“God Sees the Truth, but Waits”, the short story by Leo Tolstoy, has influenced the minds of many readers around the world and continues to do so influence further. this day. Tolstoy has actually captured the attention of readers around the world for some time with his use of the six elements of short stories. These elements include setting, character, plot, conflict, point of view, and theme. Through his effective use of these elements, Tolstoy's short story will forever stand the test of time. The first element used effectively by Tolstoy is the setting. Setting is the time and place in which a story takes place. For example, the setting of Star Wars takes place a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. In this short story, the setting takes place in a town called Vladamir, as well as somewhere in Siberia, at a time near the beginning of the 20th century. Although it is probably Tolstoy's least used element, it nevertheless has a huge impact on the reader's experience. For example, Tolstoy details a certain setting at the beginning of the book: “Aksionov rested for a while in the passage of the inn, then he went out to the porch and, ordering a samovar to be heated, took out his guitar and began to play. » This may seem like nothing to many readers; but it's actually a very important part of the story. Before this point, the story was light, because the main character is a good man, full of fun and has a beautiful family. This draws the reader in and makes it even harder for them when the story gets darker. Just after this scene, Aksionov is approached by the police and informed that his merchant friend has been murdered. This makes the mood of the story darker, significantly changing the setting. This, with the hard...... middle of paper...... simply waiting for the correct time. This is seen through the fact that Aksionov has the ability to seek justice several times throughout the story, but does not get it. In the end, Makar himself decides to admit his guilt and God grants the justice that Aksionov has been waiting for all this time. But this only happens after he refused to throw Makar Semyonich under the bus over the hole in the prison. This is the moment God has been waiting for. This is a very effective theme to use in this story because it gives the reader a very satisfying ending to the story and still makes them think about it days after finishing the story. With this and all other elements, Tolstoy has effectively created a story that many readers will not soon forget. This story will undoubtedly influence the lives of many people in the future..