The epic novel "War and Peace" is replete with characters - both fictional and real historical figures. An important place among them is occupied by the figure of Napoleon - it is no coincidence that his image is present from the first pages of the work to the epilogue.
Why did Tolstoy pay so much attention to Bonaparte? With this figure, he connects the most important philosophical and moral issues, first of all, understanding the role of prominent personalities in history.
The writer builds the image of the French emperor in two projections: Napoleon as a commander and Napoleon as a man.
Describing the Battle of Austerlitz and the Battle of Borodino, Tolstoy notes the absolute experience, talent and military erudition of Napoleon the commander. But at the same time, he focuses much more attention on the socio-psychological portrait of the emperor.
In the first two volumes, Napoleon is shown through the eyes of heroes - Pierre Bezukhov, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. The romantic aura of the hero excited the minds of his contemporaries. This is evidenced by the delight of the French troops, who saw their idol, and Pierre's passionate speech in the salon of Anna Scherer in defense of Napoleon, "a great man who managed to rise above the revolution".
Even when describing the appearance of a “great man”, the writer repeats definitions many times "small", "fat thighs", landing the image of the emperor and emphasizing its commonness.
Tolstoy specifically shows the cynicism of the image of Napoleon and negative features. Moreover, this is not so much the personal qualities of this person as the manner of behavior - "position obliges".
Bonaparte himself practically believed that he was a "superman" who decided the fate of other people. Everything he does "there is a story", even the trembling of the left calf. Hence the pomposity of manners and speech, self-confident cold expression, constant posturing. Napoleon is always preoccupied with how he looks in the eyes of others, whether he corresponds to the image of a hero. Even his gestures are designed to attract attention - he signals the start of the Battle of Austerlitz with a wave of his removed glove. All these character traits of an egocentric personality - vanity, narcissism, arrogance, acting - are in no way combined with greatness.
In fact, Tolstoy shows Napoleon as a deeply flawed person, because he is morally poor, he does not know the joys of life, he does not have "love, poetry, tenderness." Even the French emperor imitates human feelings. Having received a portrait of his son from his wife, he "made an appearance of thoughtful tenderness." Tolstoy gives a derogatory characterization of Bonaparte, writing: “... never, until the end of his life, he could understand neither goodness, nor beauty, nor truth, nor the meaning of his actions, which were too opposite to goodness and truth ...”.
Napoleon is deeply indifferent to the fate of other people: they are just pawns in a big game called "power and might", and war is like the movement of chess pieces on the board. In life he "looks past people"- and bypassing after the battle the Austerlitz field strewn with corpses, and indifferently turning away from the Polish uhlans when crossing the river Viliya. Bolkonsky says about Napoleon that he was "happy from the misfortune of others". Even seeing the terrible picture of the Borodino field after the battle, the Emperor of France "find reasons to rejoice". Lost lives are the basis of Napoleon's happiness.
Trampling all moral laws, professing the principle "Winners are not judged", Napoleon literally goes over the corpses to power, glory and power.
By the will of Napoleon "terrible thing"- war. That is why Tolstoy denies greatness to Napoleon, following Pushkin, believing that "genius and villainy are incompatible."
- The image of Marya Bolkonskaya in the novel "War and Peace", composition
- The image of Kutuzov in the novel "War and Peace"
- Comparative characteristics of the Rostovs and Bolkonskys - composition
Article menu:
Often, readers of Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" perceive the historical figures depicted in the novel as a documentary image, while forgetting that Tolstoy's work is primarily a literary hoax, which means that the image of any characters, including historical ones, is not without author's, artistic fiction or subjective opinion.
Sometimes the authors deliberately idealize or depict a character from the negative side in order to recreate a certain mood of a fragment of a text or a whole work. The image of Napoleon in Tolstoy's novel also has its own characteristics.
Appearance
Napoleon has an unattractive appearance - his body looks too fat and ugly. In the novel, Tolstoy emphasizes that in 1805 the emperor of France did not look so disgusting - he was quite slender, and his face was completely thin, but in 1812 Napoleon's physique did not look the best - he had a stomach that bulged strongly forward, the author in In the novel, he sarcastically calls him a "forty-year-old belly."
His hands were small, white and plump. His face was also plump, although it still looked youthful. His face was marked by large expressive eyes and a broad forehead. His shoulders became too full, as were his legs - with his short stature, such changes seemed terrifying. Without hiding his disgust at the appearance of the emperor, Tolstoy calls him "fat".
We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the novel by Leo Tolstoy "War and Peace".
Napoleon's clothes always differ in appearance - on the one hand, it is quite typical for people of that time, but not without chic: Napoleon is usually dressed in a blue overcoat, white camisole or blue uniform, white vest, white leggings, over the knee boots.
Another attribute of luxury is a horse - a thoroughbred Arabian horse.
Russian attitude towards Napoleon
In Tolstoy's novel, one can trace the impression Napoleon made on the Russian aristocracy before and after the outbreak of hostilities. In the beginning, most members of high society treat Napoleon with obvious reverence and admiration - they are flattered by his assertive character and talent in the military sphere. Another factor that makes many respect the emperor is his desire for intellectual development - Napoleon does not look like an outright martinet who sees nothing beyond his uniform, he is a comprehensively developed personality.
After the intensification of hostilities by Napoleon in relation to the Russian Empire, the enthusiasm of the Russian aristocracy in relation to the Emperor of France is replaced by irritation and hatred. Such a transition from admiration to hatred is shown especially clearly by the example of the image of Pierre Bezukhov - when Pierre just returned from abroad, he was simply overwhelmed with admiration for Napoleon, but later the name of the Emperor of France only causes bitterness and anger in Bezukhov. Pierre even decides to kill his "former idol", whom by that time he already considers an outright murderer and almost a cannibal. Many aristocrats went through a similar path of development - they once admired Napoleon as a strong personality, they experienced the destructive effect of his destructive power, and came to the conclusion that a person who bears so much suffering and death cannot a priori be an example to follow.
Personality characteristic
The main feature of Napoleon is narcissism. He considers himself an order of magnitude higher than other people. Tolstoy does not deny that Napoleon is a talented commander, but at the same time his path to the emperorship looks like a pure accident.
Dear readers! We offer you to get acquainted with which came out from the pen of the legendary classic author Leo Tolstoy.
Based on the fact that Napoleon considers himself better than other people, his attitude towards other people follows. In the bulk, it is dismissive - as a person who has made his way from the masses to the top of the aristocracy, in particular the state apparatus, he considers people who have not committed such a thing not worthy of his attention. Accompanying qualities to this set are selfishness and egocentrism.
Tolstoy portrays Napoleon as a spoiled man who loves comfort and pampered by comfort, but at the same time draws the attention of readers to the fact that Napoleon was on the battlefield more than once, and not always in the role of a revered commander.
At the beginning of his political and military career, Napoleon often had to be content with little, so the troubles of soldiers are familiar to him. However, over time, Napoleon moved away from his soldiers and wallowed in luxury and comfort.
The key to the concept of Napoleon's personality, according to Tolstoy, is also the desire of the emperor to be more significant than everyone else - Napoleon does not accept any other opinion than his own. The Emperor of France thinks that he has reached considerable heights in the military field, and he has no equal here. In the concept of Napoleon, war is his native element, but at the same time, the emperor does not consider himself guilty for the destruction caused by his war. According to Napoleon, the heads of other states themselves are to blame for the outbreak of hostilities - they provoked the emperor of France to start a war.
Attitude towards soldiers
In Tolstoy's novel, Napoleon is shown as a person devoid of emotionality and empathy. First of all, this concerns the attitude towards the soldiers of his army. The Emperor of France takes an active part in the life of the army outside of hostilities, he is interested in the affairs of the soldiers and their problems, but he does this out of boredom, and not because he really worries about his soldiers.
In a conversation with them, Napoleon always behaves a little arrogantly, according to Tolstoy, Napoleon's insincerity and his ostentatious care lie on the surface, and therefore are easily read by soldiers.
Author's position
In Tolstoy's novel, one can trace not only the attitude of other characters to Napoleon, but also the attitude of the author himself to the personality of Napoleon. In general, the author's attitude to the personality of the Emperor of France is negative. Tolstoy is of the opinion that the high rank of Napoleon is an accident. The peculiarities of Napoleon's character and intellect did not contribute to his becoming the face of the nation with the help of painstaking work. In the concept of Tolstoy, Napoleon is an upstart, a big deceiver who, for some unknown reason, ended up at the head of the French army and state.
Napoleon is driven by the desire to assert himself. He is ready to act in the most dishonest ways, just to achieve his goal. And the very genius of the great political and military leader is a lie and fiction.
In the activities of Napoleon, one can easily find many illogical acts, and some of his victories look like a frank coincidence.
Comparison with a historical figure
The image in the novel by Tolstoy of Napoleon is built in such a way that it is opposed to Kutuzov, and therefore in most cases Napoleon is presented as an absolutely negative character: he is a person who does not have good character qualities, treats his soldiers badly, does not keep himself in shape. Its only indisputable advantage is military experience and knowledge of military affairs, and even then it does not always help to win the war.
The historical Napoleon is in many ways similar to the image that Tolstoy described - by 1812, the French army had been at war for more than one year and was exhausted by such a long military way of life. More and more, they begin to perceive the war as a formality - apathy and a sense of the senselessness of the war are spreading among the French army, which could not but affect either the attitude of the emperor to the soldiers, or the attitude of the soldiers to their idol.
The real Napoleon was a very educated person, he is even credited with the creation of a mathematical theorem. In the novel, Napoleon is shown as an upstart, because he happened to be in the place of a significant person, the face of the whole nation.
In most cases, Napoleon is spoken of as a talented political and military figure, his physical and mental abilities are often cited as an example. However, when analyzing the image of Napoleon in the novel, a clear parallel should be drawn between the historical figure and the literary character.
Assessing a person in real life, we realize that it is impossible to have exclusively positive or exclusively negative qualities of character.
The literary world allows you to create a character who would not adhere to such a criterion. Naturally, as a historical figure, Napoleon was able to achieve significant success for his country in the political and military field, even despite his inability to stop in time, but it is impossible to designate his activities with a connotation in one pole (“good” or “bad”). The same thing happens with his character traits and actions in the field of "Napoleon as a man" - his actions and deeds were not always ideal, but they do not go beyond the universal. In other words, his actions are quite typical for a person in certain situations, however, when it comes to "great people" who are the hero of a certain nation, whose personality has become overgrown with legends and deliberate idealization, such manifestations of typicality are disappointing.
In the novel, Tolstoy depicts Napoleon as a sharply negative character - this corresponds to his intention in the novel - according to the author's idea, the image of Napoleon should be opposed to the image of Kutuzov and partially the image of Alexander I.
Why Napoleon lost the war
In War and Peace, one way or another, you can find the answer to the question “why Napoleon, having won most of the battles, lost the war. Of course, in the case of Tolstoy, this is a very subjective opinion, but it also has the right to exist, as it is based on philosophical concepts, in particular, such an element as the “Russian soul”. According to Tolstoy, Kutuzov won the war because more sincerity can be traced in his actions, while Napoleon is guided exclusively by the charter.
At the same time, Tolstoy does not consider knowledge of tactics and battle strategy important - without knowing anything about this, one can be a successful commander.
Thus, Napoleon from Tolstoy's novel is not a documentary description of the historical personality of the French commander. The artistic version is full of author's inclusions and grotesque. This state of affairs is not a defect of Tolstoy; the special negative image of Napoleon is due to the specifics of the work.
In the literary portrait created by Tolstoy, Napoleon looks like an unbalanced person, a military leader who is indifferent to his soldiers - the victories of his troops are just a way to amuse his pride.
- Introduction
- Heroes of the novel about Napoleon
- Andrey Bolkonsky
- Pierre Bezukhov
- Nikolay Rostov
- Boris Drubetskoy
- Count Rostopchin
- Characteristics of Napoleon
- Portrait of Napoleon
Introduction
Historical figures have always been of particular interest in Russian literature. Some are dedicated to separate works, others are key images in the plots of novels. This can be considered the image of Napoleon in the novel War and Peace by Tolstoy. With the name of the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (Tolstoy wrote precisely to Bonaparte, and many heroes called him only Buonoparte) we meet already on the first pages of the novel, and part only in the epilogue.
Heroes of the novel about Napoleon
In the living room of Anna Scherer (the ladies-in-waiting and close empress) the political actions of Europe towards Russia are discussed with great interest. The mistress of the salon herself says: “Prussia has already announced that Bonaparte is invincible and that all of Europe can do nothing against him ...”. Representatives of secular society - Prince Vasily Kuragin, the emigrant Viscount Mortemar invited by Anna Scherer, Abbot Maurio, Pierre Bezukhov, Andrei Bolkonsky, Prince Ippolit Kuragin and other members of the evening were not united in their attitude towards Napoleon.
Someone did not understand him, someone admired him. In War and Peace, Tolstoy showed Napoleon from different angles. We see him as a commander-strategist, as an emperor, as a person.
Andrey Bolkonsky
In a conversation with his father, the old prince Bolkonsky, Andrei says: “... but Bonaparte is still a great commander!” He considered him a "genius" and "could not allow disgrace for his hero." At the evening at Anna Pavlovna’s, Scherer supported Pierre Bezukhov in his judgments about Napoleon, but still retained his own opinion about him: “Napoleon as a man is great on the Arcole bridge, in the hospital in Jaffa, where he gives a hand to the plague, but ... there are other actions that are hard to justify." But after a while, lying on the field of Austerlitz and looking into the blue sky, Andrei heard Napoleon's words about him: "Here is a beautiful death." Bolkonsky understood: “... it was Napoleon - his hero, but at that moment Napoleon seemed to him such a small, insignificant person ...” During the inspection of the prisoners, Andrei thought “about the insignificance of greatness.” Disappointment in his hero came not only to Bolkonsky, but also to Pierre Bezukhov.
Pierre Bezukhov
The young and naive Pierre, who had just appeared in the world, zealously defended Napoleon from the attacks of the viscount: “Napoleon is great because he rose above the revolution, suppressed its abuses, retaining all that was good, both the equality of citizens, and freedom of speech and the press, and only therefore acquired power. Pierre recognized the "greatness of the soul" for the French emperor. He did not defend the murders of the French emperor, but the calculation of his actions for the good of the empire, his willingness to take on such a responsible task - to raise a revolution - it seemed to Bezukhov a real feat, the strength of a great man. But confronted face to face with his "idol", Pierre saw all the insignificance of the emperor, cruelty and lack of rights. He cherished the idea - to kill Napoleon, but realized that he was not worth it, because he did not even deserve a heroic death.
Nikolay Rostov
This young man called Napoleon a criminal. He believed that all his actions were illegal and, out of the naivety of his soul, hated Bonaparte "as best he could."
Boris Drubetskoy
A promising young officer, a protege of Vasily Kuragin, spoke about Napoleon with respect: “I would like to see a great man!”
Count Rostopchin
The representative of secular society, the protector of the Russian army, said about Bonaparte: "Napoleon treats Europe like a pirate on a conquered ship."
Characteristics of Napoleon
The ambiguous characterization of Napoleon in Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" is presented to the reader. On the one hand, he is a great commander, ruler, on the other hand, he is an “insignificant Frenchman”, a “servile emperor”. External features lower Napoleon to the ground, he is not so tall, not so handsome, he is fat and unpleasant, as we would like to see him. It was "a stout, short figure with broad, thick shoulders and an involuntarily protruding belly and chest." The description of Napoleon is present in different parts of the novel. Here he is before the battle of Austerlitz: “... his thin face did not move a single muscle; his shining eyes were motionlessly fixed on one place... He stood motionless... and on his cold face there was that special shade of self-confident, well-deserved happiness that happens on the face of a boy in love and happy. By the way, this day was especially solemn for him, as it was the day of the anniversary of his coronation. But we see him at a meeting with General Balashev, who arrived with a letter from Tsar Alexander: “... firm, decisive steps”, “round belly ... fat thighs of short legs ... White puffy neck ... On a youthful full face ... an expression of gracious and majestic imperial greeting ". The scene of Napoleon awarding the bravest Russian soldier with an order is also interesting. What did Napoleon want to show? His greatness, the humiliation of the Russian army and the emperor himself, or admiration for the courage and stamina of the soldiers?
Portrait of Napoleon
Bonaparte appreciated himself very much: “God gave me a crown. Woe to whoever touches her." These words were spoken by him during his coronation in Milan. Napoleon in "War and Peace" is an idol for some, an enemy for some. “The trembling of my left calf is a great sign,” Napoleon said of himself. He was proud of himself, he loved himself, he glorified his greatness over the whole world. Russia stood in his way. Having defeated Russia, it was not worth the trouble for him to crush the whole of Europe under him. Napoleon behaved arrogantly. In the scene of a conversation with the Russian General Balashev, Bonaparte allowed himself to pull his ear, saying that it was a great honor to be pulled up by the ear by the emperor. The description of Napoleon contains many words containing a negative connotation, Tolstoy especially vividly characterizes the emperor’s speech: “condescendingly”, “mockingly”, “wickedly”, “angrily”, “dryly”, etc. Bonaparte also boldly speaks about the Russian Emperor Alexander: “War is my trade, and his business is to reign, and not to command troops. Why did he take on such responsibility?
Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy completed work on his novel War and Peace in 1867. The events of 1805 and 1812, as well as military figures who took part in the confrontation between France and Russia, are the main theme of the work.
Like any peace-loving person, Lev Nikolaevich condemned armed conflicts. He argued with those who found the "beauty of horror" in military operations. The author speaks in describing the events of 1805 as a pacifist writer. However, talking about the war of 1812, Lev Nikolaevich is already moving to the position of patriotism.
Image of Napoleon and Kutuzov
The images of Napoleon and Kutuzov created in the novel are a vivid embodiment of the principles used by Tolstoy in depicting historical figures. Far from everything the heroes coincide with real prototypes. Lev Nikolaevich did not strive to draw reliable documentary portraits of these figures when creating the novel "War and Peace". Napoleon, Kutuzov and other heroes act primarily as carriers of ideas. Many well-known facts are omitted in the work. Some qualities of both commanders are exaggerated (for example, the passivity and decrepitude of Kutuzov, the posturing and narcissism of Napoleon). Assessing the French and Russian commanders-in-chief, as well as other historical figures, Lev Nikolayevich applies strict moral criteria to them. The image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" is the topic of this article.
The French emperor is the antithesis of Kutuzov. If Mikhail Illarionovich can be considered a positive hero of that time, then in the image of Tolstoy, Napoleon is the main anti-hero in the work "War and Peace".
Portrait of Napoleon
Lev Nikolaevich emphasizes the limitedness and self-confidence of this commander, which is manifested in all his words, gestures and deeds. The portrait of Napoleon is ironic. He has a "short", "fat" figure, "fat thighs", a fussy, impetuous gait, "a plump white neck", a "round belly", "thick shoulders". This is the image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace". Describing the morning toilet of the French emperor before the Battle of Borodino, Lev Nikolaevich enhances the revealing nature of the portrait characterization given originally in the work. The emperor has a “groomed body”, “overgrown fat chest”, “yellow” and These details show that Napoleon Bonaparte (“War and Peace”) was a man far from working life and alien to folk roots. The leader of the French is shown as a narcissistic egoist who thinks that the whole universe obeys his will. For him, people are of no interest.
Napoleon's behavior, his manner of speaking
The image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" is revealed not only through the description of his appearance. In his manner of speaking and behavior, narcissism and narrow-mindedness also show through. He is convinced of his own genius and greatness. Good is what came to his mind, not what is actually good, as Tolstoy notes. In the novel, each appearance of this character is accompanied by the author's merciless commentary. So, for example, in the third volume (first part, sixth chapter), Lev Nikolaevich writes that it was clear from this person that only what was happening in his soul was of interest to him.
In the work "War and Peace" Napoleon's characterization is also marked by the following details. With subtle irony, which sometimes turns into sarcasm, the writer exposes Bonaparte's claims to world domination, as well as his acting, incessant posing for history. All the time the French emperor was playing, there was nothing natural and simple in his words and behavior. This is shown very expressively by Lev Nikolaevich in the scene when he was admiring the portrait of his son. In it, the image of Napoleon in the novel "War and Peace" acquires some very important details. Let's describe this scene briefly.
Episode with a portrait of Napoleon's son
Napoleon approached the painting, feeling that what he would do and say now "is history." The portrait depicted the son of the emperor, who played the globe in a bilbock. This expressed the greatness of the leader of the French, but Napoleon wanted to show "fatherly tenderness." Of course, it was pure acting. Napoleon did not express any sincere feelings here, he only acted, posed for history. This scene shows a man who believed that all of Russia would be subdued with the conquest of Moscow and thus his plans for dominating the whole world would be realized.
Napoleon - actor and player
And in a number of further episodes, the description of Napoleon ("War and Peace") indicates that he is an actor and a player. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, he says that the chess has already been set, tomorrow the game will begin. On the day of the battle, Lev Nikolaevich remarks after cannon shots: "The game has begun." Further, the writer shows that it cost tens of thousands of people their lives. Prince Andrei thinks that war is not a game, but only a cruel necessity. A fundamentally different approach to it was in this thought of one of the main characters of the work "War and Peace". The image of Napoleon is set off by this remark. Prince Andrei expressed the opinion of the peaceful people, who were forced under exceptional circumstances to take up arms, since the threat of enslavement hung over their homeland.
Comic effect produced by the French emperor
It did not matter to Napoleon what was outside of himself, since it seemed to him that everything in the world depended only on his will. Tolstoy gives such a remark in the episode of his meeting with Balashev ("War and Peace"). The image of Napoleon in it is complemented by new details. Lev Nikolayevich emphasizes the contrast between the insignificance of the emperor and his comic conflict that arises at the same time - the best proof of the emptiness and impotence of this one who pretends to be majestic and strong.
Spiritual world of Napoleon
In Tolstoy's understanding, the spiritual world of the leader of the French is an "artificial world" inhabited by "ghosts of some greatness" (volume three, part two, chapter 38). In fact, Napoleon is a living proof of one old truth that "the king is a slave of history" (volume three, part one, chapter 1). Considering that he is fulfilling his own will, this historical figure was only playing the "heavy", "sad" and "cruel" "inhuman role" that was intended for him. He would hardly have been able to endure it if this person had not had a darkened conscience and mind (volume three, part two, chapter 38). The writer sees the obscuration of the mind of this commander-in-chief in the fact that he consciously cultivated in himself spiritual callousness, which he took for true greatness and courage.
So, for example, in the third volume (part two, chapter 38) it is said that he liked to examine the wounded and killed, thereby testing his spiritual strength (as Napoleon himself believed). In the episode when a squadron of Polish lancers swam across and the adjutant allowed himself to draw the attention of the emperor to the devotion of the Poles before his eyes, Napoleon called Bertier to him and began to walk along the shore with him, giving him orders and occasionally looking with displeasure at the drowned lancers who entertained his attention . For him, death is a boring and familiar sight. Napoleon takes for granted the selfless devotion of his own soldiers.
Napoleon is a deeply unhappy person
Tolstoy emphasizes that this man was deeply unhappy, but did not notice this only due to the absence of at least some moral feeling. The "great" Napoleon, the "European hero" is morally blind. He cannot understand either beauty, or goodness, or truth, or the meaning of his own actions, which, as Leo Tolstoy notes, were "opposite to goodness and truth," "far from everything human." Napoleon simply could not understand the meaning of his deeds (volume three, part two, chapter 38). To come to truth and goodness, according to the writer, is possible only by abandoning the imaginary greatness of one's personality. However, Napoleon is not at all capable of such a "heroic" act.
Napoleon's responsibility for what he did
Despite the fact that he is doomed to play a negative role in history, Tolstoy by no means diminishes the moral responsibility of this man for everything he has done. He writes that Napoleon, destined for the "not free", "sad" role of the executioner of many peoples, nevertheless assured himself that their good was the goal of his actions and that he could control and direct the destinies of many people, to do by his power of beneficence. Napoleon imagined that the war with Russia took place at his will, his soul was not struck by the horror of what had happened (volume three, part two, chapter 38).
Napoleonic qualities of the heroes of the work
In other heroes of the work, Lev Nikolaevich connects the Napoleonic qualities with the lack of a moral feeling in the characters (for example, Helen) or with their tragic delusions. So, in his youth, Pierre Bezukhov, who was fond of the ideas of the French emperor, remained in Moscow in order to kill him and thereby become the "deliverer of mankind." In the early stages of his spiritual life, Andrei Bolkonsky dreamed of rising above other people, even if this required sacrificing loved ones and family. In the image of Lev Nikolaevich, Napoleonism is a dangerous disease that divides people. She makes them wander blindly on the spiritual "off-road".
Image of Napoleon and Kutuzov by historians
Tolstoy notes that historians praise Napoleon, thinking that he was a great commander, and Kutuzov is accused of excessive passivity and military failures. In fact, the French emperor developed a stormy activity in 1812. He fussed, gave orders that seemed brilliant to him and those around him. In a word, this man behaved as a "great commander" should. The image of Kutuzov by Lev Nikolayevich does not correspond to the ideas of a genius accepted at that time. Consciously the writer exaggerates his decrepitude. So, during the military council, Kutuzov falls asleep not in order to show "contempt for the disposition", but simply because he wanted to sleep (volume one, part three, chapter 12). This commander-in-chief does not give orders. He only approves what he considers reasonable, and rejects everything unreasonable. Mikhail Illarionovich does not seek battles, does not undertake anything. It was Kutuzov who, while maintaining outward calm, made the decision to leave Moscow, which cost him great mental anguish.
What determines the true scale of personality, according to Tolstoy?
Napoleon won almost all the battles, while Kutuzov lost almost everything. The Russian army suffered setbacks near the Berezina and Krasnoe. However, it was she who eventually defeated the army under the command of the "brilliant commander" in the war. Tolstoy emphasizes that historians devoted to Napoleon believe that he was precisely a great man, a hero. In their opinion, for a person of this magnitude there can be no bad and good. The image of Napoleon in literature is often presented from this angle. Outside of moral criteria, according to various authors, are the actions of a great man. These historians and writers even evaluate the shameful flight of the French emperor from the army as a majestic act. According to Lev Nikolaevich, the true scale of a person is not measured by the "false formulas" of various historians. The great historical lie turns out to be the greatness of such a person as Napoleon ("War and Peace"). The quotes from the work that we have cited prove this. Tolstoy found true greatness in Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich, a modest worker of history.
Russian literature of the second half of the 19th century actively mastered the plots and images of European literature. The beginning of the century in Europe was the era of Napoleon, so the theme of Napoleon and Napoleonism became one of the leading ones. In Russian literature, there are several directions in the coverage of this topic. The first is connected with the patriotic coverage of the events of the war of 1812, the theme of the glory of Russian weapons. Here this theme is solved in the aspect of denunciation of Napoleon. The second is romantic (A.S. Pushkin "Napoleon on the Elbe"; "Napoleon"; M.Yu. Lermontov "Airship", "Napoleon"). In romantic lyrics, this image becomes a symbol of freedom, greatness, power. Pushkin writes that after the departure of this "ruler of thoughts, the world was empty."
However, the idea of egoism, individualism is gradually associated with the name of Napoleon, and the theme is comprehended in the aspect of power, domination over people.
L.N. Tolstoy in the epic novel "War and Peace" demythologized this image. That Napoleon, about whom historians write, according to the writer, is a mythical figure, created by the inertia of human consciousness. The concept of a "great man" ultimately leads to the justification of evil and violence, cowardice and meanness, lies and betrayal. And only by finding peace in your soul and finding the path to peace, you can be reborn to true life.
The author of "War and Peace" was reproached for the caricature of the image of Napoleon. But for Tolstoy "there is no greatness where there is no beauty and truth." Tolstoy deprives Napoleon of naturalness and plasticity. The appearance of this "great man" is insignificant and ridiculous. The writer repeatedly repeats the definitions of “small”, “small in stature”, again and again draws the emperor’s “round belly”, “fat thighs of short legs”. Here Tolstoy uses his favorite technique: the repetition of a single expressive detail.
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 a bad actor on stage.
In front of the portrait of his son, he "made an appearance of thoughtful tenderness", "his gesture is gracefully majestic." The emperor is sure that everything he does and says "is history." And even such an insignificant phenomenon as the trembling of the calf of the left leg, expressing his anger or anxiety, seems to him significant, historical.
During the Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon still retains human features: “There was a special shade of self-confidence on his cold face. Deserved happiness that happens on the face of a loving and happy boy. As the years go by, his face gets colder and colder. And on the day of the Battle of Borodino, we see a terribly changed, repulsive appearance of the emperor: “yellow, swollen, heavy, with cloudy eyes, a red nose.”
The true appearance of Napoleon is even more clearly clarified when compared with Kutuzov. According to Tolstoy, Napoleon and Kutuzov are the spokesmen for the historical trends of the time. The wise Kutuzov, free from the passions of vanity and ambition, easily subordinated his will to the will of "providence", that is, he saw the higher laws governing the movement of mankind, therefore he became the leader of the people's liberation war. Napoleon, due to complete indifference to man and lack of moral sense, was placed at the head of the war of conquest. Thanks to subjective qualities, Napoleon is chosen as the spokesman for the sad historical necessity - "the movement of peoples from west to east", which resulted in the death of the Napoleonic army. Napoleon, according to Tolstoy, was intended "by providence for the sad, unfree role of the executioner of peoples, he played that cruel, inhuman role that was intended for him ..."
The description of the image of Napoleon occurs throughout all the pages of the novel. At the very beginning of the story, the guests of Anna Pavlovna Scherer's salon begin a dispute about the French emperor. This dispute ends only in the epilogue of the novel.
For the author of the novel, not only was there nothing attractive in Napoleon, but, on the contrary, Tolstoy always considered him a man whose "mind and conscience were darkened." Therefore, all his actions "were too contrary to truth and goodness." Not a statesman who can read in the minds and souls of people, but a spoiled, capricious, narcissistic poseur - this is how the Emperor of France appears in many scenes of the novel.
The imaginary greatness of Napoleon is denounced with particular force in the scene depicting him on the Poklonnaya Hill, from where he admired the daytime panorama of Moscow: “Here it is, this capital: it lies at my feet, waiting for its fate ... One word of mine, one movement of my hand, and this ancient capital perished ... "
So Napoleon thought, waiting in vain for "the boyars with the keys to the majestic city." But he found himself in a pitiful and ridiculous position: "And soon the extraordinary career of this cruel, treacherous conqueror came to an end."
The image of Napoleon serves as a means of understanding the role of the individual in the historical movement in the novel. The value of great people, as Tolstoy believed, is in "the insight of the people's meaning of events."
