Tolstoy's The Forged Coupon Details the Interconnectedness of Human Actions

"For want of a nail the shoe lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail."
--Author unknown

Tolstoy's The Forged Coupon planted the seed for my recurring reflections on non-violence as a response to violence. I first read it around 30 years ago and, like all great literature, it made a lasting impression. If you've not read it, here is summary of the story.

The novella explores themes of morality, redemption, and the ripple effects of individual actions on society. The story is divided into two parts, each illustrating the consequences of a single act.

Part One
The story begins with a teenage boy, Mitya, who needs money to pay off a debt. He persuades his friend, Makhin, to help him forge a coupon (a form of a promissory note) to obtain a small sum of money. Mitya cashes the forged coupon at a shop, whuch sets off a chain of events. The shopkeeper, Ivan Mironov, is unable to detect the forgery and uses the coupon to pay a debt to a peasant, who is later arrested for trying to pass the forged coupon. The peasant’s arrest and subsequent treatment by the police and judicial system highlight the injustices within society, a secondary theme in the story. 

The novella itself turns out to be a sequence of stories, much like billiard balls colliding into one another with increasingly unfortunate consequences--theft, betrayal and ultimately murder by a man named Stepan, which becomes a turning point.

Part Two
The focus shifts to the manner in which the forces of good also have influence. Stepan, now in prison, is so weighed down with guilt that he is suicidal. Through another inmate he discovers redemption in Christ and his life is utterly, miraculously changed. His transformation touches others who also choose to break their cycles of violence and wrongdoing, thus illustrating Tolstoy’s belief in the power of forgiveness and moral integrity.

Themes

--Tolstoy examines how a single immoral act can have far-reaching consequences, affecting many lives and perpetuating further wrongdoing.

--The novella critiques the judicial and social systems, highlighting how they often fail to address the root causes of crime and instead exacerbate suffering.

--Despite the darkness of the unfolding events, Tolstoy emphasizes the possibility of redemption through personal transformation and forgiveness.

Why The Forged Coupon speaks to me

There is a sense in which the prison scenes especially resonated with me. While living in Puerto Rico I visited the Bayamon Prison once a week to assist a man who did ministry there. I met at least two murderers whose lives had been profoundly altered by the grace of God, and a number other incarcerated men with transformed hearts. (Tommy, James, Big John, Tony--I remember you all.)

I also witnessed how our actions can make a difference in the lives of others, for good or ill. Tolstoy seems to suggest that this is how the redemption and healing of society will come about, through individuals choosing love over hate, kindness over violence.

It seems that weekly we read about scandals in which government corruption or incompetence wastes hundreds of millions of dollars. "More government programs" is not the solution to what ails us as a society. Change must come through we the people. 

Little things can make big impacts. Or, as Bruce Barton observed, "Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things."