Tolstoi and private life.

Abstract

Much has been made about Tolstoi's domestic life, but an investigation into Tolstoi's views on family life has received little consideration. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine Tolstoi's opinions on the elements that constitute the private sphere of an individual with a view to revealing a model of family life according to which he thought that men and women should live. Rather than focusing on the details of Tolstoi's own personal life, I examine Tolstoi's thoughts on the common elements constituting the private sphere of most people, namely, sex, marriage, procreation, and his thoughts on the proper roles of men and women. I focus my attention mainly on Tolstoi's diary entries, letters and articles in discussing his views on the questions of sexuality, marriage and gender roles. An analysis of his fiction (or fictional characters) is provided in each chapter to support my argument on these issues. The examination of the above mentioned topics lead to the conclusion that the principle of brotherly love is at the core of Tolstoi's thoughts on family life. According to Tolstoi, one's aim in life is to serve God through serving others and one's family life should be regarded as a useful means in achieving this aim.