Alexei Tolstoy’s writing is primarily focused on the personalities and destinies of his characters caught in the turmoil of historical events. His trilogy The Ordeal traces the development of the Russian society during the critical years of WWI, the 1917 revolution and the civil war. Covering one of the most intense periods in the history of the Russian state, this trilogy portrays the dramatic nature of social struggle, spiritual evolution of its heroes and the crucial changes happening in the country.
The basic focus of the novel is the search for personal happiness by its main characters – Dasha, Katya, Telegin, and Roschin – during the violent and tragic events of the First World War and the revolution. revolution.
In the process, traditional way of living is destroyed and beliefs of many people are changed. The trilogy is filled with sharp life-and-death conflicts, dramatic struggles and collisions, deep crises in both public life and the destiny and psychology of individual characters.
