AN ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE IN WAR AND PEACE BY LEO TOLSTOY

Abstract

This research discusses a novel which written by Leo Tolstoy entitled War and Peace. The writer aims to describe the social justice issue that is often appears in society. This research aims to identify the idea of social justice that reflected in War and Peace through the characters in the story. This study applies descriptive qualitative method and typically library research. This research applies Marxist theory about social justice in order to look at the relation between literary work and society’s historical elements that happen in the past. Marx's theory emphasizes the inherent conflicts between different social classes, particularly the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. In War and Peace novel, it can be seen from the lives of characters from diverse social backgrounds, such as the aristocracy represented by characters like Prince Andrei and the wealthy Pierre Bezukhov, as well as the common people like the soldiers and peasants.

Keywords: War and Peace, Social justice, Karl Marx, Marxism, Historical Materialism, Class Struggle