Too Dear Summary

Introduction

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“Too Dear!” is a story written by count Leo Tolstoy, a famous Russian writer, master of realistic fiction and is widely considered one of the world’s greatest novelists. The story “Too Dear!” is a parody of one of the modern systems of governance. It ridicules the ways of punishing criminals and dispensing justice in modern states. The story is narrated in a matter-of fact-tone but with an undercurrent of sarcasm. Leo Tolstoy satirizes the thirst for power, exercised by men of upper class, and how it affects society. In addition, it also raises a serious question on capital punishment.

Summary / Theme / Story background

All is well in the kingdom of Monaco until a man commits a murder. The king had never had to deal with the murder until the man was sentenced to death.  He runs into considerable trouble trying to carry out the sentence. Monaco had neither guillotine nor an executioner, so they requested the government of France. France agreed to send the requirements for the sum of 16000 francs. This would require imposing more tax on people. So the king requested for help from the king of Italy who agreed to provide the requirements at the cost of 12000 francs. As the King couldn't afford the expenses, the death sentence was altered to imprisonment for life.

Life imprisonment however presented its own set of problems. There needed to be a guard to watch the criminal and provide him with food. The costs came to be 600 francs, which would still require an increase of taxes. It was decided that the guard should be dismissed, at the risk of losing the prisoner.

The prisoner however did not try to escape and continued to stay in the prison. It was then agreed to pay an annuity of 600 francs by the government and he left the King’s dominions.

In the concluding paragraph the narrator comments that it is good that the prisoner did not commit his crime in a country where they do not grudge expense to get a man’s head off or to keep him in prison for life. The author seems to question the very conviction of the rulers and about the system of law and governance instituted by them.

Conclusion

The author seems to appreciate the courage and open-mindedness of Monaco and acknowledging their limitations and letting the prisoner free on humanitarian grounds. It is worth noting that the writer puns on the title “Too Dear!” which means either too expensive, or of great value. The author leaves it to the reader to decide whether “Too Dear!” refers to executing the criminal or saving the criminal’s life.

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