Kuragin characterization of the hero. Anatole Kuragin

29.03.2019

What "War and Peace" - " verbose rubbish". But no matter how the great Russian writer expresses himself, his creation is a classic of the genre and is honored all over the world: even foreign filmmakers more and more often present their vision of this epic to moviegoers.

The work was loved by fans of literature because the writer showed life as it is: friendship and betrayal, love and betrayal. In addition, the author managed to scrupulously work out the characters, revealing human psychotypes. Surely there are many dishonest Anatoly Kuragins in the world who invade the lives of married ladies and indifferently break their hearts.

History of creation

It was not for nothing that Leo Tolstoy turned to the topic of the war of 1812, because it was a huge shock not only for the empire, but for the entire Russian people. No matter how beautifully the filmmakers describe the battle of Borodino (when brave soldiers ride horses against the backdrop of a river, fog and an icy lake), war is always grief, pain, death and tears.


Therefore, the writer began to consider that hard times to show how the character of a person changes against the backdrop of upcoming and past events. The cumbersome epic novel is not just a non-trivial plot that tells about love ups and downs and. The author brought philosophical thought to his creation.

The idea of ​​the work did not come to Lev Nikolayevich immediately. Initially, he wanted to tell readers about the Decembrist hero, who was forced to return to his homeland in 1856 after a 30-year exile. Tolstoy wanted to start his story from 1825 in order to show readers for what offense main character received such punishment. But, when Lev Nikolaevich thought about 1812, he wanted to consider the life of not only one person, but of the entire Russian people as a whole.


The master of the pen was inspired by the idea. Tolstoy personally visited the place where the battle of Borodino, and also relied on the works of scientists and memoirs of contemporaries of the events described. The writer worked on the novel from 1863 to 1869 and managed to identify more than 550 characters. It is worth noting that readers also remembered anti-heroes, for example, Anatole Kuragin and his sister Helen, who are ready to do anything for personal gain.

Biography

Anatole Kuragin plays leading role in the work, because thanks to his witchcraft charms, Natasha Rostova plunged into romantic relationship and sent Andrei Bolkonsky a letter of refusal. But no matter how attractive angelic appearance this young man, whom the author described as a tall and black-browed handsome man, it is better not to climb into his soul. Natasha paid the price for her passion for this ladies' man.


It is known that Anatole was born in the family of Prince Vasily Kuragin and grew up with his brother Ippolit. Based on the behavior of this hero, we can safely judge that he did not receive proper education. The guy had a cowardly and selfish character, and also dreamed of living idle, shining in secular society. In addition, mentally, Anatole was absolutely nothing.

According to the plot, the ruddy sycophant was carried away by Natasha Rostova, who answered young man reciprocity. And this is not surprising, because the father of Andrei Bolkonsky was against his relationship with Natasha and asked his son to postpone his marriage to whole year. This was a serious blow for the girl, who gave vent to emotions.


In addition, Prince Andrei went to the front, and separation was unacceptable for the young Rostova, who was dying of boredom. Kuragin, taking advantage of the opportunity, came to the Bald Mountains and seduced Natasha with his beauty.

Possibly a novel main character and Anatole would have continued, if not for one fact: the beloved hid the fact that he was married to a Polish girl. But this circumstance did not prevent Kuragin from thinking over a plan to escape from Rostova abroad. That night, when Anatole's scheme was to be realized, Marya Akhrosimova, with whom Natasha was visiting, learned about the impending kidnapping of the girl. At the same time, Rostova became aware that her lover had wedding ring, so the girl tried to commit suicide with arsenic.


Anatole Kuragin, who brought sorrows and misfortunes to people's lives, was expelled from the capital on instruction. Then the reader learns that the hero went to war, where he received a leg injury. The limb was amputated after the battle. There were rumors in Moscow that the young man had died, but they were not confirmed by reliable facts.

More this unfortunate lover in the novel of Lev Nikolayevich is not mentioned.

Screen adaptations and actors

Those who find the work of Leo Tolstoy boring should know that the book was adapted by eminent directors who managed to surprise the audience with the plot and the main characters performed by eminent cinema stars.

Thanks to feature films, this novel began to be in demand in bookstores For example, in 2016, people in the UK began buying up volumes of War and Peace after the release of the series of the same name. There are many films that tell about the ups and downs of Bolkonsky, Rostova, Bezukhov and Kuragins. Therefore, we consider only well-known film works.

"War and Peace" (1956)

The American representative of the cinematographic art King Vidor surprised the audience because he set his sights on the knowledge of the Russian soul. The director released a tape on novel of the same name Tolstoy, calling cast eminent stars who worked with professional costume designers on film sets in Italy.


The roles went to Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, and other stars, and Vittorio Gassman tried on the image of the insidious Anatole.

"War and Peace" (1967)

Soviet filmmakers did not lag behind their Hollywood counterparts and shot a big-budget film with expensive sets and costumes. Directed by .


And it is worth saying that the picture, which lasted for about six years, won the recognition of the audience: it became the leader of the Soviet box office and won the honorary award "Oscar". The roles were performed by Viktor Stanitsyn, Eduard Martsevich and Boris Zakhava. The image of Kuragin embodied.

"War and Peace" (TV series, 2007)

Austrian Robert Dornhelm presented his vision of the Russian novel, completely rewriting the plot. It is noteworthy that the filmmakers did not rely on the images created by the author of the work, so the actors do not advise the appearance of the main characters, but the series was a success with the audience.


Ken Duken reincarnated as the thief of ladies' hearts, who worked on one film set with, Alessio Boni, and other actors.

"War and Peace" (TV series, 2016)

In 2016, BBC One began broadcasting, which helped popularize the novel among British readers. It is worth saying that the creators of the picture changed the original plot and tried to "undress as much as possible" the actors who now and then appear in love scenes.


He played the role of Anatole Kuragin. Also included in the brilliant cast was Jesse Buckley.

  • Lev Nikolaevich considered his novel unfinished. The work was supposed to end with the return of Natasha and Pierre from exile, but the genius of literature never brought his idea to life.
  • It is widely believed among researchers that Tolstoy's novel was actually called "War and Peace". Based on pre-revolutionary orthography, the second word means "world" in the sense of "Universe". Based on these arguments, some literary critics interpreted the work differently.
  • When war scenes were filmed in the film War and Peace (1956), the producers invited 65 doctors to the "battlefield" who were dressed in soldier's uniforms. Thus, doctors could quickly provide assistance to the injured stuntmen.

In the novel "War and Peace", the description of the Kuragin family can be made from the image of various actions of members of this family.

The Kuragin family is rather a formality, a group of spiritually close people, united together by predatory instincts. For Tolstoy, family, home and children are life, happiness and the meaning of life. But the Kuragin family is the complete opposite of the author's ideal, because they are empty, selfish and narcissistic.

First, Prince Vasily tries to steal the will of Count Bezukhov, after which, almost by deceit, his daughter Helen marries Pierre and mocks his kindness and naivety.

No better and Anatole, who tried to seduce Natasha Rostova.

Yes, and Hippolyte appears in the novel as an extremely unpleasant strange man, whose "face was clouded with idiocy and invariably expressed self-confident obstinacy, and his body was thin and weak."

False, calculating, low people who bring destruction to the lives of those who encounter them in the course of the novel.

All the children of the Kuragins only know how to take everything from life that is possible, and Tolstoy did not consider any of them worthy to continue their race.

The author uses the antithesis technique when creating the Kuragin family. They are only able to destroy. Anatole becomes the cause of the gap sincerely loving friend friend of Natasha and Andrey; Helen almost breaks Pierre's life, plunging him into an abyss of lies and falsehood. They are deceitful, selfish and calm. They all endure the shame of matchmaking easily. Anatole is only slightly annoyed unsuccessful attempt take Natasha. Only once will their “restraint” change them: Helen will scream in fear of being killed by Pierre, and her brother will cry like a woman, having lost her leg. Their calmness comes from indifference to everyone except themselves. Anatole is a dandy, "who wears a beautiful head high." In dealing with women, he had a contemptuous sense of superiority. How accurately Tolstoy defines this pomposity and importance of the face and figure in the absence of intelligence (“he didn’t think much at all”) in the children of Prince Vasil! Their spiritual callousness, meanness will be branded by the most honest and delicate Pierre, and therefore the accusation will sound from his lips, like a shot: “Where you are, there is depravity and evil.”

They are alien to Tolstoy's ethics. We know that children are happiness, the meaning of life, life itself. But the Kuragins are selfish, they are closed only on themselves. Nothing will be born from them, because in a family one must be able to give warmth and care to others. They only know how to take: “I'm not a fool to give birth to children,” says Helen. Shamefully, as she lived, Helen will end her life on the pages of the novel.

Everything in the Kuragin family is the opposite of the Bolkonsky family. In the house of the latter, there is a trusting, homely atmosphere and the sparkling of the word: “darling”, “friend”, “darling”, “my friend”. Vasil Kuragin also calls his daughter "my dear child." But this is insincere, and therefore ugly. Tolstoy himself will say: "There is no beauty where there is no truth."

In his novel War and Peace, Tolstoy showed us an ideal family (Bolkonsky) and a formal family (Kuragins). AND tolstoy idealpatriarchal family with her holy care of the elders for the younger and the younger for the elders, with the ability of everyone in the family to give more than to take, with relationships built on “good and truth”. Everyone should strive for this. After all, happiness is in the family.

The family is the basis of human society. The writer expresses in the Kuragins all the immorality that prevailed in noble families in those days.

Kuragins are selfish, hypocritical, selfish people. They are ready to commit any crimes for the sake of wealth and fame. All their actions are committed to achieve their personal goals. They destroy the lives of other people and use them as they want. Natasha Rostova, Ippolit, Pierre Bezukhov - all those people who suffered because of the “evil family.” The members of the Kuragins themselves are connected not by love, warmth and care, but by purely solidarity relations.

The whole Kuragin family are individualists who do not recognize moral standards living according to the immutable law of the fulfillment of their insignificant desires.

Anatoly (Anatole) Kuragin- the hero of the novel by Leo Tolstoy "War and Peace". Son of Prince Vasily Kuragin. Sister Helen, brother Hippolyte. Secular man, dandy, rake, ladies' man. Extremely good-looking. He is married to a Polish girl, but carefully hides this fact. Carried away by Natasha Rostova (Second volume, fifth part), makes her fall in love with herself. Having charmed Natasha, Anatole invites her to run abroad. However, on the night of the abduction, Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimova, with whom Natasha and Sonya are visiting, finds out about this. The kidnapping fails. Upon learning that Anatole is married, Rostova tries to poison herself with arsenic. At the insistence of Pierre Bezukhov, Anatole was expelled from Moscow. During the Battle of Borodino, Anatole's leg was torn off. After that, he does not appear in the novel again.


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    Vasily Semyonovich Lanovoy Vasily Lanovoy after being awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree in 2009. Date of birth: January 16, 1934 (age 75) Place of birth ... Wikipedia

    Vasily Lanovoy after being awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree in 2009. Date of birth: January 16, 1934 (age 75) Place of birth ... Wikipedia

    Vasily Semyonovich Lanovoy Vasily Lanovoy after being awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree in 2009. Date of birth: January 16, 1934 (age 75) Place of birth ... Wikipedia

    Vasily Semyonovich Lanovoy Vasily Lanovoy after being awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree in 2009. Date of birth: January 16, 1934 (age 75) Place of birth ... Wikipedia

    Vasily Semyonovich Lanovoy Vasily Lanovoy after being awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree in 2009. Date of birth: January 16, 1934 (age 75) Place of birth ... Wikipedia


Anatole Kuragin, one of the heroes of L. Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace", occupies a significant place in the work. This interesting image, which performs very important role- helps in revealing other images of the novel.

Anatole is the son of Prince Vasily Kuragin, an officer, brother of Ippolit and Helen. Like all members of the Kuragin family, Anatole is selfish and spoiled. All Kuragins use other people for their own purposes, to satisfy their own desires. Helen openly cheats on her husband, does not spare his pride. Helen, knowing that Natasha is the bride of Andrei Bolkonsky, without hesitation at all, first arranges dates for her brother and Natasha, and then helps Anatole to kidnap the girl.

Pierre tries to explain to Anatole the wrongness of his behavior: "... in addition to your pleasure, there is happiness, peace of mind of other people, ... you ruin your whole life because you want to have fun." Prince Vasily calls his son a "restless fool" who brings him a lot of trouble: "... this Anatole costs me forty thousand a year..."

The external characterization of Anatole Kuragin is quite attractive. This is a tall, handsome man with a good-natured and "victorious look", "beautiful large" eyes and Brown hair. But such a description already alarms the reader. Having become acquainted with other heroes, we pay attention to the fact that Tolstoy's most beloved heroes are ugly in appearance, but have a rich inner world. Behind external beauty Anatole hides nothing, there is emptiness.

He is dapper, stupid, arrogant, depraved, "but he also had the ability of calmness, precious to the world, and unchanging confidence." His life passes in continuous revelry, he lives only for his own pleasure and amusement. The hero does not care about relationships with other people: "He was not able to think about how his actions might respond to others, nor what might come out of such or such an act of his." Women cause contempt in him, he feels his superiority over them, because he is used to being liked, but at the same time he himself did not feel serious feelings for any of them.

Prince Vasily is trying to marry his son to Princess Marya Bolkonskaya. Anatole made an impression on her at first, but his narrow-mindedness, as well as depravity, save the princess from this marriage. Kuragin sends Anatole from St. Petersburg to Moscow, hoping that there his son will take the post of adjutant to the commander-in-chief, and also try to draw up good game. Only the closest people knew that Kuragin was married two years ago. When his regiment was in Poland, Anatole was forced to marry the daughter of a landowner, but "Anatole very soon left his wife and for the money that he agreed to send to his father-in-law, he reprimanded himself for the right to be reputed to be a single person."

Natasha Rostova also succumbed to the charm of the hero and was already ready to run away with him. Only after learning that Kuragin is married, she abandons her thoughts, but this story caused her a deep emotional trauma. Natasha's romance with Anatole was a blow to Andrei Bolkonsky, who wants to take revenge on the offender by challenging him to a duel. But Prince Andrei meets Kuragin only when he is seriously wounded, seeing Anatole in the same condition, whose leg was amputated. Bolkonsky forgives Kuragin, and on this we also say goodbye to this hero. He fulfilled his role in the novel, he no longer has a place among the heroes.

Anatole - attractive on the outside, completely empty inside, nevertheless plays an important role in the novel. Other heroes of the work pass through his image and receive life lessons that help them find the right path in their spiritual quest.

Updated: 2012-03-16

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The favorite heroes of Leo Tolstoy in the novel "War and Peace" are compared according to the principle of contrast with the heroes-egoists, hypocrites, representing a self-satisfied, depraved world. Among them, the image of Anatole Kuragin stands out.

From the first pages of acquaintance with him, his personal characteristic, which evolves slightly, becomes more complicated throughout the novel. The choice of the name and surname of this hero is not accidental. The author was very responsible in choosing a name for each of his characters. Name Kuragin French descent. Most he spent his life abroad, receiving a typical European home education. Hence his extreme egocentrism, self-confidence, irrepressible thirst for pleasure. The hero devotes his whole life to satisfying his whims, to entertainment.

Anatole used to burn life easily, without hesitation. A lot of trouble deliver his father, a subtle businessman Prince Vasily, the adventures of his son. Every year, Anatole spent considerable financial resources of the family. That is why his father secured a place for him at the headquarters. All Petersburg knew the evenings of the "golden youth" with carousing, wine, bears, in which Anatole could not help but take part. Together with Dolokhov, he was a real celebrity in the world of "the rake and reveler of St. Petersburg."

Only in chapter 3 In 4 hours of volume 1, the author gives a psychological portrait of his hero: a beautiful, self-confident look, a courteous look, a constant expression of “good-natured fun and contentment” on his face, “a beautifully perfumed head”, and a restrained valiant gait. It’s not the souls that come to the fore here, personal qualities, and external brilliance, entourage. It can be seen that Anatole took pleasure in attracting the glances of young ladies, he liked to make an impression. The main defining feature of Anatole's character is his narcissism. It is expressed in everything. The laws of morality, morality do not exist for him. He used to look at people like they were pawns. Psychological picture Kuragin is in contrast to the image of Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov, in whose character the spiritual, moral principle was decisive.

In the stream of life, the fate of Anatole intersected with the life paths of Natasha, Pierre Bezukhov, Princess Marya, Andrei Bolkonsky. He took part in large historical events(Battle of Borodino). At the same time, he brought only suffering and destruction to all the people he met on his way, just like his sister, cold, cruel Helen. The matchmaking episode of Anatole Kuragin is connected with the Bolkonsky family. From Princess Marya, he needed only money, an inheritance, he treated her appearance with irony, spoke with contempt about the old prince.

His matchmaking was more like a farce. Gallant appearance Anatole influenced Princess Mary. It seemed to her that in the face of this stately, strong hero she will gain protection, support, a chosen one. But behind the external brilliance of Anatole, there was emptiness, animal instincts, which I unmistakably guessed in him. old prince. The hero did not stop looking at the legs of Mademoiselle Bourienne, with whom he later cheated on Princess Mary. panache, endless love affairs became familiar to him: “He looked at his whole life as an uninterrupted entertainment that someone like that for some reason undertook to arrange for him.”

What is the secret of his corrupting charm? By nature, Anatole was not a careerist, he did not have resourcefulness or eloquence. But "he had the ability of calmness, precious to the world, and unalterable confidence." On the estate of the old prince, he felt "vain pleasure, seeing his influence on three women." The feeling of sincere love, respect, tenderness for a woman is unfamiliar to Anatole. For him, every girl is an object of pleasure, a toy. At the same time, the hero was absolutely convinced that he had never done anything wrong, that "it was impossible for him to live otherwise than the way he lived." Anatole is the center and logical development vice. His only passion was fun and women.

Under the monstrous influence of Anatole, Natasha Rostova also fell into one of turning points own life. Separation from Prince Andrei became a difficult test for her. Confusion, inexperience of the heroine easily took advantage of Anatole. Their meeting took place in the theater box, during the performance of the opera. Tolstoy in every possible way emphasizes the artificiality, vulgarity of the atmosphere of the performance on the stage and in the life of the characters. The whole world knew the sad past of Anatole. Once, for a careless relationship on the border, a Polish landowner forced him to marry his daughter. However, Anatole soon left his wife and child, returning to his usual way of life again. He did not take his impudent eyes off Natasha for so long that a poor girl no longer felt the border of shame between them.

Anatole stops at nothing for his whim. Not realizing the catastrophic consequences and recklessness of his actions, he tries to secretly take Natasha away from Moscow and marry her. But, fortunately, his selfish plans were not destined to come true. At the same time, seeing the violated reputation of the girl, he does not feel either compassion or regret. This man's heart was so deeply hardened. Even during the decisive conversation with Pierre, the “timid mean smile” that was so characteristic of Pierre’s wife does not leave Anatole’s face. No wonder he says to Anatole: "Where you are - there is debauchery, evil." Anatole - the personification of meanness, lies of everything secular society torn off from national roots, mired in endless pleasures and intrigues. And evil sooner or later destroys itself from within. There is inevitable retribution for what they have done.

The main test in the life of Anatole Kuragin is participation in the Battle of Borodino. This battle is the plot knot of the entire novel. All lines of development of heroes are pulled here. This is a kind of moment of truth, in which the character of a person facing death is tested. But, most likely, the most important thing for Anatole was not the very participation in the historically important battle, but a natural meeting with Andrei Bolkonsky. After the events that happened to Natasha, Prince Andrei hated her offender and vowed to take revenge on him. But when he saw Anatole, whose leg had just been taken away, his heart trembled. Before Bolkonsky lay not a dandy or a dandy from the capital, but an unfortunate, "suffering, exhausted man." Prince Andrei immediately remembered his childhood, the first grievances and failures. He realized that the true meaning of life lies in love and forgiveness.

As you know, ego and love are incompatible. This characteristic contains the humanistic position of the author, for whom there is no division of people according to their level of success, position in society. The main thing is what a person comes to, what spiritual discoveries he makes. Contrasting the selfishness and depravity of Anatole Kuragin moral core Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov, the author highlights the true, enduring values ​​of life. Anatole became a cripple even before participating in the Battle of Borodino. The worst thing is that he was morally crippled from childhood. He is accustomed not to live, but to seem. Constant fears of losing the sphere of influence on others, the lack of sincere affection ruined his soul. life path Anatole once again proves that passion and selfishness destroy their bearer.



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