Leo Tolstoy’s Short Story: ‘A Talk With a Wayfarer’

A man praying over meal, 1900–1915, by Rudolf Eickenmeyer. Gelatin silver print; 15 15/16 inches by 19 15/16 inches. Public Domain

The dullness of life sometimes seems unbearable, especially when nothing seems to diminish the monotony. Yet life’s tedium cannot be ultimately overcome by engaging in bad habits but through nurturing the soul.

In his short story, “A Talk With a Wayfarer,” Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) tells of a conversation between the story’s narrator and a stranger. They first discuss how a bad habit can help relieve life’s dullness. Then their talk turns to a topic with more significance, much to the narrator’s amazement and satisfaction.

A Wayfarer

The story’s narrator steps outside of his house on a beautiful morning, intending to walk to town. He breathes in the beauty around him and feels love towards everyone and everything in the world.

On his walk, the narrator notices a man standing along the side of the road, a strong-looking peasant with lightly greying hair and beard. He stands with a patient air and smokes his pipe, seemingly waiting for someone.

The narrator draws nearer and the two men greet each other. The narrator then asks a question, to which the wayfarer responds that he is a stranger to these parts.

Seeing the stranger smoking, the narrator then asks: “And how much do you spend a year on smoking? Three or more roubles, I daresay!” The man says that three roubles would never be enough for smoking, and he willingly spends more to keep his longstanding habit.

Why doesn’t the wayfarer give up smoking altogether, the narrator asks. In response, the man says that he has grown accustomed to smoking and, therefore, cannot give it up.

The narrator asserts that smoking is no good and that it will negatively affect others: “Seeing you smoke, others will do the same ... especially the young folk. They‘ll say, ’If the old folk smoke, God himself bids us do it!'” The narrator even points out that the peasant’s son will follow in his father’s footsteps.

Care of the Soul

The wayfarer agrees that these claims are all too true, but he says that life is dull without his pipe. He explains: “When one feels dull, one has a smoke. That’s where the mischief lies. ... It’s dull! At times it’s so dull ... so dull ... so dull!”

“The Great Traveller Charles Alexandre Lesueur in the Forest,” 1832, by Karl Bodmer. Public Domain

The narrator explains to the traveler that there is a far better way to counteract the boredom of life: “The best remedy for that is to think of one’s soul.” Hearing this advice, the traveler responds in a way that brings tears to the narrator’s eyes.

Through this story, Tolstoy touches upon an important truth for everyone to consider. The richness of life comes from nurturing the richness of the soul, as the wayfarer is reminded and says: “The soul’s the chief thing.” The author suggests how the state of a man’s soul affects the people, places, and things around him.

Tolstoy encourages the care of the soul because, as Victor Hugo says in “Les Misérables,” “There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.”

Sometimes it is possible to see a great soul, even through tattered clothes, poor demeanor, bad habits, or a low social status, because a great soul shines through with its kindness and beauty.

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