Count Leo Tolstoy was a man of health and physical vitality. He was born to a noble name and great wealth. In the years of his life, he increased the wealth he was born into and worked the many acres of land located on his estate. Leo Tolstoy wrote at leisure in the midst of affluence and was given the opportunity to review and fix his works, making them shine. Tolstoy was one of the only Russian's who enjoyed the freedom of speech in the country. He was granted an amazing amount of tolerance for his works. During his stay in the army, the Count served as an officer, in charge of many and stationed at a decent post. During the day he would leave a wealthy home and adoring family to toil among the peasants. He was charitable out of curiosity and in order to attain experiences but not out of necessity.
Dostoyevsky on the other hand, was for the majority of his life a frail epileptic. He came from a poor and humble background and would struggle to survive his entire life. When Dostoyevsky had the opportunity to write it was often in haste and under immense pressure with very little time to revise and polish it. Unlike Tolstoy who enjoyed freedom to write what he wanted, Dostoyevsky was sent to Siberia and banished for a minor infraction of the censorship laws. Consequently he would remain under the watchful eye of the authorities. During his stay in Siberia he served as a common solider among the convicts in Siberia. Out of a necessity Dostoyevsky lived a life among the slum dwellers and shared his experience. He was charitable out of feeling and necessity.
Dostoyevsky used his writings to introduce the slums and middle class into the Russian Literature. His characters have a great level of complexity. The issues that are prevalent in his writings are usually crime, disease, insanity, and abnormalities. When Dostoyevsky wrote and presented his works, he had the appearance of a humble man. Dostoyevsky is considered a literary genius. He constantly underestimated the greatness of his works. In his writings, Dostoyevsky rarely resorted to autobiographical passages except in his Memoirs from a Dead House. He revealed his Slavophile view in his character Shatov, and his epileptic condition and experiences in the Prince Myshkin. Dostoyevsky was considered a prophet and a teacher. His writings and life created people who imitated him. In philosophy, he was considered a disciple of Christ and a psychologist; however in societal he was classified an idiot and an epileptic.
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