The main idea of the epic novel "War and Peace"- the affirmation of communication and unity of people and the denial of disunity, separation.
In the novel, two camps of the then Russia turned out to be sharply opposed: popular and anti-people. Tolstoy considered the people the main, decisive force of history. According to the writer, the leading role in the national liberation movement is played not by the nobility, but by the masses. The proximity of this or that hero of the novel "War and Peace" to the people's camp is his moral criterion.
The opposition of Kutuzov and Napoleon plays in the novel essential role. Kutuzov is a true people's leader, nominated by the people. Unlike historical figures such as Alexander I and Napoleon, who think only about glory and power, Kutuzov is not only able to understand common man but he himself is by nature a simple man.
In the guise of Kutuzov, Tolstoy is primarily distinguished by his simplicity. “There is nothing from the ruler in that plump, flabby old man, in his diving gait and stooped figure. But how much kindness, innocence and wisdom are in him!”
Describing Napoleon, the writer emphasizes the coldness, complacency, feigned profundity in Napoleon's facial expression. One of his features stands out most sharply - posturing. Napoleon behaves like an actor on stage, he is convinced that everything he says and does "is a story."
For Tolstoy, Kutuzov is the ideal of a historical figure, the ideal of a person. Tolstoy wrote about the goal to which Kutuzov devoted himself: "It is difficult to imagine a goal more worthy and more in line with the will of the whole people." Contrasting Kutuzov with Napoleon, the writer notices that Kutuzov did not say anything at all about himself, did not play any role, always seemed to be the simplest and most ordinary person and said the most simple and ordinary things. All Kutuzov's activities were not aimed at exalting his person, but at defeating and driving the enemy out of Russia, alleviating, as far as possible, the disasters of the people and troops.
In the opposition between Napoleon and Kutuzov, which is the core of the novel, it is proved that the one who acts in accordance with the course will win. historical events, the one "whose personality most fully shows the general."
Tolstovsky Kutuzov is constantly in the very center of military events. Kutuzov always sees his army, thinks and feels with every soldier and officer, in his soul there is everything that is in the soul of every soldier.
Tolstoy constantly emphasizes in his Kutuzov humanity, which, according to the writer, could justify the power of Kutuzov. Humanity, combined with power, represented "that human height from which he directed all his forces not to kill people, but to save and pity them." For Kutuzov, the life of every soldier is a treasure.
When Napoleon went around the battlefield after the battle, we see on his face "the radiance of complacency and happiness." The ruined lives, the misfortunes of people, the very sight of the dead and wounded are the basis of Napoleon's happiness. Kutuzov's "highest human height" finds expression in his speech to the Preobrazhensky Regiment, in which he says that as long as the French "were strong, we did not feel sorry for them, but now you can feel sorry for them. They are people too."
One cannot speak of Tolstoy's complete denial of the role and significance of the individual in history, in the movement of the masses. Tolstoy persistently emphasized that Kutuzov alone felt the true meaning of events. How could this man guess the meaning so correctly? folk sense events? The source of this extraordinary power of insight lay in the "popular feeling" that Kutuzov carried in himself in all its purity and strength.
Kutuzov for Tolstoy - the true leader of the people chosen by the people. The image of Kutuzov in the novel is the image national unity, the image of the people's war. Napoleon, on the other hand, appears in the novel as the main, "concentrated expression of the very spirit of separation." The strength and greatness of Kutuzov is precisely in unity with the army and the people. characteristic feature Napoleon, as the writer notes, is that the French commander placed himself outside of people and above people and therefore could not understand either goodness, beauty, truth or simplicity.
Tolstoy wrote that where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth, there can be no true greatness. The greatness of Kutuzov is the greatness of kindness, simplicity and truth. Main argument, which the writer puts up against those who considered Napoleon great, is as follows: "There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth." In assessing the deeds of a historical figure, Tolstoy uses moral criterion. Following Pushkin, Tolstoy argues that "genius and villainy are two incompatible things."
Tolstoy not only does not deny, he affirms a great personality, a great man with his whole novel, because he affirms the greatness people. For the first time in world literature, these concepts have merged into a single whole. Tolstoy was the first to state that the more fully a person embodies folk traits, the more and more great it is.
A large place in the epic novel "War and Peace" is occupied by the images of Kutuzov and Napoleon. Being at the head of the armies, Napoleon and Kutuzov not only directed military operations, but also controlled the fate of people subordinate to them. Tolstoy in his novel reflected his view on the war, on the role outstanding personality and people.
The author of the novel speaks openly about his rejection of Napoleon, his aggressive policy, thereby belittling the dignity and merits of this commander. The sympathies of the writer are on the side of Kutuzov, a truly popular commander, whom they did not perceive high society, condemning his tactics of warfare. Simplicity, kindness, modesty, closeness to a simple soldier - these are the feelings that Tolstoy highlights in Kutuzov. That is why the field marshal does not correspond to the ideas of the world about the commander of the Russian army.
Kutuzov and Napoleon are antipodes in the novel. The attitude of the writer towards them is also different.
Napoleon is the idol of his time, they bowed before him, imitated him, saw him as a genius and a great man. His fame spread all over the world. But Tolstoy did not idealize this universal idol; gradually, in the novel, he is debunked as a commander and as a great personality. This is how Tolstoy describes Napoleon's "great army": "It was a crowd of marauders, each of whom was carrying or carrying a bunch of things that seemed valuable and necessary to him." The man who imagined himself the ruler of the world was very far from a simple soldier and his army, thanks to which he reached the heights of greatness. This is an egoist who thinks only about himself and his desires, subordinating everything only to his whims. “Everything that was outside of him did not matter, because everything in the world, as it seemed to him, depended only on his will.” Tolstoy shows that all this is just a whim, self-deception. Along with arrogance, Bonaparte is characterized by hypocrisy, posturing, and falsehood: “With the ability of Italians to change arbitrarily facial expressions, he approached the portrait and pretended to be thoughtful tenderness.” Even in front of the portrait of his son, he plays a role.
Napoleon is cruel and treacherous. He is indifferent to the fate of the army. He indifferently looks at the death of the lancers crossing the river, he is indifferent to the death of ordinary soldiers, since they are only a tool for achieving their goals. He is flattered by the love of the people, but at the same time, Bonaparte does not feel a drop of gratitude, everyone was obliged to unquestioningly obey his will: “Millions of people killed and tortured each other, because Napoleon was power-hungry».
Most striking attitude french emperor to this war, which has as its goal the enslavement of Europe, Russia, the whole world. He treats war as something natural in human history: “War is a game, people are pawns that should be correctly placed and moved”, “Chess is placed; the game will start tomorrow.”
The author expresses his attitude to Napoleon through portrait sketches, which are distinguished by their realism and irony: “ Small man in a gray frock coat ... He was in a blue uniform, open over a white waistcoat, descending on a round stomach, in white leggings, fitting fat thighs of short legs.
A completely different attitude of Tolstoy towards Kutuzov. Here is love, and respect, and understanding, and compassion, and delight, and admiration. With each new meeting the author more and more reveals the image of the people's commander. From the first minutes of our acquaintance, we begin to respect this person, just like the author himself. He is close to the people, he is inherent true patriotism, it is devoid of any drawing. We see his modesty and simplicity, a simple soldier is close and dear to him. We feel how Kutuzov suffers, seeing Russian soldiers fleeing from the battlefield. He is one of the few who understood the absurdity, uselessness and cruelty of this war. Great commander lives one life with simple soldiers, their thoughts. He is modest and simple in everyday life. Kutuzov has military wisdom, he is laconic, does not shout and does not try to prove his case, he always waits. He is loved and honored simple soldiers. The commander and his army are united, this is exactly what the author showed in his work.
Napoleon and Kutuzov appear to us so different in Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace". With the help of these images, the writer wanted to show his attitude to great personalities and their role in history.
2. "To the command of God, O muse, be obedient." The prophetic mission of the poet in the lyrics of A. S. Pushkin (on the example of 2-3 works). Reading by heart one of the poet's poems (at the student's choice).
In the lyrics of A. S. Pushkin, the theme of the poet and poetry occupies a very important place. Pushkin's interest is quite understandable. One of the most brilliant poets of world significance, who is well acquainted with the poetry of all times and peoples, who devoted his whole life to poetic creativity, he wrote more than a dozen poems, revealing with different parties theme of the poet and poetry. “The conversation of a bookseller with a poet”, “Prophet”, “Poet”, “Poet and the crowd”, “To the poet”, “Echo”, “Monument” - these are Pushkin’s most important poems on this topic.
Who is a poet? What is his place in society? What should be his work? How should he relate to the world around him?
First of all, you need to turn to his masterpiece "The Prophet". This poem was written in 1826. It tells the reader about the spiritual qualities and purpose of the poet. The title and content of the work tell us about Pushkin's use of biblical legend about the prophet Isaiah, who is in despair, seeing the depravity of people, and feels defiled. The hero of the poem is in a dejected state, he is tormented by “spiritual thirst”, and then the messenger of God “six-winged seraphim” appears to him. He is endowed with an unusual sharpness of vision for a person:
With fingers as light as a dream,
He touched my eyes.
Prophetic eyes opened,
Like a frightened eagle.
He touched my ears
And they were filled with noise and ringing:
And I heard the shudder of the sky,
And the heavenly angels flight
"There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth". According to JI. N. Tolstoy, the decisive force of history is the people. And the main criterion in assessing the personality, in his opinion, is the attitude towards the people. Tolstoy denied in history the role of the individual who put his own interests above those of the people. In his epic novel "War and Peace", he contrasts Kutuzov, the commander of the people's war, and Napoleon, "the most insignificant instrument of history", "a man with a clouded conscience."
Kutuzov appears before us as a majestic commander, a true leader of the people. He is not interested in either fame or wealth - he, along with Russian soldiers, is fighting for the freedom of his homeland. With simplicity, kindness and sincerity, he managed to achieve unlimited trust and love from his army, they listen to him, believe him and unquestioningly obey: “... by an irresistible mysterious connection that maintains the same mood throughout the army, called the spirit of the army and constituting the main nerve war, the words of Kutuzov, his order for battle for tomorrow, were transmitted simultaneously to all parts of the army. This is an extremely experienced and skillful commander who, with wise orders, helps the soldiers to believe in themselves, in their strength, strengthens the military spirit: he knew that it was not the orders of the commander-in-chief, not the place on which the troops stood, not the number of guns and killed people, but that elusive force called the spirit of the army, that decide the fate of the battle, and he followed this force and led it, as far as it was in his power ".
Kutuzov is the same person as everyone else, and he treats the captured French with sympathy and humanity: “They are worse than the last beggars. While they were strong, we did not feel sorry for ourselves, and now you can feel sorry for them. They are people too." And he read the same sympathy for the prisoners, according to Tolstoy, in all the looks fixed on him. In Kutuzov there is nothing ostentatious, nothing heroic, he is close to the soldiers who feel in him native person. Outwardly, it is ordinary an old man, obese and overweight, but it is in these details that the “simplicity, kindness and truth” of the great commander shines through.
Napoleon is the exact opposite of Kutuzov. This is a man obsessed with megalomania, commanding an army of marauders, robbers and murderers who are seized by a thirst for profit and enrichment. According to the author, “it was a crowd of marauders, each of whom carried and carried with him a bunch of things that seemed valuable and necessary to him. The goal of each of these people when leaving Moscow ... was ... to keep what they had acquired. Napoleon is characterized by hypocrisy, falsehood, posturing, admiring himself, he is indifferent to the fate of people, because he is only interested in fame and money. However, the scene of the shameful flight of the “great emperor from the heroic army” becomes the most disgusting and repulsive scene. "The last degree of meanness" the author calls this betrayal in relation to French army. Napoleon's appearance is also described in satirical colors: "fat shoulders and thighs, a round belly, colorless eyes repel this person from us even more." Denying the greatness of Napoleon, Tolstoy thereby also denies war, showing the inhumanity of conquests for the sake of glory.
One of the brightest works Russian prose is the epic novel War and Peace. Through the dramatic personal stories of the heroes, pictures of battles and landscape sketches the author depicted one of the most significant civil events in history Russian state – Patriotic War 1812, proclaiming the idea that "there is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth."
Historical figures in the system of characters in the novel
To create a work that reflects heroic impulses, the revival of the patriotic spirit and national unity, courage and courage ordinary people, behavior noble society, the author used a complex and branched system of characters. The heroes of the 4-volume epic novel are both real historical personalities and heroes created by the author's fantasy. compositional, character and ideological concept the author is realized thanks to the method of opposition. Through the prism of using the antithesis technique, the author depicts the two main representatives of opposite military camps - Napoleon and Kutuzov.
The ideological content of the images of Napoleon and Kutuzov
When creating these images, the author endows them with features that symbolize certain ideological views. Napoleon, who for a long time was the idol of the highest Russian society and representatives of the national army, L.N. Tolstoy portrays the degradation of the individual through the use of the technique. Bonaparte in the work "War and Peace" symbolizes the anti-people, inhumane, inhuman attitude. In the novel "War and Peace" he is depicted as a selfish military leader, ready to do anything to satisfy his own ambitions.
Opposed to him by the commander Russian army Mikhail Kutuzov, who is the personification of the Russian people, their invincible spirit. The image of Mikhail Kutuzov is a symbol of popular opposition to the conqueror of the Fatherland. In the novel, when it became necessary to defend his native land not for life, but for death, Mikhail Kutuzov showed himself to be the most experienced, far-sighted and true patriot.
Contrasting egoism with the people's spirit
The unwillingness of the tsar to see Kutuzov as the commander of the Russian army, which Tolstoy focused on, in once more emphasizes Kutuzov's closeness to the people. The most striking is the thought of Andrei Bolkonsky, who explained to Pierre Bezukhov why this particular person is leading the Russian army. Prince Andrei believed that when native land it’s bad, only a true native of the people who loves his native land and cheers for everyone who lives on it can protect it. Kutuzov showed great military wisdom when he made the risky decision to retreat and surrender Moscow to the enemy. Only a true patriot and a wise commander, who knows how to think globally in the interests of the whole country, took the risk of giving up one of the main cities in exchange for the freedom of the country and the lives of soldiers.
This decision of Kutuzov and the behavior of the Russian army made Napoleon rejoice, enjoying his greatness and invincibility. His selfish and self-satisfied thoughts about Moscow and Russia are most vividly shown in an episode on Poklonnaya Hill. Admiring the panorama of Moscow, Napoleon was confident in his victory and subjugation of the Russian people, but he did not take into account the high patriotic feelings of the local population, which was ready to burn and destroy their homes and property, but not to surrender to him with a “guilty head”.
Attitude towards soldiers
Such closeness of the commander to his subordinates, the ability to feel each soldier ensured the success of Kutuzov's ideas and actions, which brought victory to Russia. On the scales, he put Moscow and the army, which can defend the rest of Russia, and made a decision in favor of the Russian people. Love for the people and high human humanity is shown by Kutuzov after the end of the war, refusing the post of commander in chief. He believed that it was pointless to shed the blood of soldiers outside the Motherland when the enemy no longer threatened the native land and the Russian people.
Unlike his Russian opponent, Napoleon shows complete coldness and indifference to the soldiers of his own army. For him, lives and personalities are not important. Bonaparte was only interested in what ensured his success. He showed complete indifference to the wounded and dying of his army. This explains his attitude towards people who followed his idea. For Napoleon, soldiers are just one of the military tools to satisfy his ambitions.
findings
In the novel "War and Peace" two commanders are opposed. Napoleon and Kutuzov in the novel are distinguished different essence and purpose of life. Contrasting these characters, Tolstoy reveals one of the main ideas of the work - the connection with the people and the unity of the Russian spirit. That commander, who is guided only by ambition and the desire to rule, will never be able to lead the people and win true victories - such is main idea my essay on the topic: "There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth."
Artwork test
Essays on Literature: There is no greatness where there is no simplicity"War and Peace" is a Russian national epic, in which the character of a great people was reflected at the moment when its historical destinies were being decided. Tolstoy, trying to cover everything that he knew and felt at that time, gave in the novel a code of life, customs, spiritual culture, beliefs and ideals of the people. That is main task Tolstoy was to reveal the "character of the Russian people and troops", for which he used the images of Kutuzov (the spokesman for the ideas of the masses) and Napoleon (the person who personifies anti-people interests). L. N. Tolstoy in the novel portrays really great people, whose names are remembered now and will be remembered in the future. Tolstoy had his own view of the role of the individual in history. Every person has two lives: personal and spontaneous. Tolstoy said that a person consciously lives for himself, but serves as an unconscious tool for achieving universal goals. The role of the individual in history is negligible.
Even the most man of genius cannot direct the movement of history at will. It is created by the masses, the people, and not separate person towering over the people. But Lev Nikolayevich does not deny the role of man in history, he recognizes the obligation to act within the limits of the possible for everyone. In his opinion, the name of a genius deserves one of the people who is gifted with the ability to penetrate the course of historical events, to comprehend them. common sense. Such units. Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov belongs to them.
He is the spokesman for the patriotic spirit and moral strength of the Russian army. This is a talented and, when necessary, an energetic commander. Tolstoy emphasizes that Kutuzov - folk hero. In the novel, he appears as a truly Russian person, alien to pretense, a wise historical figure. The main thing for Leo Tolstoy in goodies- communication with the people. Napoleon, who is opposed to Kutuzov, is subjected to devastating exposure, because he has chosen for himself the role of the "executioner of the peoples"; Kutuzov, on the other hand, is exalted as a commander who knows how to subordinate all his thoughts and actions to the people's feelings. People's Thought opposes Napoleon's aggressive wars and blesses the liberation struggle. In 1812, the people and the army gave Kutuzov confidence, which he justified. The Russian commander stands clearly above Napoleon.
He did not leave his army, appeared in the troops at all times. highlights war. And here we can talk about the unity of the spirit of Kutuzov and the army, about their deep connection. The patriotism of the commander, his confidence in the strength and courage of the Russian soldier, was transferred to the army, which, in turn, felt a close connection with Kutuzov. He speaks to the soldiers in plain Russian. Even lofty words in his mouth sound casual and oppose the false tinsel of Napoleon's phrases.
So, for example, Kutuzov says to Bagration: "I bless you for a great feat." And Napoleon, before the battle of Shengraben, addresses his troops with a long warlike speech, promising them inexhaustible glory. Kutuzov is the same as the soldiers. You can compare him when, in a field situation, he calls an ordinary soldier a darling, addresses the army with in simple words gratitude, and his own, extinct and indifferent, at a ceremonial meeting with the king. He believed in victory over the enemy, and this belief was transferred to the army, which contributed to the rise in the mood of soldiers and officers. Drawing the unity of Kutuzov and the army, Tolstoy leads the reader to the idea that the victorious outcome of the war was determined primarily by the high morale of the troops and people, which the French army did not have.
Napoleon did not support his troops in Hard time. During the battle of Borodino, he was so far away that (as it turned out later) not a single order of his during the battle could be executed. Napoleon is a brazen and cruel conqueror whose actions cannot be justified either by the logic of history or by the needs of the French people. If Kutuzov embodies folk wisdom, then Napoleon is an exponent of false wisdom. According to Tolstoy, he believed in himself, and the whole world believed in him. This is a person for whom only what was happening in his soul is interesting, and the rest did not matter. As much as Kutuzov expresses the interests of the people, so Napoleon is pathetic in his egoism.
He opposes his "I" to history and thereby dooms himself to inevitable collapse. hallmark Napoleon's character was also posturing. He is narcissistic, arrogant, intoxicated with success. Kutuzov, on the contrary, is very modest: he never boasted of his exploits.
The Russian commander is deprived of any kind of panache, boasting, which is one of the features of the Russian national character. Napoleon started a war, cruel and bloody, without caring about the people who die as a result of this struggle. His army is an army of robbers and marauders. She captures Moscow, where she destroys food supplies for several months, cultural values... But still, the Russian people are winning.
In a collision with this mass, which rose to defend the Motherland, Napoleon turns from an arrogant conqueror into a cowardly fugitive. War is replaced by peace, and "a sense of insult and revenge" is replaced by "contempt and pity" among Russian soldiers. The appearance of our heroes is also opposed. In the image of Tolstoy at Kutuzov expressive figure, gait, gestures, facial expressions, sometimes affectionate, sometimes mocking look. He writes: "... a simple, modest, and therefore a truly majestic figure could not lie down in that deceitful form of a European hero, allegedly controlling people, which they invented."
Napoleon is depicted downright satirical. Tolstoy depicts him as a little man with an unpleasantly feigned smile (whereas he writes about Kutuzov: "His face became brighter and brighter from an senile meek smile, wrinkling stars in the corners of his lips and eyes"), with a fat chest, a round belly, fat thighs of short legs. Kutuzov and Napoleon are antipodes, but at the same time both are great people. However, if we follow Tolstoy's theory, the true genius of these two famous historical figures can only be called Kutuzov. This is confirmed by the words of the writer: "There is no greatness where there is no simplicity." Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy truthfully portrayed the Russian and French commanders, and also created living picture Russian reality first half of XIX century. Tolstoy himself highly appreciated his work, comparing it with the Iliad.
Indeed, "War and Peace" is one of the most significant works of not only Russian but also world literature. One Dutch writer said: “If the Lord wanted to write a novel, he could not do it without taking War and Peace as a model.” I think one cannot but agree with this thought.
