When I read master and man I felt myself thinking a lot about the contrast between selfishness and selflessness. Vasili Andreevich the wealthy merchant, immediately struck me as rude disrespectful greedy and arrogant. His obsession with profit and status makes him blind to the impending danger the of the storm and even to the suffering of Nikita his servant/slave. At first, I felt kinda annoyed with him. The way he treats Nikita as if his life is not very important or like expendable made me reflect on how often people, even in our world today, treat others as tools rather than as human beings with equal worth. Tolstoy’s description of Vasili’s cold indifference left me feeling sad at how people like that are still today because it reminded me that selfishness is not always extreme or dramatic it can creep into ordinary decisions we make every day (pp. 65–66).
As the story developed, however, my feelings shifted. When Vasili begins to realize his own vulnerability in the snowstorm, I could almost feel his panic pressing in. The setting itself the blinding snow, the endless cold made me think about how nature levels us all. No matter how rich or powerful someone may be, they are still just as fragile when facing death. That thought filled me with a sense of unease (pp. 78–80).
I think the most meaningful moment in the story for me was Vasili’s final act of sacrifice when he gives his own body warmth and life to protect Nikita. What really stuck me was not only what Vasili actually did but the sense of peace and fulfilment he experiences as he lets go of his greed and embraces compassion (pp. 107–108). It made me wonder if real freedom and dignity only come when we stop clinging to wealth or control. I felt nice here, because Tolstoy seems to suggest that redemption is always possible, even for someone who has lived most of his life in selfishness.
Ultimately, the text left me reflecting on what it means to live a meaningful life.now I dont think this was the most interesting of fun book ive read but the deeper meanings in this book are subtle but quite powerful. That, for me, is the emotional power of Tolstoy’s story it makes us confront our own flaws while also offering the possibility of transformation.