Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy wrote the novel "War and Peace" from 1863 to 1869. It was originally conceived as a novel about the return of a Decembrist from exile in 1856, and the main character was to be Pyotr Ivanovich Lobadov. In the image of Lobadov, Tolstoy wanted to show the tragedy of the hero of the Decembrist uprising, whose era has remained in the past and who will no longer be able to find himself in a changed society. But in order to . in order to reliably recreate the events of 1825, Tolstoy had to return to the history of the Patriotic War (as one of the Decembrists wrote in his diary: “... we all came out of the war of 1812 ...”). The first chapters of the novel were originally called "1805" and told about the origins of the war and about the people who participated in it. This is how the main characters of the work appeared, including one of the author's favorites, Andrei Bolkonsky.
It is important to note that the positive heroes of Tolstoy are always characterized by a difficult life path, full of wrong deeds, mistakes, painful searches for their destiny in life.
We will try to trace the fate of Andrei Bolkonsky and the path of his moral quest in the novel.
So, for the first time we meet Prince Andrei, a man with a “tired, bored look”, in the secular salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer, where all the best representatives of high Petersburg society gather, people with whom the fate of the hero will subsequently intersect: “beautiful Helen” Kuragina and her brother Anatole, the “chief reveler” of St. Petersburg, Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov, and others. Some come here to show themselves in the world, others - to make a career for themselves, to advance in the service. Having performed the ceremony of greeting the “unknown ... and unnecessary aunt”, the guests gather to start a casual secular conversation, and the hostess of the salon “presents” Abbe Morio and Viscount Mortemart to her guests, “like roast beef on a hot dish”. Prince Andrei is indifferent to this society, he is tired of it, “having fallen into a vicious circle” from which he cannot escape, he decides to find his destiny in the military field, and leaving his wife whom he does not love (“... Never marry. .. - he says to Pierre, - do not marry until ... until you stop loving the woman you chose ...”), goes to the war of 1805, hoping to find “your Toulon”. It is very important to note here that, on the one hand, being an enemy of Napoleon, Bolkonsky is at the same time embraced by the ideas of Napoleonism: before the battle, he admits to himself that he is ready to sacrifice his father, sister, wife, is ready to shed the blood of other people for the sake of his personal victory, so that take the place of Kutuzov, and then - "it doesn't matter what happens next ...".
When the battle begins, Bolkonsky grabs the banner and, “dragging it along the ground”, runs ahead of the soldiers to become famous, but is wounded - “as if with a stick on the head.” Opening his eyes, Andrey sees a “high, endless sky”, except for which “nothing, nothing is there and ... everything is empty, everything is a lie ...”, and Napoleon seems just a small, insignificant person compared to eternity. From this moment, liberation from Napoleonic ideas begins in Bolkonsky's soul.
Returning home, Prince Andrei dreams of starting a new life no longer with a “little princess” with a “squirrel expression” on his face, but with a woman with whom he hopes to finally create a single family, but does not have time - his wife dies in childbirth, and the reproach that Andrei read on her face: "... what have you done to me?" - will always haunt him, making him feel guilty in front of her.
After the death of Princess Lisa, Bolkonsky lives on his estate in Bogucharovo, arranging the economy and becoming disillusioned with life. Having met with Pierre, full of new ideas and aspirations, who joined the Masonic society and wants to show that he is “a different, better Pierre than he was before”, Prince Andrei treats his friend with irony, believing that “he must live out his life. .. not worrying and not wanting anything.” He feels himself lost for life.
Having gone to Otradnoye to see Count Rostov on business, Bolkonsky drove through a green forest, saw an oak tree, which, spreading its branches, seemed to say: “Everything is the same, and everything is a deceit! There is no spring, no sun, no happiness...”
Having agreed to spend the night in Otradnoye, Bolkonsky, going up to the window at night, heard the voice of Natasha Rostova, who, admiring the beauty of the night, wanted to “fly up” to the sky.
Returning back and driving through the forest, Prince Andrei looked for an oak tree and did not find it. The oak blossomed, covered with greenery, and seemed to be admiring itself. And at that moment Andrei decided that at the age of 31, life was not only not over, but, on the contrary, was just beginning. And the desire to make sure that both the girl who wanted to fly into the sky, and Pierre, and everyone else would know about him and “so that they would not live so independently of his life, so that it would be reflected on everyone ...”, seized him. Returning to St. Petersburg, Andrei entered the official service and began to create bills, got along with Speransky, but soon abandoned this service, realizing with horror that here, dealing with state issues, people are guided solely by their own personal interests.
Bolkonsky's love for Natasha Rostova, whom he met at a ball on the occasion of the onset of 1811, helped Bolkonsky to revive again. Having not received his father's permission to marry, Prince Andrei went abroad.
The year 1812 came and the war began. Disappointed in Natasha's love after her betrayal with Kuragin, Bolkonsky went to war, despite his oath never to serve again. Unlike the war of 1805, now he did not seek glory for himself, but wanted to take revenge on the French, “his enemies”, for the death of his father, for the crippled fate of many people. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, Bolkonsky had no doubts about victory and believed in the spiritual strength of the Russian people, who rose to defend the Fatherland and Moscow. Now Andrei did not have that individualism that was before, he felt like a part of the people. After a mortal wound he received on the battlefield, Andrei Bolkonsky finally found, according to Tolstoy, the highest truth that every person should come to - he came to the Christian worldview, understood the meaning of the fundamental laws of life, which he could not comprehend before, and forgave his enemy: "Compassion, love for brothers, for those who love, love for those who hate us, love for enemies, yes, that love that God preached on earth ... and which I did not understand."
So, having comprehended the laws of higher, Christian love, Andrei Bolkonsky dies. He dies because he saw the possibility of eternal love, eternal life, and “to love everyone, to always sacrifice oneself for love meant not to love anyone, it meant not to live this earthly life ...”.
The more Prince Andrei moved away from women, “the more the barrier between life and death was destroyed” and the path to a new, eternal life opened up for him. It seems to me that in the image of Andrei Bolkonsky, a contradictory person, capable of making mistakes and correcting his mistakes, Tolstoy embodied his main idea about the meaning of moral quest in the life of any person: “To live honestly, you need to tear, get confused, fight, make mistakes ... and the main thing is to fight. And peace is spiritual meanness.”
In order to live honestly, one must tear, get confused, fight, make mistakes, start and quit again, and start again, and quit again, and forever struggle and rush about.
And peace of mind is meanness.
L.N. Tolstoy
Many of the characters in the epic novel "War and Peace" cannot understand for a long time what the purpose of their life is, therefore they cannot find true happiness.
These characters include: Pierre Bezukhov and. They are in constant search for the meaning of life, they dream of activities that will be useful to the people and others. It is these qualities that characterize their personality, demonstrating their spiritual beauty. For them, life is an eternal pursuit of truth and goodness.
Pierre and Andrei are close not only in their inner world, but also in their alienation to the world of the Kuragins and Scherer. Tracing the life of the heroes, we can see that Tolstoy leads the heroes through a cycle of disappointments and happiness: he shows the difficulty of the path leading to the realization of the meaning of human life. But there are a great many ways to achieve happiness, which is why the author shows us two people: after all, they set themselves completely different goals, while going towards good and truth each in their own way.
Prince Andrei sees himself in the rays of glory, dreams of performing feats, extols the military gift of Napoleon, therefore his own "Toulon" is his goal. At the same time, he sees glory as
"Love for others, desire to do something for them."
To achieve the goal, he chooses to serve in the ranks of the army in the field. But on the field of Austerlitz, Andrei understands that the path he has chosen is false, that fame is nothing, life is everything. Andrei realizes the insignificance of the dream and, as a result, disappointment and mental crisis. He accomplished a feat by running forward with a banner, but this act did not save the plight: the battle was lost, and the prince himself was seriously wounded. In front of face "eternal, kind sky" he understands that one cannot live only one's dream, one must live in the name of people, relatives and strangers.
“It is necessary ... that my life goes not for me alone ...”,
he thinks.
A turning point occurs in Bolkonsky's mind, now for him Napoleon is not a brilliant commander, not a superpersonality, but a small, insignificant human being. Returning home to the Bald Mountains, Andrei goes about his daily business: raising his son, taking care of the peasants. At the same time, she withdrew into herself, he thinks that he is doomed, the appearance of Pierre brings him back to life. And Bolkonsky decides that
"We must live, we must love, we must believe."
Vitality awakens in him again: faith in himself, love is reborn. But the final awakening occurs in Otradnoe, when meeting with. He returns to society. Now he sees the meaning of life in joint happiness with his beloved Natasha Rostova.
And crash again.
The realization of the senselessness of state activity comes to him - he again loses his relationship with society. Then there is a break with Natasha - the collapse of hopes for family happiness. This leads him to a spiritual crisis. There seems to be no hope of overcoming this condition.
With the outbreak of the war of 1812, during human disasters, deaths and betrayals, Andrei finds the strength to restore himself. He understands that his personal suffering is nothing compared to human suffering. He goes to fight, but not for glory, but for the sake of life, happiness, freedom of people and the Fatherland.
And it is there, in this chaos of death and blood, that Andrei understands what his calling is - to serve the Motherland, to take care of his soldiers and officers. This sense of duty leads Andrey to the Borodino field, where he dies from his wound.
Before his death, he accepts and understands all the advice and covenants of Mary:
- Accepts God - forgives the enemy, asks for the Gospel;
- Knows the feeling of eternal love, harmony.
Andrei ends his quest with what he started with: he gains the glory of a real hero.
Pierre Bezukhov followed a different path in life, but he was worried about the same problems as Andrei Bolkonsky.
“Why live and what am I? What is life, what is death?
- Pierre was painfully looking for an answer to these questions.
Pierre is guided by the ideas of Napoleon, defends the problems of the French Revolution. He wishes then
"to produce a republic in Russia, then to be Napoleon yourself."
At first, he does not see the point in life: therefore, he rushes about, makes mistakes. The search leads him to the Freemasons. After which he acquires a passionate desire "to regenerate the vicious human race".The most attractive ideas to him seem to be the ideas of "equality, brotherhood and love." And again failures, but he does not renounce the Masons - after all, it is in this that he sees the meaning of life.
"And only now, when I ... try ... to live for others, only now I understand all the happiness of life."
This conclusion allows him to find his true path in the future. Soon Pierre leaves Freemasonry, disillusioned with social ideals. He does not find personal happiness either. In his life comes a period of disappointment.
And again a series of mistakes is coming: a trip to Borodino, participation in hostilities. He regains his imaginary destiny - to kill Napoleon. And he fails again: after all, Napoleon is unattainable.
In the subsequent captivity, he gains intimacy with ordinary people. He begins to appreciate life and small pleasures. The meeting with Platon Karataev helped to get out of the crisis: he becomes the personification of "all Russian, kind and round."
Karataev helps Pierre learn a new truth. Pierre feels that he has found harmony with himself. A simple truth was revealed to him: one must live to satisfy simple and natural needs, the main of which are love and family.
Initiation to the people, close rapprochement with them after being released from captivity leads Pierre to Decembristism. At the same time, he also finds happiness. The main conviction he learned from his life searches:
"As long as there is life, there is happiness."
The result of the life searches of Andrei and Pierre is one: true happiness for a person is hidden in serving the people and the Motherland. But Pierre found himself in the service of the people, while Andrei does not find himself and his personality dies.
Andrei Bolkonsky, his spiritual quest, the evolution of personality are described throughout the entire novel by L. N. Tolstoy. For the author, changes in the consciousness and attitude of the hero are important, because, in his opinion, this is what speaks of the moral health of the individual. Therefore, all the positive heroes of "War and Peace" go the way of searching for the meaning of life, the dialectics of the soul, with all the disappointments, loss and gain of happiness. Tolstoy indicates the presence of a positive beginning in the character by the fact that despite life's troubles, the hero does not lose dignity. These are Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov. The common and most important thing in their quest is that the heroes come to the idea of unity with the people. Let us consider what the spiritual searches of Prince Andrei led to.
Orientation to the ideas of Napoleon
Prince Bolkonsky first appears before the reader at the very beginning of the epic, in the salon of Anna Scherer, the maid of honor. Before us is a short man, with somewhat dry features, very handsome in appearance. Everything in his behavior speaks of complete disillusionment with life, both spiritual and family. Having married a beautiful egoist, Lisa Meinen, Bolkonsky soon gets tired of her and completely changes his attitude towards marriage. He even conjures a friend of Pierre Bezukhov never to marry.
Prince Bolkonsky longs for something new, for him constant going out, family life is a vicious circle from which a young man strives to break out. How? Leaving for the front. This is the uniqueness of the novel "War and Peace": Andrei Bolkonsky, as well as other characters, their dialectics of the soul, are shown within a certain historical setting.
At the beginning of Tolstoy's epic, Andrei Bolkonsky is an ardent Bonapartist, admiring Napoleon's military talent, an adherent of his idea of gaining power through a military feat. Bolkonsky wants to get "his Toulon".
Service and Austerlitz
With the arrival in the army, a new milestone in the search for the young prince begins. The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky made a decisive turn in the direction of bold, courageous deeds. The prince shows exceptional talent as an officer, he shows courage, valor and courage.
Even with the smallest details, Tolstoy emphasizes that Bolkonsky made the right choice: his face became different, it ceased to express fatigue from everything, feigned gestures and manners disappeared. The young man did not have time to think about how to behave correctly, he became real.
Kutuzov himself makes a note about what Andrei Bolkonsky is a talented adjutant: the great commander writes a letter to the young man's father, where he notes that the prince is making exceptional progress. Andrey takes all the victories and defeats to heart: he sincerely rejoices and worries with pain in his soul. He sees an enemy in Bonaparte, but at the same time continues to admire the genius of the commander. He still dreams of "his Toulon". Andrei Bolkonsky in the novel "War and Peace" is the spokesman for the author's attitude to outstanding personalities, it is from his lips that the reader learns about the most important battles.
The center of this stage of the prince's life path is He who showed high heroism, is seriously wounded, he lies on the battlefield and sees the bottomless sky. Then Andrey comes to the realization that he must reconsider his life priorities, turn to his wife, whom he despised and humiliated with his behavior. Yes, and once an idol, Napoleon, he sees as an insignificant human being. Bonaparte appreciated the feat of the young officer, only Bolkonsky did not care. He dreams only of quiet happiness and an impeccable family life. Andrei decides to end his military career and return home to his wife, in
The decision to live for yourself and loved ones
Fate is preparing Bolkonsky another heavy blow. His wife, Liza, dies in childbirth. She leaves Andrei a son. The prince did not have time to ask for forgiveness, because he arrived too late, he was tormented by guilt. The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky further is caring for his loved ones.
Raising a son, building an estate, helping his father in forming the ranks of the militia - these are his life priorities at this stage. Andrei Bolkonsky lives in seclusion, which allows him to focus on his spiritual world and the search for the meaning of life.
The progressive views of the young prince are manifested: he improves the life of his serfs (replaces corvée with dues), he gives status to three hundred people. Still, he is still far from accepting a sense of unity with the common people: thoughts of disregard for the peasantry and ordinary soldiers slip through his speech every now and then .
A fateful conversation with Pierre
The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky moves to another plane during the visit of Pierre Bezukhov. The reader immediately notes the kinship of the souls of young people. Pierre, who is in a state of high spirits because of the reforms carried out on his estates, infects Andrey with enthusiasm.
Young people discuss for a long time the principles and meaning of changes in the life of the peasantry. Andrei does not agree with something, he does not accept Pierre's most liberal views on serfs at all. However, practice has shown that, unlike Bezukhov, Bolkonsky managed to really make life easier for his peasants. All thanks to his active nature and practical view of the fortress system.
Nevertheless, the meeting with Pierre helped Prince Andrei to penetrate well into his inner world, to begin moving towards the transformation of the soul.
Rebirth to new life
A breath of fresh air, a change in outlook on life was made by a meeting with Natasha Rostova, the main character of the novel "War and Peace". Andrei Bolkonsky visits the Rostov estate in Otradnoy on matters of land acquisition. There he notices a calm, cozy atmosphere in the family. Natasha is so pure, direct, real ... She met him on a starry night during the first ball in her life and immediately captured the heart of the young prince.
Andrey, as it were, is born again: he understands what Pierre once told him: you need to live not only for yourself and your family, you need to be useful to the whole society. That is why Bolkonsky travels to St. Petersburg to make his proposals to the military charter.
Awareness of the meaninglessness of "state activity"
Unfortunately, Andrei did not manage to meet with the sovereign, he was sent to Arakcheev, an unprincipled and stupid man. Of course, he did not accept the ideas of the young prince. However, another meeting took place that influenced Bolkonsky's worldview. We are talking about Speransky. He saw in the young man a good potential for public service. As a result, Bolkonsky is appointed to a position related to the drafting. In addition, Andrei heads the commission for the drafting of wartime laws.
But soon Bolkonsky is disappointed with the service: the formal approach to work does not satisfy Andrey. He feels that here he is doing a job that no one needs, he will not provide real help to anyone. Increasingly, Bolkonsky recalls life in the village, where he was really useful.
Initially admiring Speransky, Andrei now saw pretense and unnaturalness. Increasingly, Bolkonsky is visited by thoughts about the idleness of Petersburg life and the absence of any meaning in his service to the country.
Breakup with Natasha
Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky were a very beautiful couple, but they were not destined to get married. The girl gave him the desire to live, to do something for the good of the country, to dream of a happy future. She became Andrew's muse. Natasha favorably differed from other girls in St. Petersburg society: she was pure, sincere, her actions came from the heart, they were devoid of any calculation. The girl sincerely loved Bolkonsky, and not just saw him as a profitable game.
Bolkonsky makes a fatal mistake by postponing the wedding with Natasha for a whole year: this provoked her passion for Anatole Kuragin. The young prince could not forgive the girl. Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky break off their engagement. The blame for everything is the excessive pride of the prince, the unwillingness to hear and understand Natasha. He is again as self-centered as the reader observed Andrei at the beginning of the novel.
The final turning point in consciousness - Borodino
It is with such a heavy heart that Bolkonsky enters 1812, a turning point for the Fatherland. Initially, he longs for revenge: he dreams of meeting Anatole Kuragin among the military and avenging his failed marriage by challenging him to a duel. But gradually the life path of Andrei Bolkonsky is changing once again: the vision of the tragedy of the people served as an incentive for this.
Kutuzov trusts the young officer to command the regiment. The prince is completely devoted to his service - now this is his life's work, he is so close to the soldiers that they call him "our prince".
Finally, the day of the apotheosis of the Patriotic War and the quest of Andrei Bolkonsky comes - the battle of Borodino. It is noteworthy that L. Tolstoy puts his vision of this great historical event and the absurdity of wars into the mouth of Prince Andrei. He reflects on the pointlessness of so many sacrifices for the sake of victory.
The reader sees here Bolkonsky, who has gone through a difficult life path: disappointments, deaths of loved ones, betrayal, rapprochement with the common people. He feels that now he understands and realizes too much, one might say, foreshadows his death: “I see that I began to understand too much. And it is not good for a man to eat from the tree of good and evil.”
Indeed, Bolkonsky is mortally wounded and, among other soldiers, falls into the care of the Rostovs' house.
The prince feels the approach of death, he thinks about Natasha for a long time, understands her, “sees the soul”, dreams of meeting his beloved, asking for forgiveness. He confesses his love to the girl and dies.
The image of Andrei Bolkonsky is an example of high honor, loyalty to the duty of the Motherland and people.
DRAFT LESSON ON LITERATURE ONICOURSE "WAY OF IDEAL AND MORAL SEARCH OF PRINCE ANDREY BOLKONSKY"Purpose: to trace the path of the ideological searches of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, to draw up a diagram of the supporting provisions.
Tasks:
1. Analyze the period of Prince Andrei's life from the moment of the break with Natasha to his death;
2. To note the role of the author's lyrical digression in the transmission of the spiritual experiences of the lyrical hero - an excerpt by heart P III, ch. 1, volume 2.
II. Building a schema.
1. In an effort to break out of the vicious circle of secular life, Prince Andrei dreams of personal glory in a military feat.
2-4 Participation in the Battle of Shengraben (18050), unfair assessment of the feat of Captain Tushin's battery by the highest military authorities, the feat of Prince Andrei himself on the field of Austerlitz and a serious wound - all this leads him to disappointment in his dreams of glory.
4-7. He is trying to find the meaning of life - in civic activity (work in the Speransky commission), but a conversation with Arakcheev and his own observations convince him that there is no high civic goal in this field either.
Retelling - analysis. Volume 3, part I, ch. eight.
1. What brings Prince Andrei to the war of 1812?
Prince Andrei considers it necessary to challenge Anatole Kuragin to a duel, without giving her a new reason, so as not to compromise Natasha. They go to the army in the hope of meeting Kuragin there and, having given a reason for a duel, challenge him.
2. What is the mood of Prince Andrei in the army? What is the manifestation of his unity with the people? Volume 3, part 2, ch. 24, 25.
Ch II, Ch. 24 Prince Andrei in Knyazkovo. Reflections on life. Pierre's arrival.
He clearly sees the three main sorrows of his life: his love for a woman, the death of his father and the French invasion that captured half of Russia. He vividly represented the absence of himself in this life. The possibility of death seemed to him something terrible and threatening.
Ch II, 25. Pierre's conversation with Andrei and the officers of his regiment. Pierre's conclusion about the latent warmth of patriotism.
Soldiers and officers of the regiment affectionately call Prince Andrei "our prince." Andrei is sure that success depends neither on the order of the headquarters, nor on the position, nor on weapons, or even on numbers. It depends on the feeling that is in every soldier. The battle is won by the one who is determined to win it. Therefore, Prince Andrei does not serve at the headquarters, but in the regiment, along with soldiers and officers, because. everything will depend on them. I am sure that if there were no generosity in the war, there would be no war, war is not courtesy, but the most disgusting thing in life. We must understand this and not play war.
3. As a result of what is the reconciliation of Prince Andrei with life, people and himself? Ch II, Ch. 36-37.
Ch II, Ch. 36. Regiment of Prince Andrei in reserve. The concept of Prince Andrei.
Two steps away from Andrei, the core fell, he realized that it was death and looked around with a new envious look. "I don't want to die, I love life." A fragment of an exploding grenade wounded him in the stomach.
Ch II, Ch. 37. Prince Andrei and Anatole Kuragin in a tent for the wounded. Reconciliation of Prince Andrei with the people.
Prince Andrei meets a wounded man whose leg has just been cut off. In it he recognizes Anatole. He remembered everything that had happened between him and Kuragin, and enthusiastic pity and love for this man filled his happy heart. The love that God preached on earth, which Princess Mary taught him, was now accessible to his understanding.
11-12. Only on the Borodino field, he finally understands that the meaning of life is in unity with the people, in the struggle for the freedom and happiness of the Motherland.
A mortal wound leads him to the idea of humility and forgiveness.
12 - 15. There is reason to believe that if the author had left his hero alive, then he would have been one of those who in 1825 would have gone to the Senate Square in St. Petersburg.
Supporting provisions of the topic:
"The path of the ideological and moral quest of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky."
III. Reading a passage by heart
(Volume 2, part III, ch. 1.) Volume 1, part 3, ch. 1-2; Volume 2, part 2, ch. 1-5, 10; part 3, ch. 7-11; ch 5, ch. one; part 4, ch. 12-12, 15-20.
IV. Homework.
Volume 3, part 3, ch. 8-11, 27-29, 34; Volume 4, part 1, ch. 9-13, part 2, ch. 11-14, h 3, ch. 12-15
The image of Pierre Bezukhov.
Volume 1, part III, ch. 1-2 (marriages to Helen)
Volume 2, part II, ch. 1-5 (meeting with Bazdeev Freemasonry)
ch. 10 (a trip to the estates)
part III, ch. 7 - 11 (at the head of Freemasonry, doubts, diary)
part IV, ch. one
Volume 3, part I, ch. 19 (destination from the Apocalypse)
part III, ch. 8 – 11 (on the way to Mozhaisk)
ch. 27-29 (in abandoned Moscow)
ch. 34 (rescue of a child in a fire, captivity)
Volume 4, part I, ch. 9-13 (captivity, meeting with Platon Karataev)
part II, ch. 11 -14 (captivity)
part III, ch. 12-15 (Karataevshchina)
part IV, ch. 12 - 13 (freedom, illness, in Orel)
15 - 20 (Pierre - Natasha).
The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky
The personal destinies and characters of the heroes are covered in "War and Peace" in connection with historical processes, in a complex system of connections and relationships in an environment of peaceful and military life.
To reveal the inner world of a person, to show his true essence is a paramount artistic task for Leo Tolstoy. “For an artist,” says Tolstoy, “there should be no heroes, but there should be people.”
Andrei Bolkonsky from the first pages of the novel stands out as an outstanding person of his time. Tolstoy characterizes him as a man of strong will and exceptional abilities, able to deal with different people, possessing an extraordinary memory and erudition. He was distinguished by a special ability to work and study.
At the beginning of the novel, the thoughts of Andrei Bolkonsky were to achieve glory through a military feat. In the battle of Shengraben, Andrei Bolkonsky showed courage and bravery.
“Above him there was nothing but the sky, - a high sky, not "clear, but still immeasurably high, with sulfur quietly creeping over it"; my clouds." And Andrei seemed insignificant dreams of glory. When Napoleon stopped in front of him and said: “Here is a beautiful death,” Bolkonsky, on the contrary, wanted to live. “Yes, and everything seemed so useless and insignificant in comparison with. by that strict and majestic structure of thought, which caused in him the weakening of forces from the flow of blood, suffering and the near expectation of death. Looking into the eyes of Napoleon, Prince Andrei thought about the insignificance of greatness, the insignificance of life, which no one could understand the meaning of, and the even greater insignificance of death, the meaning of which no one could understand and explain to the living. Andrei overestimates his views. He wants a quiet family life.
Prince Andrei returned from captivity to the Bald Mountains. But fate gives him a heavy blow: his wife dies during childbirth. Bolkonsky is experiencing a mental crisis. He believes his life is over. It was during this period that he temporarily came to a false theory of justifying the cruelty of the structure of life and to the idea of denying love, goodness. In a dispute with Pierre Bezukhov, he expresses these thoughts. The author shows that under the influence of Pierre "... something that had long fallen asleep, something better that was in him, suddenly woke up joyfully and young in his soul."
The idea that he can be resurrected to a new life, love, activity is unpleasant for him. Therefore, seeing an old clumsy oak on the edge of the road, as if not wanting to bloom and be covered with new leaves, Prince Andrei sadly agrees with him: “Yes, he is right, this oak is a thousand times right ... let others, the young again succumb to this deception , and we know life, - our life is over! He is thirty-one years old, and still ahead, but he sincerely believes that he must live his life without wanting anything.
When he arrived on business at the Rostov estate in Otradnoye and saw Natasha, he was only alarmed by her indestructible thirst for life. “Why is she so happy? .. And why is she happy?” thought Prince Andrei. But after this meeting, Prince Andrei looks around him with different eyes. - and the old oak now tells him something completely different. “But where is he?” thought Prince Andrei again, looking at the left side of the road and, without knowing it himself, ... admired the oak he was looking for ... No clumsy fingers, no pain. check, no old grief and distrust - nothing was visible.
Now, spiritually resurrected, he is waiting for a new love. And she comes. Natasha enters his destiny. They met at a ball, the first in her life. “Prince Andrei, like all people who grew up in the world, loved to meet in the world that which did not have a common secular imprint. And such was Natasha, with her surprise, joy, and timidity, and even mistakes in French. Listening to Natasha's singing, "he suddenly felt that tears were coming to his throat, the possibility of which he did not know behind him ...". Prince Andrei at this time says to Pierre: “Never, I have never experienced anything like this ... - I have not lived before, now only I live ...”
postpone the wedding for a year, go abroad, get medical treatment. Prince Andrey turned out to be too reasonable - he chose this girl, with this joyfully happy animation, with this thirst for life, who understood him like no one had hitherto - and he did not understand her, that it was very difficult for her. He thought a lot about his love and little about how she feels.
Having learned about her passion for Kuragin, he cannot forgive her. Refusing to forgive, he again thinks only of himself. So he was left alone, with his secret grief and with his pride, and in the meantime the new year of 1812 had come, and in the sky there was a strange bright comet, portending trouble, the comet of 1812.
The decisive role in the process of internal development of Andrei Bolkonsky is played by participation in the nationwide struggle against the enemy of the fatherland. The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky is closely connected with the life of the army, which taught him to understand and love ordinary people. From the very beginning of World War II, Bolkonsky was in the army and refused to serve "in the presence of the sovereign", believing that only in the ranks of the army "can you serve with confidence that you are useful." As an officer, “he was completely devoted to the affairs of his regiment, he was caring about his people. In the regiment they called him our prince, they were proud of him, they loved him.
After being wounded in the Battle of Borodino, during the evacuation of Moscow, the wounded Andrei Bolkonsky falls into the Rostovs' convoy. In Mytishchi, he meets with Natasha.
Wei fate of Andrei Bolkonsky is connected with the events of public life. The reflections of Andrei "Bolkonsky and his activities characterize him as a true patriot and a person of high moral qualities, he hates deceitful, hypocritical, self-serving and careerist people. His life and views are fully included in the system of events of the depicted historical era.
