1. Home

Leo Tolstoy's Place in the Canon

This essay on Leo Tolstoy gives an overview of his life and works to argue for his prominence in the Russian literary canon -- and as greatest of all time. The student describes his influence on style, themes, and character in fiction.
PAGES
6
WORDS
1,566
  Cite
View Full Essay
About this essay
This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

More essays like this:

Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin
- Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University
Exactly what I needed.
- Jenna Kraig, student @ UCLA
Wow. Most helpful essay resource ever!
- Chris Stochs, student @ UC Berkeley
Generating Preview...
This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

More essays like this:

Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin
- Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University
Exactly what I needed.
- Jenna Kraig, student @ UCLA
Wow. Most helpful essay resource ever!
- Chris Stochs, student @ UC Berkeley

View other essays like this one:

Bridget's feedback:

"Your enthusiasm and clear investment in Tolstoy's oeuvre make this a refreshing read, with the personal voice bringing interest and hooking the reader. As you move into the next draft, I recommend a focus on structure and organization to create a somewhat more formal framework for the discussion, which at the local level does a good job of balancing the personal and the academic.

A first task in that area will be to re-envision the use of the very long quotation (the list) on the second page. Summarizing or paraphrasing the list will allow the discussion to move more efficiently and avoid the long visual and argumentative interruption it currently represents. Perhaps list only the "immense" influences, or pick a few titles across the list that you feel speaks best to the range of influences. By doing this, you also show control of the material and topic, building the ethos your reader relies on.

Similarly, the tour through his main works has the feeling of a list that risks staying in the superficial. Can you enhance the discussion by expanding the point about your personal favorite? Again, recall your audience's reliance on your knowledge and ethos as the author of this paper bringing a new perspective for your reader. As a final comment, the opening paragraph takes awhile to settle down -- consider streamlining the first few sentences, perhaps by picking just one of the hooks (the film or the "greatest" discussion)."

Learn more about this feedback