The Devil is a novella in which Tolstoy probes the destructive power of desire through the psychological collapse of its protagonist, Eugene Irtenev. After inheriting and managing his late father’s troubled estate, Eugene attempts to build a respectable and orderly life but finds his inner balance destabilized by suppressed sexual urges. His obsessive attraction to the peasant woman Stepanida grows into a force that undermines his conscience and moral resolve. Torn between marital duty and uncontrollable temptation, he descends into a life marked by secrecy and inner torment. The work offers a stark examination of guilt, desire, and the perilous consequences of moral weakness.
