Pierre Bezukhov, one of the main characters of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel "War and Peace", throughout the whole work is trying to understand what is the meaning of his life. Bezukhov faces many trials, both factual and spiritual, and the people he meets in his life in many ways help the hero to better understand himself and his destiny.
At the beginning of the work, Pierre Bezukhov appears to readers as a somewhat clumsy, rustic, inspired image of Napoleon, who considers the great commander practically his idol. Over time, Bezukhov makes a certain reassessment of his own values, realizing that all people are imperfect, and trying to create an ephemeral and obviously unattainable image for himself to follow is stupid and even naive. Due to his deep mind and such unreasonableness and excessive gentleness that do not correspond to him, Pierre makes many mistakes and wrong actions.
Having married Helen Kuragina, the daughter of Prince Vasily, Bezukhov becomes disillusioned with family life, watching the behavior of his wife, a beautiful, but very greedy and prudent girl. The frustrated hero of the novel, in an attempt to find himself, comes to the Masonic lodge, hoping to find true brotherhood there, but even here he is disappointed - beautiful words are not followed by appropriate actions, and the brotherhood turns out to be an ordinary secular society that has put on a touch of mystery.
It is impossible not to mention the meeting of Pierre Bezukhov with Platon Karataev, a man who will have a strong influence on the life of the hero. Having met Karataev in incredibly cruel and inhuman conditions of captivity, Pierre manages to understand the main thing - the true value of humanity and each individual in particular. Platon Karataev opens the hero's eyes to how important it is to love life, no matter what conditions you find yourself in, because every person is an integral part of this world. Each person is a reflection of the Earth. It was after meeting Plato that Pierre Bezukhov learned to look at the world with wide eyes, and in every event that took place, to see the grain of truth, the grain of infinite unity with the world.
The end of the novel shows what the life of the hero has become after six years. After the death of his wife, Helen Bezukhova, Pierre married Natasha Rostova, this time meeting his true love. I believe that without the changes that took place in the soul of Pierre Bezukhov over the course of his life, there would be neither a happy ending nor the long-awaited reassurance of the hero. All the characters that Bezukhov met in his life had their influence on him - positive or negative. All the events in which the hero was involved were reflected in his worldview. The path that Pierre Bezukhov went from an awkward young man who first appeared in the living room of Anna Pavlovna Scherer to a harmonious family man who realized both in his career and in his family is truly amazing.
In my opinion, in the novel "War and Peace" Leo Tolstoy does a really great thing - he shows us how much one and the same person can change for the better, despite all the difficulties that he had to face.
Bezukhov's life path
Pierre Bezukhov is the protagonist of the work "War and Peace" written by Leo Tolstoy. Pierre is the illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov. Count Bezukhov is one of the outstanding personalities in the history of the Russian Empire in the 18th century. Pierre hardly saw his father, he studied and was brought up abroad. In the novel, Pierre and I meet at Anna Pavlovna's house. On this day, Anna Pavlovna arranged an evening in which she invited all the noble people of high society. Pierre arrived a little later in the evening, and immediately entered into an argument regarding the Russo-French war. Pierre was a fan of Napoleon, and of course, he justified the French emperor. Pierre, at the beginning of the work, led a wild life, if you read, then immediately remember the story of the bear. Society does not accept Pierre, and our hero does not like it, he feels out of place. Count Bezukhov was ill and soon died. After the death of his father, he, unexpectedly, everyone shows respect. It turns out that Count Bezukhov gave all his property to Pierre, and our Pierre soon became Count Bezukhov.
Pierre and Helen Kuragina
After the death of his father, Pierre married the beautiful Helen, the daughter of Prince Vasily. But their life together did not last long. Soon, rumors began to circulate in society that Countess Bezukhov was cheating on Pierre with Dolokhov. One fine day, Pierre was invited to the evening, and soon, as it turned out, she was Dolokhov. All evening, Dolokhov constantly insulted Pierre, and the latter, in the end, could not stand it and challenged him to a duel. In a duel, Pierre wounded Dolokhov, and after that he divorced his wife.
freemasonry
After the divorce, Pierre decides to go to Petersburg, on the road he meets a freemason who was traveling with him. After a long conversation, Pierre decided to believe in God and take the religious road.
Rekindling relationship with Helen
After his freemasonry, Pierre renews his relationship with Helene. But soon, in society again, rumors about Pierre's betrayal appear. This time, Hélène cheats on her husband with the prince and Pierre leaves again.
wild life
After Pierre's Masonic mentor dies, and Natasha Rostova, who is so dear to him, chooses Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre decides that his life has no meaning and starts drinking. Then he leaves for Moscow.
Patriotic War
In 1812, our hero decides to go to the front to take part in the Patriotic War. Soon, he is captured by the French. At this time, his wife, Helen, dies. Life in captivity teaches Pierre to look at the world differently, he understands life values, etc. He becomes wise.
Pierre and Natasha Rostova
At the end of the novel, the main characters marry each other, Pierre Bezukhov and Natasha Rostova, and they soon have 3 daughters and one son.
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Creating the image of Pierre Bezukhov, L. N. Tolstoy started from specific life observations. People like Pierre were often encountered in the Russian life of that time. This is Alexander Muravyov, and Wilhelm Küchelbecker, to whom Pierre is close with his eccentricity and absent-mindedness and directness. Contemporaries believed that Tolstoy endowed Pierre with the features of his own personality. One of the features of the depiction of Pierre in the novel is his opposition to the environment of the nobility. It is no coincidence that he is the illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov; it is no coincidence that his bulky, clumsy figure stands out sharply against the general background. When Pierre finds himself in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer, he causes her anxiety by the inconsistency of his manners with the etiquette of the living room. He is significantly different from all visitors to the salon and with his smart, natural look. By contrast, the author presents Pierre's judgments and Hippolyte's vulgar chatter. Contrasting his hero with the environment, Tolstoy reveals his high spiritual qualities: sincerity, spontaneity, high conviction and noticeable gentleness. Anna Pavlovna's evening ends with Pierre, to the displeasure of the audience, defending the ideas of the French Revolution, admiring Napoleon as the head of revolutionary France, defending the ideas of the republic and freedom, showing the independence of his views.
Leo Tolstoy draws the appearance of his hero: this is "a massive, fat young man, with a cropped head, glasses, light trousers, a high frill and a brown tailcoat." The writer pays special attention to Pierre's smile, which makes his face childish, kind, stupid and as if asking for forgiveness. She seems to say: "Opinions are opinions, and you see what a kind and nice fellow I am."
Pierre is sharply opposed to those around him in the episode of the death of the old man Bezukhov. Here he is very different from the careerist Boris Drubetskoy, who, at the instigation of his mother, is playing a game, trying to get his share in the inheritance. Pierre, on the other hand, is embarrassed and ashamed of Boris.
And now he is the heir to an immensely rich father. Having received the title of count, Pierre immediately finds himself in the center of attention of secular society, where he was pleased, caressed and, as it seemed to him, loved. And he plunges into the stream of new life, obeying the atmosphere of great light. So he finds himself in the company of "golden youth" - Anatole Kuragin and Dolokhov. Under the influence of Anatole, he spends his days in revelry, unable to break out of this cycle. Pierre wastes his vitality, showing his characteristic lack of will. Prince Andrei tries to convince him that this dissolute life does not suit him very much. But it is not so easy to pull him out of this "whirlpool". However, I note that Pierre is immersed in him more in body than in soul.
Pierre's marriage to Helen Kuragina dates back to this time. He perfectly understands her insignificance, outright stupidity. "There is something nasty in that feeling," he thought, "that she aroused in me, something forbidden." However, Pierre's feelings are influenced by her beauty and unconditional feminine charm, although Tolstoy's hero does not experience true, deep love. Time will pass, and the "twisted" Pierre will hate Helen and feel her depravity with all his heart.
In this regard, an important moment was the duel with Dolokhov, which took place after Pierre received an anonymous letter at a dinner in honor of Bagration that his wife was cheating on him with his former friend. Pierre does not want to believe this because of the purity and nobility of his nature, but at the same time he believes the letter, because he knows Helen and her lover well. Dolokhov's brazen trick at the table unbalances Pierre and leads to a duel. It is quite obvious to him that now he hates Helen and is ready to break with her forever, and at the same time break with the world in which she lived.
The attitude of Dolokhov and Pierre to the duel is different. The first goes to the duel with the firm intention of killing, and the second suffers from the fact that he needs to shoot a person. In addition, Pierre never held a pistol in his hands and, in order to quickly end this heinous deed, somehow pulls the trigger, and when he injures the enemy, barely holding back his sobs, rushes to him. "Stupid!.. Death... Lies..." he repeated, walking through the snow into the forest. So a separate episode, a quarrel with Dolokhov, becomes a frontier for Pierre, opening up a world of lies in front of him, in which he was destined to be for some time.
A new stage of Pierre's spiritual quest begins when, in a state of deep moral crisis, he meets the freemason Bazdeev on his way from Moscow. Striving for the high meaning of life, believing in the possibility of achieving brotherly love, Pierre enters the religious and philosophical society of Masons. Here he seeks spiritual and moral renewal, hopes for a rebirth to a new life, longs for personal improvement. He also wants to correct the imperfection of life, and this matter seems to him not at all difficult. “How easy, how little effort is needed to do so much Good,” thought Pierre, “and how little we care about it!”
And so, under the influence of Masonic ideas, Pierre decides to free the peasants belonging to him from serfdom. He follows the same path that Onegin walked, although he also takes new steps in this direction. But unlike Pushkin's hero, he has huge estates in the Kyiv province, which is why he has to act through the chief manager.
Possessing childish purity and gullibility, Pierre does not assume that he will have to face the meanness, deceit and devilish resourcefulness of businessmen. He takes the construction of schools, hospitals, shelters for a radical improvement in the life of the peasants, while all this was ostentatious and burdensome for them. Pierre's undertakings not only did not alleviate the hard fate of the peasants, but also worsened their situation, because the predation of the rich from the trading village and the robbery of the peasants, hidden from Pierre, were connected here.
Neither the transformations in the countryside nor Freemasonry justified the hopes that Pierre had placed on them. He is disappointed in the goals of the Masonic organization, which now seems to him deceitful, vicious and hypocritical, where everyone is primarily concerned with a career. In addition, the ritual procedures characteristic of Masons now seem to him an absurd and ridiculous performance. "Where am I?" he thinks, "what am I doing? Are they laughing at me? Won't I be ashamed to remember this?" Feeling the futility of Masonic ideas, which did not change his own life at all, Pierre "suddenly felt the impossibility of continuing his former life."
Tolstoy's hero goes through a new moral test. They became a real, great love for Natasha Rostova. At first, Pierre did not think about his new feeling, but it grew and became more and more powerful; a special sensitivity arose, intense attention to everything that concerned Natasha. And he leaves for a while from public interests to the world of personal, intimate experiences that Natasha opened for him.
Pierre is convinced that Natasha loves Andrei Bolkonsky. She is animated only because Prince Andrei enters, that he hears his voice. "Something very important is going on between them," Pierre thinks. The difficult feeling does not leave him. He carefully and tenderly loves Natasha, but at the same time he is faithfully and devotedly friends with Andrei. Pierre sincerely wishes them happiness, and at the same time their love becomes a great grief for him.
The aggravation of spiritual loneliness chains Pierre to the most important issues of our time. He sees before him "a tangled, terrible knot of life." On the one hand, he reflects, people erected forty forty churches in Moscow, confessing the Christian law of love and forgiveness, and on the other hand, yesterday they whipped a soldier and the priest let him kiss the cross before execution. Thus grows a crisis in Pierre's soul.
Natasha, refusing Prince Andrei, showed friendly spiritual sympathy for Pierre. And a huge, disinterested happiness swept over him. Natasha, overwhelmed with grief and remorse, evokes such a flash of ardent love in Pierre’s soul that, unexpectedly for himself, he makes a kind of confession to her: “If I were not me, but the most beautiful, smartest and best person in the world ... I would this minute on my knees I asked for your hand and your love. In this new enthusiastic state, Pierre forgets about the social and other issues that bothered him so much. Personal happiness and boundless feeling overwhelms him, gradually letting him feel some kind of incompleteness of life, deeply and broadly understood by him.
The events of the war of 1812 produce a sharp change in Pierre's worldview. They gave him the opportunity to get out of the state of egoistic isolation. He begins to be seized by a restlessness that is incomprehensible to him, and although he does not know how to understand the events that are taking place, he inevitably joins the stream of reality and thinks about his participation in the fate of the Fatherland. And it's not just thinking. He prepares the militia, and then goes to Mozhaisk, on the field of the Battle of Borodino, where a new, unfamiliar world of ordinary people opens before him.
Borodino becomes a new stage in the development of Pierre. Seeing for the first time the militia men dressed in white shirts, Pierre caught the spirit of spontaneous patriotism emanating from them, expressed in a clear determination to steadfastly defend their native land. Pierre realized that this is the force that drives events - the people. With all his heart he understood the secret meaning of the soldier's words: "They want to pile on all the people, one word - Moscow."
Pierre now not only observes what is happening, but reflects, analyzes. Here he managed to feel that "hidden warmth of patriotism" that made the Russian people invincible. True, in battle, on the Raevsky battery, Pierre experiences a moment of panic fear, but it was this horror "that allowed him to especially deeply understand the power of national courage. After all, these gunners all the time, until the very end, were firm and calm, and now I want to Pierre to be a soldier, just a soldier, in order to "enter this common life" with his whole being.
Under the influence of people from the people, Pierre decides to participate in the defense of Moscow, for which it is necessary to stay in the city. Wanting to accomplish a feat, he intends to kill Napoleon in order to save the peoples of Europe from the one who brought them so much suffering and evil. Naturally, he dramatically changes his attitude towards the personality of Napoleon, the former sympathy is replaced by hatred for the despot. However, many obstacles, as well as a meeting with the French captain Rumbel, change his plans, and he abandons the plan to assassinate the French emperor.
A new stage in Pierre's quest was his stay in French captivity, where he ends up after a fight with French soldiers. This new period of the hero's life becomes a further step towards rapprochement with the people. Here, in captivity, Pierre had a chance to see the true bearers of evil, the creators of the new "order", to feel the inhumanity of the morals of Napoleonic France, relations built on domination and submission. He saw the massacres and tried to get to the bottom of their causes.
He experiences an unusual shock when he is present at the execution of people accused of arson. “In his soul,” writes Tolstoy, “it is as if the spring on which everything was held up has suddenly been pulled out.” And only a meeting with Platon Karataev in captivity allowed Pierre to find peace of mind. Pierre became close to Karataev, fell under his influence and began to look at life as a spontaneous and natural process. Faith in goodness and truth arises again, inner independence and freedom was born. Under the influence of Karataev, Pierre's spiritual revival takes place. Like this simple peasant, Pierre begins to love life in all its manifestations, despite all the vicissitudes of fate.
Close rapprochement with the people after his release from captivity leads Pierre to Decembristism. Tolstoy talks about this in the epilogue of his novel. Over the past seven years, the old mood of passivity, contemplation has been replaced by a thirst for action and active participation in public life. Now, in 1820, Pierre's wrath and indignation are causing social orders and political oppression in his native Russia. He says to Nikolai Rostov: "There is theft in the courts, in the army there is only one stick, shagistika, settlements - they torment the people, they stifle enlightenment. What is young, honestly, is ruined!"
Pierre is convinced that the duty of all honest people is to to counteract this. It is no coincidence that Pierre becomes a member of a secret organization and even one of the main organizers of a secret political society. The association of "honest people," he believes, should play a significant role in eliminating social evil.
Personal happiness now enters Pierre's life. Now he is married to Natasha, experiences a deep love for her and his children. Happiness with an even and calm light illuminates his whole life. The main conviction that Pierre took out of his long life searches and which is close to Tolstoy himself is: "As long as there is life, there is happiness."
A short essay-reasoning on literature on the topic: War and peace, the image of Pierre Bezukhov. Characteristics and spiritual quest of the hero. The life path of Pierre Bezukhov. Description, appearance and quotes of Bezukhov.
"War and Peace" is one of the most ambitious works of world literature. L.N. Tolstoy opened before the readers a wide panorama of names, events, places. Each person can find a hero close in spirit in the novel. Honest and uncompromising will suit Andrey Bolkonsky, lively and optimistic - Natasha Rostova, compliant and quiet - Marya Bolkonskaya, kind and impulsive - Pierre Bezukhov. It is the latter that will be discussed.
Pierre is the illegal but beloved son of Count Bezukhov, who received a high title and fortune after the death of his father. The appearance of the hero is not aristocratic: “A massive, fat young man with a cropped head, wearing glasses,” but his face becomes beautiful and pleasant when Pierre smiles: “He, on the contrary, when a smile came, then suddenly, instantly disappeared serious and even a somewhat gloomy face and another appeared - childish, kind, even stupid, and as if asking for forgiveness. L. N. Tolstoy paid great attention to smiles: “One smile consists of what is called the beauty of the face: if a smile adds charm to the face, then the face is beautiful; if she does not change it, then it is usual; if she spoils it, then it is bad.” The portrait of Pierre also reflects his inner world: no matter what happens, he remains kind, naive and somewhat out of touch with reality.
Pierre studied abroad for 10 years. Returning, the hero is in search of his calling. He looks for something suitable, but does not find it. Idleness, the influence of clever people, always ready to have fun at the expense of rich friends, their own weakness - all this leads Pierre to revelry and madness. In fact, he is a kind and intelligent person, always ready to help and support. Let him be naive, distracted, but the main thing in him is the soul. Therefore, Andrei Bolkonsky, who is well versed in people, and sensitive Natasha Rostova have warm feelings for Pierre.
In the world, the hero is not successful. Why? It's simple: the light is completely false and rotten, in order to become one's own there, one must lose one's best qualities, forget about one's own thoughts and speak only what they want to hear, flatter and hide real feelings. Pierre, on the other hand, is modest, simple, truthful, he is alien to the world, his “smart and at the same time timid, observant and natural look that distinguished him from everyone in this living room” had no place in the salons.
What does the hero need to be happy? Decisiveness and willpower, because life carries him like a straw along the river. So he reveled, because he did not want to lag behind "friends". Then he married, because Helen Kuragina seduced him, surrounded him with her beauty, although they both did not love each other. Pierre went to meetings and balls that were unnecessary to him, deceiving himself with illusions, false ideas (for example, Freemasonry). A tragic event helped him find himself - the Patriotic War of 1812. The hero participated in the Battle of Borodino, watched how ordinary people, without philosophizing and reasoning, as Pierre himself loved, simply go and die for their homeland. In addition to the terrible and heroic battle, Bezukhov experienced a humiliating captivity, but there he met an iconic person - Platon Karataev. Plato contained real life wisdom and spirituality. His philosophy did not hover in the clouds, but was that happiness is inside every person, it is in his freedom, satisfaction of needs, simple joys and emotions. After this meeting, Pierre's life changed: he accepted himself and those around him with their shortcomings, he found the meaning of life and love. Something constantly interfered with his relationship with Natasha: at first she was the bride of a friend, and Bezukhov could not commit a betrayal, then the girl was too depressed by the break with her fiancé, and she was not in the mood for feelings. And only after the end of the war, after the spiritual rebirth of both Pierre and Natasha, they were able to surrender to love, which made them happy for many years.
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Pierre Bezukhov is the character that evokes a feeling of admiration and pity at the same time. The uncommon appearance of a young man is definitely repulsive - Pierre looks flabby and ugly, but in contrast to this he is handsome in soul, and this is the special tragedy of this character. Tolstoy repeatedly leads the reader to the idea that it is good to love a beautiful, attractive person, while it is difficult to love an outwardly unpleasant person.
Childhood and youth of Pierre Bezukhov
Pierre Bezukhov was the illegitimate heir of Count Kirill Bezukhov. Despite everything, Count Cyril gave his son a decent education and upbringing - for ten years Pierre has been living abroad with his tutor, where he is undergoing the process of his education.
At the age of 20, Pierre returns to Russia. At this point, Count Cyril was seriously ill and was on the verge of life and death. Despite the fact that the old count did not actually take a personal part in Pierre's upbringing and was a stranger and stranger to the young man, Pierre sincerely pities his father and worries about him.
Returning to Russia, Pierre was confused for some time - in view of his age, peculiarities of upbringing and sensitivity of nature, he imagines a life full of bright colors, selflessness and striving for the eternal and beautiful, but does not know where to start.
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Pierre often appears in company with Anatole Kuragin, and also maintains friendly relations with Andrei Bolkonsky. At first glance, it seems that Pierre, in view of his naivety, is trying to be good for everyone, but in fact this is not so - the young man communicates with people of different characters and moral values in order to determine what suits him.
Count Kirill Bezukhov soon dies, leaving all his countless wealth to Pierre. Since then, the young man has become the most desired guest in all homes and a promising groom. Prince Vasily Kuragin helps Pierre settle down in a new world for him - he contributes to the enrollment of Pierre in the diplomatic corps and the assignment of the rank of chamber junker to Bezukhov.
Soon, Prince Vasily managed to win over Pierre to himself and even marry him to his daughter.
Marriage to Elena
Elena Kuragina was not a typical "Russian woman". There was no shyness, no meekness of character, no wisdom in her. However, Elena, of course, possessed one of the most powerful weapons - beauty, charm and affectation. Many young people dreamed of having this girl, so Pierre, who, because of his appearance, was not the favorite of the fair sex, was captivated by Elena and quickly proposed to the girl.
Elena arouses passion in Pierre, carnal desire, which Bezukhov is ashamed of - in his concept these are low feelings. Pierre is convinced that the family is something sublime, based on harmony.
No matter how strong Pierre's passion is, he still has the ability to assess the situation - Pierre understands that Elena is stupid, but just cannot refuse her. While the young man was wondering if he needed Elena, Prince Vasily successfully arranged the situation so that Pierre became Elena's unofficial fiance. It was difficult for the mild-mannered Bezukhov to go against public opinion, and he proposed to Elena, although he realized that this was not the woman who suits him.
Disappointment in family life was not long in coming - Elena did not hide her disgust and directly stated that she did not intend to have children from a person like Bezukhov.
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At this point, Pierre begins to realize that his concept of family and family life was a utopia. Bezukhov slowly sinks into the blues and becomes absolutely unhappy in family life.
Elena did not become discouraged by family life and, using her husband's money, took the path of a socialite. Soon, the elite of society began to gather in the house of the Bezukhovs. Pierre himself did not take part in his wife's events and successfully retired from her life. Elena takes lovers, and soon the whole city begins to talk about her love affairs. The only person who was in the dark was Pierre Bezukhov, he still considered his wife honest and pious.
The news of his wife's infidelity for Pierre became an unpleasant event. An angry Bezukhov shows character for the first time - in a quarrel with his wife, he does not behave as usual - a shy mumble - anger and anger break out. Pierre ceases to live with his wife, but does not cease to sponsor her, which could not but please Elena.
Over time, Pierre again draws closer to his wife, but still it is not possible to live a full-fledged family. Elena is also cheating on her husband. That it is true that Bezukhov receives something like moral compensation for such behavior of his wife - a promotion, which, however, he is ashamed of. As a result, young people completely exhaust themselves within the framework of a joint marriage - Elena accepts Catholicism in order to divorce her husband, but does not have time to fulfill her plan - the woman dies. Thus, the marriage of Pierre Bezukhov with the beautiful Elena Kuragina lasted 6 years.
Tolstoy does not detail the description of the recreated effect on Pierre with this piece of news. Elena's death occurs during Pierre's stay in captivity and, as a result, his acquaintance with Karataev. Based on the general situation, it can be assumed that he experienced considerable relief, since the death of Elena allowed him to regain freedom and inner balance.
freemasonry
Difficult relationships in marriage and a sense of disharmony of oneself as a person contribute to the desire to find oneself in this world, to feel needed and useful.
Pierre was far from religion - he did not believe in God, therefore, even in a difficult period of his life, he does not feel the need to seek solace in the bosom of religion. By chance, Bezukhov meets Joseph Alekseevich Bazdeev, who was a member of the Masonic lodge.
The ideas of this society soon captivate the young man - he sees this as an opportunity to find happiness. Freemasons gladly accept Pierre into their ranks. The reason for this cordiality lies in the state of Bezukhov - Pierre can make significant sums as a donation. Proceeding from this position, Pierre's disappointment in Freemasonry was not long in coming. In 1808, Pierre unexpectedly became the head of St. Petersburg Freemasonry.
The death of Bazdeev became unpleasant news in the life of Bezukhov - Pierre loses all interest in social activities and self-development. In the same period, Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky are betrothed - Pierre, of course, has friendly feelings towards Prince Andrei, but cannot be happy for him - his sympathy for Natasha does not allow him to do this. As a result, Bezukhov begins to live like a real rake - he could often be seen in carousing and drinking with Anatole Kuragin.
Pierre at war
In 1812, life is preparing another unpleasant surprise for Bezukhov - the war with Napoleon. This event for Pierre becomes doubly unpleasant. On the one hand, the very process of military events is unpleasant for Pierre - by nature he is a peace-loving person. On the other hand, Bezukhov has always admired the image of Napoleon both as a political person and as a commander, but after Bonaparte has a desire to seize Russia, Pierre's admiration for this person disappears, and his place is taken by deep disappointment and even anger.
Pierre decides to serve the Motherland - he goes to the front. Due to his condition, Bezukhov provides materially for the regiment - Bezukhov cannot personally take part in hostilities, and in general, he is not a military man.
When, nevertheless, Pierre appears on the battlefields, everyone around notes that Bezukhov's concept of war is very spatial - his figure in white pantaloons and an excellent suit looks very comical against the background of the whole massacre.
Pierre perceives everything with some kind of enthusiasm and solemnity. He notes that the faces of the officers from Kutuzov's entourage were imprinted with "warmth of feelings." Ordinary soldiers, on the other hand, do not perceive Bezukhov so cordially - anger and bewilderment are read on their faces. They do not understand what this gentleman in an exquisite hat is doing here. No matter how flattered Pierre is by the military smoke, he nevertheless notices such an attitude of the soldiers towards himself and he becomes embarrassed. Pierre loses this sense of unity with the military, which arose at the very beginning, he understands that he is superfluous here.
However, this trend did not last long - the soldiers noticed that Pierre was walking “under bullets as if on a boulevard”, not being afraid of either shells or death, and were imbued with sympathy for this eccentric stranger. Soon Pierre became a favorite at all. When the euphoria has passed, Pierre plunges into a spleen - of course, he had understood and realized before that the war does not happen without victims, but the sight of the dead soldiers, who a minute ago were laughing and joking, has an extremely depressing effect on him.
Under the general influence, Pierre decides to accomplish a feat - to kill Napoleon, who was so dearly beloved by him. However, Bezukhov's plan fails. Pierre is captured. Being in French captivity opened Pierre's eyes to many things. Thanks to Platon Karataev, Bezukhov begins to realize life values and rethink them. Finally, Pierre embarks on a path that gives him hope for happiness and harmony.
Marriage to Natasha Rostova
The events of the war with Napoleon became significant in the lives of many people. So, Natasha Rostova nevertheless realized her affection for Prince Andrei, but she was not destined to find happiness with this man - Bolkonsky was seriously injured and soon died. During the period of moral exhaustion of Natalia, Pierre Bezukhov appears in her life, but not as a good friend and friend, but as a fiancé.
This time, Pierre was not mistaken in choosing his wife - the calm and meek Natalia became the embodiment of his youthful ideal of a wife. Natasha was not interested in social life, she was rarely in public and was reluctant to receive guests at her place.
In the marriage of Rostova and Bezukhov, three daughters and a son are born. Natalia devoted herself completely to family life.
Pierre and the secret society
The social activities of Pierre Bezukhov do not end with the beginning of family life. in the last chapters of the novel, Tolstoy repeatedly makes hints that Pierre belongs to some kind of secret organization. According to researchers, these hints mean activities in the organization of the Decembrists - Pierre's youthful desire to change the world for the better does not leave him.
Summarize: Pierre Bezukhov is to some extent the forerunner of a new era - humanism and humane changes in society. Despite all the difficulties, Pierre does not remain in the abyss of social life, his desire to help others, to make the world a better place turns out to be stronger than alcohol, balls and the beauty of women. Bezukhov's moral dissatisfaction spurs him on to find new ways to realize himself in society. The path of his quest is definitely not the easiest - many disappointments become a real test for a young man. At the end of the novel, Pierre receives a worthy reward - a happy family and the opportunity to help others.
One of the main characters of the epic "Warrior and Peace" is Pierre Bezukhov. Characteristics of the character of the work is revealed through his actions. And also through the thoughts, spiritual searches of the main characters. The image of Pierre Bezukhov allowed Tolstoy to convey to the reader an understanding of the meaning of the era of that time, the whole life of a person.
Acquaintance of the reader with Pierre
The image of Pierre Bezukhov is very difficult to briefly describe and understand. The reader must go through with the hero all of his
Acquaintance with Pierre is referred in the novel to 1805. He appears at a secular reception with Anna Pavlovna Sherer, a Moscow high-ranking lady. By that time, the young man did not represent anything interesting for the secular public. He was the illegitimate son of one of the Moscow nobles. He received a good education abroad, but when he returned to Russia, he did not find a use for himself. An idle lifestyle, revelry, idleness, dubious companies led to the fact that Pierre was expelled from the capital. With this life baggage, he appears in Moscow. In turn, the high society also does not attract a young man. He does not share the pettiness of interests, selfishness, hypocrisy of his representatives. “Life is something deeper, more significant, but unknown to him,” Pierre Bezukhov reflects. "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy helps the reader to understand this.
Moscow life
The change of residence did not affect the image of Pierre Bezukhov. By nature, he is a very gentle person, easily falls under the influence of others, doubts about the correctness of his actions constantly haunt him. Unbeknownst to himself, he finds himself in captivity of the idle with her temptations, feasts and revelry.
After the death of Count Bezukhov, Pierre becomes the heir to the title and the entire fortune of his father. The attitude of society towards young people is changing dramatically. The eminent Moscow nobleman, in pursuit of the fortune of the young count, marries his beautiful daughter Helen to him. This marriage did not portend a happy family life. Very soon, Pierre understands the deceit, deceit of his wife, her debauchery becomes obvious to him. Thoughts of desecrated honor haunt him. In a state of rage, he commits an act that could be fatal. Fortunately, the duel with Dolokhov ended with the injury of the offender, and Pierre's life was out of danger.
The path of searching for Pierre Bezukhov
After the tragic events, the young count thinks more and more about how he spends the days of his life. Everything around is confusing, disgusting and meaningless. He understands that all secular rules and norms of behavior are insignificant in comparison with something great, mysterious, unknown to him. But Pierre does not have sufficient fortitude and knowledge to discover this great, to find the true purpose of human life. Thoughts did not leave the young man, making his life unbearable. A brief description of Pierre Bezukhov gives the right to say that he was a deep, thinking person.
Fascination with Freemasonry
After parting with Helen and giving her a large share of the fortune, Pierre decides to return to the capital. On the way from Moscow to St. Petersburg, during a short stop, he meets a man who talks about the existence of a brotherhood of Masons. Only they know the true path, they are subject to the laws of life. For Pierre's tormented soul and consciousness, this meeting, as he believed, was salvation.
Arriving in the capital, he, without hesitation, takes the rite and becomes a member of the Masonic Lodge. The rules of another world, its symbolism, views on life captivate Pierre. He unconditionally believes everything he hears at the meetings, although much of his new life seems gloomy and incomprehensible to him. The path of searching for Pierre Bezukhov continues. The soul is still rushing about and does not find peace.
How to make people's lives easier
New experiences and searches for the meaning of being lead Pierre Bezukhov to the understanding that the life of an individual cannot be happy when there are many destitute, deprived of any right people around.
He decides to take action to improve the lives of the peasants on his estates. Many do not understand Pierre. Even among the peasants, for whose sake all this was started, there is a misunderstanding, a rejection of the new way of life. This discourages Bezukhov, he is depressed, disappointed.
The disappointment was final when Pierre Bezukhov (whose characterization describes him as a gentle, trusting person) realized that he had been cruelly deceived by the manager, funds and efforts were wasted.
Napoleon
The disturbing events taking place in France at that time occupied the minds of the entire high society. stirred the minds of the young and the old. For many young people, the image of the great emperor has become an ideal. Pierre Bezukhov admired his successes, victories, he idolized the personality of Napoleon. I did not understand people who dared to resist the talented commander, the great revolution. There was a moment in Pierre's life when he was ready to swear allegiance to Napoleon and defend the gains of the revolution. But this was not destined to happen. Feats, achievements for the glory of the French Revolution remained only dreams.
And the events of 1812 will destroy all ideals. The adoration of Napoleon's personality will be replaced in Pierre's soul with contempt and hatred. There will be an irresistible desire to kill the tyrant, avenging all the troubles that he brought to his native land. Pierre was simply obsessed with the idea of reprisal against Napoleon, he believed that this was a destiny, the mission of his life.
battle of Borodino
The Patriotic War of 1812 broke the established foundation, becoming a real test for the country and its citizens. This tragic event directly affected Pierre. The aimless life of wealth and convenience was left without hesitation by the count for the sake of serving the fatherland.
It is in the war that Pierre Bezukhov, whose characterization has not yet been flattering, begins to look at life differently, to understand what was unknown. Rapprochement with soldiers, representatives of the common people, helps to re-evaluate life.
The great Battle of Borodino played a special role in this. Pierre Bezukhov, being in the same ranks with the soldiers, saw their real patriotism without falsehood and pretense, their readiness to give their lives without hesitation for the sake of their homeland.
Destruction, blood, and related experiences give rise to the spiritual rebirth of the hero. Suddenly, unexpectedly for himself, Pierre begins to find answers to questions that have tormented him for so many years. Everything becomes extremely clear and simple. He begins to live not formally, but with all his heart, experiencing a feeling unfamiliar to him, an explanation for which at this moment he cannot yet give.
Captivity
Further events unfold in such a way that the trials that befell Pierre should temper and finally form his views.
Once in captivity, he goes through an interrogation procedure, after which he remains alive, but before his eyes, several Russian soldiers are executed, who along with him fell to the French. The spectacle of the execution does not leave Pierre's imagination, bringing him to the brink of insanity.
And only a meeting and conversations with Platon Karataev again awaken a harmonious beginning in his soul. Being in a cramped barracks, experiencing physical pain and suffering, the hero begins to feel truly. The life path of Pierre Bezukhov helps to understand that being on earth is a great happiness.
However, the hero will have to reconsider his own and look for his place in it more than once.
Fate disposes so that Platon Karataev, who gave Pierre an understanding of life, was killed by the French, as he fell ill and could not move. The death of Karataev brings new suffering to the hero. Pierre himself was released from captivity by the partisans.
Native
Freed from captivity, Pierre, one after another, receives news from his relatives, about whom he knew nothing for a long time. He becomes aware of the death of his wife Helen. Best friend, Andrei Bolkonsky, is seriously wounded.
The death of Karataev, disturbing news from relatives again excite the soul of the hero. He begins to think that all the misfortunes that have occurred were his fault. He is the cause of the death of his loved ones.
And suddenly Pierre catches himself thinking that in difficult moments of spiritual experiences, the image of Natasha Rostova suddenly comes. She instills in him peace, gives strength and confidence.
Natasha Rostova
At subsequent meetings with her, he realizes that he has a feeling for this sincere, intelligent, spiritually rich woman. Natasha has a reciprocal feeling for Pierre. In 1813 they got married.
Rostova is capable of sincere love, she is ready to live in the interests of her husband, to understand, to feel him - this is the main advantage of a woman. Tolstoy showed the family as a way to save a person. The family is a small model of the world. The state of the whole society depends on the health of this cell.
Life goes on
The hero gained an understanding of life, happiness, harmony within himself. But the path to this was very difficult. The work of the inner development of the soul accompanied the hero all his life, and it gave its results.
But life does not stop, and Pierre Bezukhov, whose characterization as a seeker is given here, is again ready to move forward. In 1820, he informs his wife that he intends to become a member of a secret society.
