God Sees the Truth but Waits (Story 11) Exercises

 God Sees the Truth but Waits

EXERCISES

Understanding the text

Answer these questions.

a. What bad habits did Aksionov have before his marriage?

Answer: Aksionov was very handsome person. Before his marriage, he had very bad habit like he used to drink a lot of alcohol. He used to involve in fighting too. He became riotous when he had too much.

 

b. What can be the meaning of his wife's dream?

Answer: The meaning of his wife’s dream can be the sign of a bad omen. In her dream she had seen her husband returning to their hometown with grey hair which is supposed to be the sign of bad omen.

 

c. Why did Aksionov think of killing himself?

Answer: Aksionov thought of killing himself because he faced so many problems in his life. He remembered the situations of torture, the people around him when he was in chain, the long-time imprisonment etc. He got such tortures without doing any bad deeds. Because of such pains, he thoughts of killing himself.

 

d. Why did Makar disclose that he had killed the merchant?

Answer: Makar felt ashamed of himself when Aksiovov saved Maker from the governor. Aksoinov knew that Makar did that bad deed but he didn’t tell about it. By finding the best nature of Aksionov, Makar wanted to make Aksionov release from the prison. So, he disclosed that he had killed the merchant.

 

e. Why doesn't Aksionov wish to return to his family at the end of the story?

Answer: Aksionov doesn't wish to return to his family at the end of the story because he is too old and he believes that his wife is no more now and his children have forgotten him.

 

Reference to the context

a. “well, old man,” repeated the Governor, “tell me the truth: who has been digging under the wall?”

Answer:

i. Who is the old man?

Answer: The old man is Aksionov who has spent 26 years in the prison.

ii. Which truth the speaker is asking about?

Answer: The speaker is asking the truth of digging a hole under the wall to escape through it.

iii. Which wall does the speaker mean?

Answer: The speaker means the wall of the prison.

 

b. Describe Aksionov's character.

Answer: Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov is a young wealthy merchant in the town of Vladimir in Russia. He is also the protagonist of the story. He has comfortable life but it is disrupted when he is blamed as murderer and sent to Siberian prison camp. His wife’s suspicion of his guilt makes him conclude that he can rely on God alone to know the truth. He earns a reputation as a good person among the prison officials and fellow prisoners. After finding himself imprisoned with the man who framed him, Aksionov is ready to kill himself. However, in end of the story he is able to forgive Semyonich. He dies shortly before the authorities order him to be released.

 

c. What is the theme of the story?

Answer: The story has various themes. Here in this story we find the theme of injustice, guilt, acceptance, faith, freedom and forgiveness. The case against Aksionov is not convincing. The government authorities without establishing motive or recovering a bloody knife and twenty thousand rubles stolen from the merchant declare him guilty. When his wife's appeal to the Czar is rejected, Aksionov accepts that the injustice to which he is subjected is impossible to correct. He devotes himself to God to offer him the justice that man can’t give him. In prison, Aksionov converts himself into a humble and religious figure. Officials and prisoners respect him for his impartiality in resolving arguments. Aksionov's faith in God is so strong that he believes he must be sinful to deserve the torturous life God has given him. Aksionov finally grants Semyonich forgiveness.

 

d. Which symbols are used in the story and what do they indicate?

Answer: There are several symbols in the story. The symbols and their representations are as follows:

Aksionov’s house and two shops represent his family and material possessions.

The prison itself is a symbol of Aksionov’s suffering and final spiritual transformation. His gray hair emerges as a clear symbol of his suffering, highlighting not only his aging but also his physical decay resulting from punishment.

His grey hair suggests how the stress of his wrongful imprisonment prematurely ages him.

The blood-stained knife unpredictably found in Aksionov's bag works as the crucial piece of evidence required to convict him. This knife symbolizes Aksionov's lack of control over his fate. The book ‘The Lives of the Saints’ Aksionov buys represents his religious devotion and faith on god.

 

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