Nikolay Rostov. Essay Nikolai Rostov in the novel War and Peace (Image and Characteristics) Education and military career
Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" is known to everyone. The events described in the book captivate you from the first minutes of reading. The author showed the complex world of human relationships, where many different names and destinies are closely intertwined. Among the heroes of the novel I would like to mention Nikolai Rostov. He is the most sincere character.
The image and characterization of Nikolai Rostov in the novel “War and Peace” is the most organic of all. His entire life is shown in full view, starting from the age of twenty, as he appears at the very beginning of the work, and ending in adulthood, when he settled down and started a family, tying the knot with Marya Bolkonskaya.
Image
Nikolai is the son of Count Rostov. An enviable Moscow groom. Any girl would happily accept his advances. Secured. I could afford to visit expensive clubs. He was a member of the English Club, where mere mortals were not allowed to enter.
Nikolai is short. The guy's head is covered with small curls. Outwardly he was handsome. There was always a blush on her cheeks, giving her face a shy look. A mustache began to appear above the lip.
“Nikolai was a short, curly-haired young man with an open expression on his face. Black hairs were already showing on his upper lip, and impetuosity and enthusiasm were expressed throughout his face...”
An open smile immediately endeared him to those around him. Kindness shone in the eyes.
“His kind and honest eyes with tears welling up in them.”
Cheerful, open guy. This is how he was at twenty years old. A student at one of the universities, but my studies had to be postponed until later. Nikolai decided to devote himself to military service.
Characteristic
The guy decided for himself that serving the Fatherland was his calling. The main concepts for him were honor and dignity, loyalty to the oath. He participated in many military campaigns. Took part in the Patriotic War of 1812. Only once did his action belittle him in the eyes of his colleagues.
Battle of Shengraben. Nikolai rushed to the attack with all the speed characteristic of him. A small wound knocked the fuse off. He started to panic. Thoughts swarmed in my head. He couldn't imagine that death was so close. Is he really going to die? This cannot be allowed to happen, because he is loved by everyone. He cowardly fled from the battlefield. Instead of firing a bullet at the enemy, he threw the pistol. The fear of dying so young turned out to be stronger than the fear of the enemy.
This never happened again. Nikolai managed to become a real officer, remaining faithful to duty.
Among his hobbies, he preferred hunting. He was endowed with musical abilities.
Truth-seeker, sincere.
“Rostov was a truthful young man; he would never deliberately tell a lie”
Tactful. Life taught Rostov to understand when and what to say. Words spoken in the heat of the moment can hurt loved ones, which happened during a quarrel with the father.
Proud, independent. Likes to rush from one extreme to another. It is difficult to find a middle ground in an argument.
Reasonable.
“His soul is full of nobility, true youth, which you see so rarely in our age”
Love in Nikolai's life
For a long time, Rostov had an affair with Sonya. He even thought about marrying her, although his mother was categorically against it. The girl was homeless. Why such a daughter-in-law? She is no match for her son. Sonya herself turned out to be smarter, not imposing herself on him. In a letter addressed to him, she said that she was ready to let him go. The relationship ended. Nikolai became free again.
The next woman in his life was Marya Bolkonskaya. Rich, but unattractive to men. Nikolai was able to discern the inner world in her, and it was beautiful and pure. Their relationship developed difficultly, but they managed to overcome all difficulties on the path to family happiness. By complementing each other, they were able to become a harmonious, happy couple. Nikolai became a respectable farmer, giving up military service and completely devoting himself to caring for his family.
In the novel, he is a positive character who tends to make mistakes and his actions can not always be called correct, but he managed to realize everything and correct it.
In L.N. Tolstoy's novel, all the characters are described very vividly and clearly. Each of them is in its place and plays a significant role for the entire narrative. Nikolai Rostov is an example of a positive image. It combines many positive qualities that make the hero attractive to the reader.
Nikolai's appearance
Nikolai appears to the reader as a positive character not only in terms of character, but also in appearance. Quotes from the novel speak about the character's pleasant appearance. Tolstoy calls him a “handsome young man” and gives him an “open expression.” He is short and has beautiful blond hair. On his face you can always notice an enthusiastic expression that evokes associations with a child’s perception of the world. His eyes radiate kindness, his smile is open and sincere.
Nikolai's personality
Nikolai resembles a child not only in appearance. An enthusiastic attitude towards the world is normal for him. This hero is honest and sincere. In him, education coexists with spontaneity. He stands out among aristocratic society in that he is incapable of lies and deceit.
Nikolai treats his relatives tenderly and reverently. He truly loves them, respects his family members not only because it’s supposed to be so. His parents have always been kind to him, and he reciprocates the same.
Nikolai is no stranger to nobility. His actions are altruistic in nature, he always thinks about whether his decision will bring harm to others. However, he performs any action only on the basis of his own convictions, and not in order to please others or to serve someone. The public has a positive attitude towards Nikolai. This gives him a reason to be proud of himself, but even this pride does not result in a sharply negative quality. It rather serves as a slight contrast, because a person cannot be completely perfect.
The fate of Nikolai Rostov
For a long time, the hero has been in love with Sonya, his second cousin, who has no dowry. Nikolai plans to marry her against the wishes of his mother, but Sonya writes him a letter in which she “let him go.”
Nikolai goes to war. For him this is not a feat and heroism. Many young people aspired to this; it was normal among that generation. But Nikolai decides to quit studying at a prestigious university for the sake of service. His parents accept his decision.
It is noteworthy that Nikolai is aware of his lack of experience. He does not strive to become a boss; for him, serving his homeland is already a joy, even in the lower ranks. But here too Nikolai comes in handy. He is quickly climbing the career ladder. After two battles, he was already appointed as an officer, and soon as a commander. Nikolai achieved the respect of his colleagues due to his honesty, openness, courage and humanity.
Returning from the war, Nikolai feels sympathy for Maria. Marriage with a girl is very beneficial for the Rostov family, but Nikolai does not even think about marrying for money. The situation changes when Nikolai learns that his feelings are reciprocated. Marya and Nikolai find each other and become a happy married couple. They have many children, they live in harmony and mutual respect. At the end of the novel, Maria is pregnant again. The reader no longer sees the birth of a child, but there is confidence that everything will be fine.
If we talk about the characterization of Nikolai Rostov, then he is definitely a positive character, and Tolstoy shows the entire Rostov family from a beautiful and pleasant side. The image of Nikolai is partly copied from the father of Lev Nikolaevich himself, perhaps that is why he is endowed with such obvious positive qualities.
“War and Peace” is an epic about human destinies, about honor and duty. Nikolai Rostov corresponds to the entire work. He has a wonderful disposition, he is honest with himself and with people, his actions are noble and filled with goodness. Perhaps this is why Nikolai ultimately finds happiness and a calm family life.
This article will help you competently write an essay on the topic “Nikolai Rostov”, give an external description of the hero, describe his character, lifestyle and fate.
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Peter and Vera.
Nikolai Rostov has a prototype - the father of the writer Leo Tolstoy, whose name, like the character, was Nikolai. The literary image is close to the original. Lev Nikolaevich's father had fun during his youth and squandered a lot of money. To restore his shaky fortune, the writer’s father, like Nikolai Rostov, married an ugly and middle-aged princess, heir to the Yasnaya Polyana estate.
Appearance and character
In the novel, the hero is described as “a short, curly-haired young man with an open expression on his face” - this is what Nikolai looks like at the age of 20. In the novel, the hero is repeatedly called handsome. The young man is rosy-cheeked, slender, slightly flirtatious, light and quick in his movements, and wears a black mustache. Often described as wearing military uniform.
Nikolay can be given the following characteristics. The hero is characterized by enthusiasm and impetuosity. He has a cheerful and open character, Nikolai does not know how to hide his own feelings, he is frank with people, and the hero’s heart is “full of poetry.” He is friendly to others and clearly shows emotions, does not hide his tears.
With his family, Nikolai is sweet and respectful, and his friends consider the hero a nice fellow. In his military service, Nikolai Rostov shows himself to be a caring commander for his subordinates and a person worthy of respect from both his comrades and his superiors. At the same time, Nikolai has a simple disposition, the hero does not like difficulties in communication, subtleties, and is not particularly insightful.
Tolstoy describes the hero’s honest and kind eyes and childish, pure smile. Nikolai does not tolerate deliberate lies and tells people the truth, never deliberately commits meanness. Nikolai Rostov believes that a person should live according to his conscience and remain faithful to his homeland. This manner of behavior provides the hero with universal love.
As befits a well-educated young nobleman of that time, Nikolai Rostov dances deftly, knows how to sing, is fond of hound hunting, and has an excellent understanding of horses.
Life path
At the beginning of the novel, the reader sees Nikolai as a 20-year-old young man, a student. Then Nikolai quits studying at the university and enlists in the army. The hero follows his old friend Boris, who was promoted to officer. Nikolai, looking at him, wishes the same fate for himself. The young man wants to become a participant in the war with and fight against the aggressor.
The point, however, is not so much the desire to imitate a friend. Nikolai Rostov went to war because he believes that military service is his calling. The hero is attached to his colleagues and considers his own regiment to be as sweet and dear to his heart as his parents’ home.
In addition, Nikolai is sure that he is not suitable for any other work that befits a nobleman - neither diplomatic nor bureaucratic. The hero feels disgust for these types of activities, but sincerely loves military service, which is evident even from Nikolai’s affection for his own uniform.
The hero took part in the Battle of Shengraben. When he first found himself in war, at first he bravely rushed into the attack, but was wounded in the arm and was scared. Nicholas is characterized by courage, and the hero showed cowardice (or, rather, confusion) once when he did not kill a Frenchman on the battlefield, but only threw a pistol at him and ran away, like “a hare running away from dogs.” In a panic, the hero thinks about his own death, does not want to die young and, along with life, be deprived of the happiness he is accustomed to.
The hero is so accustomed to universal love at home and among his colleagues that the intention of the enemy soldiers to kill him seems unthinkable and incredible to Nikolai. In this episode, the hero's image is somewhat reduced. Despite this attack of panic and the cowardice shown in the first battle, the hero still makes a military career and becomes a hussar - a gallant, faithful officer. The hero takes part in the War of 1812.
Open and warm relationships within the Rostov family are clearly visible in the episode where Nikolai comes home on vacation. On the way, the hero cannot wait to be among his family and once again plunge into an atmosphere of love and care.
His personal life is as follows. Nikolai has a second cousin, Sonya, who is homeless, and the hero has feelings for her. A romance blossoms between them; Nikolai wants to marry the girl, although his mother is against this marriage. Count Rostov, the hero's father, is not doing well, and Nikolai's mother wants to improve the family's financial situation by marrying her son to the rich Princess Bolkonskaya. Sonya writes a letter to Nikolai, in which she informs the hero about the breakup of relations.
After Count Rostov died, Nicholas inherited only debts. The noble hero believes that he must take care of Sonya and his own mother and pay off his father’s bills. The impoverished Rostov family sells their estate and moves to a small apartment.
The countess mother still sees salvation in a successful marriage and clearly hints to her son that he should marry the princess. The hero considers such an act inappropriate and offensive. After all, if Nikolai marries, gossip will begin in society that he entered into a marriage of convenience, and the hero considers this state of affairs shameful for himself.
At the same time, Nikolai has feelings for Marya, and later it turns out that the princess is also in love with the hero. When the serf princesses of Bolkonskaya decide to hand her over to the French, Nikolai Rostov saves Marya - and this wins the girl’s love.
By the age of thirty, Nikolai Rostov still marries Marya and moves to his wife’s estate, taking with him his beloved cousin Sonya. At the end of the novel, the reader sees Nikolai as the father of three children, and Marya is waiting for the birth of the fourth. By the end, Nikolai is already 35 years old, the hero is shown as a wealthy landowner. By the end of the novel and life's journey, Nikolai Rostov exhibits such character traits as severity and responsibility.
As a young man, Nikolai saw the meaning of life in pleasure and military service. He showed indifference to the financial difficulties of the Rostovs. He behaved frivolously, incurred gambling debts and squandered money, although the state of the family capital was no secret to him.
The sad experience gained due to his father's debts and his own wastefulness made the hero, by the age of 35, a zealous owner, whose life goal is to increase the well-being of the family. The matured hero does not want his own children to go around the world, and is trying to arrange the financial affairs of the Rostovs in the best possible way while he is alive. At the same time, Nikolai did not lose either his sense of justice or his good attitude towards people. The peasants treat Rostov with respect:
“The owner was... First the peasant’s, and then his own. Well, he didn’t give me any encouragement. One word - master!
Film adaptations
In January 2016, a drama based on the legendary novel was released on the British television channel BBC One. The series has six episodes, each lasting an hour. A Scottish actor starred in the role of Nikolai Rostov. To film the ball scenes, the BBC team traveled to St. Petersburg and Tsarskoe Selo. Filming took place in the Yusupov and Catherine Palaces, in the Assumption Cathedral, on Palace Square and in Gatchina.
Earlier, in 2007, another television series based on “War and Peace” was released - a joint project of five countries: Russia, France, Germany, Italy and Poland. The total duration of the series is 480 minutes. The cast is mixed, the role of Nikolai Rostov was played by a Russian actor.
The film has many differences from the novel. For example, who in the novel died due to an unsuccessful attempt to have an abortion, in the film spectacularly dies from syphilis, which she picked up from a certain lover who was part of Napoleon’s inner circle.
And in the film, after Moscow was sacked by the French, she is found playing the piano in a destroyed house, while in the novel the meeting of the heroes takes place under less spectacular circumstances. Nikolai Rostov in the film became Pierre's second, and not Dolokhov, as was the case in the novel.
In 1965-67, the director released a film epic in 4 parts, War and Peace. Filming began in 1961 and required a budget unprecedented for Soviet cinema - 8 million Soviet rubles. In 1969, the epic won the Oscar and Golden Globe awards for best foreign language film.
The role of Nikolai Rostov was played by the actor. True, the storyline of Nikolai Rostov was abandoned in the film, as were some other episodes, although in general the novel was reproduced carefully and accurately.
In 1956, an American-Italian film adaptation was released, where the role of Natasha Rostova went to the actress known for the films “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Roman Holiday”. Nikolai Rostov was played by English actor Jeremy Brett, who is famous for playing the role in a series of films based on works that aired on British television from 1984 to 1994.
Brett was chosen for the role of Nikolai Rostov in part because the actor looked similar to Audrey Hepburn, who represented Nikolai's sister, Natasha, on screen. And Brett is the only one of the actors who rides a real horse in the episode where the Rostovs call Prince Andrei to go hunting with them. Filming took place mainly in Italy, with winter scenes filmed in Finland.
Quotes
“Oh, how funny you are! ...do I really love my wife? I don’t love you, but I don’t know how to tell you. Without you and when some cat runs past us like that, it’s like I’m lost and I can’t do anything. Well, do I love my finger? I don’t like it, but try, cut it off...”
In literature, the presence of overly ideal characters is not an isolated phenomenon. Reading the work, you understand that with all the realistic depiction of the background of events, the historical background and other characters, it is this hero who stands out sharply - with all the desire to find some kind of flaw in him, it becomes unthinkable. The image of Nikolai Rostov appears as such a hero in the novel “War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoy.
Appearance of Nikolai Rostov
The image of Nikolai Rostov is devoid of any distinctive characteristics. “Nikolai was a short, curly-haired young man with an open expression on his face.” He has a childishly sweet, handsome face with regular facial features, on which “kind and honest eyes.”
He has a slender figure and graceful movements. He has the charm and coquetry of youth.
Characteristics of personal qualities
In many things, Nikolai resembles his father - he has a cheerful disposition, is sanguine by nature, despondency and spleen are alien to him.
“I don’t know how to hide what I feel,” he says about himself. And indeed, his sweet, childish face is an open book, on the pages of which you can read all his emotions and feelings.
He is quite reasonable, despite his young age - “a twenty-year old man.” His soul is full of nobility, true youth, which you see so rarely in our age.”
Nikolai is endowed with musical talent. He often sang and played with his younger sister Natalya.
He doesn’t sit back at balls either, but willingly showed himself as a “dexterous dancer,” causing bewilderment and admiration from the public.
With no less passion, Nikolai indulged in hunting, which was held in high esteem by his father. After marriage, he does not abandon his hobby, “going away for a month or two with his desire.”
Nikolai is well versed in horses; they arouse the same interest in him as hunting.
“Rostov was a truthful young man; he would never deliberately tell a lie.” A lie is contrary to his life principles. Over time, life taught him another principle - tactfulness. Rostov begins to understand that the truth must be told at the right time. Phrases said at the wrong time can cause many problems both for him personally and for those around him. For example, his truthfulness, spoken to the regimental commander after the Battle of Shengraben, dealt a significant blow to the reputation of the entire regiment.
Feelings of pride and independence are not alien to Rostov. He often rushes from one extreme to another and does not know the golden mean during disputes and discussions.
In general, Nikolai Ilyich is endowed with positive qualities - honest, respectable, sincere and kind.
Childhood and environment
From a biographical point of view, he is the most ordinary aristocrat. His parents also have aristocratic roots. His mother, Natalya, nee Shinshina, was a kind and sweet woman; she tried to be strict with her children, but often, out of the kindness of her heart, she gave them concessions. “The Countess was a woman with an oriental type of thin face, about forty-five years old, apparently exhausted by children, of whom she had twelve.” Despite the fact that many of her children did not survive, the Countess maintains a positive attitude; by the end of the novel, under the influence of military events, ruin and the death of her son, she has become noticeably despondent.
Nikolai's father, Ilya Andreevich Rostov, was a cheerful, sentimental and impressionable man. He, like his wife, does not know how to manage his fortune economically. It is likely that this was affected by the fact that both spouses were from wealthy families who never had to get out of financial difficulties. Deprived of such sad experience, they carelessly spend exorbitant amounts of money on improving their homes and helping their acquaintances and friends who find themselves in difficult situations.
In addition to Nikolai, the family brings up three more natural children of the Rostovs, an adopted daughter Sonya (who is a relative of the mother), as well as Boris and Mitya - boys from impoverished noble families, taken in by the Rostovs.
A good-natured, positive atmosphere has a beneficial effect on Nikolai. Thanks to his observation and ability to draw conclusions from various situations, Nikolai manages to avoid many unpleasant situations in his personal life - contrary to the generally accepted tendency, he prefers to learn from the mistakes of others rather than from his own.
Education and military career
Regardless of predisposition, physical characteristics and financial condition, at that time all young people sought to try on a military uniform. This was a fashion trend, a career in any other industry was approved only if there were no other options left (for example, the consequences of injuries could not allow the service). Despite the fact that a military career was generally accepted for aristocrats, “despite the aversion to civil service” of their son, the Rostovs send Nikolai to study at the university. At the age of 20, the young man abruptly changes his decision - the Russian-Austro-French War forces him to reconsider his views on duty and calling. To everyone’s horror, everyone’s favorite “Nikolushka” - “an impetuous, pure young man turns into a defender of the fatherland, bound to his comrades in arms by the corporate concept of honor.”
At first, everyone thinks that his action is justified by the desire to keep up with his friend Boris, who was hired as an officer, and Nikolai dissuades them: “I just feel a calling to military service.”
Nikolai prefers to start his service from the bottom - Rostov is far from the intricacies of military affairs, he does not want to burden himself with these difficulties: “then I joined the hussars, I thought that there was no need for subtleties here,” but as it turned out, this was not the case.
Over time, Nikolai becomes convinced that he made the right choice: “I know that I am not fit for anything except military service; I’m not a diplomat, not an official.”
During the Battle of Shengraben, Rostov received his first wound: “The hand was like someone else’s... Captain, for God’s sake, I’m shell-shocked in the arm,” he said timidly.”
The first wound was a turning point in Rostov’s consciousness - naturally, he understood the fact that on the battlefield he could be killed or seriously injured, but only now does he realize this. Nicholas waited a long time for the battle to begin so that he could “experience the pleasure of attack.” “Hurry up,” he thinks. However, finding himself in a difficult situation after being wounded, threatening to end in captivity, he flees.
Obtaining an officer rank
Nikolai’s zeal and efforts during two battles did not go unnoticed by the command - he was “designated as an officer.” In his letters home, Nikolai tries not to talk about the difficulties of military service or injuries - this would cause a lot of concern to his relatives. “A little wounded, but promoted to officer; he is healthy now, he writes himself” - but even positive news causes tears - his family worries about him.
New military actions again become a cause of worry and suffering, and at the same time, pride for his family.
Nikolai takes part in the battle of Austerlitz. More successful this time. “Now he is a hussar lieutenant in a silver mentic, with a soldier’s George.”
In the future, Nikolai’s career advancement is still as rapid. In 1807 he was already a commander himself. Rostov notes that military service is pleasant for him, he enjoys being here. “The regiment was also a home, and the home was invariably sweet and dear, just like the parental home.”
Rostov managed to gain respect from his colleagues. He achieved this unintentionally - humanity and courage did much more than the desire to be the favorite of the soldiers. Rostov “was loved and respected by his comrades, subordinates and superiors.”
In 1812, Nicholas took an active part in the war with Napoleon. He receives the rank of captain. The battle of Ostrovno becomes significant for him: “Rostov kept thinking about this brilliant feat of his, which, to his surprise, bought him the St. George Cross and even made him a reputation as a brave man.”
With his army, Rostov managed to reach Paris. After the war, he was supposed to receive a promotion to commander, but this did not happen. Heartbroken by the loss of her youngest son, Countess Rostova opposes further service. This time Nikolai yields to his mother and, “having taken off his beloved uniform,” masters a new position as an official.
What is Nikolai Rostov afraid of?
Reading about military service and battles, one gets the impression that Nikolai Rostov is not afraid of anything. However, it is not. No matter how great his fearlessness and courage may be, Rostov still has a feeling of fear.
This is especially clearly expressed in the first battle. It is here that we can compare Rostov's military skills with the achievements of other characters in the novel.
Nikolai is significantly inferior in intelligence to Prince Andrei Bolkonsky; he lacks the compassionate skill of Pierre Bezukhov. Having lost his horse and been wounded, Rostov becomes timid in front of the crowd of French running towards him. At this moment, he realizes with horror that this running crowd wants to kill him, “the one whom everyone loves so much.” Fear “for his happy young life” takes over - Rostov forgets about everything in the world and instead of shooting at the approaching enemy, he throws his weapon at his opponents.
Perhaps this same fear was the reason why Nikolai yielded to his mother’s persuasion to change his military service to civilian service. He realizes that his luck on the battlefields cannot last forever; he has every chance of ending his life as sadly as Prince Andrei.
Nikolai and Maria Bolkonskaya
A marriage with Maria was unusually beneficial for the Rostov family - after ruin, this would be an excellent opportunity to restore the financial independence of the family, to lift it out of poverty. Nikolai feels a feeling of sympathy for the girl, but he is worried that those around him will perceive this event as a marriage of convenience: “The thought alone is disgusting to me, marrying for money.” Since marriage according to this principle is alien to Nikolai, he cares about his reputation, therefore, contrary to his feelings, he does not agree to his mother’s persuasion about marriage with Bolkonskaya.
The situation changes after Nikolai finds out that his feelings are mutual. “In the fall of 1814, Nikolai married Princess Marya and with his wife, mother and Sonya moved to live in Bald Mountains.”
Princess Marie was not distinguished by the beauty and plasticity of her movements; her movements were heavy, which was wild for a young girl. Therefore, the question of Nikolai’s love for Mary caused confusion for some time. Nikolai believes that his wife is a part of himself, like any part of his body. “Well, do I love my finger? I don’t love you, but try, cut it off,” he draws an analogy to explain his love for Mary.
Life with Maria, thanks to the kinship of their souls, became the cause of many happy moments for both spouses. They had three children in their marriage, Maria is expecting a fourth, but his birth is already hidden from the reader - the narrative of the novel ends before the birth of the child.
Nikolai Rostov becomes a landowner
At the age of 35, Nikolai Rostov becomes the owner of a successful estate. “Rare owners had fields so early and well sown and harvested and so much income as Nikolai.” He always treats his peasants with reverence, encouraging them to have large families, a sense of kindness and honesty, hard work, and condemning lies and laziness. His serfs love him and consider him the ideal of a landowner. Nikolai Ilyich believes that good results must be achieved by setting realistic goals and treating his subjects humanely - his main goal is to create a stable economy that would provide a happy and comfortable life for his children.
Thus, the personality of Nikolai Ilyich Rostov is multifaceted and unusual. He has talents in many matters and is able to do well any job that he takes on. Thanks to his ability to analyze, be kind, sincere and sympathetic, he gains authority in any environment, be it secular society, colleagues, or peasants.
In the novel by L.N. Tolstoy there are many characters and their images, which the author highlights in a special way and with skill. Despite the fact that Nikolai Rostov is not the main character, he also played a significant role in this work.
Nikolai was born into an ideal family, where everyone loves each other, is talented, friendly, and obeys the voice of feelings. His family consisted of his father, mother, Natasha, Vera and Sonya.
Nikolai was a short, handsome young man. Kind and honest eyes stood out on his face. It is known about his life that he abandoned his studies at the university to serve in the army, considering the military profession to be his calling, but partly this decision was made due to the fashion trends of those times. He is honest, decent, against arranged marriage. Rostov believes that you need to achieve everything in life yourself.
When he loses a considerable amount of money to Dolokhov at cards, he is very worried about this and is afraid to tell his father. Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy calls Rostov a twenty-year old man” for his prudence and wisdom.
During the Battle of Shengraben he was wounded, which changed his mind about the war. He begins to take this more seriously, realizing that this is a real danger and a threat to his life.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, Nikolai Rostov reached the capital of France with his army, but was forced to leave service at the request of his mother, since the Rostovs’ youngest son was killed, and Natalya simply would not have survived another loss.
During the offensive and the approach of the French to the village of Bogucharovo, where Marya Bolkonskaya was with her son Andrei, Nikolai Rostov accidentally ended up there. He helps the princess leave a dangerous place and learns that his feelings for her are mutual. So, the young people got married and moved together to Bald Mountains, to the Bolkonsky estate. Their marriage had a beneficial effect on both: Nikolai joined a quiet and peaceful family life, and Marya fulfilled her dream of family and love. She teaches him how to run a household, and Nikolai is attracted to sincerity and nobility in his wife. In addition, the wedding with Marya helped the Rostov family get out of their difficult situation.
Essay about Nikolai Rostov
The novel “War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoy is a myriad of diversity of human destinies and characters, an entire historical era spread over a period of time saturated with grandiose events. By plunging into the novel, we discover a whole world created solely by the author’s creative imagination. Perhaps this is one of the few novels that can change the worldview of any reader and provide him with the opportunity to study dozens of unique psychologies.
Nikolai Rostov is the apotheosis of innocence and honesty.
Life, happy in its good-natured fun, reigns in the Rostov house. It is here that we first meet Nikolai Rostov, “a short, curly-haired young man with an open expression on his face.”
The events of the novel develop in such a way that the next time we overtake Rostov in the Pavlodar Hussar Regiment, located in the village of Zalzenek. In a new world of complex professional and human relationships, the character relies on three main dogmas for him: honor, dignity and official duty. Therefore, the very fact of lying becomes impossible for Nikolai Rostov. During the service, the hero makes discoveries for himself in the psychological, moral and ethical fields. In particular, the growth and maturity of Rostov’s character was influenced by Velyatin’s act, thanks to which the hero realized that the honor and dignity of the regiment was much higher than personal honor. “I’m guilty, I’m guilty all around!” - Nikolai Rostov chants, maturing before our eyes.
The apogee of the development of the character's character occurs at the Battle of Shchengraben, when Rostov realizes the eventfulness of what is happening around. Murder and death are the end of everything, that’s what the hero understands. “It can’t be that they wanted to kill me,” Rostov reasons, running away from the French. He is overcome by a feeling of panic, in the impulse of which he, instead of shooting, throws the weapon at the enemy. His manifested fear is not horror of an armed enemy, but fear of such an early end to his life, which did not even have time to unfold all the joys of youth.
Neither the sharp mind with which Prince Andrei is endowed, nor the innate intuitive worldview and ability to empathize, characteristic of Pierre Bezukhov, are inherent in Nikolai Rostov. It is not for nothing that Bolkonsky notices in him a narrow-minded hussar officer. Rostov is “simple-minded,” notes Tolstoy. And, perhaps, it is this definition that briefly and aptly expresses the inner essence of the hero.
Having married, he remained an exemplary family man and owner, the same as he had once been an exemplary officer.
Lev Nikolaevich reluctantly breaks up with Rostov. Subsequently, his image became the foundation for the development of the characters of such characters as Levin from Anna Karenina, as well as Prince Nekhlyudov from Resurrection.
Option 3
Nikolai Rostov is one of the main characters in Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace. From the first pages we notice the young count; everyone in Moscow considers him a wonderful groom. Nikolai's gait is enviable, his movements are graceful. He is a slender, attractive figure.
The character was brought up in the best, in the opinion of the author, family. To the Rostov family. The atmosphere that reigned in the house helped the children grow up kind and sympathetic. Nikolai Rostov, a twenty-year-old young man, thanks to his wonderful parents, himself became the embodiment of love. Warm feelings always reigned in the Rostov house. They did not hide from society, they were always sincere. That is why Nikolai, having matured, became a wonderful person. And even his eyes are pure and naive. Children's joy never left Rostov. Throughout his entire life, he retained in his heart a true love for the world around him. That's what makes him so charming.
Nikolai Rostov, as a person brought up in a gentle family, never harbored envy in his heart. He is not mean at all, but an outspoken hero. His image is simple but attractive. He is honest and frank. That’s why Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy liked it!
A simple but very memorable truth lurks on the pages of this epic novel. And she says that “you have to live, you have to love, you have to believe.” And Nikolai unconditionally followed these simple but very important words. His sweet face is like an open and exciting book, childishly naive and kind.
Despite the fact that the character’s age is not great for experienced reflection on life, Nikolai Rostov, at twenty years old, is a rather reasonable and analytical person.
The hero is not deprived of musical talent. Together with his sister, Natasha Rostova, he sometimes sang and danced. This was the characters' favorite thing to do.
The attractive thing is that Rostov is truly a truthful person. He will never tell a lie in his life, the hero values every word, for he would never in the entire history of his growing up “tell a lie,” which is why it becomes clear that Nikolai is endowed with positive qualities that make him a wonderful character in the eyes of the reader.
Thus, the image of the central hero of the epic novel “War and Peace” - Nikolai Rostov - is ordinary, which is why it is remarkable! It was not for nothing that Lev Nikolaevich placed him in the Rostov family. Where there is harmony, where there is peace, where the soul rejoices!
Several interesting essays
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This work raises the theme of the life of the Russian people, who found themselves on the brink before and after. All residents of cities and villages found themselves on the border that separates the Russian Empire and the new socialist society.
- Heroes of the work White Bim Black Ear
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