Philosophical meaning of war and peace. Concepts of war and peace

“War and Peace” is an extremely complex, multifaceted work: a historical, philosophical, family, psychological epic novel of modern times. The uniqueness of this epic novel lies in the fact that Tolstoy not only describes the history of Russia in the first quarter of the 19th century, talking about the Napoleonic Wars and the Patriotic War of 1812, but also tries to convey the spiritual, intellectual content of this era. The writer offers his philosophical understanding of both global - world and national - historical events, and the life of an individual. For Tolstoy, events from the history of the nation and the “little things” of private life are equalized, since the general and eternal laws of existence are equally manifested in them.

Tolstoy's philosophical arguments about the laws of history are scattered throughout the novel, but in the epilogue they are once again summarized. The author examines the most important questions about the driving forces of history and the role of the so-called “great people” in the historical process.

In “War and Peace” there are discussions about the purposes of historical events and the role of human will in them: “Why war or revolution occurs, we do not know; we only know that in order to perform this or that action, people form a certain combination and everyone participates, and we say that this is the nature of people, that this is the law” (epilogue, 2, VII). Further, Tolstoy continues: “In real life, every historical event, every human action is understood very clearly, without the feeling of the slightest contradiction, despite the fact that every event seems partly free, partly necessary” (epilogue, 2, IX).

A historical event, according to the writer, consists of the contradictory and diverse aspirations of millions of people living in the era of this historical event. Consequently, history does not depend on the will of one or several people, but on the will of all humanity, that is, it is an objective (unconscious, “swarm”) process. Tolstoy compares the historical process with a clock mechanism: “Just as in a watch the result of the complex movement of countless different wheels and blocks is only the slow and steady movement of the hand indicating the time, so is the result of all complex human movements ... - all passions, desires, repentances, humiliations, suffering, impulses of pride, fear, delight of people - there was only the loss of the Battle of Austerlitz..., that is, the slow movement of the world-historical hand on the dial of human history" (1.3, XI). In addition to theoretical discussions, the novel provides artistic illustrations of historical laws that, according to Tolstoy, govern people's lives. For example, the mass departure of Muscovites before the surrender of the city: “They left and did not think about the majestic significance of this huge, rich capital, abandoned by the inhabitants and given over to the fire (the large abandoned wooden city had to burn down); they each left for themselves, and at the same time, only as a result of the fact that they left, that magnificent event took place, which will forever remain the best glory of the Russian people” (3, 3, V). In other words, the reasonable and correct action of an individual, according to Tolstoy, is the embodiment of the will of the whole (history), each individual act is determined by the will of humanity.

Human society, according to Tolstoy, can be depicted as a cone (epilogue, 2, VI), at the base of which is the people, and at the top is the ruler. The paradox of history is presented to the author as follows: the higher a person stands on the social ladder, the less he can influence historical events: “The king is a slave of history.” Proof of this idea is, for example, the election of Kutuzov to the post of commander-in-chief in the Patriotic War. Kutuzov was personally disliked by Alexander the First, but when a serious danger loomed over Russia, Kutuzov was called up not by order of the authorities, but by the will of the people. The king, contrary to his personal wishes, was forced to fulfill the will of the people. In other words, the people, according to Tolstoy, are the makers of history. That is why in the novel there are many heroes from the people - peasants, soldiers, servants. This is how the author’s democratic beliefs are manifested.

The people are not only the main driving force of history, but also the main judge of the so-called “great people”. A person who has earned the respect of the people will, according to Tolstoy, be great. Such a person does not carry out his own will in history, but perceives and fulfills the will of his people. Based on this position, the writer considers Kutuzov great (he understood the meaning and liberating nature of the Patriotic War) and denies greatness to Napoleon (this power-lover cared exclusively about personal glory, which he founded on wars, on the blood of European peoples). Thus, Tolstoy's philosophical views are not only democratic, but also humanistic. The writer condemns the war, which coincides with the popular assessment of this event.

“War and Peace” also sets out a philosophical understanding of an individual human life, that is, Tolstoy poses “eternal” moral problems and gives answers to them, offering his criteria for a correct life. The author describes the personal quests and interests of the heroes, intertwining them with the quests, interests, and clashes of peoples. If the hero correctly understands his place in history (Kutuzov, Prince Andrei, Pierre), then his personal spiritual development goes in the same direction with human history. If the hero wants to slow down or push up the historical process with his will, then he looks naive and ridiculous. This is exactly how the author characterizes the behavior of Count Rastopchin on the eve of the surrender of Moscow, listing the contradictory orders and actions of this statesman: “... this man did not understand the significance of the event taking place, but only wanted to do something himself, to surprise someone, to accomplish something patriotic-heroic and, like a boy, frolicked over the majestic and inevitable event of the abandonment and burning of Moscow and tried with his small hand to either encourage or delay the flow of the enormous stream of people that was carrying him along with it” (3, 3, V).

Inner freedom, according to the writer, is at least a partial renunciation of the egoistic desire for personal good, because it obscures from a person the general and undoubted good of life as such. Tolstoy extremely simply formulates his understanding of morality: there is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth. The author applies these moral criteria to all the heroes of the novel, starting with emperors and generals and ending with simple Russian men. As a result, the heroes are divided into loved ones and unloved ones, depending on the extent to which their behavior in life corresponds to the principles of simplicity, goodness and truth.

Both in Tolstoy's time and still today there is an opinion that a statesman can behave differently from a private person. What is considered fraud for a private person is statesmanship for a statesman; What would be an unacceptable weakness in a public figure is considered humanity or gentleness of soul in a private person. Such morality, therefore, allows for two justices and two prudences for the same person. Tolstoy rejects double morality and proves that a historical figure and a common man must be measured by one standard, that simple justice always constitutes the wisest and most beneficial policy. For the author, the life and feelings of a private person against the background of historical upheavals acquire the same importance as the life and actions of historical figures.

Tolstoy gives his own assessment of all the famous figures of the historical era described. This applies primarily to Napoleon, who in Russian and especially in European historiography is presented as the greatest commander and statesman. But for Tolstoy, Napoleon is an aggressor who attacked Russia, giving orders to burn cities and villages, exterminate Russian people, rob and destroy cultural values. Alexander the First, reformer Speransky, Count Rastopchin, German military strategists - all these historical figures are described by the author as empty and vain people who only imagine that they are making history.

The author applies the same criteria of simplicity, goodness and truth to evaluate fictional characters. Drawing the court aristocracy (the Kuragin family, the maid of honor Anna Pavlovna Sherer, the careerists Drubetsky, Berg, numerous adjutants), Tolstoy emphasizes their immorality and false patriotism. They live by empty interests, far from what the author believes to be true life. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, when the soldiers from Prince Andrei’s regiment are preparing to win or die, the secular careerists “are busy only with their own small interests. ...for them this is only a moment in which they can dig under the enemy and get an extra cross or ribbon” (3, 2, XXV). The patriotism of secular society during the Patriotic War is manifested in the fact that the noble nobility does not go to the French Theater and tries to speak Russian.

Tolstoy's favorite heroes embody his ideal of life. Prince Andrei and Pierre, after much moral searching, come to the same conclusion: we must live for people, in truth and conscience. This, however, does not mean the abandonment of a different opinion, from the intense mental work characteristic of both.

So, “War and Peace” reflected the author’s philosophical views on the world and man. In Tolstoy’s time, history was usually presented as a chain of actions of kings and generals, while the people did not play any role in the historical arena, their purpose was to carry out the will of “great people.” A similar view of history is clearly reflected in Russian and European battle paintings: “... in the foreground, a huge general is sitting on a horse and waving some kind of drekoly; then clouds of dust or smoke - you can’t tell; then behind the clubs are tiny soldiers, placed in the picture only to show how great the commander is and how small the lower ranks are in comparison with him” (D.I. Pisarev).

Tolstoy, reflecting on the historical process, analyzing the critical moments of Russian history, comes to the idea that the people are not two or three little ones in the background of the battle picture, the people are the creator of history. So the writer abandoned one extreme point of view (history - the deeds of “great people”), but began to defend the other extreme (history is impersonal): “The actions of Napoleon and Alexander, on whose words it seemed that an event would happen or not happen, depended just as little arbitrary as the action of each soldier who went on a campaign by lot or recruitment” (3, 1, I). It seems that the correct point of view is in the middle between the extremes - history is created by the whole nation: the tsar, and the generals, and senior and junior officers, and ordinary soldiers, and partisans, and civilians - in a word, all those who do at least something useful for the common cause, and even those who oppose the common cause. In other words, the historical process takes place according to the well-known Latin proverb: fate leads the smart, but drags the stupid.

The philosophical concept in Tolstoy’s novel is expressed not only in special digressions, not only in the images of Napoleon and Kutuzov, but also in each hero of the work, since each image in one way or another illustrates the ideas of the author’s moral philosophy. Tolstoy, like all Russian writers of the mid-19th century, tried to solve the problem of a positive hero and looked for him among the nobility. In contemporary Russian life, the writer did not see such heroes, but, turning to history, he found positive images - these are the nobles of 1812 and 1825. They were ahead of their time, their moral character turned out to be closer to the advanced Russian people of the 60s of the 19th century than to their contemporaries in the first quarter of the 19th century.

Evaluating all the heroes according to the same moral criteria (simplicity, goodness, truth), Tolstoy brings a universal (philosophical) meaning to the historical novel about the Patriotic War of 1812, which makes the work deeper in content and allows it to be called an epic. The moral ideal of the writer is, without a doubt, the people's ideal of moral life. Refusal of selfishness, vanity, idleness, the desire to rise to universal human interests, to elevate one’s feelings above everyday life - this is what Tolstoy calls for in his moral teaching, presented in War and Peace.

At first glance, the title of the great epic novel by L.N. Tolstoy seems to be the only possible one. But the original title of the work was different: “All’s well that ends well.” And, it would seem, such a title successfully emphasizes the course of the War of 1812 - the great victory of the Russian people.

Why was the writer not satisfied with this name? Probably because his plan was much broader and deeper than just a story about the Patriotic War of 1812. Tolstoy wanted to present in all its diversity, contradictions and struggles the life of an entire era.

The theme of the work is formed by three circles of issues: problems of the people, the noble community and the personal life of a person, determined by ethical standards. The main artistic device used by the writer is antithesis. This technique is the core of the entire novel: the novel contrasts two wars (1805-1807 and 1812), and two battles (Austerlitz and Borodino), and military leaders (Kutuzov and Napoleon), and cities (St. Petersburg and Moscow), and active faces. But in fact, this opposition is inherent in the very title of the novel: “War and Peace.”

This name reflects a deep philosophical meaning. The fact is that the word “world” before the revolution had a different letter designation for the sound [i] - i decimal, and the word was written “mir”. This spelling of the word indicated that it had multiple meanings. Indeed, the word “peace” in the title is not a simple designation of the concept of peace, a state opposite to war. In the novel, this word carries many meanings and illuminates important aspects of people's life, views, ideals, life and morals of various strata of society.

The epic beginning in the novel “War and Peace” connects the pictures of war and peace into a single whole with invisible threads. In the same way, the word “war” means not only the military actions of warring armies, but also the belligerent hostility of people in peaceful life, separated by social and moral barriers. The concept of “world” appears and is revealed in the epic in its various meanings. Peace is the life of a people who are not in a state of war. The world is a peasant gathering that started a riot in Bogucharovo. The world is everyday interests, which, unlike abusive life, so prevent Nikolai Rostov from being a “wonderful person” and so annoy him when he comes on vacation and understands nothing in this “stupid world.” Peace is a person’s immediate environment, which is always next to him, no matter where he is: in war or in peaceful life.

And finally, behind all these meanings is Tolstoy’s philosophical idea of the world as the Universe, the universe in its main opposing states, which act as internal forces of development and the life of peoples, history, and the destinies of individual people.Pierre speaks about him, proving to Prince Andrei the existence of the “kingdom of truth.” Peace is the brotherhood of people, regardless of national and class differences, to which Nikolai Rostov proclaims a toast when meeting with the Austrians.

The life that Tolstoy paints is very rich. The episodes, whether they relate to “war” or “peace,” are very different, but each expresses the deep, inner meaning of life, the struggle of opposite principles in it. Internal contradictions are a prerequisite for the movement of the life of an individual and humanity as a whole. Moreover, “war” and “peace” do not exist separately. One event is connected with another, follows from another and entails the next.

In my opinion, Tolstoy uses another means of artistic expression to reveal the meaning of the title of the novel. Thisoxymoron . Military events included in the plot of the novel create peace and harmony in the internal and external lives of the heroes, while peaceful events, on the contrary, sow discord, misunderstanding, and fragmented destinies of the heroes. . If you look at how the heroes behave when the war reached Moscow, it becomes obvious that these military difficulties united the heroes and awakened in them feelings of compassion and sympathy for their neighbors. An example of this is the Rostov family, which receives the sick and wounded in their home, helps them with provisions and medicines, Natasha herself acts as a nurse and nurse. During this difficult time in the city, the edges of social inequality seemed to be erased, traces of everyday quarrels and scandals between heroes, misunderstandings that reigned in peacetime, disappeared. That is, the war brought into the lives of the heroes that unity, brotherhood, cohesion, mutual assistance, equality that did not exist in peacetime. In addition, war also determines the spiritual order of thoughts and feelings of the heroes. It is during the war that Andrei Bolkonsky’s attitude to life changes: if before his first combat wound Bolkonsky dreamed of glory, for which he was ready to put his life on the line: “Death, wounds, loss of family, nothing is scary to me,” then after the wound received during the battle of Austerlitz, the attitude towards life changes. Having touched death, Bolkonsky begins to notice the beauty of life (blue sky), its uniqueness and the insignificance of war (Napoleon already seems small, and everything that happens around is meaningless). During the war, Pierre Bezukhov also settled down. That is, war not only creates the external world of the heroes, but also the internal one. The world, on the contrary, brings discord and disharmony into the lives of the heroes. For example, everyday life brought turmoil into the soul of Andrei Bolkonsky - disappointment from Natasha’s refusal and the news about her affair with Anatoly Kuragin. To find inner harmony, Bolkonsky goes to war. For him, war is a spiritual insight and a spiritual hospital, and the world is a place of temptations and sorrows. Even the fact that Bolkonsky begins to look at his rival Anatoly Kuragin differently when he meets him with an amputated leg in a hospital speaks of the beneficial effect of war on Bolkonsky’s soul. In the world he felt hatred and rivalry towards Anatoly Kuragin, he even wanted to challenge him to a duel, and in the hospital he felt a feeling of compassion and empathy, that is, the war reconciled enemies and rivals. Dolokhov also reconciles with Pierre during the war, when a prayer service was served in front of the Smolensk miraculous icon on the Borodin field. (in the world they quarreled over Helen Kuragina, Pierre’s wife, who had an affair with Dolokhov). All these examples suggest that war contains both external and internal peace. And the pre-war time, the life of the heroes, on the contrary, is presented in the constant fragmentation of the heroes, misunderstandings, divisions: they divide the inheritance of the old Count Bezukhov, gossip in the Scherer salon, waste their lives in absurd searches and actions, such as Pierre Bezukhov (then he will join the Masonic lodge, sometimes he dances with a bear for a bet, sometimes he takes part in city carousings, etc. ), betrayal (for example, Helen), rivalry (Dolokhov-Rostov because of Sonya; Anatol Kuragin-Bolkonsky because of Natasha; Dolokhov-Pierre because of Helen), etc. All these facets of rivalry and hostility are erased by war. Reconciles the heroes, spiritually enriches them and puts everything in its place. In addition, war awakens in the heroes and strengthens their sense of patriotism. Conclusion: everyday life, full of temptations and entertainment, the pleasures of life, takes the heroes away from spiritual riches and worldly peace, but war and grief lead them.

That is why Tolstoy’s novel “rises to the highest peaks of human thoughts and feelings, to peaks usually inaccessible to people” (N. N. Strakhov).

There was fierce debate about the meaning of the title of Tolstoy's novel War and Peace. Now it seems that everyone has come to more or less definite interpretations.

Antithesis in the broad sense of the word

Indeed, if you read just the title of the novel, then the simplest contrast immediately catches your eye: a peaceful, calm life and military battles, which occupy a very significant place in the work. The meaning of the title “War and Peace” lies, as it were, on the surface. Let's consider this side of the issue. Of the four volumes of the novel, only the second covers exclusively peaceful life. In the remaining volumes, the war is interspersed with descriptions of episodes from the life of various parts of society. It is not for nothing that the count himself, calling his epic in French, wrote only La guerre et la paix, which is translated without additional interpretation: “war is war, and peace is only everyday life.” There is reason to think that the author considered the meaning of the title “War and Peace” without additional subtext. Nevertheless, it is embedded in it.

Old disputes

Before the reform of the Russian language, the word “peace” was written and interpreted in two ways. These were “mir” and “mir” through i, which in Cyrillic was called “and”, and izhitsa, which was written as “and”. These words differed in meaning. “Mir” is a time without military events, and the second option meant the universe, the globe, society. Spelling could easily change the meaning of the title "War and Peace." Employees of the country's main Russian Language Institute found out that the old spelling, which appeared in a single rare publication, was nothing more than a typo. There was also one typo found in a business document that caught the attention of some commentators. But the author wrote only “peace” in his letters. How the title of the novel came about has not yet been reliably established. Again we will refer to our leading institute, in which linguists have not established exact analogies.

Problems of the novel

What issues are addressed in the novel?

Noble society.
Private life.
Problems of the people.

And all of them are in one way or another connected with wars and peaceful life, which reflects the meaning of the name “War and Peace”. The author's artistic technique is opposition. In the 1st part of the first volume, the reader has just plunged into the life of St. Petersburg and Moscow, when the 2nd part immediately takes him to Austria, where preparations are underway for the Battle of Shengraben. The 3rd part of the first volume mixes Bezukhov’s life in St. Petersburg, Prince Vasily’s trip with Anatoly to the Bolkonskys and the battle of Austerlitz.

Contrasts of society

The Russian nobility is a unique layer. In Russia, the peasantry perceived him as foreigners: they spoke French, their manners and way of life were different from the Russian. In Europe, on the contrary, they were looked at as “Russian bears.” They were strangers in any country.

In their native country they could always expect a peasant revolt. Here is another contrast in society that reflects the meaning of the title of the novel “War and Peace.” As an example, let's give an episode from the third volume, part 2. When the French approached Bogucharov, the men did not want to let Princess Marya go to Moscow. Only the intervention of N. Rostov, who happened to pass by with a squadron, saved the princess and pacified the peasants. For Tolstoy, wartime and peacetime are intertwined, as is the case in modern life.

Movement from west to east

The author describes two wars. One is alien to the Russian person, who does not understand its meaning, but fights the enemy, as his superiors order, without sparing himself, even without the necessary uniform. The second is clear and natural: defending the Fatherland and fighting for their families, for a peaceful life in their native land. This is also indicated by the meaning of the title of the novel “War and Peace”. Against this background, the opposite, antagonistic qualities of Napoleon and Kutuzov are revealed, and the role of the individual in history is clarified.

The epilogue of the novel tells a lot about this. It compares emperors, commanders, generals, and also analyzes issues of will and necessity, genius and chance.

Contrast between battles and peaceful life

In general, L. Tolstoy divides peace and war into two polar parts. War, which completely fills the history of mankind, is disgusting and unnatural. It causes hatred and hostility in people and brings destruction and death.

Peace is happiness and joy, freedom and naturalness, work for the benefit of society and the individual. Each episode of the novel is a song of the joys of peaceful life and a condemnation of war as an indispensable attribute of human life. This opposition is the meaning of the title of the epic novel “War and Peace.” The world, not only in the novel, but also in life, denies war. The innovation of L. Tolstoy, who himself participated in the battles of Sevastopol, lies in the fact that he showed not its heroism, but the reverse side - everyday, genuine, testing all the spiritual strength of a person.

Noble society, its contrasts

The nobles do not form a single cohesive mass. St. Petersburg, the high society, looks down on the closed-minded, good-natured Muscovites. The Scherer salon, the Rostov house and the unique, intellectual Bogucharovo, which stands apart altogether, are such different worlds that they will always be separated by an abyss.

The meaning of the title “War and Peace”: essay

L. Tolstoy devoted six years of his life (1863 - 1869) to writing an epic novel, which he later spoke about with disdain. But we appreciate this masterpiece for opening the widest panorama of life, which includes everything that surrounds a person day after day.

The main technique that we see in all episodes is antithesis. The entire novel, even the description of peaceful life, is built on contrasts: the ceremonial salon of A. Scherer and the cold family way of Lisa and Andrei Bolkonsky, the patriarchal warm family of the Rostovs and the rich intellectual life in God-forsaken Bogucharovo, the miserable quiet existence of Dolokhov’s adored family and his external, empty , the flashy life of an adventurer, Pierre’s unnecessary meetings with Freemasons who do not ask deep questions about the reconstruction of life, like Bezukhov.

War also has polar sides. The foreign campaign of 1805-1806, meaningless for Russian soldiers and officers, and the terrible year 12, when, retreating, they had to give a bloody battle near Borodino and surrender Moscow, and then, having liberated their homeland, drive the enemy across Europe to Paris, leaving him in integrity.

A coalition that was formed after the war when all countries united against Russia, fearing its unexpected power.

L. N. Tolstoy (“War and Peace”) invested an infinite amount of his philosophical reasoning into the epic novel. The meaning of the name is not amenable to unambiguous interpretation.

It is multidimensional and multifaceted, like the life itself that surrounds us. This novel has been and will be relevant at all times and not only for Russians, who understand it more deeply, but also for foreigners who turn to it again and again, making feature films.

A.E. In 1863, Bersom wrote a letter to his friend, Count Tolstoy, reporting on a fascinating conversation between young people about the events of 1812. Then Lev Nikolaevich decided to write a grandiose work about that heroic time. Already in October 1863, the writer wrote in one of his letters to a relative that he had never felt such creative forces in himself; the new work, according to him, would not be like anything he had done before.

Initially, the main character of the work should be the Decembrist, returning from exile in 1856. Next, Tolstoy moved the beginning of the novel to the day of the uprising in 1825, but then the artistic time moved to 1812. Apparently, the count was afraid that the novel would not be released for political reasons, since Nicholas the First tightened censorship, fearing a repeat of the riot. Since the Patriotic War directly depends on the events of 1805, it was this period that in the final version became the foundation for the beginning of the book.

“Three Pores” - that’s what Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy called his work. It was planned that the first part or time would tell about the young Decembrists, participants in the war; in the second - a direct description of the Decembrist uprising; in the third - the second half of the 19th century, the sudden death of Nicholas 1, the defeat of the Russian army in the Crimean War, an amnesty for members of the opposition movement who, returning from exile, expect changes.

It should be noted that the writer rejected all the works of historians, basing many episodes of War and Peace on the memoirs of participants and witnesses of the war. Materials from newspapers and magazines also served as excellent informants. In the Rumyantsev Museum, the author read unpublished documents, letters from ladies-in-waiting and generals. Tolstoy spent several days in Borodino, and in letters to his wife he enthusiastically wrote that if God grants health, he will describe the Battle of Borodino in a way that no one has described before.

The author spent 7 years of his life creating War and Peace. There are 15 variations of the beginning of the novel; the writer repeatedly abandoned and started his book again. Tolstoy foresaw the global scope of his descriptions, wanted to create something innovative and created an epic novel worthy of representing the literature of our country on the world stage.

Themes of War and Peace

Family theme. It is the family that determines the upbringing, psychology, views and moral principles of a person, and therefore naturally occupies one of the central places in the novel. The forge of morals shapes the characters' characters and influences the dialectic of their souls throughout the entire narrative. The description of the Bolkonsky, Bezukhov, Rostov and Kuragin families reveals the author’s thoughts about house building and the importance he attaches to family values.
The theme of the people. The glory for a won war always belongs to the commander or emperor, and the people, without whom this glory would not have appeared, remain in the shadows. It is this problem that the author raises, showing the vanity of the vanity of military officials and elevating ordinary soldiers. became the topic of one of our essays.
Theme of war. Descriptions of military operations exist relatively separately from the novel, independently. It is here that phenomenal Russian patriotism is revealed, which became the key to victory, the boundless courage and fortitude of a soldier who goes to any length to save his homeland. The author introduces us to war scenes through the eyes of one or another hero, plunging the reader into the depths of the bloodshed taking place. Large-scale battles echo the mental anguish of the heroes. Being at the crossroads of life and death reveals the truth to them.
Theme of life and death. Tolstoy's characters are divided into “living” and “dead”. The first include Pierre, Andrey, Natasha, Marya, Nikolai, and the second include old Bezukhov, Helen, Prince Vasily Kuragin and his son Anatole. The “living” are constantly in motion, and not so much physical as internal, dialectical (their souls come to harmony through a series of trials), while the “dead” hide behind masks and come to tragedy and internal split. Death in “War and Peace” is presented in 3 forms: bodily or physical death, moral death, and awakening through death. Life is comparable to the burning of a candle, someone’s light is small, with flashes of bright light (Pierre), for someone it burns tirelessly (Natasha Rostova), Masha’s wavering light. There are also 2 hypostases: physical life, like that of “dead” characters, whose immorality deprives the world of the necessary harmony within, and the life of the “soul”, this is about the heroes of the first type, they will be remembered even after death.

Main characters

Andrey Bolkonsky- a nobleman, disillusioned with the world and seeking glory. The hero is handsome, has dry features, short stature, but athletic build. Andrei dreams of being famous like Napoleon, and that’s why he goes to war. He is bored with high society; even his pregnant wife does not give him any relief. Bolkonsky changes his worldview when, wounded at the battle of Austerlitz, he encountered Napoleon, who seemed like a fly to him, along with all his glory. Further, the love that flared up for Natasha Rostova also changes the views of Andrei, who finds the strength to live a full and happy life again after the death of his wife. He meets death on the Borodino field, because he does not find the strength in his heart to forgive people and not fight with them. The author shows the struggle in his soul, hinting that the prince is a man of war, he cannot get along in an atmosphere of peace. So, he forgives Natasha for betrayal only on his deathbed, and dies in harmony with himself. But finding this harmony was possible only in this way - for the last time. We wrote more about his character in the essay "".
Natasha Rostova– a cheerful, sincere, eccentric girl. Knows how to love. He has a wonderful voice that will captivate the most picky music critics. In the work, we first see her as a 12-year-old girl, on her name day. Throughout the entire work, we observe the growing up of a young girl: first love, first ball, Anatole’s betrayal, guilt before Prince Andrei, the search for her “I”, including in religion, the death of her lover (Andrei Bolkonsky). We analyzed her character in the essay "". In the epilogue, the wife of Pierre Bezukhov, his shadow, appears before us from a cocky lover of “Russian dances”.
Pierre Bezukhov- a plump young man who was unexpectedly bequeathed a title and a large fortune. Pierre discovers himself through what is happening around him, from each event he learns a moral and a life lesson. His wedding with Helen gives him confidence; after being disappointed in her, he finds interest in Freemasonry, and in the end he gains warm feelings for Natasha Rostova. The Battle of Borodino and capture by the French taught him not to philosophize and find happiness in helping others. These conclusions were determined by acquaintance with Platon Karataev, a poor man who, while awaiting death in a cell without normal food and clothing, looked after the “little baron” Bezukhov and found the strength to support him. We've already looked at it too.
Graph Ilya Andreevich Rostov- a loving family man, luxury was his weakness, which led to financial problems in the family. Softness and weakness of character, inability to adapt to life make him helpless and pitiful.
Countess Natalya Rostova– the Count’s wife, has an oriental flavor, knows how to present herself correctly in society, and loves her own children excessively. A calculating woman: she strives to upset the wedding of Nikolai and Sonya, since she was not rich. It was her cohabitation with a weak husband that made her so strong and firm.
NickOlai Rostov– the eldest son is kind, open, with curly hair. Wasteful and weak in spirit, like his father. He squanders his family's fortune on cards. He longed for glory, but after participating in a number of battles he understands how useless and cruel war is. He finds family well-being and spiritual harmony in his marriage to Marya Bolkonskaya.
Sonya Rostova– the count’s niece – small, thin, with a black braid. She had a reasonable character and good disposition. She has been devoted to one man all her life, but lets her beloved Nikolai go after learning about his love for Marya. Tolstoy exalts and appreciates her humility.
Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky- Prince, has an analytical mind, but a heavy, categorical and unfriendly character. He is too strict, therefore he does not know how to show love, although he has warm feelings for children. Dies from the second blow in Bogucharovo.
Marya Bolkonskaya– modest, loving her family, ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of her loved ones. L.N. Tolstoy especially emphasizes the beauty of her eyes and the ugliness of her face. In her image, the author shows that the charm of forms cannot replace spiritual wealth. are described in detail in the essay.
Helen Kuragina– Pierre’s ex-wife is a beautiful woman, a socialite. She loves male company and knows how to get what she wants, although she is vicious and stupid.
Anatol Kuragin- Helen's brother is handsome and belongs to high society. Immoral, lacking moral principles, wanted to secretly marry Natasha Rostova, although he already had a wife. Life punishes him with martyrdom on the battlefield.
Fedor Dolokhov- officer and leader of the partisans, not tall, has light eyes. Successfully combines selfishness and care for loved ones. Vicious, passionate, but attached to his family.

Tolstoy's favorite hero

In the novel, the author's sympathy and antipathy for the characters is clearly felt. As for female characters, the writer gives his love to Natasha Rostova and Marya Bolkonskaya. Tolstoy valued the true feminine in girls - devotion to a lover, the ability to always remain blooming in the eyes of her husband, the knowledge of happy motherhood and caring. His heroines are ready for self-denial for the benefit of others.

The writer is fascinated by Natasha, the heroine finds the strength to live even after the death of Andrei, she directs love to her mother after the death of her brother Petya, seeing how hard it is for her. The heroine is reborn, realizing that life is not over as long as she has a bright feeling for her neighbor. Rostova shows patriotism, without a doubt helping the wounded.

Marya also finds happiness in helping others, in feeling needed by someone. Bolkonskaya becomes a mother for Nikolushka’s nephew, taking him under her “wing”. She worries about ordinary men who have nothing to eat, passing the problem through herself, and does not understand how the rich can not help the poor. In the final chapters of the book, Tolstoy is fascinated by his heroines, who have matured and found female happiness.

The writer’s favorite male characters were Pierre and Andrei Bolkonsky. Bezukhov first appears to the reader as a clumsy, plump, short young man who appears in Anna Scherer's living room. Despite his ridiculous, ridiculous appearance, Pierre is smart, but the only person who accepts him for who he is is Bolkonsky. The prince is brave and stern, his courage and honor come in handy on the battlefield. Both men risk their lives to save their homeland. Both are rushing around in search of themselves.

Of course, L.N. Tolstoy brings his favorite heroes together, only in the case of Andrei and Natasha, happiness is short-lived, Bolkonsky dies young, and Natasha and Pierre find family happiness. Marya and Nikolai also found harmony in each other's company.

Genre of the work

“War and Peace” opens the genre of the epic novel in Russia. The features of any novels are successfully combined here: from family novels to memoirs. The prefix “epic” means that the events described in the novel cover a significant historical phenomenon and reveal its essence in all its diversity. Typically, a work of this genre has a lot of plot lines and characters, since the scale of the work is very large.

The epic nature of Tolstoy’s work lies in the fact that he not only invented a story about a famous historical event, but also enriched it with details gleaned from the memories of eyewitnesses. The author did a lot to ensure that the book was based on documentary sources.

The relationship between the Bolkonskys and the Rostovs was also not invented by the author: he depicted the history of his family, the merger of the Volkonsky and Tolstoy families.

Main problems

The problem of finding real life. Let's take Andrei Bolkonsky as an example. He dreamed of recognition and glory, and the surest way to earn authority and adoration was through military exploits. Andrei made plans to save the army with his own hands. Bolkonsky constantly saw pictures of battles and victories, but he was wounded and went home. Here, in front of Andrei’s eyes, his wife dies, completely shaking the prince’s inner world, then he realizes that there is no joy in the murders and suffering of the people. This career is not worth it. The search for oneself continues, because the original meaning of life has been lost. The problem is that it is difficult to find.
The problem of happiness. Take Pierre, who is torn away from the empty society of Helen and the war. He soon becomes disillusioned with a vicious woman; illusory happiness has deceived him. Bezukhov, like his friend Bolkonsky, tries to find a calling in the struggle and, like Andrei, abandons this search. Pierre was not born for the battlefield. As you can see, any attempts to find bliss and harmony result in the collapse of hopes. As a result, the hero returns to his former life and finds himself in a quiet family haven, but only by making his way through thorns did he find his star.
The problem of the people and the great man. The epic novel clearly expresses the idea of commanders-in-chief inseparable from the people. A great man must share the opinions of his soldiers and live by the same principles and ideals. Not a single general or king would have received his glory if this glory had not been presented to him on a “platter” by the soldiers, in whom the main strength lies. But many rulers do not cherish it, but despise it, and this should not happen, because injustice hurts people painfully, even more painfully than bullets. The People's War in the events of 1812 is shown on the side of the Russians. Kutuzov protects the soldiers and sacrifices Moscow for their sake. They sense this, mobilize the peasants and launch a guerrilla struggle that finishes off the enemy and finally drives him out.
The problem of true and false patriotism. Of course, patriotism is revealed through images of Russian soldiers, a description of the heroism of the people in the main battles. False patriotism in the novel is represented in the person of Count Rostopchin. He distributes ridiculous pieces of paper throughout Moscow, and then saves himself from the wrath of people by sending his son Vereshchagin to certain death. We have written an article on this topic, called “”.

What is the point of the book?

The writer himself speaks about the true meaning of the epic novel in the lines about greatness. Tolstoy believes that there is no greatness where there is no simplicity of soul, good intentions and a sense of justice.

L.N. Tolstoy expressed greatness through the people. In the images of battle paintings, an ordinary soldier shows unprecedented courage, which causes pride. Even the most fearful aroused in themselves a feeling of patriotism, which, like an unknown and frantic force, brought victory to the Russian army. The writer protests against false greatness. When put on the scales (here you can find their comparative characteristics), the latter flies up: its fame is lightweight, since it has very flimsy foundations. The image of Kutuzov is “folk”; none of the commanders has ever been so close to the common people. Napoleon is only reaping the fruits of fame; it is not without reason that when Bolkonsky lies wounded on the field of Austerlitz, the author, through his eyes, shows Bonaparte like a fly in this huge world. Lev Nikolaevich sets a new trend of heroic character. He becomes the “people's choice”.

An open soul, patriotism and a sense of justice won not only in the War of 1812, but also in life: the heroes who were guided by moral principles and the voice of their hearts became happy.

Thought Family

L.N. Tolstoy was very sensitive to the topic of family. Thus, in his novel “War and Peace,” the writer shows that the state, like a clan, transmits values and traditions from generation to generation, and good human qualities are also sprouts from roots going back to the forefathers.

Brief description of families in the novel “War and Peace”:

Of course, the beloved family of L.N. Tolstoy's were the Rostovs. Their family was famous for its cordiality and hospitality. It is in this family that the author’s values of true home comfort and happiness are reflected. The writer considered the purpose of a woman to be motherhood, maintaining comfort in the home, devotion and the ability to self-sacrifice. This is how all the women of the Rostov family are depicted. There are 6 people in the family: Natasha, Sonya, Vera, Nikolai and parents.
Another family is the Bolkonskys. Restraint of feelings, the severity of Father Nikolai Andreevich, and canonicity reign here. Women here are more like “shadows” of their husbands. Andrei Bolkonsky will inherit the best qualities, becoming a worthy son of his father, and Marya will learn patience and humility.
The Kuragin family is the best personification of the proverb “no oranges are born from aspen trees.” Helen, Anatole, Hippolyte are cynical, seek benefits in people, are stupid and not the least bit sincere in what they do and say. “A show of masks” is their lifestyle, and in this they completely took after their father, Prince Vasily. There are no friendly and warm relations in the family, which is reflected in all its members. L.N. Tolstoy especially dislikes Helen, who was incredibly beautiful on the outside, but completely empty on the inside.

People's thought

She is the central line of the novel. As we remember from what was written above, L.N. Tolstoy abandoned generally accepted historical sources, basing “War and Peace” on memoirs, notes, letters from ladies-in-waiting and generals. The writer was not interested in the course of the war as a whole. Individual personalities, fragments – that’s what the author needed. Each person had his own place and significance in this book, like pieces of a puzzle, which, when assembled correctly, will reveal a beautiful picture - the power of national unity.

The Patriotic War changed something inside each of the characters in the novel, each made their own small contribution to the victory. Prince Andrei believes in the Russian army and fights with dignity, Pierre wants to destroy the French ranks from their very heart - by killing Napoleon, Natasha Rostova without hesitation gives carts to crippled soldiers, Petya fights bravely in partisan detachments.

The people's will to victory is clearly felt in the scenes of the Battle of Borodino, the battle for Smolensk, and the partisan battle with the French. The latter is especially memorable for the novel, because volunteers who came from the ordinary peasant class fought in the partisan movements - the detachments of Denisov and Dolokhov personified the movement of the entire nation, when “both old and young” stood up to defend their homeland. Later they would be called the “club of the people’s war.”

The War of 1812 in Tolstoy's novel

The War of 1812, as a turning point in the lives of all the heroes of the novel War and Peace, has been mentioned several times above. It was also said that it was won by the people. Let's look at the issue from a historical perspective. L.N. Tolstoy draws 2 images: Kutuzov and Napoleon. Of course, both images are drawn through the eyes of a person from the people. It is known that the character of Bonaparte was thoroughly described in the novel only after the writer was convinced of the fair victory of the Russian army. The author did not understand the beauty of war, he was its opponent, and through the mouths of his heroes Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov, he speaks of the meaninglessness of its very idea.

The Patriotic War was a national liberation war. It occupied a special place on the pages of volumes 3 and 4.

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To the question, what is the meaning of the novel WAR AND PEACE? given by the author Make a fool of yourself the best answer is read it, you'll find out

Answer from Neurosis[guru]
You can't understand - there are too many letters

Answer from Ylisheva[guru]
“The meaning of the title of L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace.” Essay.
“The novel “War and Peace” was conceived as a novel about a Decembrist who returned from exile, revised his views, condemned the past and became a preacher of moral self-improvement. The creation of the epic novel was influenced by Russia’s failure in the Crimean War, the abolition of serfdom and its consequences. Topics the works form three circles of issues: the problems of the people, the noble community and the personal life of a person, determined by ethical standards. The main artistic device used by the writer is antithesis. This device is the core of the entire novel: two wars (1805-1807) are contrasted in the novel. and 1812 goals), and two battles (Austerlitz and Borodino), and military leaders (Kutuzov and Napoleon), and cities (St. Petersburg and Moscow), and characters. But in fact, this contrast begins with the very title of the novel: “War and world". This name reflects a deep philosophical meaning. The fact is that in the word "world" before the revolution there was a different letter designation of the sound [and] - I - decimal, and the word was written "mir". This spelling of the word indicated that it had multiple meanings. Indeed, the word “peace” in the title is not a simple designation of the concept of peace, a state opposite to war. In the novel, this word carries a lot of meanings, illuminates important aspects of people's life, views, ideals, life and morals of various strata of society. The epic beginning in the novel "War and Peace" connects the pictures of war and peace into a single picture with invisible threads. Just as “war means not only the military actions of warring armies, but also the belligerent hostility of people, in peaceful life, separated by social and moral barriers, the concept of “peace” appears and is revealed in the epic in its various meanings. Peace is the life of the people , not in a state of war. The world is a peasant gathering that started a riot in Bogucharovo. The world is everyday interests, which, unlike abusive life, so prevent Nikolai Rostov from being a “wonderful person” and so annoy him when he comes to vacation and does not understand anything in this “stupid world". The World is the closest environment of a person, which is always next to him, no matter where he is: in war or in peaceful life. But the World is the whole world, the universe. About it says Pierre, proving to Prince Andrei the existence of the “kingdom of truth". Peace is the brotherhood of people, regardless of national and class differences, to which N. Rostov proclaims toast when meeting with the Austrians. Peace is life. Peace is also a worldview, the circle of ideas of heroes. Peace and war go side by side, intertwine, interpenetrate and condition each other. In the general concept of the novel, the world denies war, because the content and need of the world is work and happiness, a free and natural and therefore joyful manifestation of personality. And the content and need of war is disunity, alienation and isolation of people. The hatred and hostility of people defending their selfish individual interests is the self-affirmation of their egoistic “I”, which brings destruction, grief, and death to others. The horror of the death of hundreds of people on the dam, during the retreat of the Russian army after Austerlitz, is all the more shocking because Tolstoy compares all this horror with the sight of the same dam at another time, when “the old miller sat here for so long with fishing rods while his grandson , rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, he was sorting through a silver quivering fish in a watering can.” The terrible outcome of the Battle of Borodino is depicted in the following picture: “Several tens of thousands of people lay dead in different positions in the fields and meadows... where for hundreds of years the peasants of the villages of Borodin, Gorki, Kovardin and Sechenevsky simultaneously harvested crops and grazed livestock.” (....further - see comments....)

Answer from ЂС[guru]
At first glance, it may seem that the novel “War and Peace” is named this way because it reflects two eras in the life of Russian society at the beginning of the 19th century: the period of the wars against Napoleon of 1805-1814 and the peaceful period before and after wartime. However, the data of literary and linguistic analysis allow us to make some significant clarifications.
The fact is that, unlike the modern Russian language, in which the word “peace” is a homonymous pair and denotes, firstly, the state of society opposite to war, and, secondly, human society in general, in the Russian language of the 19th century There were two spellings of the word “peace”: “peace” - the state of absence of war and “peace” - human society, community. The title of the novel in the old spelling included precisely the form “world”. From this one could conclude that the novel is devoted primarily to a problem that is formulated as follows: “War and Russian society.” However, as researchers of Tolstoy’s work have established, the title of the novel was published not from a text written by Tolstoy himself. However, the fact that Tolstoy did not correct the spelling that was not agreed with him suggests that the writer was satisfied with both versions of the name.
In fact, if we reduce the explanation of the title to the fact that the novel alternates parts devoted to war with parts devoted to depicting peaceful life, then many additional questions arise. For example, can a depiction of life behind enemy lines be considered a direct depiction of the state of the world? Or would it not be correct to call the endless discord that accompanies the course of life of noble society war?
However, such an explanation cannot be neglected. Tolstoy actually connects the title of the novel with the word “peace” in the meaning of “the absence of war, strife and hostility between people.” Evidence of this are the episodes in which the theme of condemnation of war is heard, the dream of a peaceful life for people is expressed, such as, for example, the scene of the murder of Petya Rostov.
On the other hand, the word “world” in the work clearly means “society”. Using the example of several families, the novel shows the life of all of Russia during that difficult period for it. In addition, Tolstoy describes in detail the life of the most diverse layers of Russian society: peasants, soldiers, patriarchal nobility (the Rostov family), high-born Russian aristocrats (the Bolkonsky family) and many others.
The range of problems in the novel is very wide. It reveals the reasons for the failures of the Russian army in the campaigns of 1805-1807; using the example of Kutuzov and Napoleon, the role of individuals in military events and in the historical process in general is shown; the great role of the Russian people, who decided the outcome of the Patriotic War of 1812, is revealed, etc. This also, of course, allows us to talk about the “social” meaning of the title of the novel.
We should not forget that the word “peace” in the 19th century was also used to designate a patriarchal-peasant society. Tolstoy probably took this meaning into account as well.
And finally, the world for Tolstoy is a synonym for the word “universe,” and it is no coincidence that the novel contains a large number of discussions of a general philosophical plan.
Thus, the concepts of “world” and “mir” in the novel merge into one. This is why the word “peace” in the novel takes on an almost symbolic meaning.