True patriots in war and peace. False and true patriotism in the novel War and Peace by Tolstoy - essay

Municipal educational institution Lovetskaya secondary school

Essay

on literature.

Topic: “The idea of ​​patriotism in Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”

Completed by: 11th grade student Anna Davydova.

Head: Simakova L.G.

Reviewer: Krotova E.N.

2007

Plan:

1. Introduction.

2.True and false patriotism in the novel.

3. The significance of Kutuzov as the leader of the Russian army.

4. True heroes of 1812.

5. Conclusion.

Introduction.

The novel "War and Peace" was created from 1863 to 1869. It contains more than 600 characters. The destinies of the heroes are traced over 15 years in peacetime and war.

In all of world literature there are not many books that, in terms of richness of content and artistic power, could be compared with Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Historical events of enormous significance, the deepest foundations of the national life of Russia, its nature, the fate of its best people, the masses set in motion by the course of history, the richness of our beautiful language - all this was embodied on the pages of the great epic. Tolstoy himself said: “Without false modesty, this is like the Iliad,” that is, he compared his book with the greatest creation of the ancient Greek epic.

"War and Peace" is one of the most fascinating and exciting novels in world literature. Its action takes place either in the glow of the Moscow fire, which floods countless crowds of people with tragic light, or in wax candles in high society salons, in the living rooms and offices of the Rostovs, Bezukhovs, Bolkonskys, Kuragins, now by the light of a torch in a peasant hut, now by the reflection of a partisan fire in winter forest, then in the light of the sun, illuminating village huts and mansions, battlefields and crop fields, cities, forests, villages, roads of Russia.

The horizon of a huge book is vast, where peace and life overcome death and war, where the history of the human soul is traced with such depth, with such insight - that “mysterious Russian soul” with its passions and delusions, with a frantic thirst for justice and patient faith in goodness, oh which was written so much all over the world both before and after Tolstoy, but after - with references to him, with quotes from the book. “War and Peace” is an extremely emotional book, hot, full of ridicule, polemics and love. It was created by the “mind of the heart,” which Tolstoy valued so highly in people and in art. In this regard, “War and Peace” is fundamentally different from “objective” historical prose and represents an unprecedented phenomenon in the genre of historical novel.

This is a great book of life, where the story about individual people, about the deepest movements of their souls, hidden from external view, is combined, “paired” with narration and reflection on the destinies of generations, peoples, the whole world. Tolstoy strove for a holistic reflection of history and life; he considered truth to be his only goal, for “low truth alone is dearer to us than the darkness of elevating deceptions.” Sholokhov once said that writing the truth is not easy, but the purpose of writing is not limited to this - it is more difficult to write the truth. The truth lies in the deep comprehension of the people's character.

Tolstoy wrote the war without embellishment, and in the same way, in his characteristic manner, he described people's patriotism. It was the love for the Motherland, the ability to sacrifice everything most valuable for it, including life, that the author so vividly revealed in his novel. In “War and Peace” we can see real heroes, true defenders of the Russian land.

Many of the heroes of the novel “War and Peace” can be called role models, and this is especially important now, when the younger generation simply needs new moral ideals. At one time, Soviet ideology with its spiritual values ​​was broken, and a new one, unfortunately, was never created.

Deprived of moral guidelines, young people have taken a different path of development and now they have different values, such as money, influence, prestige. Many people don’t even think about patriotism now. If previously service to the Fatherland was the sacred duty of every citizen, today guys join the army only if they fail to “slop off.”

Yes, the views on patriotism among today's teenagers are radically different from those in Soviet times. But this can and should be changed! And there is no better assistant in this matter than classical Russian literature. At all times, literary works have had a great influence on the minds of young people, and I believe that this is the most effective way to “reach out” to teenagers. It is time-tested books that help us form our own value system, introduce the first ideas about good and evil, and instill moral and spiritual ideals.

The novel War and Peace is ideal for these purposes. Against the backdrop of the current immorality and lack of spirituality, this book remains a real monument of people's patriotism.

True and false patriotism in the novel.

The Patriotic War of 1812 on the part of Russia was a liberation war, Russia defended its independence, the Russian people defended their Fatherland. Naturally, therefore, the author touches on the problem of patriotism in his novel, but views it ambiguously.

The writer depicts true patriotism and false patriotism. True patriotism is, first of all, a sacred duty, a feat in the name of the Fatherland, the ability to rise above the personal at a decisive moment for the Motherland, to be imbued with a sense of responsibility for the fate of the people.

False patriotism is a feeling that is repulsive with its falseness, selfishness and hypocrisy. “War and Peace” perfectly shows how empty and insignificant both the mental and moral life of the Kuragins and Karagins are. The secular nobles behave very pretentiously at the dinner in honor of Bagration: when reading poems about the war, “everyone stood up, feeling that the dinner was more important than the poetry.”

A false patriotic atmosphere reigns in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer, Helen Bezukhova and other St. Petersburg salons; “...calm, luxurious, concerned only with ghosts, reflections of life, St. Petersburg life went on as before! ; and because of the course of this life, it was necessary to make great efforts to recognize the danger and the difficult situation in which the Russian people found themselves. There were the same exits, balls, the same French theater, the same interests of the courts, the same interests of service and intrigue. Only in the highest circles were efforts made to recall the difficulty of the present situation.” Indeed, the above-mentioned characters were far from understanding all-Russian problems, from understanding the great misfortune of their people.
Count Rastopchin also displays false patriotism, posting stupid “posters” around Moscow, calling on city residents not to leave the capital, and then, fleeing the people’s anger, deliberately sending the innocent son of the merchant Vereshchagin to death. Meanness and betrayal are combined with conceit and pout: “It not only seemed to him that he controlled the external actions of the inhabitants of Moscow, but it seemed to him that he controlled their mood through his proclamations and posters, written in that ironic language that in its midst despises the people and which he does not understand when he hears it from above."

Such a false patriot is Berg in the novel, who, in a moment of general confusion, is looking for an opportunity to profit and is preoccupied with buying a wardrobe and a toilet “with an English secret.” It doesn’t even occur to him that now it’s embarrassing to think about wardrobes. This is, finally, Drubetskoy, who, like other staff officers, thinks about awards and promotion, wants to “arrange for himself the best position, especially the position of adjutant to an important person, which seemed especially tempting to him in the army.”

On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, Pierre noticed animation on the faces of the officers. He understood that “the reason for the excitement expressed on some of these faces lay more in matters of personal success, and he could not get out of his head that other expression of excitement that he saw on other faces and which spoke of issues not personal, but general , matters of life and death. »

They are all false patriots. While ordinary soldiers gave their lives defending Russia, the Moscow elite ate Russian cabbage soup instead of French dishes and stopped using French words in conversation. Is it possible to compare these “sacrifices” with the sacrifices of soldiers? I think the answer is obvious.

S.P. Bychkov wrote: “According to Tolstoy, the closer the nobles are to the people, the sharper and brighter their patriotic feelings, the richer and more meaningful their spiritual life. And, on the contrary, the further they are from the people, the drier and callous their souls , the more unattractive their moral principles are."

The importance of Kutuzov as the leader of the Russian army.

Kutuzov in “War and Peace” was a real historical and artistic discovery of Tolstoy. It was he, and not Alexander I, who played an important role in the victory over the French. The Russian emperor is presented in the novel as a weak, vain man who believed the Austrians more than Kutuzov, and with his orders interfered with him a lot.

Drawing the image of Kutuzov, Tolstoy was not afraid to show his senile weakness. “In a long frock coat on a huge thick body, with a stooped back, with an open white head and with a leaky, white eye on a swollen face” - this was Kutuzov in front of Borodin. Kneeling down in front of the icon, he then “tried for a long time and could not get up from heaviness and weakness.” This physical weakness of the commander-in-chief, repeatedly emphasized by Tolstoy, only strengthens the impression of spiritual power emanating from him. “Today, before the battle, he kneels before the icon - just like the people whom he will send into battle tomorrow. “This important detail also indicates Kutuzov’s closeness to the people, his spirituality with that same “folk feeling” that Tolstoy valued so much.

He is always modest and simple. A winning pose and acting are alien to him. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, Kutuzov read the sentimental French novel “Knights of the Swan” by Madame Genlis. He didn't want to seem like a great man - he was.

Kutuzov is exalted in our minds as a commander who knows how to subordinate all thoughts and actions to popular feeling.

During the Battle of Borodino, on the outcome of which much depended for the Russians, Kutuzov “did not make any orders, but only agreed or disagreed with what was offered to him.” This apparent passivity reveals the commander’s deep intelligence and wisdom. This is confirmed by the insightful judgments of Andrei Bolkonsky: “He will listen to everything, remember everything, put everything in its place, will not interfere with anything useful and will not allow anything harmful. He understands that there is something stronger and more significant than his will - this is the inevitable course of events, and he knows how to see them, knows how to understand their meaning and, in view of this meaning, knows how to renounce participation in these events, from his personal will, aimed at something else." Kutuzov knew that “the fate of a battle is decided not by the orders of the commander-in-chief, not by the place where the troops stand, not by the number of guns and killed people, but by that elusive force called the spirit of the army, and he followed this force and led it, as far as it was in his power." Unity with the people, unity with ordinary people make Kutuzov for the writer the ideal of a historical figure and the ideal of a person.

Kutuzov in the novel is an exponent of folk wisdom. His strength lies in the fact that he understands and knows well what worries the people, and acts in accordance with it. He doesn't think about himself. Therefore, at the council in Fili, there is one question for him: “The salvation of Russia is in the army. Is it more profitable to risk the loss of the army and Moscow by accepting a battle, or to give up Moscow without a battle? “And even knowing that he would be accused of all mortal sins, Kutuzov decided to retreat. The rightness of Kutuzov in his dispute with Bennigsen at the council in Fili is, as it were, reinforced by the fact that the sympathies of the peasant girl Malasha are on the side of “grandfather” Kutuzov.

S.P. Bychkov wrote: “Tolstoy, with his inherent great insight as an artist, correctly guessed and superbly captured the main character traits of the great Russian commander Kutuzov: his deep patriotic feelings, his love for the Russian people and hatred of the enemy, his closeness to the soldier.” . Content

1. Introduction.
2. True and false patriotism in the novel.
3. The significance of Kutuzov as the leader of the Russian army.
4. True heroes of 1812.
5. Conclusion.

Tolstoy's "War and Peace" is shining example true patriotism of the Russian people, which shows, heroes and patriots, what our people were capable of at a time when a common misfortune descended on Russian soil in the form of Napoleon Bonaparte. At first in the work we see how the Emperor of France is admired by many Russians who followed the events taking place in France, but as soon as Bonaparte decided to attack Russia, the enthusiasm disappeared, only the patriotic spirit and the desire to eradicate the French army, destroy it, drive it away from Russian lands remained. enemy.

Patriotic heroes in the novel War and Peace

Who is the patriotic hero in the novel War and Peace? I would immediately like to mention Bolkonsky, who in the first days of the proclamation of military events went to war, leaving his pregnant wife. Nikolai Rostov, although he had panic fear and the horrors of the war brought him into confusion, but he always returned to the battlefield, taking with him Vasily Denisov, who can also be considered a true patriot. Also, Peter Rostov goes against the will of his parents just to repel the French army. These heroes of the novel are true defenders, examples of courage and patriotism.

In addition, in the novel we see the entire Russian people, who are ready to make any sacrifice so that the French do not get Russian land, so the Smolensk people burn houses, food, so as not to leave anything for the French, many gave their goods and belongings to Russian soldiers, not thinking that they themselves are left with nothing. We see the patriotism of Muscovites who began to leave the capital, not wanting to be under power French Emperor. Moreover, we see awakened patriotism in those from whom you would least expect a patriotic manifestation. These are Princess Katish and Julie Karagina who believed that “you cannot be under the control of the French” and it does not matter whether they lived well or poorly.

Brave heroes and patriots in the person of the partisans played a big role in the Battle of Borodino. It is impossible not to mention, when talking about patriots, those who were directly on the battlefield and this is Kutuzov, who had spiritual power and who managed to liberate our land from the French. Patriotism is shown by generals Raevsky, Bagration, Ermolov and, of course, ordinary soldiers who, at the cost of their lives, won and defended the Fatherland.

Concluding my reasoning, I would like to say that Tolstoy showed us a vivid example of how our compatriots should act in the event of a common disaster, although we really hope that peacetime will never end for us.

True heroes and patriots in the novel “War and Peace” by L. N. Tolstoy

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An essay about: negative heroes novel by L.N. Tolstoy "WAR AND PEACE" True and false in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"

The novel “War and Peace” is a great work of Russian and world literature, a grandiose epic, the hero of which is the Russian people, who showed unprecedented heroism and patriotism in the struggle for the freedom and independence of their homeland in the War of 1812.

The enormous vital material of this novel is united by a single concept: “I tried to write the history of the people,” says Tolstoy. The people, according to Tolstoy, are not only peasants, but also nobles, those people who are worried about the fate of the country, who are in the whirlpool of great events. A colossal wave of anger arose among the people after the French attack. All Russian people, with the exception of a small handful of court aristocrats, could not imagine how they could live under the rule of the French. Every Russian acted as he found possible for himself. Some joined the active army, some went to partisan detachments. People like Pierre Bezukhov gave part of their money to equip the militia. Many, like the Smolensk merchant Ferapontov, burned shops and their property so that nothing would be left for the enemies. And many simply packed up and left their homes, destroying everything after them.

Tolstoy notes in the Russian people a simple, sometimes unreflective feeling of patriotism, which was expressed not in loud phrases about love for the fatherland, but in decisive actions. Residents of Moscow left without any call ancient capital. Tolstoy emphasizes that for Muscovites there could be no question of what would be good or bad under French rule in Moscow. It was simply impossible to live like that, as it was the worst of all.

The same thing is happening in other cities and villages of the Russian land. In the territory where the enemy had already entered, he saw hatred and genuine indignation of the people. The peasants refused to sell food and hay to the French. A partisan movement arose spontaneously, without any order from above. By figuratively Tolstoy, “the partisans picked up fallen leaves that fell from common tree French troops, and sometimes they shook this tree.”

Not only the common people, but also the advanced layers of the nobility and intelligentsia became imbued with bitterness towards the enemy. It’s not for nothing that Prince Andrei says that they destroyed his house, and now they are going to ruin Moscow, insulting it every second.” And therefore, according to his concepts, they are not only enemies, but also criminals. Prince Andrei honestly fulfills his duty, joining the active army at the very beginning of the war, although before that he decided that he would never be a military man again. He did not stay at headquarters, as he was offered, but goes to the forefront of events. The heroism and genuine love of Russians for their homeland was especially clearly demonstrated in the Battle of Borodino. On the eve of the battles, Andrei Bolkonsky says: “the battle will be won by the one who firmly decided to win it... and who will fight harder... Tomorrow, no matter what, we will win the battle.”

Defending their home, their family, their homeland, the right to life, the Russian people showed amazing fortitude and self-sacrifice, and showed miracles of courage. They aroused first surprise and then fear in the hitherto invincible Napoleon. One cannot help but be proud of the Russian people. And there is no doubt that such a people have a great future.

“War and Peace” - a novel by Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy - is a national epic dedicated to the heroism of the Russian people in the Patriotic War of 1812, a feat accomplished by the people.

While still describing the Battle of Shengraben, one of the main episodes of the 1805 campaign, Tolstoy showed the feat of Captain Tushin and the soldiers of his battalion. Captain Tushin is an ordinary officer, a man who personifies folk wisdom and simplicity. During the battle, he fearlessly leads the bombing, showing an example of courage to the soldiers, religiously fulfilling his military duty.

Captain Timokhin also accomplishes a feat, and the attack of his company at a critical moment changed the course of the battle. Like Tushin, he is... duty, courage and diligence.

According to Tolstoy, war is “a disgusting to the human mind in its own way human nature event,” but the War of 1812 was a terrible necessity. Execute the enemy, expel him from native land- the duty of every Russian person.

If in the highest aristocratic circles they only uttered pompous phrases about love for the fatherland, but in fact they only “kept an eye on ... the weather vane of royal favor,” then the best people of the nobles acted differently: Nikolai Rostov returns to the army, young Petya goes to war, Pierre Bezukhov gives a million to the militia, Prince Andrei commands the regiment, trying to be closer to the people, they give all the carts to the soldiers wounded near the village Borodin, Rostov, dooming themselves to ruin.

A feeling of hatred for the enemies of the homeland forces the residents of Smolensk and Moscow to burn their property so that the French do not get it, and the act of the merchant Ferapontov and the “man in a frieze overcoat” is an example of true patriotism.

Russian peasants, “Karps and Vlasas,” as Tolstoy calls them, did not want to sell hay to the French even for big money, they burned it. Each Russian person fought the enemy in his own way.

The Battle of Borodino is the greatest manifestation of the patriotism of the Russian people. Simple people they understood the importance of this moment: “The whole people want to attack,” says one of the soldiers; getting ready for possible death In the upcoming battle, the militia men put on white shirts. The same mood reigns in Andrei Bolkonsky’s regiment.

The artillerymen on the Raevsky battery behave calmly and courageously during the battle, ready to die but fulfill their duty.

Kutuzov is the exponent of the patriotic folk spirit in the novel. He is confident in the courage and stamina of the soldiers, and knows that the enemy will be defeated. This “wonderful, incomparable people” is understandable and close to Kutuzov. Material from the site

The partisan movement played a huge role in the Patriotic War of 1812. The writer speaks about the detachment of elder Vasilisa, who killed hundreds of Frenchmen, and about the sexton who commanded the detachment, and about Denisov’s partisans, and about Dolokhov’s detachment. Tolstoy tells about the partisan Tikhon Shcherbat, the bravest and the right person in Denisov’s detachment, which was distinguished by its special daring. Shcherbaty is one of those heroes who quietly and imperceptibly do their job, doing everything that prompted them to feel love for their Motherland.

Patriotism of Russian people of all classes, courage and heroism of officers and ordinary soldiers- this is the guarantee of the invincibility of the Russian people.

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The theme of patriotism in Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace"

In the novel “War and Peace,” Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy masterfully reveals the theme of “Patriotism in the Russian ranks.” Nobody needed the War of 1812, but circumstances developed that way, and it had its place in world history. Russian patriotism is very clearly revealed on the Borodino field. battle of Borodino took place on August 26, 1812. This is a Patriotic War, the entire population of the country stood up to defend the Motherland, their region, villages, and finally every centimeter of Russian land. By order of Alexander 1, militia gathered throughout the country. And the people who entered there were ordinary peasants, ordinary people. The patriotic spirit of the Russian people is very clearly felt on the Borodino field. The Battle of Borodino is a moral victory for Russian soldiers. The feeling of patriotism is a truly popular feeling. It covers all soldiers without exception. The soldiers calmly, simply, confidently do their job, without saying loud words. Many of the higher ranks understood that it was from common people, the life and prosperity of the entire country depends on soldiers. But also in these same senior ranks there is heroism. Kutuzov is the Russian commander-in-chief, one of the outstanding generals of Russia. In his heart he was worried about his Motherland, but could not show this excitement in public, since he was the “face of the army”; his mood was transmitted to the entire personnel. He lives only by the feelings, thoughts, interests of the soldiers, perfectly understands their mood, and takes care of them like a father. He bears his heavy burden with honor, and the spirit of the Russian soldiers was not broken. And also one of important episodes There is a council in Fili, where Kutuzov decides to leave Moscow. This is the decision of a very strong-willed person. Defending Moscow would mean losing the army, and this would lead to the loss of both Moscow and Russia. Raevsky and Bagration are also patriots of the Motherland. “Raevsky’s Battery”, “BAgrationovsky flushes” - the hottest places in the Battle of Borodino, they were the ones commanded true patriots– Raevsky and Bagration. And Tolstoy also shows not patriots, these are foreign generals, Berg, Kuragin are those people who serve only to receive awards, promotion and big name. IN Patriotic War a term such as “partisan movement” appears. This was an innovation in warfare. Tolstoy himself admired the partisans: “Before guerrilla warfare was officially accepted by our government, thousands of people in the enemy army were already exterminated by the Cossacks and ordinary men.” Denis Davydov can be considered the founder of the partisan movement; it was he who first proposed the creation of a partisan detachment. The partisan movement was spontaneous and massive. Partisan units burned food, destroyed ammunition and weapons of the enemy. And finally they themselves fought with the few French troops. One such example is a detachment led by Denisov, which was able to attack and capture a French detachment several times larger than them. An indispensable fighter in the detachment is Tikhon Shcherbaty - the personification of the people's club, which rose and terrible force nailed the French until their entire invasion was destroyed. Tolstoy attributes to him truly heroic qualities; the seriousness does not leave his face. Thus, in the face of the mortal danger threatening Russia, the majority of Russian people showed true heroism and patriotism, abandoning all considerations of personal gain, selfishness, sacrificing their property and lives, they committed heroic deeds that remained for a long time in the history of our state.