THE FAILED DUELIST AND HIS LITERARY DUEL.
I.N. Kramskoy Portrait of Leo Tolstoy 1873
Among the duelists, who fortunately did not succeed, is Count Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. In May 1861, another quarrel between Leo Tolstoy and Ivan Turgenev, who apparently did not have time to leave for Baden-Baden on time, almost ended in a duel.
It is known that the classics often differed in their views on literature and life.
The reason was education illegitimate daughter Turgenev - Polina.
Tolstoy believed that the situation when a “dressed up girl” mends the “dirty, stinking rags” of the poor “on her knees” is insincere and more similar to “ theater stage" These words angered Turgenev.
He lost his composure and became uncharacteristically harsh:
“If you talk like that, I’ll punch you in the face!”
According to Sophia Tolstoy, Ivan Sergeevich wanted to hit Lev Nikolaevich.
Tolstoy, who by chance did not receive a letter of apology, sent a dispatch with a challenge. Due to the lack of pistols, he suggested shooting with... hunting rifles.
How this whole Tolstoy-Turgenev epic would have ended, only God knows, but, fortunately, Tolstoy became enlightened and forgave the offender for the words: “I’ll punch you in the face.”
And this does honor to the being of the count's family: these are very offensive words, and one is simply supposed to demand satisfaction for them.
Thank God, the duel did not take place, and the writers made peace 17 years later.
By the way, after the reconciliation, the count wrote this: “What a strange impulse that has taken root in our hearts and is diligently cherished by the musty traditions of the rotting circle of feudal lords!.. Everything here is disgusting: the very reason, which in most cases is shallow, low and insignificant, and that’s all these negotiations, making agreements with seconds who, without memory, like matchmakers, are busy about something... But the most disgusting thing, of course, is the state of mind of each of the fighters.”
Now let’s look through the pages of the “book of all times and peoples” - the novel “War and Peace”, in which Lev Nikolaevich vividly describes the duel between Pierre Bezukhov and Fyodor Dolokhov.
Let's look at the heroes:
V. Serov Pierre Bezukhov
PIERRE BEZUKHOV
The illegitimate son of the famous Catherine nobleman, Count Bezukhov, who unexpectedly became the heir to the title and a huge fortune. Soft, clumsy, loves to philosophize. He was brought up abroad. Having fallen under the influence of his father’s friend, Prince Vasily, he marries without love his daughter Helen, the first beauty. Suspecting Dolokhov in connection with his wife, he challenges him to a duel. After which, realizing Helen’s depravity, he breaks up with her.
M.Bashilov Dolokhov's bet 1866
FEDOR DOLOKHOV
“Semyonovsky officer, famous gambler and buster” 25 years old.
Image prototypes:
- reveler and brave man R.I. Dorokhov, whom Tolstoy knew in the Caucasus
- Count F.I. Tolstoy-American, relative of the writer
- A.S. Figner, partisan of the times Patriotic War 1812
Dolokhov is “a poor man, without any connections.” But he gets bored in the conditions ordinary life and has fun doing incredible things. After another revelry - the story with the bear and the policeman - Dolokhov was demoted to soldier. However, during the military campaign of 1805-1807. regained all his regalia. He provokes Bezukhov to a duel, becoming his wife's lover.
And now all I have to do is quote lines from the novel dedicated to this duel.
This unresolved question that tormented him was the hints of the princess in Moscow about Dolokhov’s closeness to his wife and this morning the anonymous letter he received, in which it was said with that vile playfulness that is characteristic of all anonymous letters that he sees poorly through his glasses and that his wife’s connection with Dolokhov is a secret only to him.
Pierre recalled how Helen, smiling, expressed her displeasure that Dolokhov lived in their house, and how Dolokhov cynically praised the beauty of his wife, and how from that time until his arrival in Moscow he was not separated from them for a minute.
“Yes, he’s a brute,” thought Pierre, “it means nothing to him to kill a person, it must seem to him that everyone is afraid of him, it must be pleasant for him. He must think that I am afraid of him too. And indeed, I am afraid of him,” thought Pierre, and again with these thoughts he felt something terrible and ugly rising in his soul.
“Well, now for the health of beautiful women,” said Dolokhov and with a serious expression, but with a smiling mouth at the corners, turned to Pierre with a glass. “For the health of beautiful women, Petrusha, and their lovers,” he said.
“You... you... scoundrel!.. I challenge you,” he said and, moving his chair, stood up from the table. At that very second that Pierre did this and uttered these words, he felt that the question of his wife’s guilt, which had been tormenting him these last 24 hours, was finally and undoubtedly resolved in the affirmative. He hated her and was forever separated from her. Despite Denisov’s requests that Rostov not interfere in this matter, Rostov agreed to be Dolokhov’s second and after the table talked with Nesvitsky, Bezukhov’s second, about the conditions of the duel. Pierre went home, and Rostov, Dolokhov and Denisov sat in the club until late in the evening, listening to gypsies and songwriters.
“So see you tomorrow, in Sokolniki,” said Dolokhov, saying goodbye to Rostov on the porch of the club.
- And are you calm? - asked Rostov.
Dolokhov stopped.
- You see, I’ll tell you in a nutshell the whole secret of the duel. If you go to a duel and write wills and tender letters to your parents, if you think that they might kill you, you are a fool and are probably lost; and you go with the firm intention of killing him as quickly and surely as possible, then everything will be in order, as our Kostroma safecracker used to tell me.
The next day, at eight o'clock in the morning, Pierre and Nesvitsky arrived at the Sokolnitsky forest and found Dolokhov, Denisov and Rostov there. Pierre had the appearance of a man busy with some considerations that were not at all related to the upcoming matter. His haggard face was yellow. He apparently didn't sleep that night. He looked around absently and winced as if from the bright sun. Two considerations exclusively occupied him: the guilt of his wife, of which, after a sleepless night, there was no longer the slightest doubt, and the innocence of Dolokhov, who had no reason to protect the honor of a stranger to him. “Maybe I would have done the same in his place,” thought Pierre. - I probably would have done the same thing. Why this duel, this murder? Either I kill him, or he will hit me in the head, elbow, knee. Leave here, run away, bury yourself somewhere,” came to his mind. But precisely in those moments when such thoughts came to him, with a particularly calm and absent-minded look, which inspired respect in those who looked at him, he asked: “Is it soon and is it ready?”
When everything was ready, the sabers were stuck in the snow, indicating a barrier to which they had to converge, and the pistols were loaded, Nesvitsky approached Pierre.
“I would not have fulfilled my duty, Count,” he said in a timid voice, “and would not have justified the trust and honor that you did to me by choosing me as your second, if I had not told you everything at this important, very important moment.” truth. I believe that this matter does not have enough reasons and that it is not worth shedding blood for it... You were wrong, you got carried away...
“Oh, yes, terribly stupid...” said Pierre.
“So let me convey your regret, and I am sure that our opponents will agree to accept your apology,” said Nesvitsky (like other participants in the case and like everyone else in similar cases, not yet believing that it would come to an actual duel). You know, Count, it is much nobler to admit your mistake than to bring matters to an irreparable point. There was no resentment on either side. Let me talk...
- No, what to talk about! - said Pierre, - it doesn’t matter... So it’s ready? - he added. - Just tell me where to go and where to shoot? - he said, smiling unnaturally meekly. He picked up the pistol and began asking questions about the method of release, since he had not yet held a pistol in his hands, which he did not want to admit. “Oh, yes, that’s how it is, I know, I just forgot,” he said.
“No apologies, nothing decisive,” Dolokhov answered Denisov, who, for his part, also made an attempt at reconciliation and also approached the appointed place.
The place for the duel was chosen about eighty paces from the road where the sleigh remained, in a small clearing of a pine forest, covered with snow that had melted from the thaws of the last days. The opponents stood about forty paces from each other, at the edges of the clearing. The seconds, measuring their steps, laid footprints imprinted in the wet deep snow from the place where they stood to the sabers of Nesvitsky and Denisov, which meant a barrier and were stuck ten steps from each other. The thaw and fog continued; Forty steps away it was unclear to see each other. For about three minutes everything was ready, and yet they hesitated to start. Everyone was silent.
D. Shmarinov Duel of Pierre with Dolokhov 1953
Well, start,” said Dolokhov.
“Well,” said Pierre, still smiling. It was getting scary. It was obvious that the matter, which began so easily, could no longer be prevented, that it went on by itself, regardless of the will of people, and had to be accomplished. Denisov was the first to step forward to the barrier and proclaimed:
- Since the pg "opponents have abandoned pg" imig "eniya, would you like to begin: take pistols and, according to the word tg" and begin to converge.
- G...gas! Two! T'gi!.. - Denisov shouted angrily and stepped aside. Both walked along the trodden paths closer and closer, recognizing each other in the fog. The opponents had the right, converging to the barrier, to shoot whenever anyone wanted. Dolokhov walked slowly, not raising the pistol, peering with his light, shiny, blue eyes in the face of your opponent. His mouth, as always, had the semblance of a smile.
At the word three, Pierre walked forward with quick steps, straying from the well-trodden path and walking on solid snow. Pierre held the pistol with his right hand extended forward, apparently afraid that he might kill himself with this pistol. Left hand he carefully pushed it back, because he wanted to support his right hand with it, but he knew that this was impossible. Having walked six steps and strayed off the path into the snow, Pierre looked back at his feet, again quickly looked at Dolokhov and, pulling his finger, as he had been taught, fired. Not expecting such a strong sound, Pierre flinched from his shot, then smiled at his own impression and stopped. The smoke, especially thick from the fog, prevented him from seeing at first; but the other shot he was waiting for did not come. Only Dolokhov’s hurried steps were heard, and his figure appeared from behind the smoke. With one hand he held his left side, with the other he clutched the lowered pistol. His face was pale. Rostov ran up and said something to him.
“No... no,” Dolokhov said through his teeth, “no, it’s not over,” and, taking a few more falling, hobbling steps right up to the saber, he fell on the snow next to it. His left hand was covered in blood, he wiped it on his coat and leaned on it. His face was pale, frowning and trembling.
“Please…” Dolokhov began, but could not immediately say... “Please,” he finished with an effort. Pierre, barely holding back his sobs, ran to Dolokhov and was about to cross the space separating the barriers when Dolokhov shouted: “To the barrier!” - And Pierre, realizing what was happening, stopped at his saber. Only ten steps separated them. Dolokhov lowered his head to the snow, greedily bit the snow, raised his head again, corrected himself, tucked his legs and sat down, looking for a strong center of gravity. He swallowed cold snow and sucked it; his lips trembled, but everyone smiled; the eyes sparkled with the effort and malice of the last collected strength. He raised the pistol and began to take aim.
“Sideways, cover yourself with a pistol,” Nesvitsky said.
“Zakg”, watch out! - even Denisov, unable to bear it, shouted to his opponent.
Pierre, with a meek smile of regret and repentance, helplessly spreading his legs and arms, stood straight in front of Dolokhov with his broad chest and looked at him sadly. Denisov, Rostov and Nesvitsky closed their eyes. At the same time, they heard a shot and Dolokhov’s angry cry.
- Past! - Dolokhov shouted and lay helplessly face down on the snow. Pierre grabbed his head and, turning back, went into the forest, walking entirely in the snow and uttering incomprehensible words out loud.
- Stupid... stupid! Death... lies... - he repeated, wincing. Nesvitsky stopped him and took him home.
Rostov and Denisov took the wounded Dolokhov.
Article materials used
Yuri Malekin "
In his epic novel War and Peace, Tolstoy showed the diversity of human relationships. Friendship, love, hatred, spiritual quests and disappointments, the dedication of soldiers in war and senseless intrigues secular society- all this is nothing more than the life that such people make. Passions literally boil on the pages of the novel: love, devotion, hatred.
One of the main characters of the novel is Pierre Bezukhov, in whose image the writer revealed the complex process of internal personality formation. Tolstoy shows Pierre in a variety of life situations, revealing new features and qualities in it.
The duel between Bezukhov and Dolokhov is one of the turning points in the life of the former. The description of the deadliest competition takes up several pages in the novel. At the same time, the events that prepared this scene are described in detail, as well as what happens to the participants in the duel after the fact.
In my opinion, the original plot of the action is Pierre’s marriage to Helen Kuragina. The writer portrays her as a depraved woman who changes lovers like gloves. She marries Pierre not out of love, but out of convenience, because of an inheritance, and therefore does not respect her future husband, considering him a fool. Naturally, such behavior by the wife could only lead to one thing - a duel with one of her lovers, who, ironically, becomes Dolokhov.
The duel scene is very important because it puts an end to Pierre's relationship with Helen. The dispute between Bezukhov and Dolokhov begins at a dinner party in honor of Bagration, held at the English Club. Sitting opposite Dolokhov and Nikolai Rostov, Bezukhov thinks “about one thing, difficult and unresolved.” It turns out that this question that tormented him was the princess’s hint in Moscow about Dolokhov’s closeness to his wife and the anonymous letter he received that morning. Every time his unexpected gaze met Dolokhov’s “impudent” eyes, Pierre felt “like something terrible, ugly was rising in his soul, and he quickly turned away.”
Bezukhov knows that Dolokhov will not stop at disgracing his old friend: “It would be a special delight for him to disgrace my name and laugh at me, precisely because I... helped him.” This is what Pierre thinks, while Dolokhov and Nikolai Rostov, looking at him mockingly and disapprovingly, drink to pretty women.
In this situation, Helen's husband is afraid of his opponent. Having trained himself to think everything through to the end and to be frank with himself, he honestly admits to himself: “It means nothing to him to kill a person... He must think that I am afraid of him. And indeed, I am afraid of him...”
But in Pierre’s soul, overcoming fear, rage rises. And when Dolokhov, with a serious expression, but with a smiling “mouth in the corners, with a glass, turned to Pierre,” this fury boils up, looking for a way out. Having made a toast to beautiful women and their lovers, Dolokhov snatches a piece of paper with the text of the cantata from Pierre’s hands. Such behavior would have been quite possible given their friendly relationship, but now “something terrible and ugly... rose up and took possession of Pierre.” In a fit of anger, he challenges Dolokhov to a duel.
And now - a duel in Sokolniki. In this situation, the real essence of Dolokhov is revealed more than that of Pierre. He knows that Bezukhov does not know how to shoot, but does not make any attempts to stop the bloodshed. On the contrary, when seconds Nesvitsky and Denisov make, as expected, an attempt at reconciliation, Dolokhov answers them: “No apologies, nothing decisive.”
Both seconds understand that a murder is taking place. Therefore, they hesitate for about three minutes, when everything is ready. It seems that nothing can save Pierre. Does Dolokhov understand this? How is Bezukhov to blame for him? Why is he ready to kill a person? It is unlikely that Dolokhov thought deeply about these questions, considering the public insult inflicted on him as the reason for the duel.
“It became scary,” writes Tolstoy. However, what was happening could no longer be stopped.
Pierre, absurdly stretching his right hand forward, “apparently fearing that he might kill himself with this pistol,” shoots first and wounds his opponent. Both of them act after the shot as exactly these two people, with these characters, should act. The wounded Dolokhov, having fallen into the snow, is still aiming. This action contains its essence: to the best of one's ability - to finish to the end, to take revenge at all costs.
And Pierre stands, “helplessly spreading his legs and arms, straight with his broad chest” in front of Dolokhov, so that even his second Denisov, unable to bear it, shouts: “Shut up!” Fortunately, Dolokhov missed...
State of mind, in which the opponents are during the duel, changes to the opposite after it. The cruel and decisive Dolokhov, approaching the house after the duel, amazes Rostov and the reader. He cries, worried about his mother, who, having learned about the duel, may become very worried and not survive it. Here the young man appears as a devoted and passionately loving son.
After the duel, Pierre thinks all night: Dolokhov’s “dying face” cannot come out of his imagination. He recalls his life, starting from the day of his marriage and ending with the duel. Pierre, experiencing his delusion and disappointment, comes to the conclusion that it is necessary to break up with Helen.
The couple's explanation the next day ends with Pierre's angry fit. We do not see in him the confused, helpless person he appears during the duel. Pierre is furious. He decides to separate from his wife forever and go to St. Petersburg.
From this moment Bezukhov begins new stage life associated with Freemasonry. He reveals himself as a personality in a different direction - Tolstoy shows not his personal life, but his public one.
Thus, Pierre’s duel with Dolokhov is, as it were, a turning point in Bezukhov’s life. Therefore, in the context of the entire work, this episode plays an important role - it allows the reader to more deeply understand the evolution of the image of Pierre.
Duel between Pierre and Dolokhov. (Analysis of an episode from L.N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace,” vol. II, part I, chapter IV, V.)
Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy in his novel “War and Peace” consistently pursues the idea of the predestined destiny of man. He can be called a fatalist. This is clearly, truthfully and logically proven in the scene of Dolokhov’s duel with Pierre. A purely civilian - Pierre wounded Dolokhov - a rake, a rake, a fearless warrior - in a duel. But Pierre was completely unable to handle weapons. Just before the duel, second Nesvitsky explained to Bezukhov “where to press.”
The episode telling about the duel between Pierre Bezukhov and Dolokhov can be called “Unconscious Act”. It begins with a description of a dinner at the English Club. Everyone sits at the table, eats and drinks, toasts to the emperor and his health. Present at the dinner are Bagration, Naryshkin, Count Rostov, Denisov, Dolokhov, and Bezukhoe. Pierre “does not see or hear anything happening around him and thinks about one thing, difficult and insoluble.” He is tormented by the question: are Dolokhov and his wife Helen really lovers? “Every time his gaze accidentally met Dolokhov’s beautiful, insolent eyes, Pierre felt something terrible, ugly rising in his soul.” And after a toast made by his “enemy”: “To the health of beautiful women and their lovers,” Bezukhov realizes that his suspicions are not in vain.
A conflict is brewing, the beginning of which occurs when Dolokhov snatches a piece of paper intended for Pierre. The Count challenges the offender to a duel, but he does it hesitantly, timidly, one might even think that the words: “You... you... scoundrel!.., I challenge you...” - accidentally escape him. He does not realize what this fight can lead to, and neither do the seconds: Nesvitsky, Pierre’s second, and Nikolai Rostov, Dolokhov’s second.
On the eve of the duel, Dolokhov sits all night in the club, listening to gypsies and songwriters. He is confident in himself, in his abilities, he has a firm intention to kill his opponent, but this is only an appearance, “his soul is restless. His opponent “has the appearance of a man busy with some considerations that are not at all related to the upcoming matter. His haggard face is yellow. He apparently did not sleep at night.” The Count still doubts the correctness of his actions and wonders: what would he do in Dolokhov’s place?
Pierre doesn't know what to do: either run away or finish the job. But when Nesvitsky tries to reconcile him with his rival, Bezukhov refuses, while calling everything stupid. Dolokhov doesn’t want to hear anything at all.
Despite the refusal to reconcile, the duel does not begin for a long time due to the lack of awareness of the act, which Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy expressed as follows: “For about three minutes everything was ready, and yet they hesitated to start. Everyone was silent.” The indecision of the characters is also conveyed by the description of nature - it is sparing and laconic: fog and thaw.
It has begun. Dolokhov, when they began to disperse, walked slowly, his mouth had the semblance of a smile. He is aware of his superiority and wants to show that he is not afraid of anything. Pierre walks quickly, straying from the beaten path, as if he is trying to run away, to finish everything as quickly as possible. Perhaps that is why he shoots first, at random, flinching from the strong sound, and wounds his opponent.
Dolokhov, having fired, misses. Injury of Dolokhov and his unsuccessful attempt Killing the Count is the climax of the episode. Then there is a decline in the action and a denouement, which is what all the characters experience. Pierre does not understand anything, he is full of remorse and regret, barely holding back his sobs, clutching his head, he goes back somewhere into the forest, that is, he runs away from what he has done, from his fear. Dolokhov does not regret anything, does not think about himself, about his pain, but is afraid for his mother, to whom he causes suffering.
In the outcome of the duel, according to Tolstoy, the highest justice was accomplished. Dolokhov, whom Pierre received in his house as a friend and helped with money in memory of an old friendship, disgraced Bezukhov by seducing his wife. But Pierre is completely unprepared for the role of “judge” and “executioner” at the same time; he repents of what happened, thanks God that he did not kill Dolokhov.
Pierre's humanism is disarming; already before the duel he was ready to repent of everything, but not out of fear, but because he was sure of Helene's guilt. He tries to justify Dolokhov. “Maybe I would have done the same thing in his place,” thought Pierre. “Even probably I would have done the same thing. Why this duel, this murder?”
Helene’s insignificance and baseness are so obvious that Pierre is ashamed of his action; this woman is not worth taking a sin on her soul - killing a person for her. Pierre is scared that he almost ruined his own soul, as he had previously ruined his life, by connecting it with Helen.
Pierre Bezukhov and officer Dolokhov (L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”)
Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy in his novel “War and Peace” consistently pursues the idea of the predestined destiny of man. He can be called a fatalist. This is clearly, truthfully and logically proven in the scene of Dolokhov’s duel with Pierre. A purely civilian man - Pierre wounded Dolokhov in a duel - a rake, a rake, a fearless warrior. But Pierre was completely unable to handle weapons. Just before the duel, second Nesvitsky explained to Bezukhov “where to press.”
"At the word three Pierre briskly walked forward... held the pistol, stretching his right hand forward, apparently afraid that he might kill himself with this pistol. He carefully put his left hand back... After walking six steps and straying off the path into the snow, Pierre looked back at his feet, again quickly glanced at Dolokhov and, pulling his finger, as he had been taught, fired... "There was no return shot. “...Dolokhov’s hasty steps could be heard... He was holding his left side with one hand...” Having fired, Dolokhov missed. Here, according to Tolstoy, the highest justice was accomplished. Dolokhov, whom Pierre received in his house as a friend, helped with money in memory of an old friendship, disgraced Bezukhov by seducing his wife.
But Pierre is completely unprepared for the role of “judge” and “executioner” at the same time; he repents of what happened, thanks God that he did not kill Dolokhov. Pierre's humanism is disarming; already before the duel he was ready to repent of everything, but not out of fear, but because he was sure of Helene's guilt. He tries to justify Dolokhov: “Maybe I would have done the same thing in his place,” thought Pierre. “Even, probably, I would have done the same thing. Why this duel, this murder? Helene’s insignificance and baseness are obvious, and Pierre is ashamed of his action. This woman is not worth taking a sin on her soul - killing a person for her.
Pierre is scared that he almost ruined his own soul, as he had previously ruined his life, by connecting it with Helen. After the duel, taking the wounded Dolokhov home, Nikolai Rostov learned that “Dolokhov, this brawler, brute, Dolokhov, lived in Moscow with his old mother and hunchbacked sister and was the most gentle son and brother...”. Here one of the author’s statements is proven that not everything is as obvious, clear and unambiguous as it seems at first glance. Life is much more complex and diverse than we think, know or assume about it. Great philosopher Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy teaches to be humane, fair, tolerant of the shortcomings and vices of people, for “he who is without sin.” In the scene of Dolokhov's duel with Pierre Bezukhov, Tolstoy gives a Lesson: it is not for us to judge what is fair and what is unfair, not everything obvious is unambiguous and easily resolved.