Tolstoy's relationship to Sonya: war and peace. Sonya: War and Peace

Sonya in Lev Tolstov's work "War and Peace" appears before the reader as a pretty and graceful girl, well-educated, with instilled manners and unbending principles. Having fallen into the Rostov family by the will of fate, she remains faithful and devoted to them throughout her life. Absolutely non-conflicting and overly correct girl, oddly enough, remains practically unnoticed by other characters in the story.

Having experienced unrequited love for someone with whom she grew up in the same house, Sonya refuses a potential groom and remains an old maid until the end of her days.

Characteristics of the heroine

(Sonya - the Rostovs' niece, illustration by artist Konstantin Rudakov)

From the first lines of Sonya's description, Tolstoy presents the heroine as a positive girl from all sides. She studied well, along with other Rostov children, and pleased her adoptive parents in everything. She is obedient, meek and reasonable.

According to external data, she was in no way inferior to Natalya Rostova. She had beautiful long dark hair, expressive eyes, a slim figure and graceful hands. The girl moved plastically and resembled a kitten that was about to turn into a beautiful and seductive cat.

The process of blossoming of the heroine’s beauty occurs for the period from her first appearance at the ball and further until more than 20 years. Dressed in a dress appropriate for the event, Sonya, along with Natalya, appears at a social event and looks no less impressive.

The paradox is that no one notices her. This happens throughout the novel. As a child, her adoptive parents do not praise her for her successes; they are taken for granted. At the ball, no one communicates with her and in the description of all subsequent events she is present, but, as if, she keeps aloof from everything.

The reason for such a nondescript image, despite the presence of positive internal qualities and a pretty appearance of the girl, is the lack of spontaneity, playfulness and lightness in her. She's not romantic at all. Her practicality and integrity shine through in everything. She does everything as it should be, and without unnecessary emotions.

The heroine is calm about the lack of attention to her own person; it does not bother her. Perhaps this girl’s view was formed by gratitude to the adoptive family for an equal position with the other children, superimposed on Sonya’s innate personality traits.

The girl is so true to her principles that she refuses to marry Dolokhov, although he is a profitable match for her. All her life she remains faithful to her feelings for Nikolai, not wanting to betray them.

The image of the heroine in the work

(Irina Gubanova as Sonya from Sergei Bondarchuk’s film “War and Peace”, USSR 1966)

In fact, Tolstoy described the life of a barren girl who, given all the initial data, could have lived it much brighter, more useful and more interesting for herself. This could have happened if Sonya had been able to adapt a little to changing circumstances.

Seeing that her feelings did not evoke reciprocal and equal sympathy from Nikolai, she could switch to other suitors, but the girl does not want to do this. As a result, Sonya remains in her lover’s house, takes care of his elderly mother and watches how happily he lives his life with his beloved wife.

(Secret conversation between Sonya and Natasha)

Communicating closely with Natalya and seeing how events are in full swing around her, Sonya does not adopt even a shred of spontaneity from her sister. When she, while caring for the wounded, refuses to drive things on the carts, Sonya wonders why this is necessary. She was packing things for the road, which meant they should load them, not the wounded. It is in such descriptions that the author conveys to the reader that it is impossible to always act in accordance with the rules. They, like their worldview, can change throughout life, and there is nothing wrong with that.

It is Sonya’s lack of ability to take into account changing circumstances and her own interests that prevents her from creating her own family.

From the first pages of the novel “War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoy introduces readers to two heroines - Natasha Rostova and Sonya. Both girls were brought up in the Rostov family, constantly communicated and were friends since childhood. It seems that the heroines are similar to each other, but after reading the novel to the end, you can understand how different the characters of the girls are.

Of course, Natasha and Sonya are similar. Since childhood, they were raised under the same roof in the Rostov family. The Count and Countess treated both girls equally, despite the fact that Natasha is their own daughter, and Sonya is the niece of Ilya Andreevich Rostov, taken into the family to be raised. Both Natasha and Sonya grew up to be kind, sincere and open girls.

Natasha Rostova and Sonya are different both externally and internally.

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Drawing a portrait of the main character, L.N. Tolstoy writes: “A dark-eyed, big-mouthed, ugly, but lively girl.” Natasha is not distinguished by external beauty, but her inner qualities - naturalness, sincerity and simplicity - cannot but delight readers.

Sonya’s appearance is more attractive: “a thin, miniature brunette with a soft look, shaded by long eyelashes, a thick black braid, “...” she resembled a beautiful, but not yet formed kitten, which would be a lovely cat.” Sonya is calm, beautiful, kind, but she does not have the liveliness and thirst for life that are characteristic of her sister.

Natasha Rostova and Sonya have different attitudes towards nature. Natasha is a poetic person; she knows how to notice the beauty of the world around her. In Otradnoye, Rostova never ceases to admire the moon: “Oh, what a beauty! “...” After all, such a lovely night has never, never happened.”

Sonya, on the contrary, lacks a sense of beauty. She does not pay attention to the beauty of the moonlit night, but persuades her sister to go to bed: “When will you sleep?”

Both Natasha and Sonya are capable of love, but relationships are given differently to each of the girls. Sonya is a monogamist; since childhood she has had feelings for her second cousin Nikolai Rostov. Nikolai also loved Sonya and even promised to marry her. However, their happiness was not destined to come true. The Count and Countess of Rostov opposed the relationship between the two heroes: the parents wanted a rich bride for their son (Sonya was a dowry). The girl managed to preserve her childhood love and carried it through the years. Sonya sacrificed herself for the sake of love for Nikolai: she wrote a letter to Rostov in which she freed him from his promise of marriage. The young man was able to find new love, but Sonya remained lonely (because of her feelings for Nikolai, she did not accept Dolokhov’s proposal).

Natasha Rostova is the complete opposite of her friend. Unlike Sonya, she is very amorous. As a child, Natasha liked Boris Drubetskoy, a young man who lived with his mother near Rostov. Having matured, Natasha falls in love with Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, with whom it would seem that a happy family life awaited her. But the wedding plans are ruined due to Natasha’s passion for Anatoly Kuragin, which Bolkonsky is unable to forgive because of his pride. Natasha Rostova's last love is Pierre Bezukhov, in whose marriage the girl finds true happiness - she becomes a loving mother of four children and a faithful wife.

The images of the heroines also differ in the epilogue. Natasha Rostova, having tied the knot with Pierre Bezukhov, changes greatly: “she grew plump and wider,” “her facial features were defined and had an expression of calm softness and clarity.” Natasha leaves all her past hobbies and doesn’t spend much time in the world. The heroine disappears into life, now her interests are occupied by her husband and four children. But it is precisely the role of a faithful wife and caring mother that exalts Natasha over Sonya.

Years later, Sonya does not change at all, her life freezes in place. Together with Nikolai, his wife Marya Bolkonskaya and the old countess, she moves to live in Bald Mountains, where she cares for the mother of her lover, caresses and pampers the Rostov children. No wonder Natasha calls her sister a “barren flower”: Sonya leaves nothing behind, constantly living in the shadow of the Rostovs.

Creating the images of Natasha Rostova and Sonya, L.N. Tolstoy makes the heroines very close to each other and at the same time different.

Adopted children are a hot topic in literature and life. The great classic gradually leads to an understanding of the importance of the character Sonya Rostova in the plot, but does not make him the main character. The line between one's adopted and one's own is so thin that philosophical problems can lead one astray.

The fate of an adopted child

Sonya is the second cousin of the Rostov children. There is no indication in the novel under what circumstances the girl ends up in their house. Sonya is not just a sister for the main character. She is Natasha's friend. The girl strives to help Rostova, she keeps her from the shame of her relationship with Kuragin. Sonya promises to sit at the door of the young countess and not let her out of the house, and does not allow her to run away with Anatole.

The relationship between the girls is open and sincere. Natasha cries along with Sonya, without even delving into the reason. Your friend’s grief is perceived as your own.

Sonya pays gratitude to the family that raised her. She is ready to sacrifice everything for the Rostovs. As a result, the girl refuses the opportunity to create her own family. What is this solution? Some people think it’s stupidity, others believe in the power of love. Each reader has his own opinion about the character. One thing in common - I feel sorry for Sonya. At the end of the novel, she is a 30-year-old “old maid.” She devotes herself entirely to caring for family members: caring for the Countess, pampering Nikolai’s children. The author describes it in such words that every question arises: was it worth it?

“I have come to terms with my purpose as a barren flower”, “... like a cat... I have taken root not with people, but with the house”, “... small services.” The classic seems to doubt the sincerity of the actions: “... all this was accepted involuntarily with too little gratitude.” The novel “War and Peace” teaches: you should not let your feelings completely absorb you, and give up your destiny. Man is given life to experience everything. For a woman, this is motherhood. There are many such images of “old maids” in Russian literature. The hangers-on are pitiful, but it's their choice. They themselves pay for their momentary weaknesses.

Sacrificing your happiness

Love for Nikolai became the meaning of the girl’s life. No one approves of the feeling that has arisen. Countess Rostova explains to her adopted daughter the harmfulness and danger of the situation: “damage to her son’s career.” Sonya does not hide her feelings, this becomes clear from her words. She even turns to the metropolitan, who says that one should not give in to this feeling. But as often happens, a person has no power over love.

The characterization of Sonya Rostova is supplemented by data about the possibility of turning around and changing fate. Dolokhov is wooing Sonya. A brilliant officer could change the beauty's fate. She is homeless and an orphan. He is a great match, but the girl refuses. The reason is passionate love for Nikolai. The girl holds the man and does not give him the opportunity to become free. Decent Nikolai cannot offend Sonya. The relationship comes to a logical conclusion: Sonya frees Nikolai from his youthful promises. Rostov marries Bolkonskaya. The woman lives in a new family, with Maria and the person she loves. It’s difficult and scary to imagine what it’s like for Sonya. Look after relationships, care for children, love, but not receive an answer, don’t dare even mentally interfere with family happiness.

Heroine's personality

The charming girl is distinguished by her faithfulness of feelings. She sets an example of devotion and dedication. In the image, according to the author, there is “one good thing.” Sonya skillfully performs literary texts, reading in a thin voice, soulfully and accurately. The character's special quality is patience. A sensitive poetic nature hides its inner experiences, resigning itself to its fate. Secrecy is often not characteristic of sensitive natures. Everything is different here. A feigned smile, a strong cat-like gaze - this is one description of the heroine. In all its beauty, a blossoming flower, velvet black eyes - a different image. The beauty could have used her external beauty and meekness and would have found a handsome man for herself, but she chose a different path. Is her decision correct? Everyone has their own opinion.

He not only wrote the wonderful work “War and Peace,” but also showed Russian life over several decades. Researchers of Tolstoy’s work have calculated that the writer depicted more than 600 characters on the pages of his novel. Moreover, each of these characters has a clear and apt description of the writer. This allows the reader to draw a detailed portrait of each character.

In contact with

The system of characters in the novel "War and Peace"

Of course, the main character of Tolstoy’s work is the people. According to the author, this is the best thing that the Russian nation has. According to the novel, the people include not only ordinary people who have nothing, but also nobles who live not for themselves, but for others. But the people in the novel are contrasted with aristocrats:

Kuragins.
Visitors to the salon Anna Scherer.

From the description you can immediately determine that everything these heroes are the negative characters of the novel. Their life is soulless and mechanical, they commit artificial and lifeless actions, are incapable of compassion, and selfish. These heroes cannot change even under the influence of life.

Lev Nikolaevich portrays his positive characters in a completely different way. Their actions are guided by their hearts. These positive actors include:

Kutuzova.
Natasha Rostova.
Platon Karataev.
Alpatych.
Officer Timokhin.
Officer Tushin.
Pierre Bezukhov.
Andrey Bolkonsky.

All these heroes able to empathize, develop and change. But it was the War of 1812, the trials it brought, that makes it possible to understand which camp the characters in Tolstoy’s novel belong to.

Peter Rostov - the central character of the novel

Count Pyotr Rostov is the youngest child in the family, Natasha's brother. At the beginning of the novel, the reader sees him as just a child. So, in 1805 he was only 9 years old. And if at this age the writer only notices that he is fat, then to the description of Peter at the age of 13 is added the fact that the teenager turns out to be handsome and cheerful.

At the age of 16, Peter goes to war, although he should have gone to university, and soon becomes a real man, an officer. He is a patriot and worries about the fate of his Fatherland. Petya spoke excellent French and could feel sorry for the captive French boy. Going to war, Petya dreams of doing something heroic.

And despite the fact that his parents at first did not want to let him go to serve, and then found a place where it was safer, he still joined the active army with his friend. As soon as he was appointed assistant general, he was immediately taken prisoner. Having decided to take part in the battle with the French, helping Dolokhov, Petya dies, having been wounded in the head.

Natasha Rostova will name her only son after him, who will never be able to forget her brother, with whom she was so close.

Minor male characters

There are many minor characters in the novel War and Peace. Among them, the following heroes stand out:

Drubetskoy Boris.
Dolokhov.

Tall and blond Boris Drubetsky was brought up in the Rostov family and was in love with Natasha. His mother, Princess Drubetskaya, was a distant relative of the Rostov family. He is proud and dreams of a military career.

Having entered the guard thanks to the efforts of his mother, he also took part in the military campaign of 1805. The writer’s characterization of him is unflattering, since Boris tries to make only “useful” acquaintances. So, he is ready to spend all the money to become known as a rich man. He becomes the husband of Julie Kuragina, since she is rich.

Guard officer Dolokhov is a bright secondary character in the novel. At the beginning of the novel, Fyodor Ivanovich is 25 years old. He was born to a respectable lady, Marya Ivanovna, belonging to a poor noble family. Women liked the officer of the Semenovsky regiment because he was handsome: of average height, with curly hair and blue eyes. Dolokhov's firm voice and cold gaze harmoniously combined with his education and intelligence. Despite the fact that Dolokhov is a gambler and loves a carousing life, he is still respected in society.

Fathers of the Rostov and Bolkonsky families

General Bolkonsky has been retired for a long time. He is rich and respected in society. He performed his service during the reign of Catherine II, so Kutuzov is his good comrade. But the character of the father of the Bolkonsky family is difficult. Nikolai Andreevich happens not only strict, but also harsh. He monitors his health and values order in everything.

Count Ilya Andreevich Rostov is a positive and bright hero of the novel. His wife is Anna Mikhailovna Shinshina. Ilya Andreevich is raising five children. He is rich and cheerful, kind and self-confident by nature. The old prince is very trusting and is easy to deceive.

Ilya Andreevich is a sympathetic person, a patriot. He receives wounded soldiers in his home. But he did not monitor the family’s condition at all, so he becomes the culprit of ruin. The prince dies in 1813, trying to survive the tragedies of his children.

Minor female characters

In the work of L.N. Tolstoy there are many secondary characters who allow us to understand the events that the author describes. In the work "War and Peace" female characters are represented by the following heroines:

Sonya Rostova.
Julie Kuragina.
Vera Rostova.

Sonya Rostova is the second cousin of Natasha Rostova, the main character of the novel War and Peace. Sofya Alexandrovna is an orphan and homeless. Readers first see her at the beginning of the novel. Then, in 1805, she was barely 15 years old. Sonya looked beautiful: her waist was thin and miniature, her large and thick black braid wrapped around her head twice. Even the look, soft and withdrawn, was captivating.

The older the girl got, the more beautiful she looked. And at 22, according to Tolstoy’s description, she was somewhat like a cat: smooth, flexible and soft. She was in love with Nikolenka Rostov. She even denies her love to her “brilliant” groom Dolokhov. Sonya knew how to read skillfully in front of different audiences. She usually read in a thin voice and very diligently.

But Nikolai chose to marry Marya Bolkonskaya. And the thrifty and patient Sonya, who managed the household so skillfully, remained to live in the house of the young Rostov family, helping them. At the end of the novel, the writer shows her at the age of 30, but she is also not married, but is busy with the Rostov children and caring for the sick princess.

Julie Kuragina is a minor heroine of the novel. It is known that after the death of her brothers in the war, remaining with her mother, the girl becomes a rich heiress. At the beginning of the novel, Julie is already 20 years old and the reader learns that she is from a decent noble family. She was raised by virtuous parents, and in general Julie had known the Rostov family since childhood.

Julie had no special external characteristics. The girl was chubby and ugly. But she dressed fashionably and tried to always smile. Because of her red face, badly powdered, and wet eyes, no one wanted to marry her. Julie is a little naive and very stupid. She tries not to miss a single ball or theater performance.

By the way, Countess Rostova dreamed of marrying Nikolai favorably to Julie. But for the sake of money, Boris Drubetskoy marries her, who hates Julie and hopes to see her very rarely after the wedding.

Another minor female character in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace is Vera Rostova. This is the eldest and unloved daughter of Princess Rostova. After marriage she became Vera Berg. At the beginning of the novel, she was 20 years old, and the girl was four years older than her sister Natasha. Vera is a beautiful, intelligent, well-mannered and educated girl with a pleasant voice. Both Natasha and Nikolai thought that she was too correct and somehow insensitive, as if she had no heart at all.

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Sonya Rostova is one of those characters to whom the reader remains partial. It seems that Tolstoy treated this girl extremely undeservedly - instead of rewarding Sonya for her kindness and selflessness, the author first gives her unrequited love and then makes her an old maid.

The life path of Sonya Rostova

Sonya Rostova was raised by Count Ilya Andreevich and Countess Natalya, but the girl was not their daughter. Sonya's parents died long ago, and the Rostovs took her in, since the girl had no closer relatives than them, and besides, the Rostovs' position made it possible to create conditions for Sonya's life. Sonya was the niece of Count Ilya Andreevich and, accordingly, the second cousin of their children - Vera, Nikolai, Natalya and Petya. It is not known whether Sonya’s surname was her real surname; it is possible that the Rostovs changed it to theirs when they took the girl into their family.

The Rostovs always treated the girl well - they did not distinguish her from their children in any way. This is probably why the girl developed such a reverent attitude towards the family in general and Rostov in particular.

When the girl reached romantic age, she encountered difficulties for the first time - Sonya fell in love with her second cousin Nikolai. These feelings were soon known to everyone within the family, although the girl tried not to advertise them. Countess Natalya was extremely disapproving of this love - as a person, Sonya was quite nice to her, but the countess saw Nikolai's daughter-in-law as a completely different person. The situation was complicated by the fact that Sonya's feelings were not mutual.

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Because of this love, Sonya refused Dolokhov, who wanted to see her as his wife. Arguments that this proposal should be regarded as a gift of fate, because rarely anyone would agree to take a poor girl as a wife, had no effect.

Fate no longer provided Sonya with the opportunity to find family happiness. After the military events of 1812, the girl lives for some time with Nikolai and Marie, and then takes care of the elderly Countess Rostova.

Appearance of Sonya Rostova

At the time the story began, Sonya was a young, pretty girl. At the age of 15, Sonya looked like this: a petite, thin girl of short stature. Sonya had long hair that she could curl around her head twice. The girl had thick, long eyelashes that made her look expressive. Sonya's skin was yellowish, but this did not spoil it. Sonya was distinguished by her grace. Her arms, despite her thinness, were beautiful and muscular.

At 16, Sonya looked stunning - she looked like a blooming flower. Many noted the girl’s unusual beauty, but this did not contribute to Sonya’s personal happiness. Despite the obvious predominance of external and moral qualities, Sonya is almost always “in the shadows”; young people mostly ignore her.

By the age of twenty, Sonya had reached its apogee in the development of external data. She was still amazingly beautiful and still lonely.

All of Sonya’s movements were particularly graceful and flexible. It was fascinating and touching.

Personality characteristics

Considering the heroine’s attractive appearance, the question of her loneliness should be explained by the possible complexities of the girl’s character, but this is not the case. Sonya Rostova has positive qualities. Moreover, during the entire time described in the novel, the reader does not find even the slightest hint of some bad deed by the girl.

Tolstoy describes her as an exceptionally kind and gentle girl. Lev Nikolayevich claims that Sonya was so ideal and charming that you can’t even blame her for anything.

We invite you to read Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace.”

Sonya has always been a good student. She easily remembered even the most complex concepts and terms. And her well-developed memory allowed her to learn a significant amount of information. Sonya knew how to read aloud in an interesting way. She was often asked to read - the girl knew how to present material clearly and with intonation.

In general, Sonya has a calm temperament, she is patient and balanced, rarely gives vent to her feelings, and tries to keep them to herself. Only once, during Christmas time, Sonya gave free rein to her emotions - she was very cheerful and actively took part in the entertainment, but after that, as if ashamed of her behavior, she never allowed herself such liberties again.

Sonya has such qualities as loyalty and stubbornness. In her case, these qualities go hand in hand and are best manifested in her relationship with Nikolai Rostov.

In her emotional state, Sonya is more like Vera than Natasha (with whom she is very friendly). The girl is stingy with tenderness, she does not understand romance. Sonya does not have imagination; dreaminess and sensitivity are alien to her.

Sonya and Nikolay

Sonya's love for Nikolai Rostov became one of the most tragic events in life. At the beginning, Nikolai showed sympathy for Sonya, which developed in the girl a feeling of confidence that her dreams would come true, but then Nikolai’s feelings, which barely had time to arise, faded away, and the girl still continued to love Nikolai faithfully.

Sonya faithfully and anxiously waited for Nikolai from the war; she always perked up in his presence and tried in every possible way to please her lover and even seemed to begin to glow from within when Nikolai was nearby.

Sonya took Nikolai's desire to marry extremely painfully - she cried for a long time and could not believe that her hopes of marrying Rostov were not destined to come true. However, then she let Nikolai go, although she was never able to fully recover.

Second-rate Sony

The question of Sonya's second-rate status arises naturally. With seemingly unimaginably virtuous actions, attractive appearance and meek character, the girl is simply obliged to be the center of attention, but this does not happen. Young people are not interested in Sonya, and, in fact, neither are other characters. Tolstoy emphasizes this position especially clearly in the fragment describing the appearance of Sonya and Natasha at the ball. Both girls looked amazing, graceful and confident, behaved appropriately, but the visitors did not pay attention to Sonya. This state of affairs seems unthinkable to readers, but judging by Sonya’s reaction, this is her usual state of being on the sidelines.

It is difficult to explain this situation, since Tolstoy himself left this question open. It is likely that Sonya’s lack of a dowry played a big role in this - she is a poor orphan, practically a hanger-on, although she bears the Rostov surname. However, this question remains controversial as a possibility - it is unlikely that in an aristocratic society only Dolokhov could fall in love with a poor girl. Those around her could easily carry on a conversation with her or even make friends with Sonya, but this does not happen.

Another important factor is the way Sonya expresses love and feelings. Naturally, most of the people who came to the ball were unlikely to know Sonya personally, which makes this assumption doubtful, but since Tolstoy does not give an explanation, it has the right to exist as an assumption.

Features of Sonya Rostova's love

In the description, Tolstoy repeatedly states that Sonya is an ideal girl, there is not a single vice in her, it is impossible to find fault with her or reproach her for anything, she is virtuous and sweet. She has a lot of positive qualities that make her admirable, but not enough to make her fall in love.

This phrase actually hides the whole essence of Sonya’s problems. Sonya is too conservative in her decisions and too principled. It is best to trace this cause-and-effect relationship using the example of the relationship between Nikolai and Sonya.

Once having fallen in love with Nikolai, Sonya no longer tries to give up her love, even when the question of her relationship with her lover has reached a dead end and does not provide for a solution to the situation in her direction. Sonya believes that giving up her love means committing betrayal, which the girl cannot allow. As a result, Sonya becomes a hostage to her feelings and principles - they do not give her the opportunity to develop as an individual and find family happiness. As a result, her fixation leads to the fact that, according to Natasha, Sonya remained a “barren flower” - that is, an old maid who did not start a family and did not experience the happiness of motherhood. However, apparently, this does not bother Sonya at all - she has come to terms with her situation and does not seek to change anything.

Paradoxes in the life of Sonya Rostova

Many unpleasant paradoxes happen in the life of Sonya Rostova. It seems that those around her have a strong bias towards the girl, or they envy her perfection and take revenge by making life more difficult.

Sonya's paradoxes begin from the moment she appears in the Rostovs' house. The girl grew up and was brought up equally with all the Rostov children - this was incredible happiness, because, as a rule, orphans taken into care faced a humiliating position and a life full of reproaches. On the other hand, Sonya’s successes were actively ignored by the Count and Countess - only their own children were praised for good deeds or acquisition of skills. In Sonya's case, this was something that went without saying.

When Sonya “grows up to adult balls,” she is given every opportunity to look like Natasha at the ball. This is undoubtedly a positive event in Sonya’s life, but at the same time everyone ignores her at the ball, although there are no apparent reasons for this.

Countess Rostova has always been an ardent opponent of the relationship between Sonya and Nikolai, but paradoxically, it was Sonya who had to look after the countess in her old age.

All her life, Sonya was in love with Nikolai, but at the same time she happened to live at her lover’s house, watching how happy Nikolai was in his marriage to someone else. And, perhaps, the most important paradox in Sonya’s life is that the girl was always attached to her family and actually sacrificially served the interests of the family, but was never able to create her own family.

At first glance, it seems that Tolstoy wants to lead the reader to the idea that all good people are unhappy, their life path is devoid of joy, but this is not so. No matter how strange it may sound, Sonya herself is largely to blame for this set of circumstances. The point is her inability to adapt to circumstances, change her mind even in the presence of convincing evidence, and her inability to change her priorities. For example, if necessary, Natasha is ready to sacrifice material goods without hesitation (instead of her personal belongings, the girl plans to place the wounded on carts in order to evacuate them from Moscow), while Sonya looks at this with bewilderment, because she carefully folded things. In Sonya's concept, everything happens simply and according to rules in which there are no exceptions. That is why she does not have that sincere outburst of feelings and emotions; she does not know how to admit her mistakes. It's difficult to say whether Sonya is to blame for this. It is possible that this behavior of hers was formed due to the fact that the girl was a pupil of the Rostovs - she actually had nothing personal, all the things and objects that were in Sonya’s everyday life belonged to the Rostovs in one way or another, which could quite possibly result in such lack of initiative. And in general, Sonya’s ideality was the result not of her true impulse (although her true affection and love for the Rostovs cannot be ruled out), but of a certain fear that arose from living in someone else’s house - Sonya was afraid of doing something wrong, of upsetting the Rostovs with her behavior.

Thus, Sonya is a person who lives guided by rules. It is unthinkable for a girl to realize that these rules can change depending on the situation. Sonya perceives everything in life too categorically, which does not allow her to maneuver between life’s troubles and find a painless solution to their current situation. Sonya's life has always consisted of sacrificing herself for the sake of others, and the girl has become so familiar with this role that it has become natural for her.