In Tolstoy’s “Father Sergius,” while, many remarkable events occur over Father Sergius’s life, he seems to believe the events of his life could not have happened differently. Regarding his “surprising” (at least to an objective observer) decision to enter a monastery and to renounce his high military position, he states, “it all occurred so naturally that I could not imagine how he could have acted otherwise” (235). In other words, he portrays himself as a victim of circumstance. He is an actor who is constrained to make the “natural” choice in response to his environment rather than being responsible for choosing between alternative options. However, later in the story when he comes to the realization that his cousin Pashenka “is what [he]…show more content… Therefore, Sergius turns to memories rather than dreams in order to distract himself from the thought of suicide. Overlooking the river in which he could not drown himself because he can swim, he remembers his cousin, Pashenka, who can also swim. He remembers “forcing her to show how she could swim.” Therefore, “to escape from that thought [of suicide], he went on thinking about Pashenka.” Sergius is thus able through the power of his memory and imagination to remove himself from…show more content… On the one hand, he remembers feeling superior to her. He remembers her as a little girl with a “timid pathetic face.” His childhood actions demonstrate his superiority over her as he remembers “making fun of her,” and making her “more pitiable than before.” He makes fun of her for no other reason than it is “dull” and seeing her make a fool of herself entertains him and his friends. Moreover, He remembers her smile as “submissive.” Later, in life he describes her as being in a “wretched” condition and being “insipid, insignificant and pitiable.” Sergius feels more important and significant than Pashenka and feels the need to demonstrate his superiority. This need for superiority is manifest elsewhere as a fundamental part of Sergius’ character when he is described by his sister as needing “to be above those who considered themselves his superiors”
