’s “Master and Man” was, admittedly, quite the uninteresting story to read. Not once did it peak my interest like other books have. Although it wasn’t entertaining, I can say that it has the ability to raise many questions if your mind is open and looking for them. For example, when Vasili and Nikita get stuck out in the blizzard, both realize the reality of their situations “…—to wait for certain, swift, and meaningless death” (p. 104). They knew they were going to die. Nikita accepted it first, then Vasili shortly after. Vasili fights the thoughts, stuck in a stage of denial, then is later overwhelmed by them. “If I’d stayed the night at Grishkino, none of this would have happened” (p. 96) and “They say drunks freeze to death,” he thought, “and I’ve had a drink or two.” And scrutinizing his sensations, he felt that he was beginning to tremble” (p. 98) are both examples of how his mental state becomes increasingly more aware of his own situation. But does this situational awareness change him later? Does it change the way he thinks? How does he think and what goes through his mind as he does so now, and how does it change later? Nikita, on the other hand, is much calmer. He does all he can to calm the situation by setting up a camp of sorts, a handkerchief flag and setting down the gear in one place, establishing some sort of familiarity in the frigid wilderness. He lies and sleeps in wait of dawn as he prepares to simply endure whatever fate he is given. Even in his most dire moments, he’s focussed on his faith in God “O God, O heavenly father, you must be calling me too” (p. 109). His trust in a higher power that has control of his fate. His faith and acceptance is immediate and calm in his straight-forward thinking head. Why is it that he thinks so much calmer than Vasili? Was it his experiences? The way he was brought up? Or maybe it’s simply the same cause for both of them to think in such a way—he thinks he will die “I—I’m dying, that’s what” (p. 105). In summary words, this story does raise a decent amount of questions about character and situation and the connection between two such concepts, but in itself, is pretty unentertaining.