The Power of Darkness by Leo Tolstoy
The Power of Darkness is a play by Leo Tolstoy, written in 1886. It is a tragedy about a peasant family in rural Russia, and the consequences of a young girl's pregnancy. The story follows the family of Prokhor, a peasant who lives with his wife, Akulina, and their two sons, Nikita and Stepan. When Akulina's brother, Timofey, comes to stay with them, he brings with him a young girl, Anisya, whom he has seduced and impregnated. Anisya is desperate to keep her pregnancy a secret, and Timofey and Akulina conspire to hide the truth from Prokhor. However, Prokhor eventually discovers the truth and is consumed with rage. He forces Anisya to marry his son, Nikita, and the two are married in a secret ceremony. The consequences of Anisya's pregnancy and the secret marriage are devastating for the family. Prokhor's rage leads to violence and tragedy, and the family is torn apart. In the end, Anisya and Nikita are left alone, struggling to survive in a world that has rejected them.
By Leo Tolstoy · First published 1886 · Genre: Realistic Fiction, Drama, Historical Fiction · 8 chapters · 27,582 words
First lines
PETER IGNÁTITCH: A well-to-do peasant, 42 years old, married for the second time, and sickly.
ANÍSYA: His wife, 32 years old, fond of dress.
What this Textopian page supports
The Power of Darkness is listed on Textopian as a play by Leo Tolstoy, dated 1886 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Play
- Author: Leo Tolstoy
- Date: 1886 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Realistic Fiction, Drama, Historical Fiction, Romance
- Length: 27,582 words
- Structure: 8 chapters, 1,210 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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- Work identity for The Power of Darkness by Leo Tolstoy
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Realistic Fiction — The Power of Darkness is a realistic fiction novel that follows the lives of a peasant family in 19th century Russia, exploring themes of morality, justice, and religion.
- Drama — The Power of Darkness is a dramatic story that follows the lives of a peasant family and their struggles with poverty, morality, and justice.
- Historical Fiction — The Power of Darkness is set in 19th century Russia and follows the lives of a peasant family, making it a historical fiction novel.
- Romance — The Power of Darkness contains a romantic subplot between two of the characters, making it a romance novel as well.
Tags
Drama · Novel · Russian drama · Translations into English · akoulÍna · akÍm · anÍsya · coming · d'ye · d'you · daddy · drink