In this story by Leo Tolstoy, God punishes a disobedient angel by casting him out of Heaven to live as a man. The only way he can get his job back is to learn the answers these questions: What dwells in man? What is not given to man? and What (do) men live by? He learns the answers from the family of a poor but compassionate shoemaker, an imperious rich man, and a kind, charitable woman who has adopted the two orphaned children of a dead neighbor. Themes: humanity, compassion, kindness, arrogance, duty, death.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (8,038 words)
u dont get much traffic. am i the only one whos read um all?
I suspect you mean that we don’t get many comments, as the traffic numbers on these stories are quite good. Thanks anyway for sharing the thought, and I hope you enjoyed them!
Sir Kindly tell me what is the background and setting of three questions?
Hi Muhammad,
The background of a story or essay provides the information that a reader needs to know to understand the plot or message. In The Three Questions this can be found in the first paragraph:
“It once occurred to a certain king, that if he always knew the right time to begin everything; if he knew who were the right people to listen to, and whom to avoid; and, above all, if he always knew what was the most important thing to do, he would never fail in anything he might undertake.”
The story takes place in a mythical kingdom at some unidentified time in the past. The setting is initially in the king’s palace, but later moves to the forest in which a supposed wise hermit lives. The change of setting to the forest is important. First, it indicates that the king cannot find the answers to his questions from his most trusted advisers and those who come to claim the reward. Second, it sets the scene for several events that the hermit is able to use to both illustrate the answers to the king’s questions and teach the lesson of the story.
1. ‘For that purpose alone was man sent into this life.”- Explain. ( 60 words.)
It looks like you are trying to get me to answer a homework question, so I am not going to give a direct answer. Three Questions is a parable (story designed to teach a lesson), and to properly understand the meaning you need to think about what was in Tolstoy’s mind as he wrote it. As indicated in the General Comments above, at that stage of Tolstoy’s life he was questioning traditional Russian values and Christian beliefs. His audience was poorly educated Russian peasants who had been brought up believing that their sole purpose in life was to mindlessly satisfy the needs of the Tsar and follow the dictates of the Russian Orthodox Church. In What Men Live By and Other Tales, Tolstoy was trying to present some alternative views about the purpose of and best way to live one’s life.