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 woman, Marya, relates the story of how she came to be the twins’ caretaker. Six years ago, right around the time the twins were born, both of their parents died within a week of each other. Marya was living next door to the twins’ parents at the time, and she saw the whole tragedy unfold. The girls’ father, who was a woodcutter, was killed by a falling tree on Tuesday. Then, that Friday, their mother died giving birth to them; by the time Marya came in to check on her neighbor the next morning, she was already dead. Moreover, as the twins’ mother died, she had rolled onto one of her babies, crushing the baby’s leg.
Marya’s story demonstrates convenience and proximity—rather than selfless love—were the initial reasons for her guardianship of the twins. The twins are prime candidates for selfless love: without living parents (and, in one twin’s case, with a disability) it seems likely that the twins would have died without a stranger’s generosity.
Themes
The babies were still alive, however, so Marya—whose own child was breastfeeding at that time—was charged with taking care of these newly orphaned girls, too. At first she had planned to feed only the healthy twin, assuming that the twin with the crushed leg would not survive. But then she took pity on the injured twin and began feeding her as well. She had worried that she wouldn’t have enough milk to feed three babies, but she actually had more than enough. Although Marya’s own son died before he turned two, she began to feel that these twins were her children, too. Marya discusses the death of her biological son with striking equanimity, explaining that it was “God’s will” that he should die and the twins should live.
The woman recalls how her relationship with her adoptive daughters progressed from one governed by rational logic—she was the only woman in the village who could breastfeed them—to one of genuine love. There’s a similar shift from rationalism to generosity when she recalls her decision to feed the injured twin as well as the healthy one. The fact that she had more than enough milk to feed all three babies seems to be another example of things working out mysteriously when people act selflessly. The serenity with which the woman talks about her dead son seems directly related to the selfless love she feels for her adoptive twin daughters, as though her selfless love for them gives her a sense of inner peace.
Themes
While telling the story—and expressing how much she loves her adopted daughters—Marya begins to cry. Matryona listens sympathetically and recalls a relevant proverb which states that “You can live without mother or father, but you can’t live without God.” Marya chats with Semyon and Matryona a little more, and then she leaves with the twins. After she leaves, Semyon and Matryona turn to Mikhail: they are surprised to find that his face has once again been overtaken by a strange and blissful smile.
The woman’s tears are proof of her genuine love for her daughters. Her story again speaks to the idea that generosity and selfless love are at least as enriching for the giver as they are for the receiver. Matryona’s recollection of a proverb about the flimsiness of parental love compared to divine love underscores the moral of Marya’s story: her attachment to her adopted daughters actually seems stronger than her love for her biological son. It is as though the unconditional love and self-sacrifice she extends to the girls mimics God’s love of humankind, and because of this, it is particularly meaningful and spiritually fulfilling to her. That Mikhail flashes one of his rare smiles here suggests that there is an important lesson to be learned from Marya’s story.
Themes
