Sevastopol, Three Days in the Village, and Other Sketches & Tolstoi for the Young

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In Sevastopol in December, Tolstoy employs a second-person narrative to guide you through life in Sevastopol, reminiscent of his own arrival in November 1854. The narrator takes you to a dressing station in the Assembly Hall, a makeshift hospital filled with wounded soldiers and amputees, some on camp beds, most on the floor. This piece also sets the stage for the settings and themes explored in Sevastopol in May and Sevastopol in August. Notably, when discussing the enemy, only the French are mentioned, referred to as "'him', as both soldiers and sailors say" (Tolstoy 198). In Sevastopol in May, Tolstoy delves into the senselessness and vanity of war, exploring the psychology of conflict, heroism, and the deceptive nature of truces, highlighting how nations repeatedly engage in warfare despite past agreements. He concludes that the true hero of the narrative is truth itself. Sevastopol in August portrays the end of the siege and the Russian forces' defeat and withdrawal. The narrative shifts between the experiences of two brothers, Mikhail and Vladimir Kozeltsov, who fight valiantly for Russia but ultimately meet their demise in the conflict.