Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in What Men Live By, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Mystery
Rationality vs. Generosity
Selfless Love
Summary
Analysis
The next morning, while Matryona is borrowing bread from a neighbor, Semyon asks the stranger what kind of work he can do. The stranger says he doesn’t know how to do any kind of work but will be happy to learn, since all men work for their livings. Semyon says that he will teach the stranger how to make shoes, and in exchange, the stranger can continue to live with them. Semyon asks the stranger his name, and the stranger replies that it is Mikhail. Semyon then says that if Mikhail doesn’t want to tell them anything about himself, that’s okay.
The fact that Matryona is able to borrow bread from a neighbor shows that Semyon was right in the previous night’s conversation: the family isn’t starving, and things do seem to be working out. Semyon’s attitude toward the stranger also demonstrates a new acceptance of the many things he doesn’t know about this man. Interestingly, however, it is also in this moment of acceptance of mystery that Semyon (and the reader) glean the first concrete piece of information about the stranger: his name, Mikhail.
Themes
Semyon teaches Mikhail how to twist and wax yarn. Mikhail proves to be a very quick study; within three days, he has become a remarkable shoemaker, mastering every task that Semyon shows him. He works industriously, eats very little, and is mostly quiet. He never jokes or smiles; in fact, Matryona and Semyon have never seen him smile since the first night when Matryona gave him dinner.
Mikhail’s striking aptitude for everything Semyon teaches him intensifies the sense of magic and mystery that surrounds him. His austerity—his small appetite and solemn personality—also contributes to this impression. His smiles, meanwhile, seem to be associated with particularly profound moments of generosity and love, such as when Matryona welcomed and fed him.
Themes
