Savva and the Life of Man: Two plays by Leonid Andreyev

"Savva and the Life of Man: Two Plays by Leonid Andreyev" by Leonid Andreyev is a compilation of theatrical pieces from the early 1900s that investigate what it means to be human, touching on subjects like pain, hopelessness, and the quest to find purpose when everything seems chaotic. The people in these stories struggle with big questions about life, and Savva is a very important person in one of the plays who shows both defiance and a need to learn more about why we exist as individual humans. "Savva" begins in a dull but restrictive monastery area, where people are doing normal things in a hot and quiet place. Pelagueya and Lipa, who both live in the house, show that they are annoyed by living and working there while they talk about Savva, who is shown to be a relaxed person that plays with kids. There are mixed feelings about Savva; other characters see him as someone who doesn't care about how hard life is for everyone else, and some people like him while others hate him. Through short conversations, we get a brief look at Savva's difficult personality. He is confused and wants to face troublesome facts about living and being hurt by things that happen which prepares for a big exploration of life.