A GRAIN AS BIG AS A HEN’S EGG, CRITIQUE

“These things are so, because men have ceased to live by their own
labour, and have taken to depending on the labour of others. In the old
time, men lived according to God's law. They had what was their own,
and coveted not what others had produced.”

Above is an Aforequoted line from Leo Tolstoy, A grain as big as a

Hen's egg. And here's our Honest Critique about the story. Leo Tolstoy is
known for his work of wisdom with Anna Karenina a classic novel and
deemed best by his peers. The wisdom embedded in this story is well
crafted and well mean't by Leo Tolstoy itself.

A grain as Big as a Hen's egg, if we’d classify it, this type of story is a
bit parabolic. If we would describe the people in this story it is that they
are self-sufficient. We do think that they live in a utopian society and
people around this time follow a very rustic system or what we call
barter system. We, as citizens of this high functioning technological
society, are prone to doing things with ease and help. Hence, in the story
the Farmer's land where the grain as big as the hen's egg was found
were depicted using two crotches for "he has ceased to live by his own
labor" nowadays, we are arrayed by a bunch of technology that does the
job for us, and even tho, it does make our lives easier it also makes us
become unthankful for the natural blessings we recieve. The chance to
wake up, the strength to face a brand new day, the ability to think. We
cease to exist the moment we live through the means of what has been
duly provided for us. We referred this analysis to when the old man
answered, "In the old time, men lived according to God's law. They had
what they wanted and didn't care about what others had created." (How
it was written) We noticed that there was a mention of a hen flying,
which is a very unrealistic situation because Hens can't even fly; thus,
the story's construction is a little fictional with a fairytale nature, and
also the wise men, who we’d say were very unwise to just ponder and
didn't take the opportunity to do something, if they lived in our society
where "Hens don't fly."

The story made us realize 3 things, First, to be grateful for what is

given us. Second, to live in labor and in control of all that is due of me,
and to live according God's law. This is a basic principle that was taught
to us since we were little, but the story, is a good reminder that not
everything that comes to lessen the work we do now helps the future
we want to see for the next generation. The story all in all, a showcase of
Leo Tolstoy's wisdom and the purpose to pursue that which is good and
naturally given us in the first place. Wisdom, strength, love. This
narrative is didactic and full of the idealistic spirit that made Tolstoy a
great short story writer. His moralistic stories were full of unexpected
twists and finished with a moralistic ideal that people may debate.