Truth and Justice

Truth and Justice (Estonian: Tõde ja õigus) I-V, written in 1926–1933, is a pentalogy by Anton Hansen Tammsaare, considered to be his most famous work, and one of the foundational works in Estonian literature.

Tammsaare's social epic captured the evolution of Estonia from Tsarist province to independent state. It was based partly on the author's own life and centered on the contrast between the urban middle class and hard-working peasantry. The protagonist, Indrek Paas, moves from a farm to a city, witnesses uprisings and upheavals, tries to find peace in marriage and the middle and upper class life-style, but returns disappointed to his roots for a new start.

The book series can be seen as a thorough overview of developments of Estonian society from about 1870 to about 1930; it presents an epic panorama of both the rural and urban societies of that era. Tammsaare's primary conception was that under the then-applicable conditions, reaching a harmony of both truth and justice is impossible, and thus, while many characters will seek it, none will reach this destination.

According to Tammsaare, the first volume of Truth and Justice depicts man's struggle with the earth, the second with God, the third with society, the fourth with himself and the fifth ends with resignation. Tammsaare's view was skeptical, in general he saw things as a natural scientist would, his approach being biological rather than psychological. Although the work was deeply rooted in Estonian life, it dealt with many contemporary literary and philosophical issues. With Truth and Justice Tammsaare gained a reputation as one of the most original thinkers and novelists in northern Europe. The last two volumes especially contained more reasoning on the struggle for truth and justice than autobiographical material.

In Truth and Justice Tammsaare draws an ironic portrait of urban intellectuals who have absorbed the middle and upper classes mores and abandoned their moral principles. The novel was written in a time which saw the rise of dictators – Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini – and the decline of truth and justice. Indrek, the protagonist, is not a man of action, but through his life story Tammsaare examines the same humanistic ideals of the early 20th century as Romain Roland, Thomas Mann and John Galsworthy do in their works. In the first part Indrek is actually a minor character, while the protagonist is his father, Andres Paas with his first wife Krõõt, who dies after giving birth to their first son. Andres, who wants to defend what he considers right, eventually loses his vision of right and wrong, and manages to cheat his archenemy, Pearu. In the second part Indrek enters a private school in a town, actually Tartu, although Tammsaare doesn't mention its name. Indrek falls in love with Ramilda, the daughter of the school director. She dies of tuberculosis and Indrek renounces God, publishing an article in the school paper which gets him expelled from school. In the third part Indrek participates in the revolutionary events of 1905 but is terrified by its frenzy. The fourth part is set in independent Estonia. Indrek has married Karin; they have two children. After he finds out that Karin has been unfaithful, he nearly kills her. Indrek is released on probation. Karin dies in a traffic accident. In the fifth part Indrek returns to his native village.

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