Resurrection

Resurrection is Leo Tolstoy’s novel about a man whose service on a jury confronts him with the consequences of his earlier wrongdoing. Recognizing Katerina Maslova among the accused forces Nekhlyudov to reconsider a life protected by wealth and social position. His attempts to make amends bring him into contact with courts, prisons, and people whose suffering respectable society can overlook. Moral renewal is presented as a difficult change in conduct rather than a declaration of good intentions. The narrative joins personal repentance with a searching criticism of institutions and the habits through which people excuse harm.