Short Story PPT

"The Imp and The Crust"(1886) Leo Tolstoy

Group 9: Priti Biswas, Sreeti Deka, Rumina Poddar

Leo Tolstoy

• Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828 in Yasnaya Polyana, Tula province, Russian Empire and he died in the year 1910.
• Some of his masterpieces include War and Peace (1867) and Anna Karenina (1878)
• He began with realist fiction and later delved into moral and philosophical themes in works like A Confession (1882).
• He was a master storyteller who revolutionized realist fiction with his profound exploration of human emotions, motivations, and the complexities of society.

Characters

Peasant

Imp

Devil

Peasant's Wife

Other Peasants

• Instead, the peasant calmly assumes someone needs it more than him.

• Disappointed, the imp returns to the Devil, who threatens him with holy water.

• The imp, determined to succeed, disguises himself as a laborer and works with the peasant , giving him advice which turns fruitful for him.

• Later the imp advises the peasant to make wine with the surplus corn, the peasant and his fellow mates are fully intoxicated and they start doing sins which pleases the Devil.

Story Events

• A peasant is preparing to plow his field. Having no breakfast, he hides a small crust of bread under his coat.

• After working, the hungry peasant reaches for his bread, but it's gone . An imp has stolen it, hoping to make the peasant angry and sinful.

Themes

The perils of indulgence

Manipulation and Tempatation

Greed and Excess

Loss of Humanity

Importance of self control and moderation

Narrative Structure

Introduction

Conflict

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

Language

The language in this story is like what we might hear in old-time stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It describes things in a way that helps us to picture them in our mind, like how the characters look and what they are doing. When the characters talk, it sounds like how people would really speak in certain situations. There are probably hidden meanings in the story, teaching lessons about right and wrong. Overall, the language helps make the story interesting and teaches us to be careful about succumbing to temptation and excess.

Why this story?

This Russian folk tale explores how evil finds it's way when one fails to obey the Christian teachings.

Elements of short story

• Plot

• Characterisation

• Atmosphere

• Narrative Technique

• Figurative Language

Thank you!