“The Power of Darkness” by Tolstoy in a short summary


Autumn. In the spacious hut of the well-to-do, morbid peasant Peter – the wife of Anisya, Akulina, his daughter from the first marriage, they sing songs. The owner himself again calls and scolds, threatening to calculate Nikita, a dapper boy of about twenty-five, an employee of a lazy and walking man. For him, Anisya angrily intervenes, and Anyutka, their ten-year-old daughter, rushes into the room with the story of the arrival of Matryona and Akim, Nikita’s parents. Hearing about the upcoming Nikitina’s marriage, Anisya “furiously exactly sheep circular” and even angry pounced on Peter, having conceived by any means to upset the wedding. Akulina knows the secret intentions of her stepmother. Nikita reveals Anisya’s desire to forcibly marry his father to an orphan Marinka. Anisya warns: if anything… “I’ll decide my life! I’ve sinned, the law has ruined, but I can not even turn to become.” As Peter dies,

Matryona

finds them embracing, sympathizes with Anisina’s life with the old man, promises to thwart Akim and finally, conspiring in secret, leaves her sleepy powders, her drug to water her husband – “no spirit, and great power…”. Having challenged Petr with Akim, Matryona defamed Marina, the art cook, whom Nikita had deceived while living on a cast iron. Nikita lazily lays open in public, although “afraid of swearing in unrighteousness.” To the delight of Matryona’s son is left in the workers for another year.

From Anyuta Nikita learns about the arrival of Marina, about her suspicions and jealousy. Akulina hears from the closet, as Nikita drove off Marina: “You hurt her so and you will offend me, you dog.”

It takes six months. Dying Peter calls Anisya, orders us to send Akulina to her sister. Anisya lingers, looking for money and can not find. As if accidentally visiting his son, Matryona comes with the news of Marinka’s wedding with the widower Semen Matveyevich. Matryona and Anisya talk about the effects of powders face to face, but Matryona warns

to keep everything secret from Nikita – “pity-very very”. Anisya is afraid. At this moment, holding on to the wall, Pyotr crawls out onto the porch and asks once again to send Anyutka for her sister Martha. Matryona sends Anisya immediately to rush all the places to find money, and she sits down on the porch with Peter. Nikita approaches the gate. The owner asks him about plowing, says goodbye, and Matryona leads him to the hut. Anisya rushes, she begs for help to Nikita. Money is being sought directly on Petra – Matryona felt, hurries Anisya before the arrival of her sister to put a samovar rather quickly, and she herself instructs Nikita first of all “not to miss money”, and only then “a woman will be in her hands”. “If you start snoring, you can do it shortly.” And then Anisya runs out of the hut, pale, beside herself, carrying money under her apron: “I did not die, I took pictures, he did not smell.” Matryona, taking advantage of her confusion, immediately transfers money to Nikita, ahead of the arrival of Marfa and Akulina. Begin to wash the deceased. taking advantage of her confusion, immediately transfers money to Nikita, ahead of the arrival of Marfa and Akulina. Begin to wash the deceased. taking advantage of her confusion, immediately transfers money to Nikita, ahead of the arrival of Marfa and Akulina. Begin to wash the deceased.

It takes another nine months. Winter. Anisya the unruly man sits behind the camp, weaves, waits from the city for Nikita with Akulina, and together with worker Mitrich, Anyuta and the kuma looks at the fire, Akulinin’s attire, shamelessness, evil disposition, unsuccessful attempts to marry her and fuse, Nikita’s drunkenness and drunkenness. “Have cleft to me, have shod in so dexterously I foolishly did not notice and at them the consent was”, – Anisja groans.

The door opens. Akim enters to ask Nikita for money for a new horse. At dinner, Anisya complains about “pampering” and the disgrace of Nikita, ask for clarity. To which Akim answers one thing: “… God is forgotten” and talks about Marinka’s fine life-being.

Nikita is drunk, with a bag, knot and with purchases in paper, stops at the doorstep and begins to swagger, not noticing his father. Followed by a discharged Akulina. At the request of Akim Nikita takes out the money and calls everyone to drink tea, ordering Anisye to set up the samovar. Anisya with a pipe and a table top comes back from the closet and looks like a half-boy, bought by Akulina. A quarrel is breaking out. Nikita pushes Anisya, saying to Akulina: “I have lost my master, you’ve fallen in love with me, my power.” And her arrest. ” Flaunting, returns Anisya, gets a refill, treat. Everyone gathers at the table, only Akim, seeing a bad life, refuses money, food and spending the night, and, going away, prophesies: “to perdition, so my son, to perdition…”

In the autumn evening, drunken cries are heard in the hut. Leave Akulina matchmaker. Neighbors gossip about the dowry. The bride herself lies in the shed, her stomach lolling. “With an eye,” persuades Matchans Matryona, – and so “the girl as a cast – you will not pinch.” Anutka runs into the yard after the guests’ wires to the courtyard: Akulina went to the barn, “I’m not going to marry, I’m saying, I’m going to die,” he says. Squeak of the newborn is heard. Matryona and Anisya hurry to hide, pushing Nikita into the cellar to dig a hole – “Mother Earth will not tell anyone how the cow lays tongue.” Nikita snaps Anisya: “… she was disgusted with me And then these powders Yes, if I knew, I would kill her, then!” Sad, more persistent?: “It’s what it is, a living soul, too…” – and yet surrenders, takes a baby wrapped in rags, suffers. Anisya snatches the child from his hand, throws to the cellar and pushes Nikita down: “Smother soon, will not be alive!” Soon Nikita climbs out of the cellar, shakes everything, with a scraper rushes to the mother and Anisya, then stops, runs back, listens, starts to rush about: “What did they do to me?” He squeaked as He crunched under me. I’m my life… “

Guests are walking on the Akulina wedding. In the courtyard you can hear songs and bells. Along the path past the shed, where two drunks fell asleep in a straw with a rope in the hands of a drunk Mitrich, “Akulina and howls did not howl…” Girls are catching up Marina and, in anticipation of Semyon’s husband, sees Nikita, who left the wedding: “… And most of all I’m sick of myself, Ma-rinushka, that I alone have no one to break my grief with… “Semyon interrupts the conversation and takes his wife to the guests. Nikita, left alone, takes off her boots and picks up a rope, makes a noose from her, thinks about her neck, but notices Matryona, and behind her a smart, handsome, tipsy Anisya. In the end, as if agreeing to persuasion, gets up, rips off the straw, sending them forward. After escorting his mother and wife, he sits down again, takes off his shoes. And suddenly Mitrich’s drunken mutter-dance: “I’m not afraid of people…”

In a hut full of people, Akulina and her fiancé are waiting for the blessing of “patronymic.” Among the guests – Marina, her husband and a sergeant. When Ani-628

Xia spreads the wine, the songs stop. Nikita comes in, barefoot, leading Akim with her, and, instead of taking the icon, falls on her knees and repents, to Akim’s ecstasy – “God’s work goes…” – in all sins – in wine before Marina, in violent death Peter, the seduction of Akulina and the murder of her child: “I poisoned my father, I killed a dog, and a daughter I did, I alone!” My father bows: “… you told me:” The claw is stuck, and the whole bird is lost. “Akim embraces him, the wedding is upset, the detective calls on the witnesses to interrogate everyone and knit Nikita.


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“The Power of Darkness” by Tolstoy in a short summary