Image of Maria Bolkonskaya. One of the most attractive, warmly described heroines of L.N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” is Marya, the sister of Andrei Bolkonsky. The princess received an excellent education, but the only entertainment in her monotonous life was mathematics. Only her father was involved in her upbringing - an intelligent, but unsociable and despotic person. Andrei Bolkonsky’s sister was very different from her peers. She was smart, well-mannered, but completely ugly. However, the author constantly emphasizes her inner spiritual beauty, which was reflected in her large, radiant, light eyes.
Tolstoy often uses the expression “radiant eyes” when describing Marya. Outwardly unattractive, from the first minutes of communication she amazes her interlocutor with the nobility and beauty of the spiritual world. Princess Marya's gaze is “loving, warm and meek.”
The closest person to Marya was her brother, Prince Andrei, although it is not customary in the Bolkonsky family to show feelings. Despite her father's strictness, the princess loves him very much. She denies any sympathy from her brother for her life. Marya considers herself the most happy man and wants Andrei to be as happy as she is.
The rich princess was a very enviable bride in society. Therefore, Prince Vasily Kuragin is trying to marry his dissolute son Anatole to the clever Marya. It turned out that in the soul of this girl lives not only boundless love for God, but also dreams of earthly love, husband and children.
The kind and dreamy princess hoped that she would fall in love with Anatole, and in her dreams she began to imagine their future together. But Prince Vasily immediately saw who his son liked. It was a young and beautiful maid - Mademoiselle Burien. Soon Marya also found out about this. In the garden she saw Anatole hugging her companion. She was not offended by this, saying that she wanted Anatole to marry “poor Amelie.”
The War of 1812 quickly broke into Bald Mountains. After the sudden death of her father, Maria is left alone, awaiting the arrival of the enemy. In a critical situation, Count Nikolai Rostov, who came to the estate to buy hay for the horses, becomes the unwitting savior of the princess. He helps the princess, and pretty soon a special relationship arises between them. Nikolai is strongly impressed by Marya’s big eyes, which in moments of emotional stress are illuminated with a beautiful light, transforming the girl’s entire appearance.
The epilogue tells that Princess Marya and Nikolai Rostov got married. The house in Bald Mountains was rebuilt, and Nikolai Ilyich manages the house very well. He loves his wife very much and admires her wealth inner world. Countess Marya also takes care of the house, and also raises children and keeps a diary in which she writes down her thoughts.
Marya does not always agree with her husband. She tries to explain to him that he needs to engage not only in material enrichment, but also in enriching his spiritual world. Marya sees that Nikolai does not always understand this truth, but her love intensifies more and more, even when she realizes that she and her husband are completely different.
Using the example of this heroine, Tolstoy shows us how much more important and valuable than physical attractiveness is spiritual beauty. A person who truly beautiful soul, will always be worthy of love and admiration, while outer beauty over the years it invariably fades and disappears.
The epic novel "War and Peace" is one of the main assets of Russian literature. Princess Marya Bolkonskaya is one of the central female characters. She is a kind of opposite of Natasha Rostova, who grew up in an atmosphere of love and was used to expressing her feelings. The princess has a different character, which is no less interesting and complex than the other heroes of the work. Below is a description of Marya Bolkonskaya with quotes.
The heroine's appearance
In the characterization of Marya Bolkonskaya, it should be noted that the princess was not at all a beauty. On the contrary, there was nothing remarkable about her, and some even considered her ugly. Even the efforts of the little princess and her companion to make her a social beauty did not bring results.
The most beautiful thing about the princess’s appearance were her eyes: “...Rays of kind and timid light shone from her large eyes.” This Inner Light made her ugly face spiritual and sublime. And those around her no longer noticed her shortcomings - after all, “... in beautiful eyes there was both love and sadness..." Princess Marya had a special beauty - not external, but internal, which made her more beautiful.
Description of the heroine's personality
In the characterization of Marya Bolkonskaya, it should be noted that the princess was distinguished by her thoughtfulness and prudence. She is very kind, modest and calm. The princess almost immediately wins people over - “...with the meek and timid Princess Marya, despite the fact that he hardly knew them, he immediately felt like an old friend.” The girl always tried to find the good in those around her, even if they could not always appreciate her.
Princess Marya spent her entire life in the village, and she liked its quiet, measured and secluded life. She cares about her father, even though he is too strict with her. The princess finds consolation in religion and helps homeless wanderers. In the future, it is the meek and calm Marya who will be able to influence her too straightforward husband, Nikolai Rostov. She, as an exemplary wife, will devote a lot of time to raising children and will become an example of a meek and kind character for her husband.
Comparison with Natasha Rostova
Also in the description of Marya Bolkonskaya you can include a comparison with the main character novel by Natasha Rostova. The differences begin with her upbringing: the princess lived in the village, alone with her father, who was strict and often unfair to his daughter. Natasha's childhood and youth were spent in big family, in which she was everyone’s favorite and many pranks were forgiven.
Natasha was not a beauty either, but they found her charming and sweet. If Marya always tried to be guided by reason and was restrained in showing emotions, then Natasha was always spontaneous in expressing her feelings.
But the heroines also had a lot in common. They tried to see the good in people, and for them the most important thing was kindness in a person. Also, Marya and Natasha later devoted themselves to their family and loved their husbands very much.
Relationships with other heroes
In the characterization of Marya Bolkonskaya, one can also describe her relationships with other heroes of the epic novel. The closest person to the princess was her older brother, Prince Andrei. He always took care of his sister, knowing the complex nature of their father.
Her closest friend was the frivolous Julie Karagina. Princess Marya knew Pierre Bezukhov from childhood and considered wonderful person. Most of all, she loved her husband, children and nephew. The girl always tried to see the good in people, help them and support them.
In the characterization of Princess Marya Bolkonskaya, it should be noted that this character did not change much throughout the epic novel (like, for example, Natasha Rostova). This is because she was already a mature person with strong beliefs and principles.
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In the novel L.N. Tolstoy has many female images, deprived of a pleasant appearance. This state of affairs has a negative impact on the owners of such a deficiency - they are ignored in society, they have every chance of remaining alone and not experiencing family happiness.
One of these characters is Marie Bolkonskaya.
Origin of Marie Bolkonskaya
Marya Bolkonskaya noble origin. Their family has ancient roots. Prince Rurik is their ancestor.
Their family is very rich.
Family of Marya Bolkonskaya
The Bolkonsky family is not as numerous as other families. The head of the family is Prince Nikolai, a former military man, a man of complex character and tough character.
Mother Maria is no longer alive.
In addition to the girl, the family also has one child - her older brother Andrei. He was successfully married to Princess Lisa Meinen, but this brother’s marriage ended in tragedy - his young wife did not survive after childbirth and died. The child was saved - Marya takes over the functions of the mother in raising the child. This action is not forced - the young girl enjoys taking care of her nephew.
Among the family members one can also count Mademoiselle Bourien, a lifelong companion.
Appearance of Princess Marie
Nature was extremely unfair with the young girl - her appearance wants to be much better. The characters speak about her like this: “she doesn’t need to spoil anything - they’re already ugly.”
Marie is short, she has too much thin face, her body was devoid of grace and beautiful forms. She was physically weak and extremely unattractive.
The only thing that was beautiful in her appearance was her eyes: deep, radiant and sincere. Her eyes “were so good that very often, despite the ugliness of the whole face, these eyes became more attractive than beauty.”
Marie's gait was also not like the light tread of women - her steps were heavy.
Those around her understood that Marie had no chance of marrying for love: “And who will take her out of love? Dull, awkward. They’ll take you for your connections, for your wealth.”
The princess is not stupid, she understands the true state of things and is aware of her physical flaws, but, like everyone else, she wants to be loved and happy.
The moral character of the princess
The inner world of Princess Marya Bolkonskaya is significantly different from her external appearance.
Marie was educated at home. Her father taught her the exact sciences, in particular mathematics and geometry. The girl also knows how to play the clavichord. She often indulges music lessons and can play for a long time: “one could hear the difficult passages of Dussek’s sonata repeated twenty times.”
The girl has a pure soul, she is full of noble aspirations. Those who communicate with her for some time note this fact. They are touched by the girl’s sincerity and kindness. Marie does not know how to deceive people and be disingenuous; prudence and coquetry are alien to her.
She has a calm disposition and has the ability to analyze the actions and words of others. This allows her to be in non-conflict relationships even with the most hot-tempered people. The princess first of all pays attention to the inner world of a person; what is important to her is not the inner shell of a person, but his thoughts and moral character.
Marie is a deeply religious girl. Religion becomes her passion, in which she finds answers to many questions that interest her inquisitive mind:
“religion, and only religion, can, let alone console us, but save us from despair; Religion alone can explain to us what man cannot understand without its help.”
Marie often helps homeless people, she does this secretly from her father: “This comforting dream and hope were given to her by God’s people - holy fools and wanderers, who visited her secretly from the prince.”
Her nephew Nikolenka becomes her second passion - the girl gets sincere pleasure from playing and teaching the child. Communication with the child was her consolation and, in fact, the only joy in life.
Marie's attitude towards family members
Relations in the Bolkonsky family are strained and tense. First of all, this is due to the character and disposition of the old count. He is a quick-tempered and harsh person. He does not know how to control himself and often addresses his family in the rudest form. Marie continually endures mockery and unjustified remarks. “All the outbursts of his causeless anger mostly fell on Princess Marya. It was as if he was diligently looking for all her most painful places in order to morally torture her as cruelly as possible.”
She steadfastly endures all his insults. Marie does not think that her father hates her, she understands that he does not know how to express his love and care in any other way.
Marie's attitude towards high society
According to her status, Marie has every right to be active in aristocratic circles, but she does not do this. The girl has spent her whole life in the village, and she has no desire to change anything in this regard. It is likely that the encouragement of other norms of behavior played a role in this attitude - coquetry, often turning into a love affair, deception, lies, hypocrisy - all this is alien to Marie. Another reason for refusing to visit public places could quite possibly be the attitude towards the princess’s appearance. Naturally, the girl was not alien to love and affection; she wanted to create her own personal family, and in society she would have to notice the predominance of a person’s external qualities over his moral character. Marie would become lonely in such a world.
Willingness to be friendly
Marie does not shy away from communicating with people. She is willing to maintain friendly relations with them. For example, she actively communicates with Princess Julie Karagina. In fact, this is her only friend. Julie, like Marie, is also not endowed with a pretty face, so both girls are familiar with unpleasant feelings about the perception of appearance. The friends are sincere in their friendly impulses and are ready to support each other in any situation.
The second person with whom Marie shares feelings of friendship is Mademoiselle Bourien. The girl lives in the Bolkonskys’ house and is a companion. Their communication is radically different from their friendship with Julie. First of all, this concerns the attitude of Mademoiselle Bourrienne towards Marie. In her case, it's pseudo friendship. The girl is ready to deceive Marie for selfish purposes.
Marie Bolkonskaya and Anatol Kuragin
Naturally, marriage was the only way for Princess Marie to escape from home and end her miserable life of abuse. Therefore, when Anatol Kuragin comes with his father to woo the girl, she experiences anxiety.
“When thinking about marriage, Princess Marya dreamed of family happiness and children, but her main, strongest and hidden dream was earthly love.”
Anatole impresses her with his appearance - he is very handsome. To the girl he seems a good man, but her father doesn’t think so - Nikolai Bolkonsky is not such a naive and gullible person as his daughter. It was not hidden from his gaze that Anatole did not experience not only love, nor even a feeling of sympathy for his daughter, nor the young man’s interest in the Bolkonskys’ maid.
He tells his daughter about this and makes her think that Anatole is not a match for her - he is only interested in money, but leaves the final choice to his daughter. Marie witnesses Anatole's tenderness with Mademoiselle Bourien and refuses young man.
Marriage to Nikolai Rostov
A new hope for personal happiness was kindled in Marie’s soul with the appearance of Nikolai Rostov in her life. Marriage to this man allowed the princess to develop morally and spiritually. She realized herself as a mother. The role of a teacher is close to Marie; she enjoys taking care of her children and even keeps a diary where she writes down all kinds of information related to the stages of development and the characteristics of raising her children.
4.7 (93.85%) 13 votesABOUT female images in nineteenth-century novels it was common to say “captivating.” It seems to me that this definition suits Natasha Rostova and Princess Marya, despite all its banality. How different the thin, agile, graceful Natasha and the clumsy, ugly, uninteresting Marya Bolkonskaya seem at first glance!
Princess Bolkonskaya is a dull, unattractive, absent-minded girl who can only count on marriage thanks to her wealth. And the characters of both Tolstoy’s heroines are not at all similar. Princess Marya, brought up by the example of her proud, arrogant and distrustful father, soon becomes like that herself. His secrecy, restraint in expressing his own feelings and innate nobility are inherited by his daughter.
Princess Marya meekly submits to her eccentric and despotic father, not only out of fear, but also out of a sense of duty as a daughter who has no moral right to judge her father. At first glance, she seems timid and downtrodden. But in her character there is hereditary Bolkon pride, an innate sense of self-esteem, which is manifested, for example, in her refusal of Anatoly Kuragin’s proposal. Despite the desire for quiet family happiness, which this ugly girl deeply conceals within herself, she does not want to become the wife of a socially handsome man at the cost of humiliation and insult to her dignity.
With particular force, the firmness and strength of character of this modest, shy girl is revealed in the years Patriotic War 1812. When a French companion promised Princess Marya, who found herself in a difficult situation, the protection of her compatriots, she stopped communicating with her and left Bogucharovo, as her patriotic feeling was offended.
The princess is afraid of her father, she does not dare take a step without his knowledge, does not obey him, even when he is wrong. Marya, who passionately loves her father, cannot, for fear of causing an explosion of her father’s anger, even caress or kiss him. Her life, still a young and intelligent girl, is very difficult.
Princess Marya's only consolation is letters from Julie Kuragina, whom Marya knows best from her letters. In her solitude, the princess becomes close only with her companion Mademoiselle Bourienne. Forced seclusion, the difficult nature of her father and the dreamy nature of Marya herself make her devout. For Princess Bolkonskaya, God becomes everything in life: her assistant, mentor, strict judge. At times she becomes ashamed of her own earthly actions and thoughts, and she dreams of devoting herself to God, going somewhere far, far away in order to free herself from everything sinful and alien.
Marya is waiting for love and ordinary female happiness, but she does not admit this even to herself. Her restraint and patience help her in all life's difficulties. The princess does not have such an all-consuming feeling of love for one person, so she tries to love everyone, still spending a lot of time in prayer and everyday concerns.
Her soul, like Natasha’s, is endowed by the author with a rich spiritual world, inner beauty. Marya Bolkonskaya completely surrenders to every feeling, be it joy or sadness. Her spiritual impulses are often selfless and noble. She thinks more about others, close and loved ones, than about herself. For Princess Marya, all her life God remained the ideal to which her soul aspired. She wanted moral purity, a spiritual life, where there would be no place for resentment, anger, envy, injustice, where everything would be sublime and beautiful. In my opinion, the word “femininity” largely determines the human essence of Tolstoy’s heroine.
They say that the eyes are the mirror of the soul; for Marya, they are indeed a reflection of her inner world. Marya's family life is an ideal marriage, a strong family bond. She devotes herself to her husband and children, devoting all her mental and physical strength to raising children and creating home comfort. I think that Marya (now Rostova) is happy in family life, happy with the happiness of her children and beloved husband. Tolstoy emphasizes the beauty of his heroine in a new quality for her - loving wife and tender mother.
Marya Bolkonskaya, with her evangelical humility, is especially close to Tolstoy. It is her image that personifies the triumph of natural human needs over asceticism. The princess secretly dreams of marriage, of her own family, of children. Her love for Nikolai Rostov is a high spiritual feeling. In the epilogue of the novel, Tolstoy paints pictures of the Rostov family happiness, emphasizing that it was in the family that Princess Marya found the true meaning of life.
Osyushkina Alena
Marya Bolkonskaya... This literary image created almost 150 years ago. Tolstoy wrote: “...if they told me that That“What I write will be read by today’s children in 20 years and they will cry and laugh over it and love life, I would devote my life and all my strength to it...” Images created by L.N. Tolstoy - are eternal. Princess Marya still attracts readers with her sincerity, nobility, and complex inner world. It attracts modern schoolchildren with its moral purity.
The prototype of Princess Marya was Tolstoy's mother. The writer did not remember his mother, even her portraits were not preserved, but in his imagination he created her spiritual appearance. “I prayed to her soul,” said Tolstoy, and this prayer always helped him. When creating the image of Princess Marya, Tolstoy thought about his mother... This is probably why the image of Princess Marya turned out to be so touching, so unforgettable.
This is a very gentle and sincere nature that you want to be like. This moral ideal! This is a role model!!!