Summary

Aksyonov, a wealthy young merchant from the town of Vladimir, is getting ready to leave for the Nizhny commercial fair. The wife of Aksyonov tells him to go home because she had a bad dream in which his hair turned completely gray. Because he frequently drinks in large quantities, Aksyonov assumes that she is concerned that he will overindulge and dismisses her worries. He guarantees that he will "be super useful business" at Nizhny and bring her back "costly presents."

Aksyonov meets a business associate on the way to Nizhny at an inn, where they have tea and spend the night in adjoining rooms. Aksyonov takes a break after leaving the hotel to rest, eat, and play his guitar on his way to Nizhny. A district police inspector and two soldiers suddenly show up, question Aksyonov about where he was and what he did the night before, and then say that Aksyonov's merchant friend has been found dead at the inn. A bloody knife is discovered during a search of Aksyonov's belongings by the police inspector. When the inspector makes the formal accusation that Aksyonov killed someone, the terrified Aksyonov mumbles and trembles. Aksyonov is taken into custody and physically restrained.

The wife of Aksyonov visits him in jail. When she sees her husband in shackles and prison clothes, she collapses. She shocks Aksyonov by asking whether he actually committed the murder for which he was arrested after she regains her senses and informs him that the last of his appeals, a petition to the Tsar, has been denied. As a soldier finally separates Aksyonov from his wife and children, he considers his wife's suspicions of his guilt and comes to the conclusion that he can only rely on God to know the truth and show mercy.

After being flogged, Aksyonov is taken to a Siberian labor camp. He stays there for 26 years, where he develops a stoop and loses his youthful enthusiasm. Aksyonov becomes extremely religious while incarcerated. He sings in the church choir, re religious literature, and prays frequently. His fellow inmates refer to him as "Man of God" and "Grandpa." A new group of inmates arrive at the Siberian prison during Aksyonov's 26th year there. Makar Semyonov, one of them, has been sentenced to prison for allegedly stealing a horse from a sledge. Aksyonov inquires about his family and learns that he claims to be from Vladimir. According to Makar, he has heard that the Aksyonov family is wealthy merchants whose husband (or father) is imprisoned in Siberia. Makar inquires as to why Aksyonov was imprisoned, but Aksyonov responds only that his 26 years in prison have been paid for his sins.

Makar hears from other inmates about Aksyonov's wrongful arrest and the murder of the merchant. Aksyonov is led to believe that Makar was the one who set him up for murder based on Makar's response to this information. Aksyonov is overcome with rage toward Makar and longs for his family. Aksyonov becomes so depressed that he thinks about killing himself or attacking Makar.

Aksyonov comes across Makar digging an escape tunnel one night. The following day, the policemen find the opening, and the Governor shows up on the scene to scrutinize the detainees with respect to who was attempting to get away. Aksyonov tells the Governor that he has no idea who dug the tunnel, reasoning that he does not want Makar to be flogged and that his suspicions about Makar's involvement in the merchant's death may be unfounded.

Aksyonov wakes up the following night to find Makar seated at the foot of his bunk. Makar confesses to having framed Aksyonov for murder 26 years earlier and begs Aksyonov's forgiveness, overwhelmed by Aksyonov's goodness in protecting him from the Governor. In order to clear Aksyonov's name, Makar makes an offer to confess to the authorities. In anger, Aksyonov responds to Makar's confession by claiming that even if Makar helped him get out of prison, he would have no place to call home or family. However, Makar breaks down sobbing as he persists in pleading for Aksyonov's forgiveness. Aksyonov, too, breaks down in tears because he is moved by Makar's genuine guilt and pain. Makar is assured by Aksyonov that God will pardon him. Aksyonov no longer "pines" for his freedom or his family because he feels lighter.

In contrast, Aksyonov only considers his "last hour."Aksyonov is officially cleared after Makar tells the authorities that he was the one who killed the merchant, not Aksyonov.However, Aksyonov has already passed away by the time permission to release him from the labor camp is granted.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

a. Prior to getting married, what bad habits did Aksionov have?

Aksionov was a handsome and happy person who always wanted to be happy. He had very bad drinking and fighting habits before getting married. He used to drink a lot and get agitated.

b. What might the dream of his wife mean?

The meaning of his wife's dream may indicate a negative omen. She had seen her husband returning to his hometown with gray hair in her dream. She developed a significant fear of her husband. She interpreted the dream as an indication of evil.

c. Why did Aksionov consider taking his own life?

He thinks of committing suicide because his life was wasted in prison for the crime Makar had committed. In addition, he was totally frustrated when he remembered staying away from his family.

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

Aksionov did not disclose that Makar had dug the escape hole. This touched Makar and he felt guilty for his crime that imprisoned an innocent man. Therefore, Makar disclosed that he was the real murderer of the merchant.

e. Why does Aksionov not wish to see his family at the end?

Aksionov had spent his youthful and healthy days in prison. During this time he had given up hope of meeting his family again. This changed him so much that he did not anymore long for his family. He may have thought that in 26 years, the outside world had changed considerably and he may not be able to fit. Therefore, he did not wish to meet his family at the end of the story.

REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT

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

i. Who is that elderly person?

That old man is Aksionov, who has been imprisoned for 26 years.

ii. Which fact is the speaker attempting to uncover?

The question intended to finding about the escape hole that Makar had dug.

iii. What wall is the speaker referring to?

The speaker is referring to the prison wall.

B. Sketch the character of Askionov.

Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov was a young, successful businessman in the Russian town of Vladimir. He had a house and two shops. He had fair-curly hair and was a handsome man. He loved to sing and had a lot of fun. Before getting married, he drank a lot, but he changed and became a good man. He possessed virtues like faith, forgiveness, liberty, and acceptance. He was framed of robbing and killing a fellow merchant. During his 26 years in prison, he endured a great deal of pain and waited for God's judgment. He was also mentally tough because he survived a lot of bad things, like losing his home and business. Lastly, he demonstrated a strong religious devotion by becoming more intimate with God during trying times. He was a man, who told the truth and kept his peace until the end, but fate intervened and he ended up dying in prison.

C. What is the story's central idea?

The story "God Sees the Truth, but Waits" contains a number of themes. Guilt, forgiveness, faith, conflict, freedom, and acceptance are the story's main themes. All of these ideas have been explored in the story. Forgiveness is one of the most important of these themes. We discover Aksionov's repentance for Makar Semyonich here. Despite the fact that Aksionov has been imprisoned for twenty-six years for a crime he did not commit, he is able to forgive Makar for the crime. Forgiveness is the best form of retribution, as this story has demonstrated.

D. Which symbols appear in the narrative, and what do they represent?

This story makes use of a lot of symbols. The symbols used in the story are as follows:

1.Shops and the Home: Shops and houses are symbols of earthly possessions that do not benefit anyone and last forever. Until the very end, Aksinonov does not receive support from his possession.

2.Nightmare (hair color: gray): The terrible demise of Aksionov is symbolized by the awful dream his wife had. The bad outcomes of the nightmare have been depicted in the narrative. In Aksionov's life, the dream's gray hair turns out to be real.

3. The jail: A representation of Aksionov's suffering and eventual spiritual transformation is the prison itself. He experiences suffering, torture, and even spiritual transformation in prison.

4.The Saints' Lives, a book: Because of this book, Aksionov dedicates his life to God and maintains faith until the very end. This is the symbol of Aksionov's religious transformation.

REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT

a. In what ways did Aksionov's religion influence his life? In the story, how does he undergo a spiritual transformation?

➜ Religion assumes an extremely crucial part in Aksionov ' s life. He has spent his entire life in prison in Siberia, waiting for God to do the right thing. He gives up all his hopes and tells himself that only God knows the truth after his wife suspects him. He gets older as a Siberian prisoner for 26 years. Aksionov works hard in prison and learns to make boots. He makes a small amount of money, which he uses to buy the book "The Lives of the Saints." He lives his life in the name of religion and is extremely devoted to God. On Sundays, he begins to read and sing from this book in the prison church. He understands various aspects of life and fate in relation to religion. He is even liked by the guards at the prison for being so gentle. His fellow inmates revere him and refer to him as "Grandfather." or "The Saint". He is familiar with fate, spirituality, God's love, the righteous path, acceptance, and other virtues.

He keeps demonstrating his sincerity. He doesn't say anything when he meets the real killer of the merchant. He even protects the prisoner from the governor. At the end, he realizes himself and forgives Makar. Aksionov realizes that the road to peace is forgiveness. He finally dies and finds peace. In this manner, religion is the only factor that enables him and his life to shift from materialism to spiritualism.

b. What does the narrative reveal about the existence of an unfair justice system?

Through the events of the main character's life, the narrative demonstrates the existence of an unfair justice system. In this story, a good and innocent man is wrongly convicted of murder, sentenced to 26 years in prison, and forced to lose everything and his entire life based on evidence rather than his own actions. He suffers a lot throughout his life, but he eventually realizes himself and passes away peacefully.