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
[Autumn. Evening. The moon is shining. The stage represents the interior of courtyard. The scenery at the back shows, in the middle, the back porch of the hut. To the right the winter half of the hut and the gate; to the left the summer half and the cellar. To the right of the stage is a shed. The sound of tipsy voices and shouts are heard from the hut. [Where not otherwise mentioned in the stage directions, it is always the winter half of the hut that is referred to as "the hut." The summer half is not heated, and not used in winter under ordinary circumstances.] Second Neighbour Woman comes out of the hut and beckons to First Neighbour Woman.]
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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, 1,413 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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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Power of Darkness?
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- Where does Realistic Fiction first become important in the reading?
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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