ANATOLE KURAGIN
"...very good and a big rake..."
"...what a ruddy, black-browed handsome minister's son he was..."
“...He did not miss a single revelry with Dolokhov and other merry fellows of Moscow, he drank all night long, outdrinking everyone, and attended all the evenings and balls of high society...”
“...He was not able to think about how his actions might affect others, nor what could come out of such or such an action of his...”
“...He looked upon his entire life as a continuous entertainment that someone like that for some reason had undertaken to arrange for him...”
“...In addition, in dealing with women, Anatole had that manner that most of all inspires curiosity, fear and even love in women - a manner of contemptuous consciousness of his superiority. As if he was telling them with his appearance: “I know you, I know , why bother with you? And you’d be glad!”<...>he had such a look and such a manner..."
“...He was not vain. He didn’t care at all what anyone thought about him. Even less could he be guilty of ambition. He teased his father several times, spoiling his career, and laughed at all the honors...”
"...in his soul he considered himself an impeccable person, sincerely despised scoundrels and bad people and carried his head high with a calm conscience..."
IPPOLIT KURAGIN
"... Dear Hippolyte<...>was amazingly bad-looking. His facial features were the same as his sister's, but<...>the face was clouded with idiocy and invariably expressed self-confident grumpiness, and the body was thin and weak. Eyes, nose, mouth - everything seemed to shrink into one vague and boring grimace, and the arms and legs always took an unnatural position..."
"...face<...>invariably expressed self-confident grumpiness..."
"... Because of the self-confidence with which he spoke, no one could understand whether what he said was very smart or very stupid..."
HELEN KURAGINA
"...What a beauty! - said everyone who saw her..."
"...she had everything lit up with a cheerful, self-satisfied, young, unchanging smile..."
"...extraordinary, ancient beauty of the body..."
"...He did not see her marble beauty, which was one with her dress..."
“And how she holds herself! For such a young girl and such tact, such a masterful ability to hold herself!”
"...a tall beautiful lady, with a huge braid and very bare white, full shoulders and neck, on which was a double string of large pearls..."
“...But she’s stupid, I said myself that she’s stupid,” he thought...”
“...Countess Bezukhova rightly had a reputation as a charming woman. She could say what she did not think, and especially flatter, completely simply and naturally...”
"...I knew that she was a depraved woman...but I didn't dare admit it..."
"...In St. Petersburg, Helen enjoyed the special patronage of a nobleman, who occupied one of the highest positions in the state. In Vilna, she became close to a young foreign prince. When she returned to St. Petersburg, the prince and the nobleman were both in St. Petersburg, both declared their rights, and Helen was faced with a new task in her career: to maintain her close relationship with both, without offending either..."
BOLKONSKY
PRINCE ANDREY NIKOLAEVICH
Appearance of Andrei Bolkonsky "... Prince Bolkonsky was of small stature, a very handsome young man with definite and dry features. Everything in his figure, from a tired, bored look to a quiet measured step, represented the sharpest contrast with his little lively wife.. ." "... his beautiful face..." "... Prince Andrey and rubbing his little white hands..." "... Prince Andrey rubbed his forehead with his small hand..." "...Prince Andrey in his colonel's white uniform (cavalry), in stockings and shoes, lively and cheerful, stood in the first rows of the circle..." (after Austerlitz) "...especially the tender child's neck protruding from the folded collar of his shirt... " Personality and character of Andrei Bolkonsky The age of Andrei Bolkonsky at the beginning of the novel is 27 years old (in 1805): "...No, life is not over at thirty-one..." (Andrei Bolkonsky is 31 years old in 1809) Andrei Bolkonsky is a rich and noble nobleman: "...Women's society, the world cordially received him, because he was a groom, rich and noble, and almost a new face with the halo of a romantic story about his imaginary death and the tragic death of his wife..." Prince Andrey - socialite. He grew up in high society : “...Prince Andrei, like all people who grew up in the world, loved to meet in the world that which did not have a common secular imprint...” At the same time, Bolkonsky does not like high society: “... He, apparently, Everyone in the living room was not only familiar, but he was so tired of it that looking at them and listening to them was very boring for him..." "... Living rooms, gossip, balls, vanity, insignificance - this is a vicious circle, from which I cannot get out..." Andrei Bolkonsky is an intelligent and well-read person: "... he had a reputation for intelligence and great reading..." Bolkonsky is a proud and tough person. But over the years he becomes softer: “... he changed a lot for the better in these five years, he softened and matured, that there was no former pretense, pride and mockery in him and there was that calmness that is acquired over the years. They started talking about him, they were interested, and everyone wanted to see him..." "...he suddenly softened, and that softening, tenderness were signs of death...." "... this officer who poses as a sovereign person..." (Viscount Mortemar about Bolkonsky) Andrei Bolkonsky is a wonderful person, despite his toughness: “...I know that there are no better people than him, and so I feel calm, it’s good now...” Andrei is a reserved person. He watches what he says: “... You can’t, my dear, say everything everywhere you think...” (words of Andrei Bolkonsky) Andrei Bolkonsky is a strong-willed man: “... Prince Andrei united everything to the highest degree those qualities that Pierre did not have and which can be most closely expressed by the concept of willpower..." Andrei is an economic landowner: "... One of his estates of three hundred peasant souls was listed as free cultivators (this was one of the first examples in Russia), in others corvée was replaced by quitrent. In Bogucharovo, a learned grandmother was paid to his account to help mothers in labor, and the priest taught children of peasants and courtyard servants to read and write for a salary...” Bolkonsky is a liberal landowner. He makes life easier for the peasants: he transfers some of the peasants to free cultivators, and for others he replaces corvée with quitrent: "... secondly, because by his release of the peasants he has already made himself a reputation as a liberal. The party of dissatisfied old men, just like to her father’s son, she turned to him for sympathy, condemning the transformations. Andrei Bolkonsky is strict towards his loved ones: “... As it happens with people, especially those who strictly judge their neighbors, Prince Andrei...” Andrei Bolkonsky can be rude. : "...Peronskaya's remarks about his rudeness..." Andrei Bolkonsky is difficult to embarrass: ". ..Prince Andrei (which rarely happened to him) seemed embarrassed..." Andrei Bolkonsky is a self-critical person. He often criticizes himself: "... he kept criticizing his own work, as often happened to him, and was glad , when I heard that someone had arrived..." Andrei Bolkonsky is hardworking and very capable person: "... Prince Andrei's ability to calmly deal with all kinds of people, his extraordinary memory, erudition (he read everything, knew everything, had an idea about everything)<...>ability to work and study..." Andrei loves the philosopher Montesquieu - a supporter of democracy and division of power: "...I am an admirer of Montesquieu, said Prince Andrei..." Andrei Bolkonsky loves and knows how to dance: "...Prince Andrei was one one of the best dancers of his time..." "...Prince Andrei loved to dance...”
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The Rostov family occupies last place in the life of high society. This is not surprising: they are rich and have influential friends. Many representatives of this family are active throughout the entire epic novel, so the reader’s interest in the fate of the members of this family does not wane until the last pages of the work.
Family composition
The Rostov family includes seven characters - they are the closest blood relatives (with the exception of Sonya). In addition, two characters are directly related to this family, although they are not relatives - Boris and Mitya.
Let's take a closer look at the characters that make up the family.
The head of the family is Ilya Andreevich Rostov - “a lively, cheerful, self-confident old man.” He is not distinguished by his economy: “rarely did anyone know how to arrange a feast in such a grand manner, so hospitably, especially because rarely did anyone know how and want to invest their money if they were needed to organize a feast.” He is a gentle and trusting person; many do not miss the opportunity to take advantage of this moment.
“The Count is so weak and so kind, and everyone deceives him so much that everything goes worse and worse.” As a result, the family is ruined.
The misfortunes associated with the ruin and military events dealt an irreparable blow to the count's health and he dies, asking forgiveness for material disasters from his family members.
Natalia Rostova
Natalia Rostova- wife of Ilya Andreevich. She "was a woman with an oriental type thin face, about forty-five years old, apparently exhausted by children, of whom she had twelve. The slowness of her movements and speech, resulting from weakness of strength, gave her a significant appearance that inspired respect.”
The Countess grew up in luxury, so she does not know how to save. By the end of the novel, her appearance and attitude to saving change noticeably - the reason for this was the difficulties that befell her after the death of her husband and the death of most of her children.
The Rostovs had 12 children. At the beginning of the story, only four survived: Vera, Nikolai, Natasha and Petya. In addition, the count and countess took in Sonya, a relative of the family, for their upbringing.
Vera Rostova“she was good, she was not stupid, she studied well, she was well brought up.” It is obvious that, despite all her diligence, she was an unloved daughter. Most likely, this was due to the fact that the girl was not capable of showing kind feelings towards others, she was angry and callous at heart: “you never loved anyone; you have no heart, you are only madame de Genlis (this nickname, considered very offensive, was given to Vera by Nikolai), and your first pleasure is to cause trouble for others.” She was very beautiful in appearance, but “a smile did not grace Vera’s face, as usually happens; on the contrary, her face became unnatural and therefore unpleasant.” The girl doesn’t like it when someone takes her things: “How many times have I asked you,” she said, “not to take my things, you have your own room. “She took the inkwell from Nikolai.”
Nikolay Rostov
Nikolay Rostov- the second oldest child of the Rostovs. He is a sweet and kind person, but unlike his father, there is a share of forethought and prudence in him. Marriage for money is alien to Nicholas: “the thought of marrying a rich heiress, which his relatives offered him, was disgusting to him.”
“He especially has so much candor and heart. It is so pure and full of poetry.” Nikolai knows how to learn a lesson from the mistakes of his parents. “I need our children not to go into the world; I need to arrange our fortune while I am alive; that’s all,” says Nikolai. He knows how to find mutual language with people of different classes and ages - the military men subordinate to him were in admiration for his prudence and good attitude towards himself, the peasants find him an excellent owner who cares not only about his wallet, but also about the people working for him.
Nikolai regards military service with trepidation: “The regiment was also a home, and the home was invariably sweet and dear, just like the parental home.” He is an honest and frank person. “I don’t know how to hide what I feel,” he says about himself.
Natalia Rostova
Natalya Rostova is similar in her moral principles to her brother. She is sensitive, kind, capable of self-sacrifice, in a word “ rare girl" “Rostova is very nice. There is something fresh, special, non-Petersburg about her that distinguishes her.”
Natalya doesn’t know how to stay angry for as long as Vera, “this girl is such a treasure.” Tolstoy portrays her to us as an ideal - she does not strive to lead a dissolute lifestyle, she is not attracted to public outings, she prefers to be the keeper of the home: “In society, the young Countess Bezukhova was seen little, and those who did were dissatisfied with her. She was neither nice nor accommodating."
Natalya is able to give care and warmth to other people and get pleasure from it. She stops taking care of herself, stopped playing music, her only concern is her family. Faced with poverty and poverty, Natasha tries to prevent ruin in the future: “if he deserved reproaches from Natasha, it was only because he bought too much and was too expensive. To all her shortcomings, according to the majority: sloppiness, neglect, or qualities, according to Pierre, Natasha also added stinginess.”
Peter Rostov
Peter Rostov- the youngest in the Rostov family. He is a sweet child and has everything that children of his age have - he loves pranks and sweets: “the little one, a naughty boy, a bad student, who broke everything in the house and was boring to everyone.” Over time, Petya falls in love with military service. He stubbornly refuses to study, declaring in the form of an ultimatum his desire to be a military man. At first his family dissuades him, but when they see his persistence, they give up. He becomes an officer: “having left home as a boy, he returned (as everyone told him) a fine man.” Petya is capable of compassion. He looks at the prisoner with pity French boy: “Can I call this boy who was captured? give him something to eat."
Youthful maximalism pushes him to take part in hostilities, where he dies at the age of 16: “Petya fell heavily on the wet ground. The Cossacks saw how quickly his arms and legs twitched, despite the fact that his head did not move. The bullet went through his head."
Sonya Alexandrovna- niece of Countess Rostova. She was raised by the Rostovs from a young age, so she considers the count to be her father and the countess to be her mother. The girl is very grateful to them for taking her in and is ready to make every effort to help at critical moments for the family. “Sacrificing herself for the happiness of others was Sonya’s habit. Her position in the house was such that only on the path of sacrifice could she show her virtues, and she got used to and loved sacrificing herself.”
Sonya is friends with Natasha - they are very similar in character. Unrequited love for her second cousin Nikolai became disastrous for her, she was unable to create her own family.
“She is virtuous. She fell in love with Nikolenka and doesn’t want to know anything else.” And, quite likely, she remained an old maid: “She had everything for which people are valued; but there was little that would make him love her.”
Boris Drubetskoy
Boris Drubetskoy is also directly related to the Rostov family, although he is not related to them. His parents are poor nobles, but Boris long time lived and was raised by the Rostovs. At first he was very friendly with Nikolai, but gradually their friendship faded away. Boris began to show selfish feelings more and more, and his views with Nikolai began to differ greatly. The desire to get rich takes possession of Boris, he tries to make the connections necessary for this, to marry for the sake of money. “He was not rich, but he used the last of his money to be better dressed than others; he would rather deprive himself of many pleasures than allow himself to ride in a bad carriage or appear in an old uniform on the streets of St. Petersburg.”
Like Boris, Mitenka was brought up by the Rostovs - he also has noble roots. Mitya becomes the prince's business manager.
Provision and financial situation of the family
Initially we see that the Rostov family is very wealthy. They are not familiar with poverty. The Rostovs have good housing, guests rush to “the well-known house of Countess Rostova on Povarskaya throughout Moscow.” They have an estate in Otradnoye, also furnished with taste and wealth. They sometimes go there with the whole family. “With our lifestyle, our condition will not last long. And all this is the club and its kindness. We live in the village, do we really relax? Theaters, hunting and God knows what.”
“In Moscow, the Rostovs belonged to high society, without knowing it and without thinking about what society they belonged to.” It seemed that they knew all the nobles of Moscow. Extensive acquaintances for a long time allow them to stay afloat, despite impoverishment.
The Rostovs are sweet and kind people; they do not hesitate to sincerely receive pleasant guests: “The whole family now seemed to him to be made up of beautiful, simple and good people».
“The Rostovs lived just as hospitably in St. Petersburg as in Moscow, and a wide variety of people gathered at their dinners.” This attitude often caused awkward situations - many were not averse to taking advantage of the hospitality for personal gain. So, for example, Anna Mikhailovna “despite the improvement in her affairs, she continued to live with the Rostovs.” The military events of 1812 caused new challenges. The Rostovs actively take part in military battles; the count and countess help wounded soldiers leave Moscow. They give them their carts, deciding to save the soldiers, leaving all their wealth in Moscow.
“The wounded crawled out of their rooms and surrounded the carts with joyful pale faces. Rumors also spread in the neighboring houses that there were carts, and the wounded from other houses began to come to the Rostovs’ yard.”
As you can see, the Rostovs stand out noticeably from the rest of the aristocrats. They are no strangers to compassion, they are always ready to help not only friends, relatives, people close to them, but also strangers who do not have ranks or titles. The Rostovs have a clearly expressed sense of patriotism. They strive in every possible way to help stop the enemy army, sometimes sacrificing even the most necessary things for them.
Relationships between relatives
Relationships in large families are always difficult. Sometimes parents do not know how to distribute love for their children in equal quantities, giving some praise and scolding others, sometimes the influence of high society becomes the reason for difficult relationships. In the Rostov family, this tendency works poorly. The principles of society regarding social order are alien to them, and the harmony within their family also looks unusual.
Natalya Rostova and Ilya Andreevich manage to maintain the tenderness of their relationship until the end of their days. The ruin of the family makes its own adjustments to their relationships. Both the countess and the count understand that this might not have happened if Ilya Andreevich had behaved more prudently. The Count feels guilty towards his family, and the Countess sometimes struggles with the desire to reproach her husband for what he has done. The fact that Natalya is not used to living in poverty strengthens the current situation. In their relationship, “a kind of anxiety and sometimes disagreement appears that did not exist before.”
The Rostov children were friendly with each other. They often spent time together. The exception was Vera - she did not know how to carefreely rejoice and have fun, she always tried to do everything well, so that there was nothing to complain about, but in this she always went too far. The children avoided her. Natalya openly says that Vera is not capable of good feelings: “Vera is evil, God be with her!” Nikolai even came up with a special nickname for her: “Madame de Genlis.”
Natasha and Sonya became very good friends. They always supported each other. Sonya helps hide Natalya's first love, which is taking a tragic turn, from her relatives. Sonya's falling in love becomes an obstacle to the girl's full communication with Nikolai, but in general their communication is also friendly. Peter, who was quite sentimental, “kept the company of Natasha, for whom he always had a special, almost loving brotherly tenderness.”
Thus, the Rostov family looks rather strange in the eyes of other aristocrats and people close to them. They are kind and sympathetic, sometimes naive, which leads to various difficulties and deceptions from society.
The children of Countess Natalya and Ilya Andreevich maintain warm relations with each other. They are able to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of loved ones. They have a developed sense of patriotism and duty. Both Natalya and Nikolai manage to fully learn from the mistakes of their parents and prevent the ruin of their new families.
In eyes secular society Prince Kuragin is a respected man, “close to the emperor, surrounded by a crowd of enthusiastic women, scattering social pleasantries and chuckling complacently.” In words he was a decent, sympathetic person, but in reality there was a constant internal struggle in him between the desire to seem like a decent person and the actual depravity of his motives. Prince Vasily knew that influence in the world is capital that must be protected so that it does not disappear, and, once realizing that if he begins to ask for everyone who asks him, then soon he will not be able to ask for himself, he rarely used it influence. But at the same time, he sometimes felt remorse. So, in the case of Princess Drubetskaya, he felt “something like a reproach of conscience,” since she reminded him that “he owed his first steps in the service to her father.”
Tolstoy's favorite technique is the contrast between the internal and external characters of the heroes. The image of Prince Vasily very clearly reflects this opposition.
Prince Vasily is not alien to fatherly feelings, although they are expressed rather in the desire to “accommodate” his children rather than to give them fatherly love and warmth. According to Anna Pavlovna Sherer, people like the prince should not have children. “...And why would children be born to people like you? If you weren’t the father, I wouldn’t be able to blame you for anything.” To which the prince replies: “What should I do? You know, I did everything a father could to raise them.”
The prince forced Pierre to marry Helene, pursuing selfish goals. At Anna Pavlovna Sherer's proposal to "marry prodigal son Anatoly" on Princess Maria Bolkonskaya, he says: "she has a good name and is rich. Everything I need." At the same time, Prince Vasily does not think at all about the fact that Princess Marya may be unhappy in her marriage to the dissolute scamp Anatole, who looked upon his entire life as one continuous amusement.
Prince Vasily and his children absorbed all the base, vicious traits.
Helen, daughter of Vasily Kuragin - incarnation external beauty and inner emptiness, fossilization. Tolstoy constantly mentions her “monotonous,” “unchanging” smile and “antique beauty of her body,” she resembles a beautiful, soulless statue. This is how the master of words describes Helene’s appearance in Scherer’s salon: “Noisily with her white ballroom gown, decorated with ivy and moss, and shining with the whiteness of her shoulders, the gloss of her hair and diamonds, she passed, not looking at anyone, but smiling at everyone and, as if kindly providing everyone with the right to admire the beauty of her figure, full shoulders, very open in the fashion of that time, chest and back, and as if bringing with her the glitter of the ball, Helen was so beautiful that not only was there not a shadow of coquetry noticeable in her, but, on the contrary, she. as if she was ashamed of her undoubted and too powerful beauty. She seemed to want and could not diminish the effect of this beauty.”
Helen personifies immorality and depravity. Helen marries only for her own enrichment. She cheats on her husband because the animal nature predominates in her nature. It is no coincidence that Tolstoy leaves Helen childless. “I’m not stupid enough to have children,” she admits. Even as Pierre’s wife, Helene, in front of the whole society, is organizing her personal life.
She loves nothing in life except her body, she lets her brother kiss her shoulders, but does not give money. She calmly chooses her lovers, like dishes from a menu, knows how to maintain the respect of the world and even acquires a reputation as an intelligent woman thanks to her appearance of cold dignity and social tact. This type could only have developed in the circle where Helen lived. This adoration of one's own body could only develop where idleness and luxury gave full play to all sensual impulses. This shameless calm is where high position, ensuring impunity, teaches one to neglect the respect of society, where wealth and connections provide every means to hide intrigue and shut up talkative mouths.
In addition to a luxurious bust, a rich and beautiful body, this representative of high society had an extraordinary ability to hide her mental and moral poverty, and all this was thanks only to the grace of her manners and the memorization of certain phrases and techniques. Shamelessness manifests itself in her under such grandiose, high-society forms that it arouses, in others, almost respect.
Eventually Helen dies. This death is a direct consequence of her own intrigues. “Countess Elena Bezukhova died suddenly from... a terrible disease, which is usually called chest sore throat, but in intimate circles they talked about how the life physician of the Queen of Spain prescribed Helen small doses of some medicine to produce a certain effect; how Helen, tormented by the fact, that the old count suspected her, and the fact that the husband to whom she wrote (that unfortunate depraved Pierre) did not answer her, suddenly took a huge dose of the medicine prescribed for her and died in agony before help could be given.”
Ippolit Kuragin, Helen’s brother, “... amazes with his extraordinary resemblance to his beautiful sister and even more so because, despite the similarity, he is strikingly bad-looking. His facial features are the same as his sister’s, but with her everything was illuminated with a cheerful, self-satisfied , a young, unchanging smile and an extraordinary, antique beauty of the body. On the contrary, his brother’s face was also clouded with idiocy and invariably expressed self-confident disgust, and his body was thin and weak. His eyes, nose, mouth - everything seemed to shrink into one vague, boring grimace. , and the arms and legs always took an unnatural position."
Hippolytus was unusually stupid. Because of the self-confidence with which he spoke, no one could understand whether what he said was very smart or very stupid.
At Scherer's reception, he appears to us "in a dark green tailcoat, in trousers the color of a frightened nymph, as he himself said, in stockings and shoes." And such absurdity of the outfit does not bother him at all.
His stupidity was manifested in the fact that he sometimes spoke, and then understood what he said. Hippolytus often expressed his opinions when no one needed them. He liked to insert phrases into the conversation that were completely irrelevant to the essence of the topic being discussed.
Let's give an example from the novel: “Prince Hippolyte, who had been looking at the Viscount through his lorgnette for a long time, suddenly turned his whole body to the little princess and, asking her for a needle, began to show her, drawing with a needle on the table, the coat of arms of Kande. He explained this coat of arms to her with such with a significant look, as if the princess was asking him about it."
Thanks to his father, Hippolyte makes a career and during the war with Napoleon becomes the secretary of the embassy. Among the officers serving at the embassy, he is considered a jester.
The character of Hippolyte can serve as a living example of the fact that even positive idiocy is sometimes presented in the world as something of significance thanks to the gloss imparted by knowledge of the French language, and that extraordinary property of this language to support and at the same time mask spiritual emptiness.
Prince Vasily calls Hippolyte a “dead fool.” Tolstoy in the novel is “sluggish and breaking.” These are the dominant character traits of Hippolytus. Hippolyte is stupid, but at least with his stupidity he does not harm anyone, unlike his younger brother Anatole.
Anatoly Kuragin, younger son Vasily Kuragin, according to Tolstoy, is “simple and with carnal inclinations.” These are the dominant character traits of Anatole. He looks at his whole life as a continuous entertainment that someone like that for some reason agreed to arrange for him.
Anatole is completely free from considerations of responsibility and the consequences of what he does. His egoism is spontaneous, animal-naive and good-natured, absolute egoism, for it is not constrained by anything inside Anatole, in consciousness, feeling. It’s just that Kuragin is deprived of the ability to know what will happen next to the moment of his pleasure and how it will affect the lives of other people, as others will see. All this does not exist for him at all. He is sincerely convinced, instinctively, with his whole being, that everything around him has the sole purpose of his entertainment and exists for this. No regard for people, their opinions, consequences, no distant goal that would force one to concentrate on achieving it, no remorse, reflection, hesitation, doubt - Anatole, no matter what he does, naturally and sincerely considers himself an impeccable person and highly carries his beautiful head.
One of Anatole's character traits is slowness and lack of eloquence in conversations. But he has the ability of calm and unchangeable confidence, precious for the world: “Anatole was silent, shook his leg, cheerfully observing the princess’s hairstyle. It was clear that he could remain silent so calmly for a very long time. In addition, Anotole had that manner in dealing with women ", which most of all inspires curiosity, fear and even love in women - a manner of contemptuous consciousness of one's own superiority."
At her brother’s request, Helen will introduce Natasha to Anatole. After five minutes of talking with him, Natasha “feels terribly close to this man.” Natasha is deceived by Anatole's false beauty. She feels “pleasant” in Anatole’s presence, but for some reason it feels cramped and difficult; she experiences pleasure and excitement, and at the same time, fear from the absence of a barrier of modesty between her and this man.
Knowing that Natasha is engaged to Prince Andrei, Anatole still confesses his love to her. What could come out of this courtship, Anatole could not know, since he never knew what would come out of each of his actions. In a letter to Natasha, he says that either she will love him or he will die, that if Natasha says yes, he will kidnap her and take her to the ends of the world. Impressed by this letter, Natasha refuses Prince Andrei and agrees to escape with Kuragin. But the escape fails, Natasha's note falls into the wrong hands, and the kidnapping plan fails. The next day after the unsuccessful kidnapping, Anatole comes across Pierre on the street, who knows nothing and is at that moment going to Akhrosimova, where he will be told the whole story. Anatole sits in a sleigh “straight, in the classic pose of military dandies,” his face is fresh and ruddy in the cold, snow is falling on his curled hair. It is clear that everything that happened yesterday is already far from him; he is happy with himself and life now and is beautiful, in his own way even beautiful in this confident and calm contentment.”
In a conversation with Natasha, Pierre revealed to her that Anatole is married, so all his promises are deception. Then Bezukhov went to Anatoly and demanded that he return Natasha’s letters and leave Moscow:
... - you are a scoundrel and a scoundrel, and I don’t know what is holding me back from the pleasure of smashing your head...
Did you promise to marry her?
I, I, I didn't think; however, I never promised...
Do you have her letters? Do you have any letters? - Pierre repeated, moving towards Anatole.
Anatole looked at him and reached into his pocket for his wallet...
- ...you must leave Moscow tomorrow.
-...you must never say a word about what happened between you and the countess.
The next day Anatole left for St. Petersburg. Having learned about Natasha’s betrayal and about Anatole’s role in this, Prince Andrei was going to challenge him to a duel and searched for him throughout the army for a long time. But when he met Anatole, whose leg had just been amputated, Prince Andrei remembered everything, and enthusiastic pity for this man filled his heart. He forgave him everything.
5) The Rostov family.
"War and Peace" is one of those books that cannot be forgotten. “When you stand and wait for this taut string to break, when everyone is waiting for an inevitable revolution, you need to join hand in hand with as many people as possible to resist the general catastrophe,” said L. Tolstoy in this novel.
Its very name contains all of human life. And “War and Peace” is a model of the structure of the world, the universe, which is why the symbol of this world appears in Part IV of the novel (Pierre Bezukhov’s dream) - a globe-ball. “This globe was a living, oscillating ball, without dimensions.” Its entire surface consisted of drops tightly compressed together. The drops moved and moved, now merging, now separating. Each tried to spread out, to capture the largest space, but the others, shrinking, sometimes destroyed each other, sometimes merged into one.
“How simple and clear it all is,” we repeat, rereading our favorite pages of the novel. And these pages, like drops on the surface of a globe, connecting with others, form part of a single whole. Episode by episode we move towards the infinite and eternal, which is human life.
But the writer Tolstoy would not have been a philosopher Tolstoy if he had not shown us the polar sides of existence: life in which form predominates, and life that contains the fullness of content. It is from these Tolstoy ideas about life that the episode of the name day in the Rostov house will be considered.
The curious and absurd incident with the bear and the policeman in the Rostov house evokes good-natured laughter in some (Count Rostov), curiosity in others (mainly young people), and some with a maternal note (Marya Dmitrievna) threateningly scold poor Pierre: “Good, There’s nothing to say! It’s a good boy! The father is lying on the bed, and he’s amusing himself, putting the policeman on a bear. It’s a shame, father, it’s a shame to go to war.” Oh, if only there were more such formidable instructions to Pierre Bezukhov, perhaps there would be no unforgivable mistakes in his life. The very image of the aunt, Countess Marya Dmitrievna, is also interesting. She always spoke Russian, not recognizing secular conventions; It should be noted that French speech is heard much less often in the Rostov house than in the St. Petersburg living room (or almost not heard). And the way everyone stood respectfully in front of her was by no means a false ritual of politeness in front of the “useless aunt” Scherer, but a natural desire to express respect to the respectable lady.
What attracts readers to the Rostov family? First of all, this is a distinctly Russian family. The way of life, customs, likes and dislikes are all Russian, national. What is the basis of the “Rostov spirit”? First of all, a poetic attitude, boundless love for one’s folk, Russian, for one’s native nature, native songs, holidays and their prowess. They absorbed the spirit of the people with its cheerfulness, ability to suffer steadfastly, and easily make sacrifices not for show, but with all their spiritual breadth. No wonder the uncle, listening to Natasha’s songs and admiring her dance, is amazed at how this countess, raised by French women, could so understand and feel the authenticity of the Russian, folk spirit. The Rostovs' actions are spontaneous: their joys are truly joyful, their grief is bitter, their love and affections are strong and deep. Sincerity is one of the main traits of all family members.
The life of the young Rostovs is closed. They are happy and easy when they are together. Society with its hypocrisy remains alien and incomprehensible to them for a long time. Appearing for the first time at the ball. Natasha is so little like secular young ladies, the contrast between her and the “light” is so clear.
Having barely crossed the threshold of her family, Natasha finds herself deceived. The best people are drawn to the Rostovs, and above all to their common favorite Natasha: Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov, Vasily Denisov.
Let us turn to the characteristics of individual members of the Rostov family. Let us first consider representatives of the older generation.
Old Count Ilya Andreevich is an unremarkable man: a spendthrift gentleman, a lover of throwing a feast for all of Moscow, a ruiner of fortunes, leaving his beloved children without an inheritance. It seems that in his entire life he has not committed a single reasonable act. We haven’t heard any smart decisions from him, and yet he arouses sympathy, and sometimes even charms.
A representative of the old nobility, who has no understanding of the management of estates, who trusted a rogue clerk who robs the serfs, Rostov is deprived of one of the most disgusting features of the landowner class - money-grubbing. This is not a predatory gentleman. There is no lordly contempt for the serfs in his nature. They are people for him. Sacrificing material goods for the sake of a person means nothing to Ilya Andreevich. He recognizes not logic; and with the whole being that a person, his joy and happiness are above any good. All this sets Rostoy apart from his circle. He is an epicurean, lives by the principle: a person should be happy. His happiness lies in the ability to rejoice with others. And the feasts that he sets are not a desire to show off, not a desire to satisfy ambition. This is the joy of bringing happiness to others, the opportunity to rejoice and have fun yourself.
How brilliantly the character of Ilya Andreevich is revealed at the ball during the performance of the ancient dance - Danila Kupora! How charming the Count is! With what prowess he dances, it surprises everyone gathered.
“Father, you are ours! Eagle!" - the servants say, admiring the dancing old man.
“Faster, faster and faster, faster, faster and faster, the count unfolded, now on tiptoes, now on heels, rushing around Marya Dmitrievna and, finally, turning his lady to her place, made the last step..., bowing his sweaty head with a smiling face and He waved his right hand roundly amid the roar of applause and laughter, especially from Natasha.
This is how they danced in our time, mother,” he said.
The old count brings an atmosphere of love and friendship into the family. Nikolai, Natasha, Sonya, and Petya owe him the poetic and loving air that they have absorbed since childhood.
Prince Vasily calls him a “rude bear”, and Prince Andrei calls him a “stupid old man”; old Bolkonsky speaks unflatteringly of him. But all this does not reduce the charm of Rostov. How clearly his original character is revealed in the hunting scene! And youthful joy, and excitement, and embarrassment in front of the arriving Danila - all this seems to merge into a complete description of Rostov.
During the events of the twelfth year, Ilya Andreevich appears from the most attractive side. True to himself, he gave carts to the wounded while leaving Moscow, abandoning his property. He knows he will be ruined. The rich put up a militia, confident that this would not bring them much. damage. Ilya Andreevich gives back the carts, remembering one thing: wounded Russians cannot remain with the French! It is noteworthy that the entire Rostov family is unanimous in this decision. This is what truly Russian people did, leaving the French without thinking, because “under the French everything is worse.”
On the one hand, Rostov was influenced by the loving and poetic atmosphere family of origin, on the other hand, the morals of the “golden youth” - carousing, trips to the gypsies, playing cards, duels. On the one hand, it was shaped by the general atmosphere of patriotic enthusiasm and tempered by military affairs and the camaraderie of the regiment; on the other hand, it was poisoned by reckless orgies with debauchery and drunkenness.
Under the influence of such opposing factors, the formation of Nikolai’s character took place. This created the duality of his nature. It contains nobility, ardent love for the fatherland, courage, a sense of duty, and camaraderie. On the other hand, contempt for work, for mental life, loyal sentiments.
Nikolai has the characteristics of the times: a reluctance to get to the cause of phenomena, a desire to evade answering questions: “Why?” Why is this so? A subtle reaction to the environment makes him responsive. This sets him apart from the heartless “golden youth” environment. Neither the officer environment, neither the crude morality of society kills the humanity in him. Tolstoy reveals the complex experiences of Nikolai in the so-called Ostrovny case. For this case, he received the St. George Cross, and was known as a brave man. How did Rostov himself evaluate his behavior in this battle, facing the young man in battle? a French officer, Nikolai struck him with a saber. The question arose before him: why did he hit the boy officer? Why would this Frenchman strike him too?
“All this and the next day, Rostov’s friends and comrades noticed that he was not boring, not angry, but silent, thoughtful and concentrated... Rostov kept thinking about this brilliant feat of his... And he just couldn’t understand something " However, when faced with such questions, Rostov seeks to avoid answering. He confines himself to experiences and, as a rule, tries to exterminate in himself the painful feeling of anxiety. This is what happened to him in Tilsit, when he was working for Denisov, and the reflection ended in the same way: over the Ostrovny episode.
His character is especially convincingly revealed in the scene of the liberation of Princess Marya from the rebellious peasants. It is difficult to imagine a more historically accurate depiction of the entire convention of noble morality. Tolstoy does not directly express his attitude towards Rostov’s action. This attitude emerges from the description. Rostov beats the men with curses to save the princess and does not hesitate for a minute in carrying out such reprisals. He does not experience a single reproach of conscience.
Rostov leaves the stage as a son of his century and his class. - As soon as the war was over, the hussar changed his uniform to a jacket. He is a landowner. The extravagance and extravagance of youth are replaced by stinginess and prudence. Now he in no way resembles his good-natured, stupidly wasted father.
At the end of the novel, two families emerge - the Rostovs and the Bezukhovs. Whatever the views of Nicholas, when he turns out to be a landowner, no matter how many of his actions trumpet, the new family, with Marya Bolkonskaya in the center, retains many of the features that previously distinguished the Rostovs and Bolkonskys from the circle of noble society. This new family will become a fertile environment in which not only Nikolenka Bolkonsky, but, perhaps, other glorious people of Russia will be raised.
The bearer of the “Rostov spirit”, the brightest person in the family, is undoubtedly everyone’s favorite Natasha, the center of attraction for the Rostov house of all the best that is in society.
Natasha is a generously gifted person. Her actions are original. No prejudices hang over her. She is guided by her heart. This is a captivating image of a Russian woman. The structure of feelings and thoughts, character and temperament - everything in her is clearly expressed and national.
Natasha first appears as a teenager, with thin arms, a large mouth, ugly and at the same time charming. The writer seems to emphasize that all its charm lies in its internal originality. In childhood, this originality manifested itself in wild joy, in sensitivity, in a passionate reaction to everything around him. Not a single false sound escaped her attention. Natasha, in the words of those who know her, is “gunpowder”, “Cossack”, “sorceress”. The world in which she grows up is the poetic world of a family with a peculiar structure of friendship and childhood love. This world is a sharp contrast to society. Like a foreign body, the prim Julie Karagina appears at a birthday party among the lovely youth of the Rostovs. The French dialect sounds like a sharp contrast to Russian speech.
How much enthusiasm and energy there is in the willful and playful Natasha! She is not afraid to disrupt the socially decent flow of the birthday dinner. Her jokes, childish stubbornness, bold attacks on adults are the play of a talent sparkling with all facets. Natasha even flaunts her reluctance to recognize generally accepted conventions. Her young world is full of poetic fantasy, she even has her own language, understandable only to the youth of the Rostovs.
Natasha's development is rapid. At first, the richness of her soul finds outlet in singing. She is taught by an Italian, but all the charm of her talent comes from the very depths of her temperament, building her soul. Hussar Denisov, the first to be truly charmed by Natasha, calls her “Sorceress!” Alarmed for the first time by the closeness of love, Natasha is tormented by pity for Denisov. The scene of her explanation with Denisov is one of the poetic pages of the novel.
The time of Natasha's childhood ends early. When she was just a girl, she was taken out into the world. Among the sparkle of lights, outfits, in the thunder of music, after the poetic silence of the Rostov house, Natasha feels shocked. What can she, a thin girl, mean in front of the dazzling beauty of Countess Helen?
Going to the “big world” turned out to be the end of her cloudless happiness. A new time has begun. Love has arrived. Just like Denisov, Prince Andrei experienced Natasha's charm. With her characteristic sensitivity, she saw in him a person unlike others. “Is it really me, that girl-child (that’s what they said about me),” thought Natasha, “is it really from this moment that I am the wife, equal to this stranger, dear, smart person, respected even by my father."
The new time is a time of complex internal work and spiritual growth. Natasha finds herself in Otradnoye, among village life, among nature, surrounded by nannies and servants. They were her first educators, they conveyed to her all the originality of the people's spirit.
The time spent in Otradnoye leaves a deep imprint on her soul. Children's dreams are intertwined with a feeling of ever-increasing love. At this time of happiness, all the strings of her rich nature sound with special force. Not one of them has yet been cut off, fate has not yet dealt a single blow to it.
Natasha seems to be looking for where to use the energy that overwhelms her. She goes hunting with her brother and father, enthusiastically indulges in Christmas fun, sings, dances, daydreams. And deep down, the soul is incessantly working. Happiness is so great that anxiety also arises next to it. Internal anxiety gives Natasha's actions a touch of strangeness. She is either concentrated or completely surrendered to the feelings overwhelming her.
The scene of Natasha singing with her family is wonderfully and vividly written. In singing, she found an outlet for the feeling that overwhelmed her. “...she had not sung for a long time, before and for a long time after, as she sang that evening.” Count Ilya Andreevich left his work and listened to her. Nikolai, sitting at the clavichord, did not take his eyes off his sister, the Countess-mother, listening, thought about Natasha: “Ah! How afraid I am for her, how afraid I am..." Her maternal instinct told her that there was too much of something in Natasha, and that this would not make her happy."
Happy in this world are the Kuragins, Drubetskys, Bergs, Elena Vasilievnas, Anna Pavlovnas - those who live without a heart, without love, without honor, according to the laws of “light”.
Tolstoy achieves enormous power when he depicts Natasha visiting her uncle: “Where, how, when did this countess, raised by a French emigrant, suck into herself from that Russian air that she breathed, this spirit, where did she get these techniques?... But these spirits and techniques were the same, inimitable, unstudied, Russian ones that her uncle expected from her.”
And in racing in troikas on a frosty Christmas night, and in dancing with mummers, and in games, and in singing, Natasha appears in all the charm of her original character. What captivates and enchants in all these Otradnensky scenes is not what is done, but how it is done. And this is done with all the Russian prowess, with all the breadth and passion, in all the splendor of Russian poetry. The color of national life, moral health, and a huge reserve of mental strength are enchanting. And it is no coincidence that V.I. Lenin reread the hunting scenes with such pleasure. And asking which of the European writers could be placed next to Tolstoy, he concluded - “No one!” -
In a brilliant portrayal of the national Russian folk character, the sound of the most precious and deep strings of the Russian heart contains the unfading charm of the Otradnensky scenes. The life of the Rostovs is so clear and close, despite the remoteness of the era, the complete alienness of the environment in which the heroes act. They are close and understandable to us, just as Anisya Fedorovna (uncle’s housekeeper) was close and understandable, who “teared through laughter, looking at this thin, graceful, so alien to her, brought up countess in silk and velvet, who knew how to understand everything.” what was in Anisya, and in Anisya’s father, and in his aunt, and in his mother, and in every Russian person.”
Natasha feels lonely and alien after Otradny in the theater, among the capital's aristocrats. Their life is unnatural, their feelings are false, everything that is played out on stage is distant and incomprehensible!
The evening at the theater turned out to be fatal “for Natasha. She, noticed by the light, liked Anatoly Kuragin for her “freshness”, “untouchedness”, and turned out to be the subject of intrigue.
Kuragin captivated her with flattery and playing on gullibility and inexperience. In her short-term infatuation and in the grief that befell her, Natasha remained the same strong-willed and decisive nature, capable of desperate acts and able to face adversity with fortitude.
After a serious illness, which was the result of mental turmoil, Natasha returned to life renewed. Trouble did not break her, the light did not defeat her.
The events of the twelfth year return Natasha's energy. With what sincerity does she regret that she cannot stay in. Moscow. How ardently she demands from her father and mother to give the carts to the wounded, leaving the property!
The old count speaks about her with tears: “Eggs... eggs teach a chicken...” To
Leaving Moscow coincides with Natasha's advancing maturity. Many, many Russian people are undergoing severe trials these days. For Natasha, the time of great trials is also coming. With what determination she goes to the wounded Andrei! He is not only the person she loves, he is a wounded warrior. What better could heal the wounds of a hero than the selfless love of a patriotic woman! Natasha appears here in all the beauty of her feminine and certainly heroic character. She is guided only by the dictates of her heart. She paid heavily for her inexperience. But what is given to others over years and years of experience, Natasha learned immediately. She returned to a life capable of resisting society, and did not lose faith in herself. She did not ask others what to do. in one case or another, she acted as her heart told her. At night, Natasha makes her way to the sick Andrei and asks him for forgiveness, because she knows that she loved and loves only him, that he cannot help but understand her selflessly, regardless. with “decency,” Natasha takes care of the dying man.
The illness and death of Prince Andrei seem to reborn Natasha. Her songs fell silent. Illusions have dissipated, magical dreams have faded. Natasha looks at life with open eyes. From the spiritual height that she had reached, among hundreds of people she noted the wonderful “eccentric” Pierre, appreciating not only his “heart of gold”, but also his intelligence. all his complex and deep nature. Love for Pierre was Natasha's victory. This Russian girl, not bound by the shackles of tradition, not defeated by the “light”, chose the only thing that a woman like her could find in those conditions - a family. Natasha is a wife-friend, wife-companion, who has taken on her shoulders part of her husband’s business. One can guess in her character spiritual world Russian women - wives of the Decembrists, who followed their husbands to hard labor and exile.
There is a lot in world literature Female images, marked by bright national features. Among them, the image of Natasha Rostova occupies its own, very special place. Latitude, independence, courage, poetic attitude, passionate attitude towards all phenomena of life - these are the features that fill this image.
A little space is given in the novel to young Petya Rostov: However, this is one of the charming, long-remembered images. Petya, in Denisov’s words, is one of the representatives of the “stupid Rostov breed.” He resembles Natasha, and although he is not as generously gifted by nature as his sister, he has the same poetic nature, and most importantly, the same indomitable effectiveness. Petya strives to imitate others, adopting good things from everyone. In this he also resembles Natasha. Petya, like his sister, is sensitive to goodness. But he is too trusting and sees good in everything. Cordiality combined with an impetuous temperament is the source of Petya’s charm.
Having appeared in Denisov’s detachment, young Rostov first of all wants to please everyone. He feels pity for the captive French boy. He is affectionate with the soldiers and does not see anything bad in Dolokhov. His dreams on the night before the fight are full of poetry, colored with lyricism. His heroic impulse is not at all similar to Nikolai’s “hussarism.” Petya strives for a feat not for the sake of vanity, he sincerely wants to serve his homeland. It is not for nothing that in the first battle, like Nikolai, he does not experience fear, duality, or remorse for going to war. Making his way to the rear of the French with Dolokhov, he behaves courageously. But he turns out to be too inexperienced, without a sense of self-preservation, and dies in the first attack.
Sensitive Denisov guessed right away beautiful soul Petit. His death shocked the shelled hussar to the very depths. “He rode up to Petya, got off his horse and with trembling hands turned Petya’s already pale face, stained with blood and dirt, towards him.”
“I'm used to something sweet. Excellent raisins, take them all,” he remembered. And the Cossacks looked back in surprise at the sounds similar to a dog barking, with which Denisov quickly turned away, walked up to the fence and grabbed him.” The image of Petya complements the gallery of officer-heroes of the Patriotic War. It clearly shows the animation of the young generation of the twelfth year, which has just entered into life. It was this generation, growing up in an atmosphere of general patriotic enthusiasm, that carried within itself a passionate, energetic love for the homeland and a desire to serve it.
Vera, the eldest daughter of Ilya Andreevich, stands apart in the Rostov family. Cold, unkind, a stranger in the circle of brothers and sisters, she is a foreign body in the Rostov house. The pupil Sonya, full of selfless and grateful love for the whole family, concludes; gallery of the Rostov family.
6) The relationship between Pierre Bezukhov and Natalya Rostova is an idyll of family happiness.
Letter from Pierre Bezukhov to Natasha Rostova
Dear Natasha, on that magnificent summer evening,
when I met you at the emperor's ball,
I realized that all my life I wanted to have
a wife as beautiful as you. I looked at
you all evening, without stopping for a minute,
peered into your slightest movement, tried to look
into every, no matter how small, hole
your soul. I didn't take my eyes off for a second
your magnificent body. But alas, all my efforts
to get your attention were unsuccessful. I think that
will just be a waste of time
all the prayers and promises on my part.
For I know that mine is too small
status in the empire. But I still want to assure you that
you are the most beautiful creature in the world.
I've never, ever met one like this
homeland. And only your enormous
modesty hides it.
Natasha, I love you!
Pierre Bezukhov
After the death of Prince Andrei, Natasha “thought that her life was over. But suddenly love for her mother showed her that the essence of her life - love - was still alive in her.” And the author does not deprive her of new happiness, which comes to her quite accidentally and at the same time unexpectedly quickly (because the writer is aware that dooming Natasha to a long period of waiting is fraught with unpredictable consequences).
Pierre, having returned from captivity and learned that his wife had died and he was free, hears about the Rostovs, that they are in Kostroma, but the thought of Natasha rarely visits him: “If she came, it was only as a pleasant memory of the long past.” Even having met her, he does not immediately recognize Natasha in a pale and thin woman with sad eyes without a shadow of a smile, sitting next to Princess Marya, to whom he came.
After tragedies and losses, both of them, if they crave anything, it is not new happiness, but rather oblivion. She is still completely in her grief, but it is natural for her to speak out without hiding about the details in front of Pierre last days her love for Andrey. Pierre “listened to her and only felt sorry for her for the suffering that she was now experiencing as she spoke.” For Pierre it is a joy and a “rare pleasure” to tell Natasha about his adventures during captivity. For Natasha, joy is listening to him, “guessing the secret meaning of all Pierre’s spiritual work.”
And having met, these two people created by L. Tolstoy for each other will no longer part. The writer arrived at his desired goal: his Natasha and Pierre took with them the bitter experience of previous mistakes and suffering, went through temptations, delusions, shame, and deprivation, which prepared them for love.
Natasha is twenty-one years old, Pierre is twenty-eight. The book could begin with this meeting of theirs, but it comes to an end... Pierre is now only a year older than Prince Andrei was at the beginning of the novel. But today's Pierre is a much more mature person than that Andrei. Prince Andrey in 1805 knew only one thing for sure: that he was dissatisfied with the life he had to lead. He did not know what to strive for, he did not know how to love.
In the spring of 1813, Natasha married Pierre. All is well that ends well. It seems that this was the name of the novel when L. Tolstoy was just starting War and Peace. The last time Natasha appears in the novel is in new role- wives and mothers.
L. Tolstoy expressed his attitude towards Natasha in her new life with the thoughts of the old countess, who understood with “maternal instinct” that “all Natasha’s impulses began only with the need to have a family, to have a husband, as she, not so much jokingly as in reality, screamed in Otradnoye." Countess Rostova “was surprised at the surprise of people who did not understand Natasha, and repeated that she always knew that Natasha would be an exemplary wife and mother.”
The author who created Natasha and endowed her with the best qualities of a woman in his eyes also knew this. In Natasha Rostova-Bezukhova, L. Tolstoy, if we switch to pompous language, sang the noble woman of that era as he imagined her.
The portrait of Natasha - wife and mother - completes the gallery of portraits of Natasha from a thirteen-year-old girl to a twenty-eight-year-old woman, mother of four children. Like all the previous ones, Natashin last portrait also warmed with warmth and love: “She grew plump and wider, so that it was difficult to recognize in this strong mother the former thin, active Natasha.” Her facial features “had an expression of calm softness and clarity.” The “fire of revival” that had been constantly burning before was lit in her only when “her husband returned, when the child was recovering, or when she and Countess Marya remembered Prince Andrei,” and “very rarely, when something accidentally drew her into singing.” . But when the old fire was lit in her “developed beautiful body,” she “was even more attractive than before.”
Natasha knows “Pierre’s whole soul,” she loves in him what he respects in himself, and Pierre, who with Natasha’s help has found a spiritual answer in the earthly, sees himself “reflected in his wife.” While talking, they “with extraordinary clarity and speed,” as they say, on the fly grasp each other’s thoughts, from which we draw the conclusion about their complete spiritual unity.
On the last pages, the beloved heroine has the chance to become the embodiment of the author’s idea about the essence and purpose of marriage, the foundations family life, the appointment of a woman in the family. State of mind Natasha and her whole life during this period embody the cherished ideal of L. Tolstoy: “the goal of marriage is family.”
Natasha is shown in care and affection for her children and her husband: “She attributed, without understanding it, great importance to everything that was her husband’s mental, abstract work, and was constantly in fear of being an obstacle in this activity of her husband.”
Natasha is both the poetry of life and its prose at the same time. And this is not a “nice” phrase. The reader has never seen her more prosaic than at the end of the book, neither in sorrow nor in joy.
Having depicted in the epilogue the idyll, from the point of view of L.N. Tolstoy, of Natasha’s family happiness, the writer turns her “into a strong, beautiful and fertile female,” in which now, as he himself admits, the former fire was very rarely lit. Disheveled, in a dressing gown, a diaper with a yellow spot, walking with long steps from the nursery - this is Natasha L. Tolstoy offers as the truth of the book at the end of his four-volume narrative.
Can we, following L. Tolstoy, think the same way? A question that I think everyone can answer for themselves. The writer, until the end of his days, remained faithful to his point of view, no, not on the “women’s issue,” but on the role and place of women in his own life. This and no other, I dare to believe, he wanted to see his wife Sofya Andreevna. And for some reason she did not fit into the framework intended for her by her husband.
For L. Tolstoy, Natasha is the same life in which everything that is done is for the better, and in which no one knows what awaits him tomorrow. The ending of the book is a simple, uncomplicated thought: life itself, with all its worries and anxieties, is the meaning of life, it is the sum of everything and nothing in it can be foreseen or predicted, it is also the truth sought by Leo Tolstoy’s heroes.
That is why the book ends not with some great figure or national hero, not with the proud Bolkonsky, or even with Kutuzov. It is Natasha - the embodiment of life, such as the writer understands and accepts it at this time - and Pierre, Natasha's husband, that we meet in the epilogue.
Conclusion.
Based on the above, we can draw the following conclusions:
1. True history, as L. Tolstoy sees and understands it, is life itself, simple, measured, consisting - like a gold-bearing vein with scatterings of precious grains of sand and small ingots - of ordinary moments and days that bring happiness to a person, like those interspersed in the text of “War and Peace”: Natasha’s first kiss; her meeting of her brother, who had come on vacation, when she, “holding onto the hem of his Hungarian shirt, jumped like a goat, all in one place and squealed shrilly”; the night when Natasha does not let Sonya sleep: “After all, such a lovely night has never, never happened”; the duet of Natasha and Nikolai, when singing touches something better that was in Rostov’s soul (“And this something was independent of everything in the world and above everything in the world”); the smile of a recovering child when “ radiant eyes Princess Marya, in the matte half-light of the canopy, shone more than usual with happy tears”; one view of a transformed old oak tree, which, “spread out like a tent of lush, dark greenery, was thrilled, slightly swaying in the rays of the evening sun”; a waltz tour at Natasha’s first ball, when her face, “ready for despair and delight, suddenly lit up with a happy, grateful, childish smile”; an evening of Christmas fun with riding in troikas and fortune-telling girls in mirrors and a fabulous night when Sonya was “in an unusually animated and energetic mood,” and Nikolai was enchanted and excited by Sonya’s closeness; the passion and beauty of the hunt, after which Natasha, “without taking a breath, joyfully and enthusiastically squealed so piercingly that her ears were ringing”; the sedate joy of the uncle’s guitar strumming and Natasha’s Russian dance, “in the silk and velvet of the countess, who knew how to understand everything that was in Anisya, and in Anisya’s father, and in the aunt, and in the mother, and in every Russian person”... For the sake of These happiness-bringing minutes, much less often hours, are what a person lives on.
2. Creating “War and Peace”, L. Tolstoy was looking for a fulcrum for himself that would allow him to find an internal connection, a cohesion of images, episodes, paintings, motifs, details, thoughts, ideas, feelings. In those same years, when from his pen came the memorable pages where a smiling Helen, shining with black eyes, demonstrates her power over Pierre: “So you still haven’t noticed how beautiful I am?.. You haven’t noticed that I am a woman? Yes, I am a woman who can belong to anyone, and to you too”; where Nikolai Rostov, at the moment of a quarrel and a possible duel with Andrei Bolkonsky, “thought about how pleased he would be to see the fear of this small, weak and proud man under his pistol...”; where the enchanted Natasha listens to Pierre talk about active virtue, and one thing confuses her: “Is it really possible that such an important and necessary person for society is at the same time my husband? Why did this happen?” - in those very years he wrote: “The goal of the artist... is to make one love life in its countless, never-exhaustible manifestations.”
3. Not great historical events, not the ideas that pretend to guide them, not the Napoleon leaders themselves, but a person “corresponding to all aspects of life” stands at the basis of everything. It measures ideas, events, and history. This is exactly the kind of person L. Tolstoy sees Natasha. Being the author, he puts her at the center of the book; he recognizes the family of Natasha and Pierre as the best, ideal.
4. Family in Tolstoy’s life and work is associated with warmth and comfort. Home is a place where everyone is dear to you and you are dear to everyone. According to the writer, than closer people to natural life, the stronger the intra-family ties, the more happiness and joy in the life of each family member. It is this point of view that Tolstoy expresses on the pages of his novel, depicting the family of Natasha and Pierre. This is the opinion of the writer, who even today seems modern to us.
List of used literature.
1. Bocharov S.G. Novel by L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”. – M.: Fiction, 1978.
2. Gusev N.N. The life of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy. L.N. Tolstoy at the peak of his artistic genius.
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Bocharov S. G. Novel by L. N. Tolstoy “War and Peace.” – M.: Fiction, 1978 – p. 7
Gusev N.N. The life of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy. L.N. Tolstoy in the prime of artistic genius, p. 101
Families in the novel "War and Peace"
In Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace,” the reader unfolds a chronicle of Russia’s participation in the hostilities of 1805 in Austria and the war of 1812. But this is not just a listing of the chronology of events; Tolstoy talks about the war from the point of view of the changes taking place in people's lives.
These were mainly noble families whose sons took part in these wars. Each had their own goals for their participation in hostilities, and they manifested themselves in accordance with the families that raised and educated them. The families were different, and the characteristics of the families in the novel “War and Peace” help to understand the meaning of many of the actions of the heroes of the novel.
The life of two main families runs through the entire novel: the Rostovs and the Bolkonskys. But a deep understanding and awareness of the actions and actions of the members of these families would have been impossible if not for the other heroes of the novel:
- Pierre Bezukhov with his relatives caring for his dying father;
- The Drubetsky family (mother Anna Mikhailovna and son Boris);
- The Kuragin family (Prince Vasily, his sons Ippolit and Anatole, daughter Helen);
- Dolokhov family: Fedor and his mother.
These families are the embodiment of different moral guidelines and sentiments manifested in the society of that time.
Citing a description of families in the novel “War and Peace,” Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy leads the reader to think about the role of the family in the life of every person. In all situations described in the novel, the actions of each character are associated with hereditary characteristics not only of appearance, but also of character traits inherent in a particular family.
Rostov family
For the first time, the reader meets the Rostov family, busy preparing to receive guests. From the very first lines, the reader is presented with a large, friendly family, where everyone loves each other and those around them. They are open and emotional, when they are sad they cry, when they are happy they laugh, not always thinking about what impression they make on others.
All the children of this kind family, who grew up in love and respect from their parents, expect that those around them will treat them the same way. Honest and direct, they rarely hide their attitude to what is happening.
Bolkonsky family
The Bolkonsky family is completely different. A stern warrior, old Prince Nikolai follows a certain routine in everything, and demands this from his loved ones. According to him, emotions cannot be shown, this is a manifestation of weakness. His children, Andrei and Maria, are equally restrained in expressing their feelings.
Bezukhovs
The old Count Kirill Bezukhov dies at the very beginning of the story, leaving his illegitimate son the title of count and fortune.
Pierre Bezukhov, at first glance standing alone on the sidelines of the family clans, is in fact also a member of Count Bezukhov’s family.
Although Pierre is illegitimate, he is the beloved son of the old dying count, a former handsome man and a favorite of women. The nobility of the count's family gradually manifests itself in the character of Pierre. If at the beginning of the novel we see a young reveler, then at the end he is a serious and thinking man.
Drubetsky
The Drubetsky family, the widow Anna Mikhailovna and her son Boris, can be described as people who seek and find their own benefit in everything. Anna Mikhailovna, for the sake of love for her only son, is ready to be humiliated not only in front of Prince Kuragin, but in front of anyone. Boris, who watches his mother’s actions with seeming condescension, actually also calculates his every step and does practically nothing without benefiting himself.
Kuragins
In the novel "War and Peace" a description of the Kuragin family can be made from the image various actions members of this family.
First, Prince Vasily tries to steal the will of Count Bezukhov, then, almost by deception, his daughter Helen marries Pierre and mocks his kindness and naivety.
Anatole, who tried to seduce Natasha Rostova, is no better.
And Hippolyte appears in the novel as an extremely unpleasant strange man, whose “face was clouded with idiocy and invariably expressed self-confident grumbling, and his body was thin and weak.”
Deceitful, calculating, low people, bringing destruction to the lives of those who encounter them during the course of the novel.
Dolokhovs
Fyodor, a reckless and vindictive officer and his unconditionally loving and adoring mother, although they appear on the pages of the novel only a few times, play a serious role in the destinies of the main characters.
Conclusion
The description of the events taking place in the families of the heroes of the novel, the characteristics of the families given by the author, all this, in fact, shows the origins of patriotism Russian army, the reasons for its victories and defeats in the war.
The metamorphoses that occur with the heroes of the novel during the course of the narrative give a clear idea of what is happening in the souls and minds of people living in Russia during that period.
Work test
Reflection on family values (based on L.N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”)
Family is one of the greatest values in the life of every person. Family members value each other and see in loved ones the joy of life, support, and hope for the future. This is provided that the family has the correct moral principles and concepts. The material values of a family are accumulated over the years, but the spiritual ones, reflecting the emotional world of people, are associated with their heredity, upbringing, and environment.
In the novel L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" in the center of the story are three families - the Kuragins, the Bolkonskys, the Rostovs.
In each family, the tone is set by the head of the family, and he passes on to his children not only character traits, but also his moral essence, life commandments, concepts of values - those that reflect the aspirations, inclinations, goals of both older and younger family members.
The Kuragin family is one of the well-known in the highest circles of St. Petersburg. Prince Vasily Kuragin, an insincere and narrow-minded man, nevertheless managed to build the most advantageous position: for Anatoly - a successful career, for Helen - marriage with one of the richest people in Russia.
When the soulless handsome Anatole talks with the old Prince Bolkonsky, he can hardly restrain himself from laughing. Both the prince himself and the old man’s words that he, young Kuragin, must serve “the Tsar and the Fatherland” seem “eccentric” to him. It turns out that the regiment to which Anatole is “assigned” has already set out, and Anatole will not be “in action,” which does not bother the secular rake at all. “What do I have to do with it, dad?” - he cynically asks his father, and this evokes the anger and contempt of old Bolkonsky, a retired general-in-chief, a man of duty and honor.
Helene is the wife of the smartest, but extremely naive and kind Pierre Bezukhov. When Pierre's father dies, Prince Vasily, the elder Kuragin, builds a dishonest and vile plan, according to which the illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov might not receive either an inheritance or a count's title. However, Prince Vasily’s intrigue failed, and he, with his pressure, cynicism and cunning, almost by force unites the good Pierre and his daughter Helen in marriage. Pierre is struck by the fact that in the eyes of the world Helene was very smart, but only he knew how stupid, vulgar and depraved she was.
Both the father and the young Kuragins are predators. One of their family values is the ability to invade someone else's life and break it for the sake of their selfish interests.
Material benefits, the ability to appear but not be - these are their priorities. But the law comes into play, according to which “... there is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.” Life takes terrible revenge on them: on Borodin’s field, Anatoly’s leg is amputated (he still had to “serve”); Helen Bezukhova dies early, in the prime of her youth and beauty.
The Bolkonsky family is from a noble, most famous family in Russia, rich and influential. Old Bolkonsky, a man of honor, saw one of the most important family values in the extent to which his son would fulfill one of the main commandments - to be, and not to appear; correspond to family status; do not exchange life for immoral actions and base goals.
And Andrei, a purely military man, does not stay as the adjutant of “his Serene Highness,” Kutuzov, since this is a “lackey position.” He is at the forefront, in the center of the battles of Shengraben, in the events of Austerlitz, on the Borodin field. Uncompromisingness and even rigidity of character make Prince Andrei a person extremely difficult for those around him. He does not forgive people for their weaknesses, as he is demanding of himself. But gradually, over the years, wisdom and other life assessments come to Bolkonsky. In the first war with Napoleon, he, being famous person at Kutuzov’s headquarters, he could cordially meet the unknown Drubetsky, who was looking for patronage influential people. At the same time, Andrei could afford to treat the request of a military general, an honored man, carelessly and even with contempt.
In the events of 1812, young Bolkonsky, who suffered a lot and understood a lot in life, serves in the active army. He, the colonel, is the regiment commander both in his thoughts and in his way of acting together with his subordinates. He takes part in the inglorious and bloody battle of Smolensk, walks a difficult road of retreat and in the battle of Borodino receives a wound that becomes fatal. It should be noted that at the beginning of the 1812 campaign, Bolkonsky “lost himself forever in the court world, not asking to remain with the sovereign, but asking permission to serve in the army.”
The good spirit of the Bolkonsky family is Princess Marya, who, with her patience and forgiveness, concentrates in herself the idea of love and kindness.
The Rostov family are L.N.’s favorite heroes. Tolstoy, which embody the features of the Russian national character.
The old Count Rostov with his extravagance and generosity, the addicted Natasha with a constant readiness to love and be loved, Nikolai, who sacrifices the well-being of the family, defending the honor of Denisov and Sonya - they all make mistakes that cost them and their loved ones dearly.
But they are always faithful to “good and truth”, they are honest, they live with the joys and misfortunes of their people. These are the highest values for the whole family.
Young Petya Rostov was killed in the first battle without firing a single shot; at first glance, his death is absurd and accidental. But the meaning of this fact is that the young man does not spare his life in the name of the Tsar and the Fatherland in the highest and heroic sense of these words.
The Rostovs are completely ruined, leaving their property in Moscow, captured by enemies. Natasha passionately argues that saving the unfortunate wounded is much more important than saving the family’s material assets.
The old count is proud of his daughter, the impulse of her beautiful, bright soul.
On the last pages of the novel, Pierre, Nikolai, Natasha, Marya are happy in the families they have built; they love and are loved, they stand firmly on the ground and enjoy life.
In conclusion, we can say that the highest family values for Tolstoy’s favorite heroes are the purity of their thoughts, high morality, and love for the world.
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