Three Deaths

Historical Context and Significance

In his novella «Three Deaths», Leo Tolstoy explores the theme of death and attitudes towards it through the lens of three different characters: an aristocratic woman, a peasant, and a tree. Written in 1859, this work reflects Tolstoy's philosophical and social views on life and death. Tolstoy illustrates how social status and a person's inner world affect their perception of death, highlighting the naturalness and inevitability of this phenomenon. The novella has a significant impact on Russian literature, as it showcases early manifestations of Tolstoy's ideas about simplicity and naturalness, which would later be developed in his larger works. «Three Deaths» also emphasizes the contrast between the artificial life of the aristocracy and the natural life of ordinary people, a theme that became important in Tolstoy's work and influenced the subsequent development of Russian literature and philosophy.