Princess Marya’s faith in God could be said to line up with Tolstoy’s belief that fate conquers the freedom of the human will. In this view, human beings are limited in their understanding and influence over human events; their perspective is merely partial. They cope with suffering and unknowing by acknowledging that some higher force—in Marya’s belief, God—controls outcomes. For Marya, God’s will is always loving, even if his actions are inscrutable to human understanding.