The Governor Character Analysis

Like the district police inspector who appears earlier on in the story, the Governor is known only by his title. This establishes him as a symbol of state authority and institutional justice, which Aksyonov decidedly rejects in recognizing the sole authority of God to deliver judgments and to right moral wrongs. When Makar Semyonov’s prison tunnel discovered, the Governor arrives and questions Aksyonov as to who is trying to escape. Even though the Governor appeals to Aksyonov’s spiritual righteousness, saying that Aksyonov has a good reputation and always tells the truth, Aksyonov refuses to inform on Makar and lies to the Governor, insisting that he knows nothing about the escape attempt. Tolstoy thus uses the character of the Governor to show Aksyonov’s rejection of social, institutional justice (embodied by the Governor) in favor of the ultimate prerogative of God to judge individuals’ souls.