Leo Tolstoy The Devil

Words: 191
Pages: 1

In a society controlled by men, being a woman is no walk in the park. Women are not seen as human beings with complex characteristics, but rather as objects of desire who exist only to serve men. Women are ceaselessly being stereotyped and put into two general categories: either the pure, virginal “Madonna” or the devilish “whore”. Not only are these stereotypes harmful to the representation of women, limit the status of women in society, but also give men a feeling of superiority. In Leo Tolstoy’s short story, The Devil, a man is faced with a moral dilemma (that leads to his demise), when he is forced to choose between his wife or his ex-mistress. In this story, both the author and the protagonist, Evgeny, display a “Madonna-whore” complex,