The Cossacks (novel)

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The Cossacks

The Cossacks (Russian: Казаки [Kazaki]) is a short novel by Leo Tolstoy, published in 1863. The novel was acclaimed by Ivan Bunin as one of the finest in the language.

[edit] Plot summary

In the story, Olenin is stationed in the Caucasus and leaves Moscow behind. While there, he slowly becomes enamored by the surroundings and despises his previous existence. He first befriends the old Cossack Yeroshka, who goes hunting with him and finds him a good fellow because of his propensity to drinking. During this time, Luka kills an abrek who is attempting to come across the river towards the village to scout the Cossacks. Olenin soon finds his love growing for the surroundings and first falls in love with Marianka, who is to be wed to Luka later in the story. He tries to stop this emotion and eventually convinces himself that he loves both Luka and Marianka for their simplicity and decides that happiness can only come to a man who constantly gives to others with no thought of self-gratification.

He first gives an extra horse to Luka, who then becomes his friend. As time goes on, however, though he gains the assurance of the local villagers, another Russian named Beletsky, who is still attached to the ways of Moscow, comes and partially corrupts Olenin’s ideals and convinces him through his actions to attempt to win Marianka’s love. He approaches her several times and Luka hears of the possibility from a Cossack, and thus does not invite him to the betrothal party. Olenin spends the night with Yeroshka but soon decides that he will not give up on the girl and attempts to win her heart again. He eventually, in a moment of passion, asks her to marry him, which she says she will answer soon.

Luka, however, dies shortly after when he and a group of Cossacks go to confront a group of abreks, including the brother of the man he killed earlier, who are trying to attack the village. Though the abreks lose after the Cossacks take a cart to block their bullets, the brother of the slain abrek manages to shoot Luka in the stomach when he is close by. Luka dies after a few days, and when Olenin approaches Marianka to ask her to marry him she refuses and he realizes that even though he has become so attached to the mystical life of the Caucasus, he is still a Russian who can never truly separate himself from his former society. He then leaves, and Yeroshka is the only villager who sees him off.

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