Andrei Bolkonsky dreamed of glory, no less than the glory of Napoleon, which is why he goes to war. He wanted to become famous thanks to the war, having accomplished a feat. After participating in the Shengraben and Austerlitz battles, Bolkonsky completely changed his attitude towards the war. Andrei realized that the war was not as beautiful and solemn as he imagined. At the battle of Austerlitz, he achieved his goal and accomplished a feat by raising the banner of the killed ensign and calling: "Guys, forward!" - led the battalion behind him in the attack.
After that, Bolkonsky was wounded. Lying on the ground and watching the sky, Bolkonsky realized that he had the wrong life values.
Pierre Bezukhov treated the war with great interest. During Patriotic War Pierre completely changes his attitude towards Napoleon. Previously, he respected him and called him "the liberator of peoples", but after learning what kind of person he really is, Pierre remains in Moscow, wanting to kill Napoleon. Bezukhov is captured and suffers moral torment. Having met Platon Karataev, he greatly influenced Pierre's worldview. Before participating in hostilities, Pierre did not see anything terrible in the war.
For Nikolai Rostov, war is an adventure. Before his first participation in the battle, Nikolai did not know how terrible and terrible the war was. During his first battle, at the sight of people falling from bullets, Rostov was afraid to enter the battlefield because of the fear of death. During the Battle of Shengraben, having been wounded in the hand, Rostov leaves the battlefield. The war made Nicholas a more brave and courageous person.
Captain Timokhin real hero and patriot of Russia. During the battle of Shengraben, without a sense of fear, he ran to the French with one saber, and from such courage the French threw down their weapons and fled. Captain Timokhin is an example of courage and heroism.
Captain Tushin in the novel was depicted as a "little man", but he accomplished great feats. During the battle of Shengraben, Tushin skillfully commanded the battery and did not let the French. During the hostilities, Tushin felt very confident and brave.
Kutuzov was a great commander. He is a modest and fair man, the life of each of his soldiers was of great importance to him. Even before the battle of Austerlitz, at the military council, Kutuzov was sure of the defeat of the Russian army, but he could not disobey the will of the emperor, so he began a battle doomed to failure. This episode shows the wisdom and thoughtfulness of the commander. During the Battle of Borodino, Mikhail Illarionovich behaved very calmly and confidently.
Napoleon is the exact opposite of Kutuzov. War for Napoleon is a game, and soldiers are pawns that he controls. Bonaparte loves power and glory. His main goal in any battle is victory, despite the loss of life. Napoleon was only concerned with the result of the battle, and not with what had to be sacrificed.
In the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer, the upper strata of society are discussing the events of the war with France and Napoleon. They count Napoleon cruel man and the war is senseless.
Effective preparation for the exam (all subjects) -
Many writers turn in their work to historical figures. The 19th century was filled with various events in which eminent persons participated. One of the leading leitmotifs for creating literary works was the image of Napoleon and Napoleonism. Some writers romanticized this person, endowing her with power, greatness and love of freedom. Others saw in this figure selfishness, individualism, the desire to dominate people.
The key was the image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy. The writer in this epic dispelled the myth of the greatness of Bonaparte. Tolstoy denies the concept of a "great man" because it is associated with violence, evil, meanness, cowardice, lies and betrayal. Lev Nikolaevich believes that only a person who has found peace in his soul, who has found the path to peace, can know the true life.
Bonaparte through the eyes of the heroes of the novel
The role of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" can be judged from the very first pages of the work. The heroes call him Buonaparte. For the first time, they begin to talk about him in the living room of Anna Scherer. Many ladies-in-waiting and close associates of the empress are actively discussing political events in Europe. From the lips of the mistress of the salon come the words that Bonaparte was declared invincible in Prussia, and Europe can do nothing to oppose him.
All representatives of high society, invited to the evening, have different attitudes towards Napoleon. Some support him, others admire him, others do not understand him. The image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" Tolstoy showed with different points vision. The writer portrayed how he was a commander, emperor and man. Throughout the work, the characters express their opinion about Bonaparte. So, Nikolai Rostov called him a criminal. The naive young man hated the emperor and condemned all his actions. The young officer Boris Drubetskoy respects Napoleon and would like to see him. One of the representatives of secular society, Count Rostopchin, compared Napoleon's actions in Europe with pirates.
Vision of the great commander Andrei Bolkonsky
Andrei Bolkonsky's opinion about Bonaparte changed. At first he saw him as a great commander, "a great genius." The prince believed that such a person is only capable of majestic deeds. Bolkonsky justifies many actions of the French emperor, and does not understand some. What finally dispelled the prince's opinion about the greatness of Bonaparte? Battle of Austerlitz. Prince Bolkonsky is mortally wounded. He lay on the field, looked at the blue sky and thought about the meaning of life. At this time, his hero (Napoleon) rode up to him on a horse and uttered the words: "Here is a beautiful death." Bolkonsky recognized Bonaparte in him, but he was the most ordinary, small and insignificant person. Later, when they examined the prisoners, Andrei realized how insignificant greatness was. He was completely disillusioned with his former hero.
Views of Pierre Bezukhov
Being young and naive, Pierre Bezukhov defended Napoleon's views with zeal. He saw in him a person who stood above the revolution. It seemed to Pierre that Napoleon gave the citizens equality, freedom of speech and the press. At first, Bezukhov saw a great soul in the French emperor. Pierre took into account the murders of Bonaparte, but admitted that this was permissible for the good of the empire. The revolutionary actions of the French emperor seemed to him the feat of a great man. But the Patriotic War of 1812 showed Pierre the true face of his idol. He saw in him an insignificant, cruel, disenfranchised emperor. Now he dreamed of killing Bonaparte, but he believed that he did not deserve such a heroic fate.
Napoleon before the Battle of Austerlitz and Borodino
At the beginning of hostilities, Tolstoy shows the French emperor, endowed with human features. His face is filled with self-confidence and complacency. Napoleon is happy and looks like a "loving and successful boy". His portrait radiated "thoughtful tenderness".
With age, his face fills with coldness, but still expresses well-deserved happiness. And how do readers see him after the invasion of Russia? Before the Battle of Borodino, he changed a lot. It was impossible to recognize the appearance of the emperor: his face turned yellow, swollen, his eyes clouded, his nose turned red.
Description of the appearance of the emperor
Lev Nikolaevich, drawing the image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace", very often resorts to his description. First, he shows him among the marshals on a gray mare and in a gray overcoat. Then not a single muscle moved on his face, nothing betrayed his nervousness and worries. At first, Bonaparte was thin, but by 1812 he was very stout. Tolstoy describes his round big belly, white leggings on fat short thighs, high over the knee boots. He is a pompous man with a white plump neck, who smelled of cologne. Fat, small, broad-shouldered, clumsy readers see Napoleon in the future. Several times Tolstoy focuses on the short stature of the emperor. He also describes the small plump hands of the ruler. Napoleon's voice was sharp and clear. He spoke every letter. The emperor walked resolutely and firmly, taking quick steps.
Quotes from Napoleon in War and Peace
Bonaparte spoke very eloquently, solemnly, and did not restrain his irritability. He was sure that everyone admired him. Comparing himself and Alexander I, he said: "War is my trade, and his business is to reign, not to command troops..." compares with ordinary cases that need to be completed: "... the wine is uncorked, you have to drink it ..." Speaking about reality, the ruler said: "Our body is a machine for life." Often the commander thought about the art of war. He considered the most important thing to be stronger than the enemy at a certain moment. He also owns the words: "It is easy to make a mistake in the heat of fire."
Napoleon's goals in War and Peace
The French emperor was very purposeful person. Bonaparte moved step by step towards his goal. At first, everyone was delighted that this man from an ordinary lieutenant became a great ruler. What was it that guided them? Napoleon had an ambitious desire to conquer the whole world. Being a power-hungry and grandiose nature, he was endowed with selfishness and vanity. The inner world of this person is frightening and ugly. Wanting to dominate the world, he dissolves in vanity and loses himself. The emperor has to live for show. Ambitious goals turned Bonaparte into a tyrant and conqueror.
The indifference of Bonaparte, depicted by Tolstoy
The personality of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" is gradually degrading. His actions are contrary to goodness and truth. The fate of other people does not interest him at all. Readers are struck by Napoleon's indifference in War and Peace. People turn out to be pawns in his game of power and authority. In reality, Bonaparte does not notice people. His face did not express a single emotion as he circled the field of Austerlitz after the battle, all littered with corpses. Andrei Bolkonsky noticed that the misfortunes of others gave the emperor pleasure. scary picture The battle of Borodino causes him a slight joy. Taking for himself the slogan "Winners are not judged", Napoleon steps on the corpses to power and glory. This is shown very well in the novel.
Other features of Napoleon
The French emperor considers war to be his craft. He loves to fight. His attitude towards the soldiers is feigned and pompous. Tolstoy shows how important luxury is to this person. The magnificent palace of Bonaparte was simply amazing. The writer portrays him as a pampered and spoiled ghoul. He loves to be admired.
The real appearance of Bonaparte becomes apparent after comparing it with Kutuzov. Both of them are the spokesmen of the historical trends of the time. The wise Kutuzov was able to lead the people's liberation movement. Napoleon was at the head of the war of conquest. The Napoleonic army was destroyed. He himself became a nonentity in the eyes of many, losing the respect even of those who once admired him.
The role of personality in the historical movement on the image of Bonaparte
The characterization of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" is needed in order to show the real meaning of events. Unfortunately, the masses sometimes become tools in the hands of great personalities. Tolstoy in his epic tried to show his vision of who leads historical process: accidents, leaders, people, higher intelligence? The writer does not consider Napoleon great, because there is no simplicity, truth and goodness in him.
Tolstoy's attitude to the French emperor
Napoleon in War and Peace is depicted by Tolstoy as follows:
- Limited person. He is overconfident in his military glory.
- Human attributed genius. In battles, he did not spare his army.
- A sharpie whose actions cannot be called great.
- Upstart and personality without conviction.
- Stupid behavior of Bonaparte after the capture of Moscow.
- Sneaky man.
What concept of Napoleon's life did Lev Nikolaevich show? The French emperor denied the expediency of historical will. He takes individual interests as the basis of history, so he sees it as a random clash of someone's desires. Napoleon overcomes the cult of personality, he does not believe in the inner wisdom of being. To achieve his own goals, he uses intrigue and adventure. His military campaign in Russia is the approval of adventure as a world law. In an attempt to impose his will on the world, he is powerless, therefore he is defeated.
Leo Tolstoy is amazed at the self-satisfaction, false chivalry, arrogance, false gallantry, irritability, imperiousness, acting, megalomania of the French ruler who threatens to erase Prussia from the European map. Tolstoy really wanted to prove that all great rulers are an evil plaything in the hands of history. After all, Napoleon is a very good commander, why did he lose? The writer believes that he did not see the pain of other people, was not interested in the inner world of others, did not have mercy. The image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" Tolstoy showed a morally mediocre person.
Lev Nikolaevich does not see a genius in Bonaparte, because there is more villainous in him. Depicting the personality of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace", Tolstoy applied the humanistic moral principle. Power endowed the emperor with egocentrism, which developed in him to extreme limits. Napoleon's victories relied on tactics and strategy, but he did not take into account the spirit Russian troops. According to Tolstoy, the people decide the course of history.
Pierre's life is a path of discovery and disappointment, a path of crisis and in many ways dramatic. Pierre is an emotional person. He is distinguished by a mind prone to dreamy philosophizing, distraction, weakness of will, lack of initiative, and exceptional kindness. Main feature hero - the search for peace, harmony with oneself, the search for a life that would be in harmony with the needs of the heart and would bring moral satisfaction.
At the beginning of the novel, Pierre is a fat, massive young man with an intelligent, timid and observant look that distinguishes him from the rest of the visitors to the living room. Having recently arrived from abroad, this illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov stands out in the high society salon for his naturalness, sincerity and simplicity. He is soft, supple, easily amenable to other people's influence. For example, he leads a disorderly, wild life, participating in revelry and atrocities of secular youth, although he perfectly understands the emptiness and worthlessness of such a pastime.
Big and clumsy, he does not fit in with the elegant interior of the cabin, confuses and shocks others. But he also inspires fear. Anna Pavlovna is frightened by the look of a young man: smart, timid, observant, natural. Such is Pierre, the illegitimate son of a Russian nobleman. In the Scherer salon, he is accepted only just in case, and suddenly Count Kirill officially recognizes his son. Much at first seems strange to us in Pierre: he was brought up in Paris - and does not know how to behave in society. And only later we will understand that spontaneity, sincerity, ardor are the essential features of Pierre. Nothing will ever force him to change himself, to live according to a general, average form, to conduct meaningless conversations.
Already here it is noticeable that Pierre does not fit into the false society of flatterers and careerists, the defining feature of which is an all-pervading lie. For this reason, the appearance of Pierre in the majority of those present causes fear, and his sincerity and straightforwardness - outright fear. Let us recall how Pierre left his useless aunt, spoke with the French abbot and was carried away by the conversation so that he began to clearly threaten to violate the system of secular relationships familiar to the Scherer house, which revived the dead, false atmosphere.
With one of his smart and timid glances, Pierre seriously frightened the hostess of the salon and her guests with their false norms of behavior. Pierre has the same kind and sincere smile, his special harmless softness is striking. But Tolstoy himself does not consider his hero weak and weak-willed, as it might seem at first glance: “Pierre was one of those people who, despite their outward, so-called weakness of character, do not look for an attorney for their grief.”
In Pierre, there is a constant struggle between the spiritual and the sensual, the inner, moral essence of the hero contradicts the way of his life. On the one hand, it is full of noble, freedom-loving thoughts, the origins of which date back to the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Pierre is an admirer of Rousseau, Montesquieu, who fascinated him with the ideas of universal equality and the re-education of man. On the other hand, Pierre participates in revelry in the company of Anatole Kuragin, and here he manifests that reckless-lordly beginning, the embodiment of which was once his father, Ekaterininsky nobleman, Count Bezukhov.
Pierre's naivete and gullibility, inability to understand people make him make a number of life mistakes, of which the most serious is marrying the stupid and cynical beauty Helen Kuragina. By this thoughtless act, Pierre deprives himself of all hope for possible personal happiness.
This is one of the important milestones in the life of the hero. But Pierre is becoming more and more aware that real family he does not have that his wife is an immoral woman. Dissatisfaction grows in him, but not with others, but with himself. This is exactly what happens to truly moral people. For their disorder, they consider it possible to execute only themselves. The explosion occurs at a dinner in honor of Bagration. Pierre challenges Dolokhov, who insulted him, to a duel. After everything that happened to him, especially after the duel, Pierre seems meaningless to his whole life. He is going through a mental crisis: this is a strong dissatisfaction with himself and the desire to change his life, to build it on new, good principles, associated with this.
Bezukhov breaks with Helen abruptly after learning how strong her love for his money was. Bezukhov himself is indifferent to money and luxury, therefore he calmly agrees with the demands of his cunning wife to give her most of his fortune. Pierre is disinterested and ready to do anything to get rid of the lies that the insidious beauty surrounded him as soon as possible. Despite his carelessness and youth, Pierre keenly feels the boundary between innocent jokes and dangerous games, which can cripple someone's life, so he is frankly indignant in a conversation with the villain Anatole after the failed kidnapping of Natasha.
Having broken with his wife, Pierre, on the way to Petersburg, in Torzhok, waiting for horses at the station, asks himself difficult (eternal) questions: What is bad? What well? What should you love, what should you hate? Why live and what am I? What is life, what is death? What power controls everything? Here he meets the freemason Bazdeev. At the moment of spiritual discord that Pierre was experiencing, Bazdeev appears to him just the person he needs, Pierre is offered the path of moral improvement, and he accepts this path, because most of all he now needs to improve his life and himself.
Tolstoy makes the hero go through a difficult path of losses, mistakes, delusions and searches. Having become close to the Freemasons, Pierre tries to find the meaning of life in religious truth. Freemasonry gave the hero the belief that there should be a kingdom of goodness and truth in the world, and the highest happiness of a person is to strive to achieve them. He passionately desires "to regenerate the vicious human race." In the teachings of the Freemasons, Pierre is attracted by the ideas of "equality, brotherhood and love," therefore, first of all, he decides to alleviate the fate of the serfs. In moral purification for Pierre, as for Tolstoy at a certain period, was the truth of Freemasonry, and, carried away by it, at first he did not notice what was a lie. It seems to him that he has finally found the purpose and meaning of life: "And only now, when I ... try ... to live for others, only now I understand all the happiness of life." This conclusion helps Pierre find the real path in his further searches.
Pierre shares his new ideas about life with Andrei Bolkonsky. Pierre is trying to transform the order of Freemasons, draws up a project in which he calls for activity, practical help to his neighbor, for the spread moral ideas in the name of the good of mankind all over the world ... However, the Masons resolutely reject Pierre's project, and he is finally convinced of the solidity of his suspicions that many of them were looking for a means of expanding their secular ties in Freemasonry, that the Masons - these insignificant people - were not interested in problems of goodness, love, truth, the good of mankind, and the uniforms and crosses that they sought in life. Pierre cannot be satisfied with mysterious, mystical rites and sublime conversations about good and evil. Disappointment soon sets in in Freemasonry, since Pierre's republican ideas were not shared by his "brothers", and besides, Pierre sees that hypocrisy, hypocrisy, and careerism exist among the Freemasons. All this leads Pierre to break with the Masons.
In a fit of passion, he tends to succumb to such instant hobbies, taking them for true and correct. And then, when the true essence of things is revealed, when hopes collapse, Pierre also actively falls into despair, disbelief, like a small child who has been offended. He wants to find a field of action in order to translate fair and humane ideas into a concrete useful thing. Therefore, Bezukhov, like Andrei, begins to improve his serfs. All measures taken by him are imbued with sympathy for the oppressed peasantry. Pierre makes sure that only persuasive and not corporal punishments are applied, so that the peasants are not burdened with overwork, and hospitals, shelters and schools are established in each estate. But all the good intentions of Pierre remained only intentions. Why, wanting to help the peasants, he could not do this? The answer is simple. His naivety, lack of practical experience, ignorance of reality prevented the young humane landowner from bringing good undertakings to life. The stupid but cunning chief executive easily fooled the smart and intelligent gentleman around the finger, creating the appearance of the exact execution of his orders.
Feeling a strong need for high noble activity, feeling rich forces in himself, Pierre nevertheless does not see the purpose and meaning of life. The Patriotic War of 1812, the general patriotism of which captured him, helps the hero to find a way out of this state of discord with himself and the world around him. His life only seemed calm and serene from the outside. "Why? Why? What is going on in the world?" - these questions did not cease to disturb Bezukhov. This incessant inner work prepared for his spiritual revival during the days of the Patriotic War of 1812.
Of great importance for Pierre was contact with the people on the Borodino field. The landscape of the Borodino field before the start of the battle (bright sun, fog, distant forests, golden fields and copses, smoke from shots) correlates with Pierre's mood and thoughts, causing him some kind of elation, a sense of the beauty of the spectacle, the grandeur of what is happening. Through his eyes Tolstoy conveys his understanding of the decisive in folk, historical life events. Shocked by the behavior of the soldiers, Pierre himself shows courage and readiness for self-sacrifice. At the same time, one cannot fail to note the naivety of the hero: his decision to kill Napoleon.
“To be a soldier, just a soldier!.. To enter this common life with all one's being, to be imbued with what makes them so,” - this is the desire that seized Pierre after the Battle of Borodino. Not being a military officer, like Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre expressed his love for the fatherland in his own way: he formed a regiment at his own expense and took it to support, while he himself remained in Moscow to kill Napoleon as the main culprit of national disasters. It was here, in the capital occupied by the French, that Pierre's selfless kindness was fully revealed.
In Pierre's attitude to ordinary people and to nature, the author's criterion of beauty in man is once again manifested. Seeing helpless people at the mercy of the rampant French soldiers, he cannot remain just a witness to the numerous human dramas that unfold before his eyes. Not thinking about his own safety, Pierre protects a woman, stands up for a lunatic, saves a child from a burning house. Before his eyes, representatives of the most cultured and civilized nation are outrageous, violence and arbitrariness are happening, people are being executed, accused of arson, which they did not commit. These terrible and painful impressions are aggravated by the conditions of captivity.
But the most terrible thing for the hero is not hunger and lack of freedom, but the collapse of faith in the just structure of the world, in man and God. Decisive for Pierre is his meeting with a soldier, a former peasant Platon Karataev, who, according to Tolstoy, personifies the masses. This meeting meant for the hero familiarization with the people, folk wisdom, even closer rapprochement with ordinary people. The round gentle soldier performs a real miracle, forcing Pierre to look at the world brightly and joyfully again, to believe in goodness, love, justice. Communication with Karataev causes a feeling of peace and comfort in the hero. His suffering soul warms up under the influence of the cordiality and participation of a simple Russian person. Platon Karataev has some special gift of love, a sense of blood connection with all people. His wisdom, which struck Pierre, lies in the fact that he lives in complete harmony with everything earthly, as if dissolving in it.
In captivity, Pierre finds that calmness and contentment with himself, to which he had vainly sought before. Here he learned not with his mind, but with his whole being, with his life, that man was created for happiness, that happiness lies in himself, in the satisfaction of natural human needs ... Introduction to people's truth, to the people's ability to live helps the inner liberation of Pierre, who was always looking for a solution to the question of the meaning of life: he sought this in philanthropy, in freemasonry, in the dispersion of secular life, in wine, in the heroic feat of self-sacrifice, in romantic love for Natasha; he sought it by way of thought, and all these searches and attempts all deceived him. And finally, with the help of Karataev, this issue is resolved. The most essential thing in Karataev is loyalty and immutability. Loyalty to yourself, your only and constant spiritual truth. Pierre follows this for a while.
In characterizing the state of mind of the hero at this time, Tolstoy develops his ideas about the inner happiness of a person, which consists in complete spiritual freedom, peace and tranquility, independent of external circumstances. However, having experienced the influence of Karataev's philosophy, Pierre, having returned from captivity, did not become a Karataev, non-resistance. By the very nature of his character, he was incapable of accepting life without seeking.
A turning point occurs in Bezukhov's soul, which means the adoption of a life-loving view of the world by Platon Karataev. Having learned the truth of Karataev, Pierre in the epilogue of the novel is already going his own way. His dispute with Nikolai Rostov proves that Bezukhov faces the problem of the moral renewal of society. Active virtue, according to Pierre, can lead the country out of the crisis. It is necessary to unite honest people. A happy family life (married to Natasha Rostova) does not take Pierre away from public interests.
The feeling of complete harmony for such an intelligent and inquisitive person as Pierre is impossible without participation in specific useful activities aimed at achieving a lofty goal - the very harmony that cannot exist in a country where the people are in the position of a slave. Therefore, Pierre naturally comes to Decembristism, joining a secret society in order to fight everything that interferes with life, humiliates the honor and dignity of a person. This struggle becomes the meaning of his life, but does not make him a fanatic who, for the sake of an idea, consciously renounces the joys of being. Pierre speaks with indignation about the reaction that has come in Russia, about Arakcheevism, theft. At the same time, he understands the strength of the people and believes in them. With all this, the hero strongly opposes violence. In other words, for Pierre, the path of moral self-improvement remains decisive in the reorganization of society.
Intense intellectual search, the ability to selfless deeds, high spiritual impulses, nobility and devotion in love (relationship with Natasha), true patriotism, the desire to make society more just and humane, truthfulness and naturalness, the desire for self-improvement make Pierre one of the best people of his time .
We see at the end of the novel happy person who has a good family, a faithful and devoted wife who loves and is loved. Thus, it is Pierre Bezukhov who achieves spiritual harmony with the world and himself in War and Peace. He goes through the difficult path of searching for the meaning of life to the end and finds it, becoming an advanced, progressive person of his era.
I would like to once again note Tolstoy's ability to portray his hero as he is, without embellishment, a natural person who tends to constantly change. The internal changes taking place in the soul of Pierre Bezukhov are deep, and this is reflected in his appearance. At the first meeting, Pierre is “a massive, fat young man, with a vague observant look.” Pierre looks completely different after his marriage, in the company of the Kuragins: “He was silent ... and, with a completely absent-minded look, he picked his nose with his finger. His face was sad and gloomy. And when it seemed to Pierre that he had found the meaning of activity aimed at improving the life of the peasants, he "spoke with animation of joy."
And only after freeing himself from the oppressive lies of the secular farce, finding himself in difficult military conditions and finding himself among ordinary Russian peasants, Pierre feels the taste of life, gains peace of mind, which again changes his appearance. Despite his bare feet, his dirty, tattered clothes, his matted, lice-infested hair, his expression was firm, calm, and animated, and he had never had such a look before.
In the image of Pierre Bezukhov, Tolstoy shows that no matter how different paths the best of the representatives of high society go in search of the meaning of life, they come to the same result: the meaning of life is in unity with their native people, in love for this people.
It is in captivity that Bezukhov comes to the conclusion: "Man was created for happiness." But people around Pierre are suffering, and in the epilogue Tolstoy shows Pierre thinking hard how to protect the good and the truth.
So, having gone through a difficult path, full of mistakes, delusions in the reality of Russian history, Pierre finds himself, retains his natural essence, and does not succumb to the influence of society. Throughout the novel, Tolstoy's hero is in constant search, emotional experiences and doubts, which ultimately lead him to his true calling.
And if at first Bezukhov's feelings constantly fight with each other, he thinks contradictoryly, then he finally frees himself from everything superficial and artificial, finds his true face and vocation, clearly knows what he needs from life. We see how beautiful Pierre's real, genuine love for Natasha is, he becomes a wonderful father of a family, is actively involved in social activities, benefits people and is not afraid of new things.
Conclusion
The novel "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy introduced us to many heroes, each of whom is a bright personality, has individual features. One of the most attractive characters in the novel is Pierre Bezukhov. His image is at the center of "War and Peace", because the figure of Pierre is significant for the author himself and plays a huge role in his work. It is known that the fate of this hero was the basis of the idea of the whole novel.
After reading the novel, we understand that Pierre Bezukhov is one of Tolstoy's favorite characters. During the course of the story, the image of this hero undergoes significant changes, his development, which is a consequence of his spiritual quest, the search for the meaning of life, some of his highest, enduring ideals. Leo Tolstoy emphasizes the sincerity, childish gullibility, kindness and purity of his hero's thoughts. And we cannot but notice these qualities, not appreciate them, despite the fact that at first Pierre is presented to us as a lost, weak-willed, unremarkable young man.
Fifteen years of Pierre's life are passing before our eyes. Many temptations, mistakes, defeats were on his way, but many accomplishments, victories, overcomings. Pierre's life path is an ongoing search for a worthy place in life, an opportunity to benefit people. Not external circumstances, but an internal need to improve oneself, to become better - this is Pierre's guiding star.
The problems raised by Tolstoy in the novel "War and Peace" are of universal significance. His novel, according to Gorky, is "a documentary presentation of all the searches that a strong personality undertook in the 19th century in order to find a place and a deed in the history of Russia" ...
Favorite hero
Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy describes in detail the path of Pierre Bezukhov's searches in the novel "War and Peace". Pierre Bezukhov is one of the main characters of the work. He belongs to the favorite characters of the author and is therefore described in more detail. The reader is given the opportunity to trace how a young naive young man is formed into a man wise by life experience. We are witnessing the mistakes and delusions of the hero, his painful search for the meaning of life, the gradual change in his worldview. Tolstoy does not idealize Pierre. He honestly displays it positive features and weaknesses of character. Thanks to this, the young man seems closer and more understandable. He seems to come alive on the pages of the work.
Pierre's spiritual quest in the novel is devoted to many pages. Pierre Bezukhov is the illegitimate son of a wealthy St. Petersburg nobleman, one of the main contenders for a million-dollar inheritance. Having recently arrived from abroad, where he received his education, Pierre cannot decide on the choice of a further life path. Unexpected inheritance and high county title greatly complicates the position of the young man and gives him a lot of trouble.
strange appearance
The remarkable appearance of the hero causes a smile and bewilderment. Before us is “a massive, fat young man with a cropped head, glasses, light trousers in the fashion of the time ...”. He does not know how to communicate with ladies, behave correctly in a secular society, be polite and tactful. His awkward appearance and lack of good manners a kind smile and a naive guilty look compensate: "smart and at the same time timid, observant and natural." Behind the massive figure, a pure, honest and noble soul breaks down.
Pierre's delusions
Fun secular youth
Arriving in the capital main character falls into the company of frivolous golden youth, who thoughtlessly indulge in empty entertainment and amusements. Noisy revels, hooligan antics, drunkenness, debauchery occupy everything free time Pierre, but do not bring satisfaction. Only in communication with his only friend Andrei Bolkonsky does he become sincere and open his soul. The older friend is trying to save the gullible young man from fatal mistakes, but Pierre stubbornly follows his own path.
fatal love
One of the main misconceptions in the life of the hero is the passion for the empty and depraved beauty Helen. The gullible Pierre is easy prey for the members of the greedy family of Prince Kuragin. He is unarmed against the seductive tricks of a secular beauty and the pressure of an unceremonious prince. Tormented by doubts, Pierre is forced to make an offer and become the spouse of the first beauty of St. Petersburg. Pretty soon, he realizes that for his wife and her father, he is only a money bag. Disappointed in love, Pierre breaks off relations with his wife.
Fascination with Freemasonry
The ideological search of Pierre Bezukhov continues in the spiritual sphere. He is fond of the ideas of the Masonic brotherhood. The desire to do good, to work for the good of society, to improve themselves makes the hero go the wrong way. He is trying to alleviate the fate of his serfs, begins to build free schools and hospitals. But disappointment awaits him again. Money is stolen, brothers Masons pursue their own selfish goals. Pierre finds himself at an impasse in life. No family, no love, no worthwhile occupation, no purpose in life.
Heroic impulse
The state of gloomy apathy is replaced by a noble patriotic impulse. The Patriotic War of 1812 pushed into the background all the personal problems of the hero. His honest and noble nature is concerned about the fate of the Fatherland. Unable to join the ranks of the defenders of his country, he invests in the formation and uniforms of the regiment. During the battle of Borodino, he is in the thick of things, trying to provide all possible assistance to the military. Hatred for the invaders pushes Pierre to crime. He decides to kill the main culprit of what is happening, Emperor Napoleon. Heroic impulse young man ended with a sudden arrest and long months of captivity.
Life experience
One of the most milestones Pierre Bezukhov's life becomes the time spent in captivity. Deprived of the usual comfort, a well-fed life, freedom of movement, Pierre does not feel unhappy. He enjoys the satisfaction of natural human needs, "finds that calmness and self-satisfaction, which he vainly sought before." Once in the power of the enemy, he does not solve the complex philosophical issues of being, does not think about his wife's betrayal, does not understand the intrigues of others. Pierre lives a simple and understandable life, which Platon Karataev taught him. The worldview of this man turned out to be close and understandable to our hero. Communication with Platon Karataev made Pierre wiser and more experienced, suggested the right path to later life. He learned “not with his mind, but with his whole being, with his life, that man was created for happiness, that happiness is in himself.”
Real life
Freed from captivity, Pierre Bezukhov feels like a different person. He is not tormented by doubts, is well versed in people and now knows what he needs to happy life. An insecure confused person becomes strong and wise. Pierre is rebuilding the house and proposes to Natasha Rostova. He clearly understands that it was her that he truly loved all his life and it is with her that he will be happy and calm.
happy outcome
At the end of the novel, we see the beloved hero of Leo Tolstoy as an exemplary family man, a passionate person who has found himself. He is engaged in social activities, meets with interesting people. His mind, decency, honesty and kindness are now in demand and useful to society. Beloved and devoted wife, healthy children, close friends, interesting job- the components of a happy and meaningful life of Pierre Bezukhov. The essay on the topic “The Way of Searching by Pierre Bezukhov” gives a detailed analysis of the moral and spiritual search for an honest and noble man, which through trial and error finds its meaning of existence. The hero finally achieved "calmness, agreement with himself."
Artwork test
"War and Peace"The lesson is structured in such a way as to create didactic conditions for the positive emotional nature of the learning process: attracting vivid factual material, encouraging evaluation and expression own opinion in relation to the studied events, facts; stimulation to develop their worldview, creating a situation of success.
At the beginning of the study of the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" the students were oriented to the final lesson-generalization " Moral quest Pierre Bezukhov. In the course of the work, the stages of the hero's life path were singled out, it was proposed to pick up quotes from the novel, use the material of literary critical studies. In progress research activities along with the analysis of key scenes, reference circuit stages of the life path of Pierre Bezukhov. The attitude to drawing up a reference scheme is ambiguous: is this or that episode of life rising or falling? Participation in the entertainment of secular youth, passion for the ideas of Napoleon, Freemasonry - this is a fall or the logic of character development on the way to improvement, understanding and affirming one's meaning in life. Thus, the broken line of the stages of life is not ups and downs - this is another step towards finding the main and only true thing in life.
During the classes
Everyone - a diamond that can purify and not purify itself. To the extent that it is purified, eternal light shines through it. Therefore, the business of man is not to try to shine, but to try to purify himself.
L. N. Tolstoy
At the stage of assimilation of the material, the student’s message “Skill psychological analysis L.N. Tolstoy".
Lecture of the teacher “The concept of man and psychologism L.N. Tolstoy"
The concept of man and psychologism L.N. Tolstoy
“All Tolstoy’s works are a “story of the soul” over a certain period of time,” writes researcher A.P. Skaftymov. What happens in this interval? The character goes through a series of states. Moreover, these states are not mutually indifferent. They are given not only in alternation, but also in mutually evaluative comparison. They are shown as due or not, false or natural, false or true. Each state has a value judgment expressed in various artistic ways, and through mutual contrast or parallelism, they all lead a system of substantiation and disclosure of the final author's convictions and appeals.
Tolstoy does not retell the results of the inner movement of the human personality, but penetrates into the very process of its thinking, its feeling. Not satisfied with the depiction of the external movements of feeling, he turns to the disclosure of the very process of mental life, the continuous flow of the emergence and change of the contradictory state of various thoughts, feelings, sensations, conscious aspirations and subconscious impulses. The task of the writer is to show “the fluidity of a person; that he is one and the same, now a villain, now an angel, now a sage, now an idiot, now a strong man, now a powerless being.
S.G. wrote interestingly and correctly about the nature of psychological analysis. Bocharov: “... it is the process, and not the result, that Tolstoy pays the main attention to. In one of the letters late period Tolstoy expressed his view on the tasks of psychological analysis: "The main thing is inner, spiritual work, and that not the final work is shown, but the actual process of work."
Tolstoy deeply believes in the spiritual potential of the individual: some of Tolstoy's characters manage to overcome the instinct of self-will, the individualistic assertion of oneself as opposed to others. In many ways, they are saved by the task of the selflessserving others, dissolving oneself in others. "Dialectics of the soul" is revealed as a universal form inner life. Tolstoy discovers the "general" in people, the positive spiritual basis of their inner being, being interested in those moments of freedom when the possibility of choice, decision, determination of one's actions, one's behavior opens up. But most often dialectical processes mental life portrayed by Tolstoy when he refers to the image of goodies, consciously striving for knowledge of the meaning of life.
Through the struggle of opposing motives, Tolstoy's man rises in certain life situations to a higher stage of consciousness, when the unconditional moral values, not without loss, not without a return to the former state of health in the future.
Tolstoy is not limited to depicting the interweaving of good and evil in the soul of a person, he leads him to the separation of opposite principles, to a moral judgment on himself.
Moments of moral elevation are then replaced by new quests, disappointments and falls. The interweaving of good and evil remains the law human existence. But at the same time, once experienced insight already makes the hero spiritually sighted, spiritually mobile.
Drawing up a reference scheme “The moral quest of Pierre Bezukhov, the hero of the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" (conversation with elements of analysis).
What are the stages of the life path of Pierre Bezukhov
First meeting with Pierre . Salon Scherer
- Which characters look like strangers in Scherer's salon? Why? (portrait and demeanor)
Pierre's violation of the etiquette instituted by Anna Pavlovna, his clumsiness once again confirms that he is a foreign body in the high society living room.
“Shortly after the little princess, a massive, fat young man with a cropped head, glasses, light trousers in the fashion of the time, with a high frill and in a brown tailcoat entered. This young man was the illegitimate son of Catherine's grandee, Count Bezukhov ... Anna Pavlovna greeted him with a bow, which belongs to the people of the lowest hierarchy in her salon. ... this fear (of Anna Pavlovna) could relate to that intelligent and at the same time timid, observant and natural look that distinguishes him from everyone in this living room.
Enthusiasm revolutionary ideas, Napoleon.
“The people gave him (Napoleon) power only so that he would deliver him from the Bourbons, and because the people saw him as a great man. The revolution was a great thing, Monsieur Pierre continued, expressing his great youth and desire to express everything as soon as possible with this desperate and defiant introductory sentence.
Tolstoy captures throughout the novel the naturally changing and deepening sides of his character and intellect.
At the beginning of the novel, Pierre expresses exorbitant absent-mindedness, gullibility, shyness, "inability to enter the salon"; his "good nature, simplicity and modesty" are still quite naive: he is morbidly sensitive, cannot bear "the sight of tears" and is easily ready to cry himself; but he is still a little thoughtful, often "spreads his mouth into a carefree, cheerful smile" and without reasoning succumbs (in the words of Prince Andrei) to "revels" and "hussars".
Entertainment secular youth
- What are the entertainments of the society of Kuragin and Dolokhov? What role do these scenes play in the novel?
These scenes reveal new aspects of the life of the aristocracy, introduce new heroes (Dolokhov, A. Kuragin). Pierre's preaching of freedom-loving views and participation in revels representis a psychological plot in the development of Pierre's storyline.
- Wasting life in carousing.
One of the important tasks of Tolstoy the psychologist was to depict and reveal the involuntary insincerity that is characteristic of people, their subconscious desire to see themselves better, and therefore, intuitively seek self-justification.
“... It would be nice to go to Kuragin,” he thought, but immediately remembered his word of honor given to Prince Andrei not to visit Kuragin. But immediately, as happens with people who are called spineless, he so passionately wanted to once again experience this dissolute life so familiar to him that he decided to go.
The dominant of the internal state is clearly indicated here: Pierre really wants to experience this pleasure again, despite the given word, despite the fact that he knows that he is doing wrong. This desire dominates and everything else psychological world imitates him - this is how Pierre's naive casuistry is perceived: “And immediately the thought came to his mind that this word did not mean anything because even before Prince Andrei, he also gave Prince Anatole the word to be with him; finally, he thought that all these honest words- such conditional things that do not have any definite meaning, especially if you realize that perhaps tomorrow he will die, or something so unusual will happen to him that there will no longer be either honest or dishonest.
Pierre - Count Bezukhov, the richest and noble man
- Euphoria from feeling like "the center of some important social movement"
“Pierre, having unexpectedly become a rich man and Count Bezukhov, after recent loneliness and carelessness, felt himself surrounded and busy to such an extent that he only managed to remain alone in bed with himself. He had to sign papers, deal with government offices, the meaning of which he did not have a clear idea, ask the chief manager about something, go to an estate near Moscow ... ". “It seemed so natural to Pierre that everyone loved him ... that he could not help but believe in the sincerity of the people around him.”
Entering gradually into society, he realizes his role in it and even begins to feel himself "the center of some important general movement", forcing to be "in a state of meek and cheerful intoxication"; he already thinks about his “career” and experiences “a feeling of haziness, haste and some good that is coming, but not happening”, and if earlier his own speeches seemed to him “stupid”, “now everything that he did not say, everything came outCharmant(charming).
- Marriage to Helen
Tolstoy strives to ensure that every element of the inner life is indicated by the word as accurately as possible. In the above passage, Pierre's feeling for Helen is characterized by the words "nasty", "forbidden", again "nasty", "unnatural" and, finally, "dishonest".
“He realized that this woman could belong to him.
“But she is stupid, I myself said she was stupid,” he thought. “There is something nasty in the feeling that she aroused in me, something forbidden ...” he thought; ... and realized that at the same time he thought about her insignificance and dreamed of how she would be his wife ... ”And again he told himself that something nasty, unnatural, as it seemed to him, dishonest was in this marriage ... and horror came over him, whether he had already bound himself with something in the performance of such a thing, which is obviously not good and which he should not do. But at the same time, as he expressed this decision to himself, from the other side of the soul her image surfaced with all its feminine beauty.
The scenes are of great importance for understanding the character of Pierre, his inexperience, naivety, inexperience, sincerity and spontaneity, and at the same time, she also reveals the subservience inherent in the representatives of the aristocracy (the attitude of others towards Pierre the heir). On the one hand, the marriage was arranged by Prince Vasily, becausePierre was a very advantageous suitor; on the other hand, this marriage was natural for Pierre: not only because he had to be deceived, but also because he had to be deceived.
- A lot of duties that cannot be avoided - and empty ones.
Marriage with Helen and relationship with Dolokhov taught Pierre a lot. He became quite "adult". Tolstoy devotes strong pages to how Pierre, having married, "processed his grief alone in himself." The writer reveals new aspects of the hero's character: the rapid development of moral exactingness, deep indignation at the unworthy behavior of people and temper (“I'll kill you!” He shouts to Helen). Pierre is getting husband. His ingenuous carelessness disappears. More and more he is occupied with the disturbing questions of life, its meaning and goals, - “as if in his headcurled up
Pierre moves away from the "secular" circle of people, he sees all the vanity of nobility and wealth ("and why is this money needed?" - he thinks); he feels all the inevitable “susceptibility” of a person to “evil and death” and painfully overestimates his past concepts and aspirations (“everything in himself and around him seemed to him confused, meaningless and disgusting. But in this very disgust for everything around Pierre found a kind irritating pleasure.”) By 1812, his demands to find some lofty meaning in life become more and more powerful; he approaches the ideas of Freemasonry, in which he is tempted by the illusory "pleasure to believe in the possibility of achieving perfection and the possibility of brotherly ... love between people."
- Duel with Dolokhov
After the duel, Pierre is in a difficult moral and psychological state: “What's wrong? What well? What should you love, what should you hate? Why live and what am I? What is life, what is death? What power governs everything?” he asked himself. And there was no answer to any of these questions ... "
Describing the moral and psychological state of Pierre at the time of the ideological crisis, the author says: "Everything in him and around him seemed to him confusing and disgusting." It is no coincidence that Osip Alekseevich Bazleev condemns Pierre's way of thinking as "the monotonous fruit of pride, laziness and ignorance", "a sad delusion". Pierre's life, passing in "violent orgies and debauchery", gives rise to a psychology of doubt in everything and disbelief in the ideal. Tolstoy convinces the reader that the social practice of a person is of great importance for his inner spiritual world.
Reflections after the duel: “What happened? he asked himself.I killed a lover, yes, he killed his wife's lover. Yes, it was. From what? How did I get to this?
Firstly, Pierre did not kill Dolokhov, but in his mind the situation is exactly like this: he killed, or almost killed, or could have killed - for Pierre, by and large morally, it doesn’t matter. Secondly, it is noteworthy that almost immediately, having fully realized the fact of the duel, Pierre asks himself the key question: “How did I get to this? "He is seized with moral confusion: the feeling of irreparableness, the falsity of his life, which has vaguely wandered in him since the declaration of love, becomes definite and painfully sharp, causing an urgent need to understand the causes of evil.
Note that Pierre focuses on himself: not “what brought me to a duel”, but how did I, Pierre Bezukhov, get to the point that I could kill a person? Pierre is looking for evil in himself - this is very evident for the moral orientation of Tolstoy's best heroes.
“But what is my fault? he asked. “The fact that you got married without loving her, that you deceived both yourself and her ...” Then he remembered the rudeness, clarity of her thoughts and the vulgarity of expressions ... “She is to blame for everything, she alone is to blame. .. But what of it? Why did I associate myself with her? ... It's my fault... "
BRUTAL CRISIS
- Complete internal devastation
He suffers after marriage, realizing that he was not only deceived, but also deceived others. Alater, the fact that he almost killed Dolokhov because he himself was to blame, having married, not loving, plunges Pierre into the deepest crisis. These reflections on the meaning of life are characteristic of Tolstoy's positive heroes.
Pierre was inevitably moving towards complete internal devastation, turning into a good-natured retired chamberlain, "whose type he so deeply despised seven years ago." True, Pierre had the ability "to see the evil and lies of life too clearly in order to be able to take a serious part in it." In Moscow living rooms, Pierre comes to a feeling of his loneliness, the "ghostliness" of all the life around him, and therefore cannot enter into an internal meaningful interaction with it. He escaped life with wine, women, entertainment. He bitterly mourned himself and his hopes for a reasonable and fruitful activity: “Didn’t he see the opportunity and passionately desired to regenerate the vicious human race and bring himself to the highest degree perfection?" He fought, he suffered, he sought new road in life, he believed in the triumph of the highest truth on earth, but “by the force of circumstances” he was brought to this soulless existence, dramatically experiencing the gap between religious and moral views and the practice of his life. Pierre could not come to terms with this break, could not "unravel that tangled, terrible knot of life that terrified him ...".
Whatever he began to think about, he returned to the same questions that he could not resolve and could not stop asking himself. As if in his headcurled up the main screw on which his whole life rested.
- Entry into Freemasonry, violent activity.
Freemasonry from the position of "dialectics of the soul"
The moral and psychological state of Pierre at the moment of rapprochement with the Masons and initiation into the "brotherhood of free masons" is complex and contradictory. On the one hand, he dreams of an "active and virtuous life", of loving brotherly harmony on earth, he feels the need to promote this harmony. But imperceptibly for himself, Pierre gives himself up to the proud dream of "Fixing the whole human race."
According to Tolstoy, the initiative activity of the individual is a manifestation of that pride and ambition that are associated with the "separation" of human existence, selfish competition with others.
Thus, the “dialectic of the soul” manifests itself as an image of two inextricably linked psychological processes in the inner world of the hero-character: the sharpening of moral forces merges with the dream of the role of a preacher and comforter.
To give up “arbitrariness” means to get rid of an exaggerated sense of personality, from the impossibility of acting in accordance with the dictates of the moral law due to one’s “foolishness”, to voluntarily subordinate “one’s will to this and that. who knew the undeniable truth."
- Why does Pierre, being an atheist and considering religion "unjust", join the Masonic society?
Because he was attracted by the formulation of the goals of this society: by purifying and correcting the heart and mind of individual members of society, thereby correcting the human race and "opposing the evil that reigns in the world." Pierre perceives in Freemasonry not the religious, but its moral side.
Pierre's activity in the Masonic society convinces that many Freemasons entered the society for the sake of acquiring connections with strong and wealthy people. Seeing social injustice world, he does not accept the idea of social transformation of society.
So Tolstoy leads Pierre to the idea of non-resistance to evil by violence, offering an abstract sermon of "good and truth."
The metaphysical teaching of the Freemasons was of little interest to Pierre: this "some kind of sacrament" did not seem to him essential. He did not join the number of brothers "employed exclusively
the mysteries of the science of the Order... or about the three principles of things...”. "His heart did not lie to the mystical side of Freemasonry." The tasks of moral perfection also did not interest Pierre, because already at the first moment of "conversion" he "felt with pleasure already completely corrected from his former vices and ready for only one good." The content of his future activities, he put the "correction of the human race."
- Disappointment, Freemasonry Crisis
Soon after joining the order, Pierre's divergence with the Masons became apparent: he could not confine himself to the tasks of contemplative immersion in himself and demanded active assistance to others. He sought to "oppose the evil that reigns in the world." Pierre goes to his Kyiv estates.
But reality turns out to be stronger than philanthropic orders and private interventions. In addition, Pierre is deprived of a sober practical consciousness, a keen interest in the processes economic life, "practical tenacity".
Reunion with Helen
Tolstoy introduces the reader into the inner world of a searching, reflecting hero. “He was so used to obeying this tone of careless self-confidence of Prince Vasily that even now he felt that he could not resist her; but he felt that the whole further fate his..."
Feeling his inner freedom, Pierre overcomes kindness, a tendency not to deceive the interlocutor's expectations, not to offend him with a refusal. He struggles with his fundamental peculiarity, so as not to repeat the mistake, not to return to the previous conditions of existence.
The final link in this story is reconciliation with Helen. This reconciliation was also both an act of good will and a causal act. Pierre then found himself in a state of complete disillusionment with Russian Freemasonry, returning to his wife became possible in conditions of melancholy and moral impasse. At the same time, Pierre is still aware of his will only as free. He explains his decision this way: “I should not refuse the one who asks and I should give a helping hand to everyone, especially the person who is so connected with me, and I should carry my cross.”
Way out of moral impasse. Patriotic War of 1812
Pierre on the eve of the Patriotic War
The approaching catastrophe pleased Pierre, as it could change her whole life, lead him out of the "enchanted, insignificant world of Moscow habits" and turn him to "great feat and great happiness."
The catastrophe became morally necessary for Pierre: only she could turn him to a new life content. No wonder he experienced “a pleasant feeling of consciousness that everything is. what constitutes the happiness of people, the comforts of life, wealth, even life itself, is nonsense, which is pleasant to put aside in comparison with something ... ".
The internal moral break that Pierre is experiencing is not accidentally connected with the national-historical events of the Patriotic War of 1812.
The task of expelling the invaders unites Pierre, like other best people from the nobility, with the people. It took a heroic state of the world for Pierre to get closer to the people who are performing the feat of expelling the invaders. He finds himself spiritually, because the folk content of life is revealed to him. He gains ground for overcoming egoistic isolated existence, fruitless self-centeredness. The need for higher truth and goodness that lives in him finds complete satisfaction, and he wants only "to be a soldier, just a soldier."
- Borodino Pierre, on the Raevsky battery
By moral responsiveness, Pierre could not remain outside historical conflict, not to be among those who defended the cause of the motherland and therefore became participants in the national liberation war. Once among the soldiers and militia, Pierre experiences joyful excitement and renewal: “The deeper he plunged into this sea of \u200b\u200btroops, the more he was seized by the anxiety of anxiety and a new joyful feeling he had not experienced. It was... the feeling of having to do something and sacrifice something." A cursory meeting with a soldier who declared the people's readiness to defend Moscow enters Pierre's inner world. In this accidental episode, for the first time, the direction of the hero’s evolution is indicated: that open cordial communication between Pierre’s secular environment free from prejudice and people from the people, which in the future will lead him to a qualitatively new experience and understanding of life, is clearly manifested. Rich in human potentialities, Pierre's soul is gradually filled with Russian folk content.
How do you understand Pierre's thoughts about the hidden warmth of patriotism? Why are the heroes of the novel so eager for the people? Why does Pierre want to be a "soldier, just a soldier"?
"They in Pierre's concept there were soldiers - those who were on the battery, and those who fed him, and those who prayed to the icon.They - these strange, hitherto unknown to him people, -They clearly and sharply separated in his thoughts from other people. "To be a soldier, just a soldier!" thought Pierre.
The people are the bearer of the best human qualities. “... They were firm, calm all the time to the end ... They don’t speak, but they do,” thinks Pierre.
Hidden warmth of patriotism
Shocked by the bloody tragedy, Pierre leaves the battlefield. Hungry, exhausted, he sits down by the soldier's fire. In a moment of national disaster, the master unites with the soldiers, while Pierre felt "the need to belittle his social position as much as possible in order to be closer and more understandable to the soldiers." Pierre Bezukhov with such clarity correlates his life as a representative of the noble class with the life of people from the social lower classes and with all sincerity gives preference to the latter. “They amaze him with their moral courage in the war, in a moment of danger: “But they were firm, calm all the time to the end.” He condemns himself for weakness: “Oh, how terrible fear is and how shamefully I gave myself to it!”.
Pierre feels in the soldiers a wise and direct knowledge of the meaning of life, which explains their calmness, their readiness to submit to necessity.
Only in the circumstances of war and captivity does the relationship between Pierre and people from the people change: He finds the highest satisfaction in an undivided merger with millions of "drops" of the human peasant sea.
In occupied Moscow: saving a child, intercession for the Armenians, the decision to kill Napoleon
“Running out behind the house onto a sandy path, the Frenchman pulled Pierre's hand and pointed him to the circle. Under the bench lay a three-year-old girl in a pink dress. Pierre ... grabbed her with a feeling of pity and disgust, clutching the suffering sobbing and wet girl as gently as possible, ran ... Pierre at that moment felt even more strongly that feeling of youth, revival and determination that seized him when he ran save the child." “While Pierre ran those few steps that separated him from the French, a long marauder in a hood was already tearing a necklace from the Armenian woman’s neck ...
Leave this woman, - Pierre croaked in a frantic voice, grabbing a long, round-shouldered soldier by the shoulders and throwing him away. But his comrade, throwing down his boots, took out a cleaver and menacingly advanced on Pierre. Pierre was in that ecstasy of fury in which he did not remember anything and in which his strength increased tenfold. He rushed at the barefoot Frenchman, and before he couldtake out his cleaver, already knocked him down and pounded on him with his fists.
“He had to, hiding his name, stay in Moscow, meet Napoleon and kill him in order to either die or end the misfortune of all of Europe, which, according to Pierre, came from Napoleon alone.” “Two equally strong feelings irresistibly attracted Pierre to his intention. The first was the feeling of the need for sacrifice and suffering in the realization of a common misfortune ... the other was that indefinite, exclusively Russian feeling contempt for everything conventional, artificial, human, which is considered by most people to be the highest good of the world.
Captivity, execution of Russian prisoners by the French. Condition after the shooting
“He remembered that he was beating someone, he was being beaten, and that in the end he felt that his hands were tied, that a crowd of French soldiers were standing around him and searching his dress.”
The whole scene of the execution is given through the perception of a morally shocked Pierre: “On all the faces of Russians, on the faces of French soldiers, officers, all without exception, he read the same fear, horror and struggle that were in his heart.” French soldiers Together with Pierre, they experience the execution of prisoners as senseless cruelty, as an evil to which moral nature can only react with disgust.
The author conveys the moral and psychological state of the hero by means of figurative comparison: “From the minute Pierre saw this terrible murder committed by people who did not want to do this, it was as if in his soul that spring was pulled out, on which everything rested and seemed alive, and everything fell into a heap of meaningless rubbish. In him, although he did not realize himself, faith in the improvement of the world, and in the human, and in his soul, and in God, was destroyed. ... He felt that it was not in his power to return to faith in life.
The execution of captured Russians by the French is perceived by Pierre as meaningless and brutal murder. As a result of what he saw and experienced, he found himself in a state of complete devastation, internal disintegration and chaos: "The world collapsed in his eyes, and only meaningless ruins remained."
This state of meaninglessness and absurdity of life is removed thanks to a meeting with Platon Karataev.
Meeting with Platon Karataev
In a moment of complete disgrace of everything, confusion, only love for goodness was required. The love of Platon Karataev, like precious moisture, revived Pierre and brought him back to life. “And such an expression of affection and simplicity was in the man’s melodious voice that Pierre wanted to answer, but his jaw trembled and he felt tears.” That same night, Pierre felt "that the previously destroyed world is now being erected in his soul with new beauty, on some new and unshakable foundations." Karataev, thus, helped Pierre in a difficult moment of an internal crisis.
“Pierre learned not with his mind, but with his whole being, with his life, that man was created for happiness, that happiness is in himself, in the satisfaction of natural human needs, and that all misfortune comes not from lack, but from excess.”
“The more difficult his position became, the more terrible the future was, the more independent of the position in which he was, joyful and soothing thoughts, memories and ideas came to him.” Pierre Bezukhov accepted the mental health of the people, agreement with himself, the ability to spiritually overcome circumstances.
Why did Karataev have such an effect on Pierre? Does he look like other men?
At the key moments of moral turning points, when something extremely important is revealed to the hero from Tolstoy's point of view, the author generally refuses to reproduce inner voice hero, - all psychological processes are depicted exclusively innarrator's story.
Depiction of the moral shifts that occurred during the captivity: “He received that calmness and self-satisfaction, for which he had vainly sought before. For a long time in his life he sought different sides this peace, harmony with himself ... he sought this in philanthropy, in Freemasonry, in the dispersion of secular life, in wine, in the heroic feat of self-sacrifice, in romantic love to Natasha; he sought this by way of thought - and all these searches and attempts deceived him. And he, without thinking about it, received this peace and this harmony with himself only through the horror of death, through deprivation and through that. what he understood in Karataev. Those terrible moments that he experienced during the execution seemed to have washed away forever from his imagination and memories the disturbing thoughts and feelings that had previously seemed important to him.
Kindness becomes in him forgiveness (and to enemies too), unpretentiousness - the absence of all sorts of requirements for life (everywhere he feels good), faith in the reasonableness of the natural course of events in life - obedience to fate (“rock is looking for a head”), intuitive behavior - an absolute absence reason (“not by his own mind - by God’s judgment”), the main thing in Karataev is forgiveness, adaptability to life, and it is for these qualities that Tolstoy idealizes him, makes him the material of vitality for Pierre, his favorite hero.
Reflection on happiness, understanding "the whole force of vitality"
In dramatic trials of need, extreme hardships in captivity, he acquires the long-desired inner freedom. Then, throughout the rest of his life, “Pierre thought with delight and spoke about this month of captivity, about those irrevocable, strong and joyful feelings and. most importantly, about the complete peace of mind, about perfect inner freedom, which he experienced only at that time. The break experienced in captivity comes down to "a new, untested feeling of joy and strength of life."
Pierre, having experienced "almost the extreme limits of deprivation that a person can endure", with his whole being comes to an understanding of life as the highest good and possible harmony on earth. Life in his perception is love, i.e. God: “Life is everything. Life is God. Everything moves and moves, and this movement is God. And as long as there is life, there is the enjoyment of the self-consciousness of the deity. Love life, love God. It is most difficult and most blessed to love this life in one's suffering, in the innocence of suffering. The writer conveys the dialectic of life itself in this depiction of Pierre's severe physical suffering, which, however, led him to life affirmation.
“The absence of suffering, the satisfaction of needs and, as a result, the freedom to choose occupations, that is, a way of life, now appeared to Pierre as the undoubted and highest happiness of a person ... Pierre felt a new, untested feeling of joy and strength in life.”
“In captivity, in a booth, Pierre learned not with his mind, but with his whole being, with his life, that man was created for happiness, that happiness is in himself, in satisfying natural human needs, and that everythingunhappiness does not come from lack, but from excess; but now, in these last three weeks of the campaign, he has learned another new comforting truth - he has learned that there is nothing terrible in the world.
"Now only he understood the whole force of human vitality and the saving power of shifting attention, invested in a person." “The more difficult his position became, the more terrible the future was, the more independent of the position in which he was, joyful and calming thoughts, memories and ideas came to him.
Moral renewal in captivity
forced into real life obey those above him. Pierre, at the same time, experiences his inner moral freedom with unusual sharpness, which is manifested in his ability to romantically rise above hostile reality, to overcome it spiritually, to a keen sense of his "timelessness". In it at this moment, something is activated and becomes valid.“consciousness”, which, according to Tolstoy, reveals to a person his absolute spirituality, i.e. "I" is out of time, "out of cause", and itself is the cause of all manifestation of life.
Understanding his inseparability with nature comes to Pierre in a whirlpool of events, in severe trials of war and death. Here he experiences a moral rebirth, manifested in a joyful sensation of the higher meaning of life.
The position of a prisoner only sharpens in him the consciousness of his indestructibility, of his organic connection with universal processes.
The method of "dialectic of the soul" suggests that the inner freedom of the hero-character manifests itself as an instant flash of self-consciousness, an undeniable feeling of belonging to world harmony.
Post-war update. Pre-Decembrist activity
- Release from captivity. Change in worldview.
The year of the Patriotic War awakens in him ardent patriotic feelings and, turning away from Masonic metaphysics, fully connects him with the real needs, tasks and aspirations of the people. He feels "impossible to continue former life” and wants to “get rid of the complex confusion of the requirements of life”, which has overcome him for a number of years. In Chapter XIII, Part 4, Volume 4, Tolstoy devotes whole pages to explaining the changes that have become apparent in the character and worldview of his hero, who has survived turbulent external events and personal trials, and now, after the war and the "people's defense," who has already seen "an extraordinarily powerful force of vitality ”, which “supported the life” of the whole “special and united” Russian people.
"A joyful feeling of freedom - that complete, inalienable, inherent freedom of a person, the consciousness of which he first experienced at the first halt when leaving Moscow, filled Pierre's soul during his recovery."
“Now he has learned to see the great, eternal and infinite in everything ... Now the question is - why? A simple answer was always ready in his soul: then, that there is a god, that god, without whose will a hair will not fall from a person’s head.
Meeting with Natasha, love, marriage
The big child is called Pierre and Nikolai and Andrey. Bolkonsky will entrust the secret of love to Natasha to him, Pierre. He will entrust Natasha - the bride. He advises her to contact Hard time. "Heart of gold", a nice fellow, a true friend will be Pierre in the novel. It is with him that Natasha's aunt, Akhrosimova, will consult regarding her beloved niece. But it is he, Pierre, who will introduce Andrei and Natasha.
At first in her adult life At the ball, he will notice the confusion of Natasha's feelings, whom no one will invite to dance, and will ask his friend, Andrei, to engage her. Pierre was horrified when he learned about Natasha's attempt to escape with Anatole, but then he would be shocked by the depth of her repentance, suffering, and an attempt to poison herself. He admired her ability, even in such terrible moments of her life, to think more about others than about herself.
The structure of the souls of Natasha and Pierre is in many ways similar. Love will revive their souls. There will be no room for doubt, everything will be filled with love.
Finding the meaning of life in the family, social activities.
“And out of old habit, he asked himself the question: well, then what? What will i do? And immediately he answered himself: nothing. I will live. Oh, how nice!
In the epilogue to the novel, Pierre already lives in a "big house"; he is engaged in progressive social activity, he thinks in new concepts, characteristic of the pre-Decembrist era, and this "most absent-minded, forgetful person, now, according to the list compiled by his wife," like a sedate husband and father, buys everything for the house, not forgetting any "gifts ", nor"toys".
So, considering the difficult life path of his hero. Tolstoy realistically judges the stages of the long development of his personality.
L.N. Tolstoy shows two main paths that people choose: for some, the main thing is external well-being, wealth, career; for others - spiritual values, i.e. life is not only for themselves. In the epilogue, the heroes found true happiness along the way. Pierre, after a long and difficult search, found happiness in the confluence of social activities and a happy family life. Home Wisdom, to which he came: “... if vicious people are interconnected and constitute a force, then honest people need only do the same. After all, it's so simple."
After the war, in peaceful conditions, Pierre in a new round of ideological and creative development. "IN spiritual development Pierre's Decembrism marks both a step forward and backward. Forward in the sense that it means leaving the sphere of moral speculation in the field of practical activity and civic selflessness. Back because it means the rejection of the moral truth revealed to him by Karataev.
On the one hand, Pierre retains the deep moral content acquired in the war and defends the service of “good”: “But I say: take hand in hand, those who love good. And let there be one banner: active virtue.
But on the other hand, once outside the people, he returns in Decembrism, it would seem, to the overcome sense of personality. Pierre develops self-confidence, which manifests itself in his story about his political activity In Petersburg. Thought about it. that the fate of not only the “society” he leads, but also the fate of Russia, depends on him, Pierre, is connected with the belief in the possibility and fruitfulness of the revolutionary, voluntaristic according to Tolstoy. Civic activity leads the hero to an exaggerated idea of the possibilities of conscious, arbitrary influence on the course of the historical process.
4. In conclusion, written works on the studied material can be offered:
a) Why can Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky be called the best people their time?
b) “In order to live honestly, one must tear, get confused, fight, make mistakes, start and quit, and start again, and quit again, and always struggle and lose. And peace is a spiritual meanness?
How do you understand the words of L. Tolstoy?
To what extent does Pierre's life path reflect this motto of the writer himself?
APPLICATION
Esin A.B. Psychologism of Russian classical literature / A.B. Esin.- M: Enlightenment, 1988.
Kurlyandskaya G.B. moral ideal heroes L.N. Tolstoy and F.M. Dostoevsky / G.B. Courland. - M.: Enlightenment, 1988.
Bocharov S.P. The novel by L. Tolstoy "War and Peace" / S.P. Bocharov. - M.: Enlightenment, 1976.
Russian literature. Grade 10. Reader of historical - literary materials; reference scheme to the image of the hero; illustrations for the novel.
