A Lost Opportunity

A Lost Opportunity is a short story written by the renowned Russian author, Leo Tolstoy. The story is set in the late 19th century and revolves around two characters - a wealthy landowner named Ivan Petrovich and a poor peasant named Nikita. The story begins with Ivan Petrovich visiting Nikita's village to purchase some hay for his estate. While there, he meets Nikita and they strike up a conversation. Ivan Petrovich is struck by Nikita's intelligence and potential, and offers him a job as a steward on his estate. Nikita is hesitant at first, but eventually accepts the offer.However, things do not go as planned. Ivan Petrovich is a harsh and demanding employer, and Nikita struggles to keep up with the workload. He is eventually fired and forced to return to his life as a poor peasant.The story is a commentary on the social and economic inequality that existed in Tsarist Russia. Tolstoy uses the characters of Ivan Petrovich and Nikita to illustrate the vast divide between the rich and the poor, and the missed opportunities for social mobility and progress. Overall, A Lost Opportunity is a poignant and thought-provoking story that highlights Tolstoy's mastery of the short story form and his keen insight into the human condition.THIS 54 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories, by Leo Tolstoy. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1417923210.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.