Leo Tolstoy’s novella Hadji Murad highlights a personal dilemma that occurs within a wartime setting. Murad, the protagonist, is an Avar (or Chechen) man who decides the join the opposing, Russian side in a last-resort attempt to save his family. Because his rival, Shamil, is not only holding his family hostage but is also the Avars’ leader, Murad understands that he cannot depend on his own people for support. Believing he has no choice but to appeal to the Russians, he defects along with some followers.

Tolstoy presents this heart-wrenching decision as a true dilemma in that it has no viable solution. The Russians are initially suspicious of Murad’s motives, despite the ring of truth in the story about his family. They know that in the past, he had fought in earnest against them. The Russian prince, Vorontsov, and his father both hope to manipulate Murad into helping them, but they are not committed to reciprocating by helping rescue his family.

Murad must come to terms with the fact that he and the Russians do not—and indeed cannot—trust each other. Rejecting the prospect of aiding the Russian cause, Murad tries to escape from his confinement at the fort. He fails to outrun or fight off his pursuers, who not only kill but also decapitate him.