How many families in war and peace. Quotation characteristics of family members from the epic novel "War and Peace"

Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy in his epic novel "War and Peace" provided a wide system of images. His world is not limited to a few noble families: real historical characters are mixed with fictional, major and minor ones. This symbiosis is sometimes so intricate and unusual that it is extremely difficult to determine which heroes perform a more or less significant function.

Representatives of eight noble families act in the novel, almost all of them occupy a central place in the narrative.

Rostov family

This family is represented by Count Ilya Andreevich, his wife Natalya, their four children together and their pupil Sonya.

The head of the family, Ilya Andreevich, is a sweet and good-natured person. He has always been provided for, therefore he does not know how to save, he is often deceived by acquaintances and relatives for selfish purposes. The count is not a selfish person, he is ready to help everyone. Over time, his attitude, reinforced by addiction to the card game, became disastrous for his entire family. Because of the father's squandering, the family has been on the verge of poverty for a long time. The count dies at the end of the novel, after the wedding of Natalia and Pierre, of natural causes.

Countess Natalya is very similar to her husband. She, like him, is alien to the concept of self-interest and the pursuit of money. She is ready to help people who find themselves in a difficult situation, she is overwhelmed with feelings of patriotism. The countess had to endure many sorrows and troubles. This state of affairs is associated not only with unexpected poverty, but also with the death of their children. Of the thirteen born, only four survived; subsequently, the war took one more - the youngest.

The Count and Countess of Rostov, like most of the characters in the novel, have their prototypes. They were the grandfather and grandmother of the writer - Ilya Andreevich and Pelageya Nikolaevna.

The eldest child of the Rostovs is called Vera. This is an unusual girl, not like all the other members of the family. She is rude and callous at heart. This attitude applies not only to strangers, but also to close relatives. The rest of the Rostov children subsequently make fun of her and even come up with a nickname for her. The prototype of Vera was Elizaveta Bers, daughter-in-law of L. Tolstoy.

The next oldest child is Nikolai. His image is drawn in the novel with love. Nicholas is a noble person. He responsibly approaches any occupation. Tries to be guided by the principles of morality and honor. Nikolai is very similar to his parents - kind, sweet, purposeful. After the distress he had endured, he constantly took care not to find himself in a similar situation again. Nikolai takes part in military events, he is repeatedly awarded, but still he leaves military service after the war with Napoleon - his family needs him.

Nikolai marries Maria Bolkonskaya, they have three children - Andrei, Natasha, Mitya - and a fourth is expected.

The younger sister of Nikolai and Vera, Natalya, is the same in character and temperament as her parents. She is sincere and trusting, and this almost ruins her - Fedor Dolokhov fools the girl and persuades her to escape. These plans were not destined to come true, but Natalya's engagement with Andrei Bolkonsky was terminated, and Natalya fell into a deep depression. Subsequently, she became the wife of Pierre Bezukhov. The woman stopped watching her figure, others began to speak of her as an unpleasant woman. Tolstoy's wife, Sofya Andreevna, and her sister, Tatyana Andreevna, became the prototypes of Natalia.

The youngest child of the Rostovs was Petya. He was the same as all Rostovs: noble, honest and kind. All these qualities were enhanced by youthful maximalism. Petya was a sweet eccentric, to whom all pranks were forgiven. The fate of Petya was extremely unfavorable - he, like his brother, goes to the front and dies there very young and young.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace".

Another child, Sonya, was brought up in the Rostov family. The girl was related to the Rostovs, after the death of her parents, they took her in and treated her like their own child. Sonya was in love with Nikolai Rostov for a long time, this fact did not allow her to get married on time.

Presumably she remained alone until the end of her days. Its prototype was Leo Tolstoy's aunt, Tatyana Alexandrovna, in whose house the writer was brought up after the death of his parents.

We get to know all the Rostovs at the very beginning of the novel - they are all active throughout the story. In the "Epilogue" we learn about the further continuation of their kind.

Bezukhov family

The Bezukhov family is not represented in such a numerous form as the Rostov family. The head of the family is Kirill Vladimirovich. The name of his wife is not known. We know that she belonged to the Kuragin family, but it is not clear who exactly she was to them. Count Bezukhov has no children born in marriage - all his children are illegitimate. The eldest of them - Pierre - was officially named by his father the heir to the estate.

After such a statement by the count, the image of Pierre Bezukhov begins to appear actively in public terms. Pierre himself does not impose his society on others, but he is a prominent groom - the heir to unthinkable wealth, so they want to see him always and everywhere. Nothing is known about Pierre's mother, but this does not become a reason for indignation and ridicule. Pierre received a decent education abroad and returned to his homeland full of utopian ideas, his vision of the world is too idealistic and divorced from reality, so all the time he faces unthinkable disappointments - in social activities, personal life, family harmony. His first wife was Elena Kuragina - a whore and a flirtatious. This marriage brought a lot of suffering to Pierre. The death of his wife saved him from the unbearable - he did not have the power to leave Elena or change her, but he could not come to terms with such an attitude towards his person. The second marriage - with Natasha Rostova - became more successful. They had four children - three girls and a boy.

Princes Kuragins

The Kuragin family is stubbornly associated with greed, debauchery and deceit. The reason for this was the children of Vasily Sergeevich and Alina - Anatole and Elena.

Prince Vasily was not a bad person, he possessed a number of positive qualities, but his desire for enrichment and gentleness of character towards his son nullified all positive aspects.

Like any father, Prince Vasily wanted to ensure a prosperous future for his children, one of the options was a profitable marriage. This position not only had a bad effect on the reputation of the whole family, but also later played a tragic role in the lives of Elena and Anatole.

Little is known about Princess Alina. At the time of the story, she was a rather ugly woman. Her distinguishing feature was hostility to her daughter Elena on the basis of envy.

Vasily Sergeevich and Princess Alina had two sons and a daughter.

Anatole - became the cause of all the troubles of the family. He led a life of spenders and rake - debts, brawls were a natural occupation for him. Such behavior left an extremely negative imprint on the reputation of the family and its financial situation.

Anatole was seen in love with his sister Elena. The possibility of a serious relationship between brother and sister was suppressed by Prince Vasily, but, apparently, they still took place after Elena's marriage.

The daughter of the Kuragins, Elena, had incredible beauty, like her brother Anatole. She skillfully flirted and after marriage had a love affair with many men, ignoring her husband Pierre Bezukhov.

Their brother Ippolit was completely unlike them in appearance - he was extremely unpleasant in appearance. In terms of the composition of his mind, he was not much different from his brother and sister. He was too stupid - this was noted not only by those around him, but also by his father. Nevertheless, Ippolit was not hopeless - he knew foreign languages ​​​​well and worked at the embassy.

Princes Bolkonsky

The Bolkonsky family occupies far from the last place in society - they are rich and influential.
The family includes Prince Nikolai Andreevich - a man of the old school and peculiar customs. He is rather rude in dealing with his relatives, but still not devoid of sensuality and tenderness - he is kind to his grandson and daughter, in a peculiar way, but still, he loves his son, but he does not really succeed in showing the sincerity of his feelings.

Nothing is known about the prince's wife, even her name is not mentioned in the text. In the marriage of the Bolkonskys, two children were born - son Andrei and daughter Marya.

Andrei Bolkonsky is partially similar in character to his father - he is quick-tempered, proud and a little rude. He has an attractive appearance and natural charm. At the beginning of the novel, Andrei is successfully married to Lisa Meinen - the couple has a son, Nikolenka, but his mother dies on the night after giving birth.

After some time, Andrei becomes the fiancé of Natalia Rostova, but he didn’t have to get married - Anatol Kuragin translated all the plans, which earned him personal dislike and exceptional hatred on the part of Andrei.

Prince Andrei takes part in the military events of 1812, is seriously wounded on the battlefield and dies in the hospital.

Maria Bolkonskaya - Andrey's sister - is deprived of such pride and stubbornness as her brother, which allows her, not without difficulty, but still to get along with her father, who is not distinguished by an accommodating character. Kind and meek, she understands that she is not indifferent to her father, therefore she does not hold a grudge against him for nit-picking and rudeness. The girl is raising her nephew. Outwardly, Marya does not look like her brother - she is very ugly, but this does not prevent her from marrying Nikolai Rostov and living a happy life.

Liza Bolkonskaya (Meinen) was the wife of Prince Andrei. She was an attractive woman. Her inner world was not inferior to her appearance - she was sweet and pleasant, she loved needlework. Unfortunately, her fate did not turn out in the best way - childbirth turned out to be too difficult for her - she dies, giving life to her son Nikolenka.

Nikolenka lost his mother early, but the boy's troubles did not stop there - at the age of 7, he also loses his father. Despite everything, he is characterized by the cheerfulness inherent in all children - he grows up as an intelligent and inquisitive boy. The image of his father becomes key for him - Nikolenka wants to live in such a way that his father can be proud of him.

Mademoiselle Bourienne also belongs to the Bolkonsky family. Despite the fact that she is only a friendly companion, her significance in the context of the family is quite significant. First of all, it consists in a pseudo friendship with Princess Mary. Often Mademoiselle acts meanly towards Mary, enjoys the favor of the girl in relation to her person.

The Karagin family

Tolstoy does not spread much about the Karagin family - the reader gets acquainted with only two representatives of this family - Marya Lvovna and her daughter Julie.

Marya Lvovna first appears before readers in the first volume of the novel, her own daughter also begins to act in the first volume of the first part of War and Peace. Julie has an extremely unpleasant appearance, she is in love with Nikolai Rostov, but the young man does not pay any attention to her. Does not save the situation and its huge wealth. Boris Drubetskoy actively draws attention to her material component, the girl understands that the young man is kind to her only because of the money, but does not show it - for her this is actually the only way not to remain an old maid.

Princes Drubetskoy

The Drubetsky family is not particularly active in the public sphere, so Tolstoy avoids a detailed description of the family members and focuses readers only on active characters - Anna Mikhailovna and her son Boris.

Princess Drubetskaya belongs to an old family, but now her family is going through hard times - poverty has become a constant companion of the Drubetskys. This state of affairs gave rise to a sense of prudence and self-interest in the representatives of this family. Anna Mikhailovna tries to get as much benefit as possible from her friendship with the Rostovs - she has been living with them for a long time.

Her son, Boris, was a friend of Nikolai Rostov for some time. As they grew older, their views on life values ​​and principles began to differ greatly, which led to a removal in communication.

Boris more and more begins to show self-interest and the desire to get rich at any cost. He is ready to marry for money and does it successfully, taking advantage of the unenviable position of Julie Karagina

Dolokhov family

Representatives of the Dolokhov family are also not all active in society. Among all, Fedor stands out clearly. He is the son of Marya Ivanovna and the best friend of Anatole Kuragin. In his behavior, he also did not go far from his friend: revelry and an idle way of life are a common occurrence for him. In addition, he is famous for his love affair with Pierre Bezukhov's wife, Elena. A distinctive feature of Dolokhov from Kuragin is his attachment to his mother and sister.

Historical figures in the novel "War and Peace"

Since Tolstoy's novel takes place against the backdrop of historical events related to the war against Napoleon in 1812, it is impossible to do without at least a partial mention of real characters.

Alexander I

The novel most actively describes the activities of Emperor Alexander I. This is not surprising, because the main events take place on the territory of the Russian Empire. In the beginning, we learn about the positive and liberal aspirations of the emperor, he is "an angel in the flesh." The peak of his popularity falls on the period of Napoleon's defeat in the war. It was at this time that the authority of Alexander reaches incredible heights. An emperor can easily make changes and improve the lives of his subjects, but he doesn't. As a result, such an attitude and inactivity become the reason for the emergence of the Decembrist movement.

Napoleon I Bonaparte

On the other side of the barricade in the events of 1812 is Napoleon. Since many Russian aristocrats were educated abroad, and the French language was everyday for them, the attitude of the nobles towards this character at the beginning of the novel was positive and bordered on admiration. Then disappointment occurs - their idol from the category of ideals becomes the main villain. With the image of Napoleon, such connotations as egocentrism, lies, pretense are actively used.

Mikhail Speransky

This character is important not only in Tolstoy's novel, but also during the real era of Emperor Alexander.

His family could not boast of antiquity and significance - he is the son of a priest, but still he managed to become the secretary of Alexander I. He is not a particularly pleasant person, but everyone notes his importance in the context of events in the country.

In addition, historical characters of lesser significance, in comparison with the emperors, act in the novel. These are the great commanders Barclay de Tolly, Mikhail Kutuzov and Pyotr Bagration. Their activity and the disclosure of the image takes place on the battlefields - Tolstoy tries to describe the military part of the narrative as realistic and captivating as possible, therefore these characters are described not only as great and unsurpassed, but also as ordinary people who are subject to doubts, mistakes and negative qualities of character.

Other characters

Among the other characters, the name of Anna Scherer should be highlighted. She is the "owner" of a secular salon - the elite of society meets here. Guests are rarely left to their own devices. Anna Mikhailovna always seeks to provide her visitors with interesting interlocutors, she often panders - this is of particular interest to her.

Of great importance in the novel is Adolf Berg, the husband of Vera Rostova. He is an ardent careerist and selfish. His temperament and attitude to family life bring him closer to his wife.

Another significant character is Platon Karataev. Despite his ignoble origin, his role in the novel is extremely important. Possession of folk wisdom and understanding of the principles of happiness gives him the opportunity to influence the formation of Pierre Bezukhov.

Thus, both fictional and real-life characters are active in the novel. Tolstoy does not burden readers with unnecessary information about the genealogy of families, he actively talks only about those representatives who are active in the framework of the novel.

The wise Litrekon made not only a short essay-reasoning with a description of the families of heroes, but also a table where he described the qualities, behavior, attitude towards people and other parameters for evaluating heroes. The table is at the end of the essay.

(429 words) "A Family Thought" is an integral part of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel "War and Peace". Throughout the work, the plot is centered not only on important historical events, but also on the simple life of people. "Labyrinth of links" - this is how this great work can be characterized. The epic novel describes the life of several families. "Close-up" presents two families - the Rostovs and the Bolkonskys. They are equally close to the author, but completely different in their essence.

Rostovs treat each other with tenderness and care. They are open and cheerful people. The most important value for them is the family. Let us recall how hard Countess Rostova suffered the death of her youngest son, and how Natasha supported her during this difficult life period. The kindness of the Rostovs is repeatedly manifested in the work: they give all their carts to the wounded, they take in an orphan (Sonya) for education. But at the same time, the heroes lack responsibility and practical skills. They are frivolous and often make unwise decisions. So, Nikolai, not understanding the household, pounces on Mitenka and reproaches him for theft, and his sister agrees to escape with a young man she barely knows, being engaged. But at the end of the work we see the true "nature" of the Rostovs. Natasha became in many ways similar to her mother: she dissolved in family life, devoted herself entirely to her children and husband. Nikolai made a choice in favor of a profitable party in order to improve family affairs. Both heroes did everything possible to strengthen their family.

The Rostov family is hard to imagine without the Bolkonskys. They are closely related. Natasha helps Andrei regain true life values, love for her leads him to a new spiritual stage. However, there are some differences between families. Andrei at the beginning of the work resembles his father: cold, prudent, indifferent and conceited. These are practical people who make decisions with the mind, not the heart. They, unlike the Rostovs, are rich and only increase their economy, because their affairs are always exemplary order. But you can't blame them for being incapable of real feelings. Marya Bolkonskaya is a believing, tender girl who loved her father, despite his rough treatment of her. She understood that the old prince could not wish her harm, therefore she could not doubt the truth of his judgments. The Bolkonskys, despite the external "severity", have the most sincere feelings for each other. Enormous spiritual work takes place inside their soul and is a mystery to the environment. Let us recall how Nikolai was struck by the face of Marya in the church: the girl prayed so fervently and with concentration that Rostov, returning to his place, also turned to God.

So, it cannot be said that the Rostovs are windy, amorous people of the “heart”, just as it is impossible to describe the Bolkonskys by one criterion - “people of the mind”. In L.N. Tolstoy, people change, err, acquire new spiritual values. Throughout their life path, they change their views, but one thing remains unchanged - a feeling of love for the family, homeland, chosen one. That is why the author rewarded the heroes with happiness.

families	Rostov	Bolkonskie
demeanor	cordiality, hospitality, friendliness, the joy of communication. the Rostovs are the favorites of society and dear guests. for example, the author describes in detail how the inhabitants of Voronezh were happy with the cheerful Nikolai, how Natasha attracted the attention of men at the first ball. they try not to take, but to give people, and even more than they need (for example, they gave carts to the wounded, but they themselves ended up with nothing). but some members of the family are quick-tempered and frivolous (Nikolai lost a huge amount of cards and barely paid off).	secretive, reserved and not very sociable people who live by the mind, not by the heart. Andrey is not loved in the world for his arrogance, the old prince is completely alienated from society, does not leave the village. Marya is more kind and open to people, but she is shy in their environment and prefers loneliness and conversations with "God's people" to entertainment. they prefer business to conversation. men do despise the good half of humanity.
character traits	kindness, responsiveness, ardor, emotionality, frivolity, generosity, patriotism, ardor, sacrifice, sociability.	prudence, pride, severity, uncompromisingness, practicality, vanity, patriotism, spiritual quest, secrecy and unsociableness.
attitude towards others	either they sacrifice everything they have (“dress” the son of Anna Drubetskaya, take Sonya to bring up), then they allow themselves to be deceived (losing 42 thousand to Dokhokhov, sumptuous dinners at the club at the expense of the count), then they show ardor and imprudence (Natasha turns away from Sonya for that she saved her honor, the countess makes unfair reproaches to Sonya because of her love for Nicholas).	they judge people severely and do not even want to hide their condemnation (Maria turns away from the weeds after her rapprochement with the old prince, Andrei almost fights with Nikolai Rostov, the old prince despises his daughter-in-law). but they become shy and doubt when they begin to like someone (Maria did not want to meet Nikolai, fearing that this was not permissible to do in mourning).
life goals	the countess wants to leave a generous inheritance to her children and ensure their fate, the count wants the same, but at the same time he thinks on a larger scale and does not agree to skimp on honor or patriotism. Natasha wants love and yearns to live for someone. Sonya aspires to marriage with Nikolai, but after her disappointment, she simply wants to be grateful to those who provided for her. Nikolai wants to succeed in his service and create a full-fledged family. Petya wants to protect his homeland and gain fame.	Andrey strives for useful and glorious activities in the military and political fields. then he longs for a family, but is disappointed and wants only to make his real contribution to the cause of victory over the enemy. his father strives for order and prosperity of the estate, for work and self-development. Marya wants to find spiritual harmony and start a family. she also wishes happiness to all family members and takes care of relatives.

In the eyes of secular society, Prince Kuragin is a respected person, "close to the emperor, surrounded by a crowd of enthusiastic women, scattering secular courtesies and chuckling benevolently." In words he was a decent, sympathetic person, but in reality he constantly had an internal struggle between the desire to appear a decent person and the actual depravity of his motives. Prince Vasily knew that influence in the world is a capital that must be protected so that it does not disappear, and, once realizing that if he begins to ask for everyone who asks him, then soon he will not be able to ask for himself, he rarely used this influence. But at the same time, he sometimes felt remorse. So, in the case of Princess Drubetskaya, he felt "something like a reproach of conscience", as she reminded him that "he owed his first steps in the service to her father."

Tolstoy's favorite technique is the opposition of the internal and external characters of the characters. The image of Prince Vasily very clearly reflects this opposition.

Fatherly feelings are not alien to Prince Vasily, although they are expressed rather in the desire to "attach" their children, rather than to give them fatherly love and warmth. According to Anna Pavlovna Sherer, people like the prince should not have children. "... And why will children be born to people like you? If you weren't the father, I wouldn't be able to reproach you for anything." To which the prince replies: "What should I do? You know, I did everything that a father can for their upbringing."

The prince forced Pierre to marry Helen, pursuing selfish goals. To Anna Pavlovna Scherer's proposal to "marry the prodigal son Anatole" to Princess Maria Bolkonskaya, he says: "she has a good surname and is rich. Everything I need." At the same time, Prince Vasily does not at all think about the fact that Princess Marya may be unhappy in marriage with the dissolute varmint Anatole, who looked at his whole life as one continuous amusement.

Absorbed all the vile, vicious traits of Prince Vasily and his children.

Helen, the daughter of Vasily Kuragin, is the embodiment of external beauty and internal emptiness, a fossil. Tolstoy constantly mentions her "monotonous", "unchanging" smile and "ancient beauty of the body", she resembles a beautiful, soulless statue. Here is how the master of words describes the appearance of Helen in the Scherer salon: “Noisy with her white ballroom robe, trimmed with ivy and moss, and shining with the whiteness of her shoulders, with the gloss of her hair and diamonds, she passed, not looking at anyone, but smiling to everyone and as if kindly giving everyone the right to admire the beauty of her figure, full of shoulders, very open in the fashion of that time, chest and back, and as if bringing with her the splendor of the ball.Helen was so good that not only was there no trace of coquetry in her, but, on the contrary, she as if she was ashamed of her undoubted and too strong acting beauty. She seemed to want and could not belittle the effects of this beauty.

Helen personifies immorality and depravity. Helen only marries for her own enrichment. She is cheating on her husband, because her nature is dominated by the animal nature. It is no coincidence that Tolstoy leaves Helen childless. "I'm not stupid enough to have kids," she admits. Still, being the wife of Pierre, Helen, in front of the eyes of the whole society, is arranging her personal life.

She loves nothing in life except her body, gives her brother a kiss on her shoulders, and does not give money. She cold-bloodedly chooses her lovers, like dishes from the menu, knows how to maintain the respect of the world and even acquire a reputation as an intelligent woman thanks to her air of cold dignity and social tact. This type could develop only in the circle where Helen lived. This adoration of one's own body could develop only where idleness and luxury gave full play to all sensual impulses. This shameless calm is where a high position, providing impunity, teaches to neglect the respect of society, where wealth and connections provide every means to hide intrigue and shut up chatty mouths.

In addition to a magnificent bust, a rich and beautiful body, this representative of the big world possessed an extraordinary ability to hide her mental and moral squalor, and all this was due only to the elegance of her manners and the memorization of some phrases and techniques. Shamelessness manifests itself in her under such grandiose high society forms that it excites, in others, almost respect.

Helen eventually dies. This death is a direct consequence of her own intrigues. "Countess Elena Bezukhova died suddenly from ... a terrible disease, which is commonly called chest sore throat, but in intimate circles they talked about how the physician of the Queen of Spain prescribed Helen small doses of some kind of medicine to produce a well-known action; like Helen, tormented by the fact that the old count suspected her, and because the husband to whom she wrote (that unfortunate depraved Pierre) did not answer her, she suddenly took a huge dose of the medicine prescribed for her and died in agony before help could be given.

Ippolit Kuragin, Helen's brother, "... strikes with his extraordinary resemblance to his beautiful sister, and even more so because, despite the resemblance, he is strikingly ugly. His features are the same as those of his sister, but everything was illuminated by her cheerful, self-satisfied On the other hand, my brother's face was hazy with idiocy and invariably expressed self-confident squeamishness, and his body was thin and weak. , and the arms and legs always assumed an unnatural position."

Hippolyte was extraordinarily stupid. Due to the self-confidence with which he spoke, no one could understand whether what he said was very smart or very stupid.

At the reception at Scherer, he appears to us "in a dark green tailcoat, in pantaloons the color of a frightened nymph, as he himself said, in stockings and shoes." And such an absurd outfit does not bother him at all.

His stupidity was manifested in the fact that he sometimes spoke, and then he understood what he said. Hippolyte often expressed his opinions when no one needed them. He liked to insert phrases into the conversation that were completely irrelevant to the essence of the topic under discussion.

Let us give an example from the novel: “Prince Ippolit, who had been looking at the viscount in a lorgnette for a long time, suddenly turned with his whole body to the little princess and, asking her for a needle, began to show her, drawing with a needle on the table, the coat of arms of Cande. He explained this coat of arms to her with such with a significant look, as if the princess asked him about it.

Thanks to his father, Hippolyte makes a career and during the war with Napoleon becomes the secretary of the embassy. Among the officers in the service of the embassy, ​​he is considered a jester.

The character of Hippolyte can serve as a living example of the fact that even positive idiocy is sometimes presented in the world as something of importance due to the gloss attached by knowledge of the French language, and that extraordinary property of this language to support and at the same time mask spiritual emptiness.

Prince Vasily calls Ippolit "a dead fool." Tolstoy in the novel - "sluggish and breaking." These are the dominant character traits of Hippolytus. Hippolyte is stupid, but at least he does not harm anyone with his stupidity, unlike his younger brother Anatole.

Anatole Kuragin, the youngest son of Vasily Kuragin, according to Tolstoy, "simple and with carnal inclinations." These are the dominant character traits of Anatole. He looks at his whole life as an uninterrupted entertainment that someone like that for some reason undertook to arrange for him.

Anatole is completely free from considerations of responsibility and consequences of what he does. His egoism is direct, animal-naive and good-natured, absolute egoism, for Anatole is not constrained by anything inside, in consciousness, feeling. It’s just that Kuragin is deprived of the ability to know what will happen next for a minute of his pleasure and how it will affect the lives of other people, how others will look. All this does not exist for him at all. He is sincerely convinced, instinctively, with his whole being, that everything around him has the sole purpose of entertainment and exists for this. No looking back at people, their opinions, the consequences, no long-term goal that would force them to focus on achieving it, no remorse, reflection, hesitation, doubt - Anatole, no matter what he does, naturally and sincerely considers himself an impeccable person and highly bears its beautiful head.

One of Anatole's character traits is slowness and lack of eloquence in conversations. But he has the ability of calmness, precious to the world, and unchanging confidence: "Anatole was silent, shook his leg, cheerfully observing the princess's hairstyle. It was evident that he could remain silent for a very long time. which most of all inspires curiosity, fear and even love in women is the manner of contemptuous consciousness of one's own superiority.

At her brother's request, Helen introduces Natasha to Anatole. After five minutes of talking with him, Natasha "feels terribly close to this man." Natasha is deceived by Anatole's false beauty. In the presence of Anatole, she is “pleasant, but for some reason cramped and hard,” she experiences pleasure and excitement, and at the same time, fear from the absence of a barrier of modesty between her and this person.

Knowing that Natasha is engaged to Prince Andrei, Anatole nevertheless confesses his love to her. What could come out of this courtship, Anatole could not know, since he never knew what would come out of his every act. In a letter to Natasha, he says that either she will love him or he will die, that if Natasha says yes, he will kidnap her and take her to the ends of the earth. Impressed by this letter, Natasha refuses Prince Andrei and agrees to escape with Kuragin. But the escape fails, Natasha's note falls into the wrong hands, and the kidnapping plan fails. The day after the unsuccessful kidnapping, Anatole comes across Pierre on the street, who knows nothing and is driving at that moment to Akhrosimova, where the whole story will be told to him. Anatole in the sleigh sits "upright, in the classic pose of military dandies", his face is fresh and ruddy in the cold, snow falls on his curled hair. It is clear that all that was yesterday is already far from him; he is pleased with himself and life now and is handsome, in his own way even beautiful in this confident and calm contentment of his.

In a conversation with Natasha, Pierre revealed to her that Anatole is married, so all his promises are a lie. Then Bezukhov went to Anatole and demanded that he return Natasha's letters and leave Moscow:

... - you are a scoundrel and a bastard, and I don’t know what keeps me from the pleasure of crushing your head ...

Did you promise to marry her?

I, I, I didn't think; However, I never promised...

Do you have her letters? Do you have letters? - Pierre repeated, moving towards Anatole.

Anatole looked at him and reached into his pocket for his wallet...

- ... you must leave Moscow tomorrow.

- ... you should never say a word about what happened between you and the countess.

The next day Anatole left for Petersburg. Having learned about Natasha's betrayal and about the role of Anatole in this, Prince Andrei was going to challenge him to a duel and searched for him for a long time throughout the army. But when he met Anatole, whose leg had just been taken away, Prince Andrei remembered everything, and enthusiastic pity for this man filled his heart. He forgave him everything.

5) The Rostov family.

"War and Peace" is one of those books that cannot be forgotten. “When you stand and wait for this tense string to burst, when everyone is waiting for an inevitable revolution, you need to take hand in hand as closely as possible and as many people as possible in order to resist the general catastrophe,” L. Tolstoy said in this novel.

In its very name - all human life. And also "War and Peace" is a model of the structure of the world, the universe, and therefore appears in the IV part of the novel (Pierre Bezukhov's dream) the symbol of this world - a globe-ball. "This globe was a living, oscillating ball, without dimensions." Its entire surface consisted of drops tightly compressed together. The drops moved, moved, now merging, now separating. Each sought to spread, to capture the largest space, but others, shrinking, sometimes destroyed each other, sometimes merged into one.

"How simple and clear it all is," we repeat, rereading our favorite pages of the novel. And these pages, like drops on the surface of the globe, connecting with others, form part of a single whole. Episode by episode we move towards the infinite and eternal, which is the life of man.

But the writer Tolstoy would not have been a philosopher Tolstoy if he had not shown us the polar sides of being: life, in which form prevails, and life, which contains the fullness of content. It is from these Tolstoy ideas about life that the episode of the name day in the Rostov house will be considered.

A curious and absurd incident with a bear and a quarter will evoke good-natured laughter in the Rostovs’ house (from Count Rostov), ​​others - curiosity (mainly among young people), and someone with a maternal note (Marya Dmitrievna) will sternly scold poor Pierre: "Good, nothing to say! Good boy! Father is lying on his bed, and he is amusing himself, putting the quarter on a bear astride. Shame on you, father, shame on you! It would be better to go to war." Oh, if there were more such formidable instructions to Pierre Bezukhov, perhaps there would be no unforgivable mistakes in his life. The very image of the aunt, Countess Marya Dmitrievna, is also interesting. She always spoke Russian, not recognizing secular conventions; it should be noted that French speech in the Rostovs' house sounds much less frequently than in the St. Petersburg drawing room (or almost does not sound). And the way everyone respectfully stood in front of her was by no means a false rite of courtesy in front of the "unnecessary aunt" Scherer, but a natural desire to express respect to the honorable lady.

What attracts readers to the Rostov family? First of all, this is a pronounced Russian family. Way of life, customs, likes and dislikes - all this is Russian, national. What is the basis of the "Rostov spirit"? First of all, a poetic attitude, boundless love for one's folk, Russian, for native nature, native songs, holidays and their prowess. They absorbed the spirit of the people with its cheerfulness, the ability to suffer steadfastly, to easily make sacrifices, not for show, but with all the spiritual breadth. No wonder the uncle, listening to Natasha's songs and admiring her dance, is amazed at where this countess, brought up by French women, could so understand, feel the authenticity of the Russian, folk spirit. The actions of the Rostovs are immediate: their joys are truly joyful, their grief is bitter, their love and affections are strong and deep. Sincerity is one of the main features of all family members.

The life of the young Rostovs is closed. They are happy and easy when they are together. Society with its hypocrisy remains alien and incomprehensible to them for a long time. Appearing for the first time at the ball. Natasha bears so little resemblance to secular young ladies, the contrast between her and the "light" is so distinct.

Barely stepping over the threshold of the family, Natasha is deceived. The best people are drawn to the Rostovs, and above all to their common favorite Natasha: Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov, Vasily Denisov.

Let us turn to the characteristics of individual members of the Rostov family. Consider first the representatives of the older generation.

The old Count Ilya Andreevich is an unremarkable man: a shady gentleman, a fan of setting a feast for all of Moscow, a destroyer of fortunes, leaving his beloved children without an inheritance. It seems that in all his life he did not make a single reasonable act. We have not heard from him smart solutions, but meanwhile he excites sympathy, and sometimes charms.

The representative of the old nobility, who does not understand the management of estates, who trusted the rogue clerk who robs the serfs, Rostov is deprived of one of the most disgusting features of the landowner class - acquisitiveness. This is not a master predator. There is no lordly contempt for serfs in his nature. They are people for him. To sacrifice material wealth for the sake of a person does not amount to anything for Ilya Andreevich. He recognizes no logic; but with the whole being, that a person, his joy and happiness are higher than any blessings. All this distinguishes Rostoy from the environment of his circle. He is an epicurean, he lives by the principle: a person should be happy. His happiness lies in the ability to rejoice with others. And the feasts that he sets are not a desire to splurge, not a desire to satisfy ambition. It is the joy of bringing happiness to others, the opportunity to rejoice and have fun yourself.

How brilliantly the character of Ilya Andreevich is revealed at the ball during the performance of the old dance Danila Kupor! How charming the Count is! With what prowess he dances to the surprise of all those gathered.

"You are our father! Eagle!" - say the servants, admiring the dancing old man.

“Quicker, faster and faster, more and more, and more and more, the count unfolded, now on tiptoe, now on heels, rushing around Marya Dmitrievna and, finally, turning his lady to her place, made the last step ... bowing his sweaty head with a smiling face and roundly waved his right hand amid the roar of applause and laughter, especially of Natasha.

This is how they danced in our time, mother, ”he said.

The old count brings an atmosphere of love and friendship into the family. Nikolai, and Natasha, and Sonya, and Petya are indebted to him for the poetic-love air that they absorb from childhood.

Prince Vasily calls him a “rude bear”, and Prince Andrei calls him a “stupid old man”, the old Bolkonsky speaks unflattering about him. But all this does not reduce the charm of Rostov. How vividly his original character is manifested in the hunting scene! And youthful joy, and excitement, and embarrassment in front of the arriving Danila - all this, as it were, merges into a complete characterization of Rostov.

During the events of the twelfth year, Ilya Andreevich appears from the most attractive side. True to himself, he gives carts to the wounded while leaving Moscow, leaving property. He knows he will be ruined. The rich put up a militia, confident that it would not bring them much. damage. Ilya Andreevich hands over the carts, remembering one thing: wounded Russians cannot stay with the French! It is noteworthy that the entire Rostov family is unanimous in this decision. So did the truly Russian people, who left the French without hesitation, for "under the French everything is worse."

On the one hand, Rostov was influenced by the loving and poetic atmosphere of his own family, on the other hand, the customs of the “golden youth” - revels, trips to gypsies, playing cards, duels. On the one hand, it was shaped by the general atmosphere of patriotic enthusiasm and tempered military affairs, the camaraderie of the regiment, on the other hand, reckless orgies with debauchery and drunkenness were poisoned.

Under the influence of such opposing factors, the formation of the character of Nicholas went on. This created the duality of his nature. In it - and nobility, and ardent love for the motherland, and courage, and a sense of duty, camaraderie. On the other hand, contempt for work, for intellectual life, loyal moods.

Nikolai is characterized by the features of the time: unwillingness to reach the cause of phenomena, the desire to evade answers to the questions: why? Why so? neither the rude morality of society kills humanity in him. Tolstoy reveals the complex experiences of Nikolai in the so-called Ostrovnensky case. For this case, he received the St. George Cross, was known as a brave man. How did Rostov himself regard his behavior in this battle? Faced in battle face to face with a young a French officer, Nikolai stabbed him with a saber.The question arose before him: why did he hit the boy officer? Why would this Frenchman hit him too?

“All this and the next day, friends and comrades of Rostov noticed that he was not boring, not angry, but silent, thoughtful and concentrated ... Rostov kept thinking about this brilliant feat of his ... And he could not understand something ". However, when confronted with such questions, Rostov tends to evade the answer. He confines himself to emotions and, as a rule, tries to exterminate the painful feeling of unrest in himself. So it was with him in Tilsit, when he was busy with Denisov, and his reflection on the Ostrovny episode ended the same way.

His character is especially convincingly revealed in the scene of the liberation of Princess Marya from the rebellious peasants. It is difficult to imagine a more historically accurate depiction of the entire conventionality of noble morality. Tolstoy does not directly express his attitude to Rostov's act. This attitude emerges from the description. Rostov beats the peasants with swear words in order to save the princess and does not hesitate for a minute, inflicting such reprisals. He does not feel a single reproach of conscience.

The son of his age and his estate, Rostov leaves the stage. - As soon as the war passed - the hussar changed his uniform to a jacket. He is a landlord. The extravagance and extravagance of youth are replaced by stinginess and prudence. He now does not resemble in any way a good-natured, stupidly wound-up father.

At the end of the novel, two families are formed - the Rostovs and the Bezukhovs. Whatever the views of Nicholas, when he turns out to be a landowner, no matter how many of his actions, the new family, with Marya Bolkonskaya in the center, retains many of the features that distinguished the Rostovs and Bolkonskys from the circle of noble society before. This new family will become a fertile environment in which not only Nikolenka Bolkonsky, but, perhaps, other glorious people of Russia will be brought up.

The bearer of the "Rostov spirit", the brightest person in the family, is undoubtedly the favorite of all Natasha, the center of attraction to the Rostov house of all the best that exists in society.

Natasha is a generously gifted person. Her actions are original. No prejudice hangs over her. Her heart rules. This is a captivating image of a Russian woman. The structure of feelings and thoughts, character and temperament - everything in it is pronounced, national.

For the first time, Natasha appears as a teenager, with thin hands, with a large mouth, ugly and at the same time charming. The writer, as it were, emphasizes that all her charm lies in her inner originality. In childhood, this originality was manifested in stormy fun, in sensitivity, in a hot reaction to everything around. Not a single false sound escaped her notice. Natasha, according to those who know her, is “gunpowder”, “Cossack”, “sorceress”. The world in which she grows up is the poetic world of a family with a peculiar system of friendship and childish love. This world is a sharp contrast to society. As if a foreign body appears at a birthday party among the dear youth of the Rostovs, the stiff Julie Karagina. A sharp contrast to Russian speech sounds French dialect.

How much enthusiasm, energy in the willful-playful Natasha! She is not afraid to break the secular-decent course of a birthday dinner. Her jokes, childish stubbornness, bold attacks on adults - this is a game of talent sparkling with all facets. Natasha even flaunts her unwillingness to accept generally accepted conventions. Her young world is full of poetic fantasy, she even has her own language, understandable only to the youth of the Rostovs.

Natasha's development is booming. At first, the wealth of her soul finds an outlet in singing. She is trained by an Italian, but all the charm of talent comes from the very depths of her temperament, building her soul. Gusar Denisov, the first truly fascinated by Natasha, calls her "Sorceress!" Alarmed for the first time, by the closeness of love, Natasha is tormented by pity for Denisov. The scene of her explanation with Denisov is one of the poetic pages of the novel.

The time of Natasha's childhood ends early. Quite a girl she is taken out into the "light". Among the glitter of lights, dresses, in the thunder of music, after the poetic silence of the Rostov house, Natasha feels shocked. What can she mean, a thin girl, in front of the dazzling beauty of Countess _Helene?

Departure to the "big world" turned out to be the end of her cloudless happiness. A new time has begun. Love has come. Just like Denisov, Prince Andrei experienced the charm of Natasha. With her characteristic sensitivity, she saw in him a man who was not like the others. “Is it really me, that child girl (they said so about me), thought Natasha, “can I really be a wife from now on, equal to this strange, sweet, intelligent person, respected even by my father.”

The new time is a time of complex inner work, spiritual growth. Natasha finds herself in Otradnoye, among village life, among nature, surrounded by nannies, courtyards. It was they who were her first educators, they conveyed to her all the originality of the national spirit.

The time spent in Otradnoye leaves a deep mark on her soul. Children's dreams are intertwined with a feeling of ever-increasing love. At this time of happiness, all the strings of her rich nature sound with special force. Not one of them has yet been cut off, not a single blow has yet been dealt to her by fate.

Natasha seems to be looking for where to use the energy that overwhelms her. With her brother and father, she rides hunting, enthusiastically indulges in Christmas fun, sings, dances, daydreams. And in the depths of the soul there is an ongoing work. Happiness is so great that anxiety rises next to it. Inner restlessness gives Natasha's actions a touch of strangeness. She is now concentrated, then all is given to her overwhelming feelings.

The scene of Natasha's singing in the family circle is wonderfully vividly written. In singing, she found an outlet for the feeling that overwhelmed her. "... for a long time, before and for a long time after, she did not sing the way she sang that evening." Count Ilya Andreevich left his affairs and listened to her. Nikolai, sitting at the clavichord, did not take his eyes off his sister, the countess mother, listening, thought about Natasha: “Ah! How I fear for her, how I fear ... "Her maternal instinct told her that there was too much in Natasha, and that she would not be happy from this."

Happy in this world are Kuragins, Drubetskoys, Bergs, Elena Vasilievna, Anna Pavlovna - those who live without a heart, without love, without honor, according to the laws of "light".

Tolstoy achieves great power by drawing Natasha visiting her uncle: “Where, how, when she sucked into herself from that Russian air that she breathed - this countess, brought up by a French emigrant, this spirit, where did she get these techniques?... But these spirit and methods were the same, inimitable, not studied, Russian, which uncle expected from her.

And in troika races on a frosty Christmas night, and in dancing with mummers, and in games, and in singing, Natasha appears in all the charm of her original character. What captures, enchants in all these Otradnensky scenes is not what is done, but how it is done. And this is done with all Russian prowess, with all the breadth and passion, in all the brilliance of Russian poetry. The coloring of national life, moral health, a huge supply of mental strength enchants. And it is no coincidence that V. I. Lenin reread the hunting scenes with such pleasure. And asking which of the writers of Europe can be put next to Tolstoy, he concluded - "There is no one!" -

In the brilliant depiction of the national Russian folk character, in the sound of the most dear and deepest strings of the Russian heart, the unfading charm of Otradnensky scenes is contained. So understandable and close is the life of the Rostovs, despite the remoteness of the era, the complete alienation of the environment in which the heroes act. They are close and understandable to us, just as Anisya Feodorovna (uncle’s housekeeper) was close and understandable, who “shed a tear through laughter, looking at this thin, graceful, educated countess so alien to her, in silk and velvet, who knew how to understand everything what was in Anisya, and in Anisya's father, and in her aunt, and in her mother, and in every Russian person.

Natasha feels lonely, alien after Otradny in the theater, among the capital's aristocrats. Their life is unnatural, their feelings are false, everything that is played out on the stage is far and incomprehensible!

The evening at the theater turned out to be fatal "for Natasha. She, noticed by the light, liked Anatole Kuragin with her "freshness", "untouchedness", turned out to be the subject of intrigue.

With flattery, playing on gullibility and inexperience, Kuragin captivated her. In a short-term passion and in the grief that befell her, Natasha remained the same strong-willed and resolute nature, capable of desperate deeds and able to steadfastly face trouble.

After a serious illness, which was the result of mental upheavals, Natasha returned to a renewed life. The trouble did not break her, the light did not defeat her.

The events of the twelfth year give Natasha back her energy. With what sincerity she regrets that she cannot stay in. Moscow. How ardently she demands from her father and mother to give carts to the wounded, leaving property!

The old count with tears says about her: “Eggs ... eggs teach a chicken ...”

Leaving Moscow coincides with the upcoming maturity of Natasha. These days many, many Russian people are being severely tested. For Natasha, it is also time for great trials. With what determination she goes to the wounded Andrey! He is not only the man she loves, he is a wounded warrior. What better way to heal the wounds of a hero than the selfless love of a patriotic woman! Natasha appears here in all the beauty of her feminine and undoubtedly heroic character. She is guided only by the dictates of her heart. She paid heavily for her inexperience. But what is given to others by years and years of experience, Natasha learned immediately. She returned to life capable of resisting society, did not lose faith in herself. She did not ask others how to act in one case or another, but acted as her heart told her.Natasha sneaks to the sick Andrey and asks his forgiveness, because she knows that she loved and loves only him, that he cannot but understand her. with "decencies", Natasha takes care of the dying.

The illness and death of Prince Andrei, as it were, regenerate Natasha. Her songs were silenced. Illusions were dispelled, magical dreams faded. Natasha looks at life with open eyes. From the spiritual height that she reached, among hundreds of people, she noted the wonderful "eccentric" Pierre, appreciating not only his "golden heart", but also his mind. all its complex and deep nature. Love for Pierre was Natasha's victory. This Russian girl, not bound by the fetters of tradition, not defeated by the "light", chose the only thing that a woman like her could find in those conditions - a family. Natasha is a wife-friend, a wife-companion, who took on her shoulders part of her husband's business. In her character, the spiritual world of Russian women is guessed - the wives of the Decembrists, who followed their husbands to hard labor and exile.

In world literature, there are many female images marked with bright national features. Among them, the image of Natasha Rostova occupies its own, very special place. Breadth, independence, courage, poetic attitude, passionate attitude to all phenomena of life - these are the features that fill this image.

Little space is given in the novel to young Petya Rostov: However, this is one of the charming, memorable images. Petya, in the words of Denisov, is one of the representatives of the "stupid Rostov breed." He resembles Natasha, and although he is not as generously gifted by nature as his sister, he has the same poetic nature, and most importantly, the same indomitable efficiency. Petya strives to imitate others, adopting the good from everyone. In this he also resembles Natasha. Petya, like his sister, is sensitive to goodness. But he is too trusting, and sees the good in everything. Cordiality, combined with impetuous temperament, is the source of Petya's charm.

Appearing in the detachment of Denisov, young Rostov, first of all, wants to please everyone. He is imbued with pity for the captured French boy. He is affectionate with the soldiers, he does not see anything bad in Dolokhov. His dreams on the night before the fight are full of poetry, colored with lyricism. His heroic impulse is not at all like the “hussarism” of Nikolai Petya strives for a feat not for the sake of vanity, he sincerely wants to serve his homeland. It is not for nothing that in the first battle he does not feel, like Nicholas, neither fear, nor split, nor remorse that he went to war. Making his way with Dolokhov to the rear of the French, he behaves courageously. But it turns out to be too inexperienced, without a sense of self-preservation, and dies in the first attack.

Sensitive Denisov immediately guessed the beautiful soul of Petya. His death shocked the shelled hussar to the very depths. “He rode up to Petya, dismounted from his horse, and with trembling hands turned towards him Petya’s already pale face, stained with blood and dirt.”

“I'm used to anything sweet. Excellent raisins, take them all,” he recalled. And the Cossacks looked back in surprise at the sounds similar to the barking of a dog, with which Denisov quickly turned away, went up to the wattle fence and grabbed it. The animation of the young generation of the twelfth year, which has just entered into life, is clearly manifested in it. It was this generation, which grew up in an atmosphere of general patriotic upsurge, that carried a passionate, energetic love for the motherland, a desire to serve it.

Standing apart in the Rostov family is Vera, the eldest daughter of Ilya Andreevich. Cold, unkind, a stranger in the circle of brothers and sisters, she is in the Rostovs' house - a foreign body. The pupil Sonya, full of selfless and grateful love for the whole family, completes; gallery of the Rostov family.

6) The relationship between Pierre Bezukhov and Natalya Rostova is an idyll of family happiness.

Pierre Bezukhov's letter to Natasha Rostova

Dear Natasha, on that magnificent summer evening,

when I met you at the emperor's ball,

I realized that all my life I wanted to have

a wife as beautiful as you. I looked at

you all evening, without stopping for a minute,

peered at your slightest movement, tried to look

in each, even the smallest, hole

your soul. I didn't take my eyes off it for a second.

your gorgeous body. But alas, all my efforts

to get your attention were unsuccessful. I think that

will be just a waste of time

all prayers and promises from my side.

For I know that I have too little

status in the empire. However, I would like to assure you that

you are the most beautiful being in the world.

I never, never met such

homeland. And only your greatest

modesty hides it.

Natasha, I love you!

Pierre Bezukhov

After the death of Prince Andrei, Natasha “thought that her life was over. But suddenly love for her mother showed her that the essence of her life - love - is still alive in her. And the author does not deprive her of new happiness, which comes to her rather accidentally and at the same time unexpectedly quickly (because the writer is aware that dooming Natasha to a long wait is fraught with unpredictable consequences).

Pierre, having returned from captivity and having learned that his wife has died and he is free, hears about the Rostovs, that they are in Kostroma, but the thought of Natasha rarely visits him: “If she came, it was only as a pleasant memory of the past.” Even having met her, he does not immediately recognize Natasha in a pale and thin woman with sad eyes without a shadow of a smile, who was sitting near Princess Marya, to whom he arrived.

Both of them, after tragedies, losses, if they crave something, then not new happiness, but rather oblivion. She is still all in her grief, but it is natural for her to speak out without concealment about the details of the last days of her love for Andrei in front of Pierre. Pierre “listened to her and only felt sorry for her for the suffering that she was now experiencing while telling.” For Pierre, it is a joy and a “rare pleasure” to tell Natasha about his adventures during captivity. For Natasha, the joy is listening to him, "guessing the secret meaning of all Pierre's spiritual work."

And having met, these two people, created by L. Tolstoy for each other, will no longer part. The writer came to the desired goal: his Natasha and Pierre took with them the bitter experience of past mistakes and suffering, went through temptations, delusions, shame, hardships that prepared them for love.

Natasha is twenty-one years old, Pierre is twenty-eight. The book could begin with this meeting of theirs, but it is coming to an end ... Pierre is now only a year older than Prince Andrei was at the beginning of the novel. But today's Pierre is a much more mature person than that Andrey. Prince Andrei in 1805 knew only one thing for sure: that he was dissatisfied with the life he had to lead. He did not know what to strive for, he did not know how to love.

In the spring of 1813, Natasha married Pierre. All is well that ends well. It seems that this was the name of the novel when L. Tolstoy was just beginning War and Peace. The last time Natasha appears in the novel in a new role - wife and mother.

L. Tolstoy expressed his attitude towards Natasha in her new life with the thoughts of the old countess, who, with her “motherly instinct”, understood that “all Natasha’s impulses began only with the need to have a family, to have a husband, as she, not so much joking as really, screamed in Otradnoe. Countess Rostova "was surprised at the surprise of people who did not understand Natasha, and repeated that she always knew that Natasha would be an exemplary wife and mother."

The author, who created Natasha and endowed her with the best qualities of a woman in his eyes, also knew this. In Natasha Rostova-Bezukhova, L. Tolstoy, if we switch to high-flown language, sang the noble woman of that era, as he imagined her.

The portrait of Natasha - wife and mother - completes the gallery of portraits of Natasha from a thirteen-year-old girl to a twenty-eight-year-old woman, mother of four children. Like all the previous ones, Natasha’s last portrait is also warmed by warmth and love: “She grew stout and wide, so it was difficult to recognize the former thin mobile Natasha in this strong mother.” Her facial features "had an expression of calm softness and clarity." The “fire of revival” that had been constantly burning before was lit in her now only when “the husband returned, when the child was recovering, or when she and Countess Marya remembered Prince Andrei”, and “very rarely, when something accidentally involved her in singing” . But when the old fire was kindled in her “developed beautiful body”, she “was even more attractive than before.”

Natasha knows “Pierre’s whole soul”, she loves in him what he respects in himself, and Pierre, who with the help of Natasha found a spiritual answer in the earthly, sees himself “reflected in his wife”. Speaking, they “with unusual clarity and speed”, as they say, on the fly grasp each other’s thoughts, from which we conclude that they are completely spiritually united.

On the last pages, the favorite heroine has the share of becoming the embodiment of the author's idea about the essence and purpose of marriage, the basics of family life, the appointment of a woman in the family. Natasha's state of mind and her whole life during this period embody the cherished ideal of L. Tolstoy: "the purpose of marriage is the family."

Natasha is shown in her concern and affection for her children and her husband: “Everything that was a mental, abstract business of her husband, she attributed, without understanding it, of great importance and was constantly in fear of being an obstacle in this activity of her husband.”

Natasha is both the poetry of life and its prose at the same time. And this is not a “beautiful” phrase. More prosaic than in the finale of the book, the reader has never seen her, either in grief or in joy.

Having depicted in the epilogue an idyll, from the point of view of L.N. Tolstoy, Natasha’s family happiness, the writer turns her “into a strong, beautiful and prolific female”, in which now, as he himself admits, the former fire was very rarely lit. Disheveled, in a dressing gown, with a diaper with a yellow spot, walking with long steps from the nursery - such Natasha L. Tolstoy offers as the truth of the book at the end of his four-volume narrative.

Can we, following L. Tolstoy, think the same way? A question that I think everyone will answer for themselves. The writer, to the end of his days, remained true to his point of view, no, not on the “women's issue”, but on the role and place of women in his own life. Such and no other, I dare to believe, he wanted to see his wife Sofya Andreevna. And for some reason, she did not fit into the framework intended for her by her husband.

For L. Tolstoy, Natasha is the very life in which everything that is done is for the better, and in which no one knows what awaits him tomorrow. The finale of the book is a simple, uncomplicated thought: life itself, with all its anxieties and anxieties, is the meaning of life, it contains the result of everything and nothing can be foreseen and predicted in it, it is the truth sought by the heroes of Leo Tolstoy.

That is why the book is completed not by some great figure or national hero, not by the proud Bolkonsky, and not even by Kutuzov. It is Natasha - the embodiment of life, such as the writer understands and accepts at this time - and Pierre, Natasha's husband, we meet in the epilogue.

Conclusion.

Based on the above, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. True history, as L. Tolstoy sees and understands it, is life itself, simple, measured, consisting - like a gold-bearing vein with placers of precious grains of sand and small ingots - of ordinary moments and days that bring happiness to a person, like those interspersed in the text of "War and Peace": Natasha's first kiss; she met her brother, who had come on vacation, when she, “holding on to the floor of his Hungarian coat, jumped like a goat, all in one place and squealed piercingly”; the night when Natasha does not let Sonya sleep: “After all, such a lovely night has never, never happened”; the duet of Natasha and Nikolai, when singing touches something better that was in the soul of Rostov (“And this something was independent of everything in the world and above everything in the world”); the smile of a recovering child, when “Princess Marya’s radiant eyes, in the matte half-light of the canopy, shone more than usual from happy tears”; one view of a transformed old oak tree, which, “spread out like a tent of juicy, dark greenery, was thrilled, slightly swaying in the rays of the evening sun”; a waltz tour at Natasha's first ball, when her face, "ready for despair and delight, suddenly lit up with a happy, grateful, childish smile"; an evening of Christmas fun with riding on troikas and divination of girls in mirrors and a fabulous night when Sonya was “in a lively and energetic mood unusual for her”, and Nikolai was fascinated and excited by Sonya’s proximity; the passion and beauty of the hunt, after which Natasha, “not taking a breath, squealed joyfully and enthusiastically so piercingly that her ears rang”; the sedate merriment of the uncle’s guitar picks and the Russian dance of Natasha, “in silk and velvet of the countess, who knew how to understand everything that was in Anisya, and in Anisya’s father, and in her aunt, and in her mother, and in every Russian person” ... For the sake of these happiness-bringing minutes, much less often - hours, a person lives.

2. Creating "War and Peace", L. Tolstoy was looking for a foothold, allowing him to find an internal connection, a cohesion of images, episodes, paintings, motives, details, thoughts, ideas, feelings. In those same years, when pages memorable to everyone came out from under his pen, where smiling Helen, shining with black eyes, demonstrates her power over Pierre: “So you still haven’t noticed how beautiful I am? .. You haven’t noticed that I am a woman? Yes, I am a woman who can belong to anyone, and to you too”; where Nikolai Rostov, at the moment of a quarrel and a possible duel with Andrei Bolkonsky, “thought about how pleased he would be to see the fright of this small, weak and proud little man under his pistol ...”; where the enchanted Natasha listens to Pierre talking about active virtue, and one thing confuses her: “Is it really such an important and necessary person for society - at the same time my husband? Why did it happen like this?”, - in those very years he wrote: “The goal of the artist ... is to make you love life in countless, never exhausted all its manifestations.”

3. Not great historical events, not the ideas that claim to guide them, not the Napoleonic leaders themselves, but a person “corresponding to all aspects of life”, stands at the foundation of everything. They measure ideas, events, and history. This is the kind of person L. Tolstoy sees Natasha. She, being the author, and he puts forward in the center of the book, he recognizes the family of Natasha and Pierre as the best, ideal.

4. The family in the life and work of Tolstoy is associated with warmth and comfort. Home is a place where everyone is dear to you and you are dear to everyone. According to the writer, the closer people are to natural life, the stronger the intra-family ties, the more happiness and joy in the life of each family member. It is this point of view expressed by Tolstoy on the pages of his novel, depicting the family of Natasha and Pierre. This is the opinion of a writer who still seems modern to us today.

List of used literature.

1. Bocharov S. G. The novel by L. N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”. - M .: Fiction, 1978.

2. Gusev N.N. Life of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy. L.N. Tolstoy at the height of his artistic genius.

3. Zhdanov V.A. Love in the life of Leo Tolstoy. M., 1928

4. Motyleva T. On the world significance of Tolstoy L. N. - M .: Soviet writer, 1957.

5. Plekhanov G. V. Art and literature. - M .: Goslitizdat, 1948

6. Plekhanov G. V. L. N. Tolstoy in Russian criticism. – M.: Goslitizdat, 1952.

7. Smirnova L. A. Russian literature of the 18th - 19th centuries. - M .: - Enlightenment, 1995.

8. Tolstoy L.N. War and Peace - M .: - Enlightenment 1978

Bocharov S. G. Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace". - M .: Fiction, 1978 - p. 7

Gusev N.N. Life of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy. L.N. Tolstoy in the heyday of artistic genius, p. 101

When we pronounce the word family, something very close, dear, important immediately appears. This is one of the most important and highest values. After all, what kind of people we will become in the future directly depends on our family upbringing, what kind of parental example we saw in childhood, and what the family taught us. These reflections are fully confirmed in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace.

L. N. Tolstoy introduces us to such noble families as the Rostovs, Bolkonskys and Kuragins. About all these families there is a main character - this is a man, the father of the family. And his way of thinking, character traits have an impact on all other family members. Each of these families is very interesting, has its own positive features, but not without negative ones.

The Kuragin family

The Kuragin family looks in the least favorable light. This family is loved and revered by the world, high society. Although the head of the family, Prince Vasily, is not distinguished either by intelligence or by the presence of good moral qualities. Despite this, he worries about his children and seeks to ensure a good future for them by arranging their marriages of convenience. His son Anatole is only handsome in appearance, yes, he is young, stately, trying to build a career. But the very idea of ​​serving the Fatherland seems ridiculous to him. He believes that he deserves another life full of fun and revelry. Naturally, for decent people, such as Prince Bolkonsky, he can only cause irritation and contempt. Helen Kuragina is also the favorite of the world, although only her husband Count Bezukho knows stupidity and vulgarity. The value of this family is the desire to satisfy their personal interests, stepping over other people. In the first place for them are material values, but they don’t think about moral ones. They are punished for their commercialism and meanness: Helen dies at a young age, and Anatole loses a leg during the battle.

Bolkonsky family

The Bolkonsky family made a good impression on me. These people are rich not only materially, but also spiritually. For the father of the family, the old prince, the concepts of honor and duty were above all. He passed these qualities on to his children. His son Andrei was a brave warrior, although in a peaceful life he was incomprehensible to other people. Princess Marya Bolkonskaya is a positive character in every sense. She is very kind, patient, treats everyone around with love and understanding.

Rostov

Another worthy family from this novel is the Rostovs. Count Rostov is very generous, like all Russian people. Daughter Natasha is a person with an open soul who yearns for sincere love. Son Nikolai is a kind young man who values ​​friendship very much. The son of Petya, who, despite his youth, is ready to give his life for his homeland. For all members of this family, human lives are much more valuable than money and material goods. For their decency, kindness and willingness to help people, they receive a worthy reward - family happiness.

Tolstoy in his novel showed us how important family values ​​are, what priorities should be, what family ideals should be striven for. Little has changed since the time of Tolstoy. Such concepts as kindness, honesty, love for family members are still important.

Option 2

Rostov

The large, friendly Rostov family is practically perfect. In their home there is an atmosphere of love, respect for mutual understanding and support.

The head of the family, Count Ilya Andreevich, is a kind and generous person, pure and trusting, sometimes naive, like a child.

The main feature of Countess Rostova is love for her children. Children trust their mother with all the secrets, she understands them perfectly and will always give them the right advice.

The Rostov family is distinguished by Russian hospitality and openness. They do not hide their emotions, they are spiritually liberated, friendly to others and expect the same attitude towards themselves.

For members of this family, money and material goods are not the most valuable thing in the world, the main thing is good deeds. During the French siege of Moscow, the Rostovs give up their carts to evacuate wounded soldiers, and do not save their property.

Rostov children are as responsive as adults. Family values ​​come first for them. The brightest representative of the Rostovs is Natasha. She differs from everyone in her spontaneity, charm and naturalness. Natasha's heart is full of love for everyone around her. Both in joy and in grief, her feelings are sincere and genuine. Having inherited the best qualities from her parents, Natasha will transfer the same benevolent atmosphere of coziness and comfort to her family.

The boys from the Rostov family are honest and decent people, real

Russian patriots. They courageously fight the French army, defending the Fatherland. The younger Petya will go to war as a minor and die.

Son Nikolai, after the death of his father, does not refuse his debts, which speaks of his decency. By his marriage to Marya Bolkonskaya, he will unite two worthy families.

Bolkonsky

The Bolkonsky family is somewhat different from the Rostovs. Old Prince Nikolai Andreevich is proud of his noble origin, position in society. He is stingy with feelings and emotions, considering them a manifestation of weakness, but, undoubtedly, he loves his children very much and worries about them. Wealth did not corrupt this family. Bolkonsky is alien to the entertainment of high society, their falsity and emptiness. All the inhabitants of their house are subject to strict order and severe discipline, which comes from the head of the family. The Bolkonskys are smart and noble; have a rich inner world. For the old prince, honor and duty are above all. He demands the same from his children. Princess Marya refuses to marry Anatoly Kuragin, convicting him of insincerity. Prince Andrei bravely fights in the war and, having been wounded in battle, dies. After the death of her brother, Marya Nikolaevna takes full responsibility for raising his son.

Kuragins

The Kuragin family is not at all like the Rostovs and Bolkonskys. They have completely different values. Its representatives are active participants in the intrigues of secular society, regulars at balls. Under refined manners and external gloss, they hide lack of spirituality and hypocrisy. All Kuragins are united by immorality, self-interest, lies and selfishness.

The head of the family, Prince Vasily, is an enterprising careerist, money-grubber and egoist. He skillfully uses people, hiding behind secular etiquette. Thanks to his cunning, Prince Vasily achieves a lot in life.

The children of the Kuragins are beautiful only on the outside, inside - dirt and emptiness. Their worthless life passes in revelry, debauchery and wastefulness. For Helen, the main thing is money. She uses men to achieve her goals, regardless of their feelings. Anatole spends all his time in pleasures. The youngest son Ippolit is a self-satisfied, mentally limited rake and dandy. Kuragins try to take as much as possible from life, without giving anything in return. Subsequently, they will be punished for it.

The grain grows clear in the FAMILY,
A person grows up in a FAMILY.
And everything that then gains,
It does not come to him from outside.

A family is not only related by blood.

In the novel "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy, the family fulfills its high true purpose. The formation of a person's personality largely depends on the family in which he grows up. As Sukhomlinsky said, the family is the primary environment where a person must learn to do good. However, in the world there is not only good, but also evil in opposition to it. There are families connected only by surname. Its members have nothing in common with each other. But it’s interesting, who will become a person whose personality was formed in an atmosphere of indifference and lack of affection? Three families - the Bolkonskys, the Kuragins and the Rostovs - seem to be the same good and evil. On their example, you can consider in detail all that family and human that only happens in the world. And by bringing them together, get the ideal.

Representatives of the older generation are completely different from each other. Considering idleness and superstition as vices, Bolkonsky's activity and mind as virtues. Hospitable, simple-hearted, simple, trusting, generous Natalia and Ilya Rostov. A very famous and quite influential person in society, holding an important court post Kuragin. There is nothing in common between them, except that they are all family people. They have completely different hobbies and values, a different motto under which they go along with their family (in the event that this family exists).

Relations between the older generation and children are presented differently. Having studied and compared this “quality”, one can confirm or dispute the term “family” that unites these people.

The Rostov family is filled with trust, purity and naturalness. Respect for each other, a desire to help without tedious notations, freedom and love, the absence of strict educational standards, loyalty to family relationships. All this includes a seemingly ideal family, the main thing in the relationship of which is love, life according to the laws of the heart. However, even such a family has vices, something that does not allow it to become a standard. Perhaps a little rigidity and strictness would not hurt the head of the family. The inability to manage the household led to ruin, and the blind love for children really turned a blind eye to the truth.

The Bolkonsky family is alien to the manifestation of sentimentality. The father is an indisputable authority, causing reverence from those around him. He himself studied with Mary, denying the norms of education in court circles. A father loves his children, and they honor and love him. They are connected by quivering feelings for each other, the desire to take care and protect. The main thing in the family is life according to the laws of the mind. Perhaps insufficient expression of feelings moves this family away from the ideal. Brought up in strictness, children wear masks, and only a certain tiny part of them radiates sincerity and enthusiasm.

Is it possible to call the Kuragin family? Their history does not carry the "ancestral poetry" that is characteristic of the Bolkonsky and Rostov families. The Kuragins are united only by kinship, they do not even perceive each other as close people. Children for Prince Vasily are only a burden. He treats them indifferently, wanting to fuse them quickly. After rumors about Helen's connection with Anatole, the prince, taking care of his name, alienated his son from himself. “Family” here is blood ties. Each member of the Kuragin family is used to loneliness and does not feel the need for the support of loved ones. Relationships are fake, hypocritical. This union is one big minus. The family itself is negative. It seems to me that this is the very “evil”. An example of a family that simply should not exist.

Family for me is a real little cult. A family is a house in which you want to stay forever, and people who love each other should become its foundation. The qualities of two families - the Rostovs and the Bolkonskys - I would like to embody in my family. Sincerity, care, understanding, love, feeling for a loved one, the ability to assess the situation and not idealize your children, the desire to raise a full-fledged personality - this is what a real family should be. The strictness and prudence of the Bolkonskys, the love and peace of the Rostovs - this is what can make a family truly happy.

The concept of family in the novel is described from all sides.