Popular thought in the epic novel “War and Peace. Thought “people's war” How the concept of people's war is revealed in the novel

Tolstoy believed that a work can be good only when the writer loves his main idea in it. In War and Peace, the writer, as he admitted, loved "people's thought". It lies not only and not so much in the depiction of the people themselves, their way of life, their life, but in the fact that every positive hero of the novel ultimately connects his fate with the fate of the nation.

The crisis situation in the country, caused by the rapid advance of Napoleonic troops into the depths of Russia, revealed their best qualities in people and made it possible to take a closer look at the man who was previously perceived by the nobles only as an obligatory attribute of the landowner’s estate, whose lot was hard peasant labor. When a serious threat of enslavement loomed over Russia, the men, dressed in soldiers' greatcoats, forgetting their long-standing sorrows and grievances, together with the “gentlemen” courageously and steadfastly defended their homeland from a powerful enemy. Commanding a regiment, Andrei Bolkonsky for the first time saw patriotic heroes in the serfs, ready to die to save the fatherland. These main human values, in the spirit of “simplicity, goodness and truth,” according to Tolstoy, represent “folk thought,” which constitutes the soul of the novel and its main meaning. It is she who unites the peasantry with the best part of the nobility with a single goal - the fight for the freedom of the Fatherland. The peasantry, which organized partisan detachments that fearlessly exterminated the French army in the rear, played a huge role in the final destruction of the enemy.

By the word “people” Tolstoy understood the entire patriotic population of Russia, including the peasantry, the urban poor, the nobility, and the merchant class. The author poetizes the simplicity, kindness, and morality of the people, contrasting them with the falsehood and hypocrisy of the world. Tolstoy shows the dual psychology of the peasantry using the example of two of its typical representatives: Tikhon Shcherbaty and Platon Karataev.

Tikhon Shcherbaty stands out in Denisov’s detachment for his unusual daring, agility and desperate courage. This man, who at first fought alone against the “miroders” in his native village, attached to Denisov’s partisan detachment, soon became the most useful person in the detachment. Tolstoy concentrated in this hero the typical features of the Russian folk character. The image of Platon Karataev shows a different type of Russian peasant. With his humanity, kindness, simplicity, indifference to hardships, and a sense of collectivism, this inconspicuous “round” man was able to return to Pierre Bezukhov, who was in captivity, faith in people, goodness, love, and justice. His spiritual qualities are contrasted with the arrogance, selfishness and careerism of the highest St. Petersburg society. Platon Karataev remained the most precious memory for Pierre, “the personification of everything Russian, good and round.”

In the images of Tikhon Shcherbaty and Platon Karataev, Tolstoy concentrated the main qualities of the Russian people, who appear in the novel in the person of soldiers, partisans, servants, peasants, and the urban poor. Both heroes are dear to the writer’s heart: Plato as the embodiment of “everything Russian, good and round,” all those qualities (patriarchalism, kindness, humility, non-resistance, religiosity) that the writer highly valued among the Russian peasantry; Tikhon is the embodiment of a heroic people who rose up to fight, but only at a critical, exceptional time for the country (the Patriotic War of 1812). Tolstoy condemns Tikhon’s rebellious sentiments in peacetime.

Tolstoy correctly assessed the nature and goals of the Patriotic War of 1812, deeply understood the decisive role of the people defending their homeland in the war from foreign invaders, rejecting official assessments of the war of 1812 as a war of two emperors - Alexander and Napoleon. On the pages of the novel and, especially in the second part of the epilogue, Tolstoy says that until now all history was written as the history of individuals, as a rule, tyrants, monarchs, and no one thought about what is the driving force of history. According to Tolstoy, this is the so-called “swarm principle”, the spirit and will of not one person, but the nation as a whole, and how strong the spirit and will of the people are, so probable are certain historical events. In Tolstoy’s Patriotic War, two wills collided: the will of the French soldiers and the will of the entire Russian people. This war was fair for the Russians, they fought for their Motherland, so their spirit and will to win turned out to be stronger than the French spirit and will. Therefore, Russia's victory over France was predetermined.

The main idea determined not only the artistic form of the work, but also the characters and the assessment of its heroes. The War of 1812 became a milestone, a test for all the good characters in the novel: for Prince Andrei, who feels an extraordinary uplift before the Battle of Borodino and believes in victory; for Pierre Bezukhov, all of whose thoughts are aimed at helping to expel the invaders; for Natasha, who gave the carts to the wounded, because it was impossible not to give them back, it was shameful and disgusting not to give them back; for Petya Rostov, who takes part in the hostilities of a partisan detachment and dies in a battle with the enemy; for Denisov, Dolokhov, even Anatoly Kuragin. All these people, throwing away everything personal, become one and participate in the formation of the will to win.

The theme of guerrilla warfare occupies a special place in the novel. Tolstoy emphasizes that the war of 1812 was truly a people's war, because the people themselves rose up to fight the invaders. The detachments of elders Vasilisa Kozhina and Denis Davydov were already operating, and the heroes of the novel, Vasily Denisov and Dolokhov, were also creating their own detachments. Tolstoy calls the cruel, life-and-death war “the club of the people’s war”: “The club of the people’s war rose with all its formidable and majestic force, and, without asking anyone’s tastes and rules, with stupid simplicity, but with expediency, without understanding nothing, it rose, fell and nailed the French until the entire invasion was destroyed.” In the actions of the partisan detachments of 1812, Tolstoy saw the highest form of unity between the people and the army, which radically changed the attitude towards war.

Tolstoy glorifies the “club of the people’s war”, glorifies the people who raised it against the enemy. “Karps and Vlass” did not sell hay to the French even for good money, but burned it, thereby undermining the enemy army. The small merchant Ferapontov, before the French entered Smolensk, asked the soldiers to take his goods for free, since if “Raceya decided,” he himself would burn everything. Residents of Moscow and Smolensk did the same, burning their houses so that they would not fall to the enemy. The Rostovs, leaving Moscow, gave up all their carts to transport the wounded, thus completing their ruin. Pierre Bezukhov invested huge amounts of money in the formation of a regiment, which he took as his own support, while he himself remained in Moscow, hoping to kill Napoleon in order to behead the enemy army.

“And good for that people,” wrote Lev Nikolaevich, “who, not like the French in 1813, saluted according to all the rules of art and turned the sword over with the hilt, gracefully and courteously handing it over to the magnanimous winner, but good for those people who, in a moment of testing, without asking how others acted according to the rules in similar cases, with simplicity and ease he picks up the first club he comes across and nails it until in his soul the feeling of insult and revenge is replaced by contempt and pity.”

The true feeling of love for the Motherland is contrasted with the ostentatious, false patriotism of Rostopchin, who, instead of fulfilling the duty assigned to him - to remove everything valuable from Moscow - worried the people with the distribution of weapons and posters, since he liked the “beautiful role of the leader of popular feeling.” At an important time for Russia, this false patriot dreamed only of a “heroic effect.” When a huge number of people sacrificed their lives to save their homeland, the St. Petersburg nobility wanted only one thing for themselves: benefits and pleasures. A bright type of careerist is given in the image of Boris Drubetsky, who skillfully and deftly used connections and the sincere goodwill of people, pretending to be a patriot, in order to move up the career ladder. The problem of true and false patriotism posed by the writer allowed him to broadly and comprehensively paint a picture of military everyday life and express his attitude towards the war.

The aggressive, aggressive war was hateful and disgusting to Tolstoy, but, from the point of view of the people, it was fair and liberating. The writer's views are revealed both in realistic paintings, saturated with blood, death and suffering, and in the contrasting comparison of the eternal harmony of nature with the madness of people killing each other. Tolstoy often puts his own thoughts about the war into the mouths of his favorite heroes. Andrei Bolkonsky hates her because he understands that her main goal is murder, which is accompanied by treason, theft, robbery, and drunkenness.

Introduction

“The subject of history is the life of peoples and humanity,” - this is how L.N. Tolstoy begins the second part of the epilogue of the epic novel “War and Peace.” He further asks the question: “What force moves nations?” Reflecting on these “theories,” Tolstoy comes to the conclusion that: “The life of peoples does not fit into the lives of a few people, because the connection between these several people and nations has not been found...” In other words, Tolstoy says that the role of the people in history is undeniable, and the eternal truth that history is made by the people was proven by him in his novel. “People's thought” in Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” is indeed one of the main themes of the epic novel.

The people in the novel "War and Peace"

Many readers understand the word “people” not quite the way Tolstoy understands it. Lev Nikolaevich means by “people” not only soldiers, peasants, men, not only that “huge mass” driven by some force. For Tolstoy, the “people” included officers, generals, and the nobility. This is Kutuzov, and Bolkonsky, and the Rostovs, and Bezukhov - this is all of humanity, embraced by one thought, one deed, one purpose. All the main characters of Tolstoy's novel are directly connected with their people and are inseparable from them.

Heroes of the novel and “folk thought”

The fates of the beloved heroes of Tolstoy’s novel are connected with the life of the people. “People's thought” in “War and Peace” runs like a red thread through the life of Pierre Bezukhov. While in captivity, Pierre learned his truth of life. Platon Karataev, a peasant peasant, opened it to Bezukhov: “In captivity, in a booth, Pierre learned not with his mind, but with his whole being, with his life, that man was created for happiness, that happiness is in himself, in the satisfaction of natural human needs, that all misfortune occurs not from lack, but from excess.” The French offered Pierre to transfer from a soldier's booth to an officer's, but he refused, remaining faithful to those with whom he suffered his fate. And for a long time afterwards he recalled with rapture this month of captivity as “complete peace of mind, complete inner freedom, which he experienced only at that time.”

Andrei Bolkonsky also felt his people at the Battle of Austerlitz. Grabbing the flagpole and rushing forward, he did not think that the soldiers would follow him. And they, seeing Bolkonsky with a banner and hearing: “Guys, go ahead!” rushed at the enemy behind their leader. The unity of officers and ordinary soldiers confirms that the people are not divided into ranks and titles, the people are united, and Andrei Bolkonsky understood this.

Natasha Rostova, leaving Moscow, dumps her family property on the ground and gives away her carts for the wounded. This decision comes to her immediately, without thinking, which suggests that the heroine does not separate herself from the people. Another episode that speaks of the true Russian spirit of Rostova, in which L. Tolstoy himself admires his beloved heroine: “Where, how, when did she suck into herself from the Russian air that she breathed - this countess, raised by a French governess - this spirit, where she got these techniques from... But these spirits and techniques were the same, inimitable, unstudied, Russian.”

And Captain Tushin, who sacrificed his own life for the sake of victory, for the sake of Russia. Captain Timokhin, who rushed at the Frenchman with “one skewer.” Denisov, Nikolai Rostov, Petya Rostov and many other Russian people who stood with the people and knew true patriotism.

Tolstoy created a collective image of a people - a united, invincible people, when not only soldiers and troops fight, but also militias. Civilians help not with weapons, but with their own methods: men burn hay so as not to take it to Moscow, people leave the city only because they do not want to obey Napoleon. This is what “folk thought” is and how it is revealed in the novel. Tolstoy makes it clear that the Russian people are strong in a single thought - not to surrender to the enemy. A sense of patriotism is important for all Russian people.

Platon Karataev and Tikhon Shcherbaty

The novel also shows the partisan movement. A prominent representative here was Tikhon Shcherbaty, who fought the French with all his disobedience, dexterity, and cunning. His active work brings success to the Russians. Denisov is proud of his partisan detachment thanks to Tikhon.

Opposite to the image of Tikhon Shcherbaty is the image of Platon Karataev. Kind, wise, with his worldly philosophy, he calms Pierre and helps him survive captivity. Plato's speech is filled with Russian proverbs, which emphasizes his nationality.

Kutuzov and the people

The only commander-in-chief of the army who never separated himself and the people was Kutuzov. “He knew not with his mind or science, but with his whole Russian being, he knew and felt what every Russian soldier felt...” The disunity of the Russian army in the alliance with Austria, the deception of the Austrian army, when the allies abandoned the Russians in battles, were unbearable pain for Kutuzov. To Napoleon’s letter about peace, Kutuzov replied: “I would be damned if they looked at me as the first instigator of any deal: such is the will of our people” (italics by L.N. Tolstoy). Kutuzov did not write on his own behalf, he expressed the opinion of the entire people, all Russian people.

The image of Kutuzov is contrasted with the image of Napoleon, who was very far from his people. He was only interested in personal interest in the struggle for power. An empire of worldwide submission to Bonaparte - and an abyss in the interests of the people. As a result, the war of 1812 was lost, the French fled, and Napoleon was the first to leave Moscow. He abandoned his army, abandoned his people.

conclusions

In his novel War and Peace, Tolstoy shows that people's power is invincible. And in every Russian person there is “simplicity, goodness and truth.” True patriotism does not measure everyone by rank, does not build a career, does not seek fame. At the beginning of the third volume, Tolstoy writes: “There are two sides of life in every person: personal life, which is the more free the more abstract its interests are, and spontaneous, swarm life, where a person inevitably fulfills the laws prescribed to him.” Laws of honor, conscience, common culture, common history.

This essay on the topic “People's Thought” in the novel “War and Peace” reveals only a small part of what the author wanted to tell us. The people live in the novel in every chapter, in every line.

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There are many works in literature known only to connoisseurs and gourmets, literary critics and philologists. But there are also a number of texts that every person who considers himself educated should know. Such works include Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace.”

Author's idea

Not everyone knows that L.N. Tolstoy initially intended to write a novel where the central character would be a certain Decembrist. The action was supposed to unfold when he returns after the amnesty. On the street - 1856. To create such a work, the writer plunged into the study of archival documents. In the process of this historical research, L.N. Tolstoy realized that he would not be able to fully realize his idea of the Decembrist without turning to the origins of the uprising, and then even further - to 1812 itself and, accordingly, to Napoleon’s campaign against Russia.

War and Peace

As can be seen from the title of the epic, the plot can be divided into two themes: war and peace. If the world is a description of the daily life of the nobles, often joys, far from real spiritual uplift, then war is a demonstration of the heroism of the people in the fight against the invader, it is an image of the spiritual path, as well as victory and how and with what sacrifices this victory is achieved.

This idea is most clearly revealed precisely in the theme of war, which highlights not only the problems of society, but also shows that it is the people who win that are more united and holistic.

War eliminates the division between aristocrats and commoners; it equalizes people in the struggle for survival, for the safety of the lives of their loved ones, for their homes and, ultimately, for their country.

The image of the people in the novel by L. N. Tolstoy

At first glance, the reader may think that the people in the novel are peasants, serfs, soldiers, in a word, “ordinary people.” But in reality it turns out that this is not entirely true. The author considers everyone who participates in the life of the country to be the people. Both ordinary soldiers and princes (like, for example, Andrei Bolkonsky) fight Napoleon, that is, the nobles go in battle hand in hand with the sons of peasants. The people in the view of L. N. Tolstoy are integral.

“People's Thought” as a leitmotif

Perhaps all the central characters of the novel, and especially those who can be classified as “heroes on the road,” are inseparable from “popular thought.” She is an obligatory part of the unfolding of the storyline.

Pierre Bezukhov

For example, this leitmotif is clearly visible in the life of Pierre Bezukhov. We are interested in the moment when Pierre is captured: it is here that he finally finds the truth of life. But Bezukhov hears this truth not at all from the lips of a learned man, but from the lips of a simple peasant Platon Karataev. Everything turned out to be very simple: all people want happiness. The end of the novel for some readers appeared as a disappointment, but the ending is consistent with these reflections on happiness.

It is curious that the French allowed Pierre to go to prisoners equal to his status, but he wanted to stay with these simple people, who turned out to be wiser than a hundred scientists.

Andrey Bolkonsky

The same leitmotif haunts the spiritual quest of another hero - Andrei Bolkonsky. First of all, the reader witnesses the hero’s surprise, because he, having rushed forward in the pursuit of glory and exploits, did not at all expect that he would become an inspiring example for the rest of the soldiers. But they, seeing the fearless Andrei, rushed into battle after him.

Natasha Rostova

In fact, the nobles were raised quite harshly. There are many cases where noble girls survived in the most difficult conditions. This was possible because their upbringing prepared them for various challenges.

As for Natasha Rostova, the “folk thought” in her life is clearly visible in her actions during her flight from Moscow.

When the girl sees the wounded, she does not spare things and throws them out of her cart to make room for the wounded.

Thus, Natasha, an aristocrat, finds herself in the same carriage with ordinary wounded soldiers. This once again demonstrates to us that war equalizes everyone. But here, even more, the very contradictions of the Russian soul about which so many books have been written are suddenly laid bare.

Guerrilla movement

This part of the war also failed to hide from the attentive eye of the writer. The partisan movement is revealed in the novel through the example of the image of Tikhon Shcherbaty. He also fights with the invader, but his methods differ from the straightforwardness and openness of Andrei Bolkonsky.

Among Tikhon's methods of fighting the enemy are cunning, dexterity, surprise and disobedience. Here the image of Shcherbaty is the opposite of the image of Platon Karataev, already familiar to us. The latter demonstrates such traits as kindness and calmness, wisdom and simple philosophy, which we can call worldly.

Kutuzov

Perhaps Kutuzov is the most striking example, and sometimes it seems that he is the only example, of a commander-in-chief who really never extolled himself. He considered himself equal to the people, the soldiers with whom he fought hand in hand.

We bring to the attention of readers the description in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”.

The greatest pain for him was the lack of unity of the people, the lack of integrity of the army. This, in his opinion, was often the reason for the defeats of the Russians.

L. N. Tolstoy's view of history

“People's thought” in the novel is inseparable from the historical concept of L. N. Tolstoy, which he sets out here. Of particular importance in this regard is the second part of the epilogue, where the author reflects that history does not actually consist of a description of events, but rather of the stories of individuals who influence the course of these events.

The first thing we think of when we read these words is that the stories of personalities are equal to the stories of famous people. These are, as a rule, great rulers and generals, emperors and kings... But L.N. Tolstoy was able to show us that history is made by ordinary people with their lives. And it is the lives of these people that are at the heart of the set of “small” stories that make up the “big” story.

Simplicity, truth, goodness are the three pillars that support the invincibility of the national spirit. The author himself writes about this, but the reader can also draw his own conclusions. However, simple joys and conservative values prevail - this is family and children, who ensure the reproduction of the people (as the French historian J. Dumezil would say).

So, the writer openly said that a work of literature is successful only when its author lives by the main idea written in this work. L.N. Tolstoy demonstrates through the example of this epic that a crisis situation awakens the most sincere qualities in people. Everyone gets what they deserve and according to their conscience: we see how Natasha Rostova changes, how Pierre Bezukhov suddenly finds the truth of life, how Prince Andrei Bolkonsky finally comes to an epiphany about the meaning of his path. But here we see how unforgiving the war is to people who believed that they had everything and could not lose anything: the handsome Anatol Kuragin loses his leg, and his sister Helen experiences a moral decline.