Summary of the poem The Empty Drum by Leo Tolstoy
The story "The Empty Drum" by Leo Tolstoy is a short fable about a king who is jealous of a peasant's wife. The king orders the peasant to complete a series of impossible tasks, hoping that the peasant will eventually die from exhaustion. However, the peasant's wife is a wise woman, and she helps her husband to complete each task. In the end, the king is defeated, and the peasant and his wife live happily ever after.
The poem can be interpreted as a commentary on the dangers of greed and power. The king is so obsessed with having the peasant's wife that he is willing to put the peasant's life in danger. However, the peasant and his wife are content with their simple life, and they are not afraid to stand up to the king. In the end, the king's greed is his own undoing, and he is left empty-handed.
The poem also celebrates the power of love and cooperation. The peasant's wife is a wise and resourceful woman, and she helps her husband to overcome each challenge. The two of them work together as a team, and they are able to achieve great things. This suggests that love and cooperation are more powerful than greed and power.
Overall, "The Empty Drum" is a short but powerful poem that explores the themes of greed, power, love, and cooperation. It is a reminder that the things that matter most in life are not material possessions, but rather the love and support of our loved ones.
Solutions of Questions from Voice A Reader
1. What does the struggle between the king and the peasant stand for?
The struggle between the king and the peasant in The Empty Drum by Leo Tolstoy can be seen as a metaphor for the struggle between the oppressed and the oppressor.
2. Describe the tasks set to the peasant by the king and how he fullfills them all.
The king sets a series of impossible tasks for the peasant to complete, in the hopes that he will fail and die. The peasant completes all of the tasks, much to the king's surprise.
3. The tasks symbolically represent the king's authoritative power. Do you agree? Why or why not?
The tasks symbolically represent the king's authoritative power. The king is trying to show the peasant that he is in control and that he can do whatever he wants.
4. Why is the king defeated?
The king is defeated because he is unable to understand the peasant's perspective. The peasant does not see the empty drum as a symbol of power, but rather as a symbol of freedom.
5. Who, do you think, is Emelyans' wife? Why?
I think Emelyan's wife is a symbol of the peasant's strength and resilience.
6. What elements do you think make the story a folktale?
The story has many elements that make it a folktale. These elements include a simple plot with a clear conflict and resolution, well-defined characters who represent common archetypes, a setting that is both familiar and exotic, a moral lesson that is easy to understand, and a timeless theme that is still relevant today.
7. What is the principle conflict in this story?
The principal conflict in the story is between the king and the peasant.
8. Summarise the story in one short paragraph.
The story can be summarized as follows: A peasant named Emelyan is married to a beautiful woman that the king has his eye on. The king gives Emelyan impossible tasks to try to kill him off, but Emelyan always completes them. Finally, the king tells Emelyan to go to a faraway city and bring back "what is not right." Emelyan finds an empty drum and brings it back to the king. The king is furious, but Emelyan beats the drum and the soldiers follow him. The king tries to stop them, but he is too late. The soldiers carry the drum to the river and throw it in, destroying the king's power over them. Emelyan and his wife live happily ever after.
9. What does the smashing of the drum signify (84)?
The smashing of the drum significantly symbolizes the destruction of the king's power. The drum is a symbol of the king's authority, and when it is smashed, it shows that the king's power is no longer in control. This is a powerful symbol of the peasant's victory over the king and their newfound freedom.