the Forged Coupon And Other Stories

The novella explores the consequences of a single act of dishonesty when student Mitya forges a banknote to settle a debt, leading to a tragic chain of events that culminates in murder. Divided into two parts, the first examines the fallout of Mitya's actions, while the second focuses on themes of redemption and the potential for goodness, contrasting the hypocrisy of organized religion with a belief in humanity's capacity for truth. Written in Tolstoy's later years, it reflects his philosophical insights on morality and the interconnectedness of human actions.