War and peace the life path of Andrei Bolkonsky. Life path of Andrei Bolkonsky

Article menu:

L.N. Tolstoy never showed himself to be an unprincipled writer. Among the variety of his images, one can easily find those to which he had a positive attitude, with enthusiasm, and those to which he felt antipathy. One of the characters to which Tolstoy was clearly partial was the image of Andrei Bolkonsky.

Marriage to Lisa Meinen

For the first time we meet Bolkonsky in Anna Pavlovna Sherer. He appears here as a guest bored and tired of all the social society. In his internal state, he resembles a classic Byronic hero who does not see the meaning in secular life, but continues to live this life out of habit, while experiencing internal torment from moral dissatisfaction.

At the beginning of the novel, Bolkonsky appears before readers as a 27-year-old young man married to Kutuzov’s niece, Lisa Meinen. His wife is pregnant with their first child and is due to give birth soon. Apparently, family life did not bring happiness to Prince Andrei - he treats his wife rather coolly, and even tells Pierre Bezukhov that getting married is destructive for a person.
During this period, the reader sees the development of two different aspects of Bolkonsky’s life - secular, associated with the arrangement of family life and military - Prince Andrei is in military service and is an adjutant to General Kutuzov.

Battle of Austerlitz

Prince Andrei is full of desire to become a significant person in the military field; he places great hopes on the military events of 1805-1809. - according to Bolkonsky, this will help him lose the feeling of the meaninglessness of life. However, the very first wound significantly sobers him up - Bolkonsky reconsiders his priorities in life and comes to the conclusion that he will be able to fully realize himself in family life. Having fallen on the battlefield, Prince Andrei notices the beauty of the sky and wonders why he had never looked at the sky before and not noticed its uniqueness.

Bolkonsky was not lucky - after being wounded, he became a prisoner of war of the French army, but then he has the opportunity to return to his homeland.

Having recovered from his wound, Bolkonsky goes to his father’s estate, where his pregnant wife is. Since there was no information about Prince Andrei, and everyone considered him dead, his appearance was a complete surprise. Bolkonsky arrives home just in time - he finds his wife giving birth and her death. The child managed to survive - it was a boy. Prince Andrei was depressed and saddened by this event - he regrets that he had a cool relationship with his wife. Until the end of his days, he remembered the frozen expression on her dead face, which seemed to ask: “Why did this happen to me?”

Life after wife's death

The sad consequences of the Battle of Austerlitz and the death of his wife were the reasons why Bolkonsky decided to refuse military service. While most of his compatriots were called up to the front, Bolkonsky specifically tried to make sure that he would not end up on the battlefield again. To this end, under the guidance of his father, he begins activities as a militia collector.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the history of moral transformation.

At this moment there is a famous fragment of Bolkonsky’s vision of an oak tree, which, in contrast to the entire greening forest, argued the opposite - the blackened oak trunk suggested the finitude of life. In fact, the symbolic image of this oak embodied the internal state of Prince Andrei, who also looked devastated. After some time, Bolkonsky again had to drive along the same road, and he saw that his seemingly dead oak tree had found the strength to live. From this moment, Bolkonsky's moral restoration begins.

Dear readers! If you want to find out, we bring to your attention this publication.

He does not stay in the post of militia collector and soon receives a new assignment - work in the commission for drafting laws. Thanks to his acquaintance with Speransky and Arakcheev, he is appointed to the position of head of the department.

At first, this work captivates Bolkonsky, but gradually his interest is lost and he soon begins to miss life on the estate. His work on the commission seems to Bolkonsky to be idle nonsense. Prince Andrei increasingly catches himself thinking that this work is aimless and useless.

It is likely that during the same period, Bolkonsky’s internal torment led Prince Andrei to the Masonic lodge, but judging by the fact that Tolstoy did not develop this part of Bolkonsky’s relationship with society, the Masonic lodge did not spread and influence the path of life.

Meeting with Natasha Rostova

At the New Year's ball in 1811, he sees Natasha Rostova. After meeting the girl, Prince Andrei realizes that his life is not over and he should not dwell on Lisa’s death. Bolkonsky's heart is filled with love in Natalya. Prince Andrei feels natural in Natalya’s company - he can easily find a topic of conversation with her. When communicating with a girl, Bolkonsky behaves at ease, he likes the fact that Natalya accepts him for who he is, Andrey does not need to pretend or play along. Natalya was also captivated by Bolkonsky; she found him attractive both externally and internally.

Without thinking twice, Bolkonsky proposes to the girl. Since Bolkonsky’s position in society was impeccable, and besides, his financial situation was stable, the Rostovs agree to the marriage.

The only person who was extremely dissatisfied with the engagement was Prince Andrei's father - he persuades his son to go abroad for treatment and only then deal with the affairs of marriage.

Prince Andrei gives in and leaves. This event became fatal in Bolkonsky’s life - during his absence, Natalya fell in love with the rake Anatoly Kuragin and even attempted to escape with the rowdy.

He learns about this from a letter from Natalya herself. Such behavior unpleasantly struck Prince Andrei, and his engagement to Rostova was terminated. However, his feelings towards the girl did not fade away - he still continued to love her passionately until the end of his days.

Return to military service

To numb the pain and take revenge on Kuragin, Bolkonsky returns to the military field. General Kutuzov, who has always treated Bolkonsky favorably, invites Prince Andrei to go with him to Turkey. Bolkonsky accepts the offer, but Russian troops do not stay in the Moldavian direction for long - with the beginning of the military events of 1812, the transfer of troops to the Western Front begins, and Bolkonsky asks Kutuzov to send him to the front line.
Prince Andrei becomes commander of the Jaeger regiment. As a commander, Bolkonsky demonstrates himself at his best: he treats his subordinates with care and enjoys significant authority among them. His colleagues call him “our prince” and are very proud of him. Such changes in him were realized thanks to Bolkonsky’s refusal of individualism and his merging with the people.

Bolkonsky's regiment became one of the military units that took part in military events against Napoleon, in particular during the Battle of Borodino.

Wounded in the Battle of Borodino and its consequences

During the battle, Bolkonsky is seriously wounded in the stomach. The injury received causes Bolkonsky to reassess and realize many of life’s dogmas. Colleagues bring their commander to the dressing station; on the nearby operating table he sees his enemy, Anatoly Kuragin, and finds the strength to forgive him. Kuragin looks very pitiful and depressed - the doctors amputated his leg. Looking at Anatole’s emotions and his pain, anger and desire for revenge, which has been devouring Bolkonsky all this time, recedes and is replaced by compassion - Prince Andrei feels sorry for Kuragin.

Then Bolkonsky falls into unconsciousness and remains in this state for 7 days. Bolkonsky regains consciousness already in the Rostovs’ house. Together with other wounded, he was evacuated from Moscow.
Natalya at this moment becomes his angel. During the same period, Bolkonsky’s relationship with Natasha Rostova also takes on a new meaning, but for Andrei it’s all too late - his wound leaves him no hope of recovery. However, this did not prevent them from finding short-term harmony and happiness. Rostova constantly cares for the wounded Bolkonsky, the girl realizes that she still loves Prince Andrei, because of this, her feeling of guilt towards Bolkonsky only intensifies. Prince Andrei, despite the severity of his wound, tries to look as usual - he jokes a lot and reads. Oddly enough, of all the possible books, Bolkonsky asked for the Gospel, probably because after the “meeting” with Kuragin at the dressing station, Bolkonsky began to realize Christian values ​​and was able to love the people close to him with true love. Despite all efforts, Prince Andrei still dies. This event had a tragic impact on Rostova’s life - the girl often remembered Bolkonsky and went over in her memory all the moments spent with this man.

Thus, the life path of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky once again confirms Tolstoy’s position - the life of good people is always full of tragedy and quest.

Introduction.

“War and Peace” is a novel distinguished by the variety of motives and the complexity of its genre structure. It is no coincidence that the work is called an epic novel. Here the destinies of the people and the individual, which are in close interrelation, are simultaneously depicted. The novel is a complex philosophical and historical synthesis. The role of each hero in the work is determined not only by his personal fate, relationships in the family and society; this role is much more complex: the assessment of personality occurs not so much at the everyday level as at the historical level; it is no longer the material, but the spiritual layers of human consciousness that are affected.

The work poses a complex philosophical question about the role of the individual in history, about the connection between human feeling and the materiality of the world, and at the same time about the influence of historical events on the fate of the nation and each person individually.

In order to most fully reveal the character of the hero, his inner world, to show the evolution of a person constantly searching for the truth, trying to understand his place and purpose in life, Tolstoy turns to a historical plot. The novel describes the military events of 1805–1807, as well as the Patriotic War of 1812. We can say that war, as a certain objective reality, becomes the main plot line of the novel, and therefore the fate of the heroes must be considered in a single context with this event “hostile” to humanity. But at the same time, the war in the novel has a deeper understanding. This is a duel between two principles (aggressive and harmonious), two worlds (natural and artificial), a clash of two life attitudes (truth and lies).

But, one way or another, war becomes the fate of many heroes, and it is from this position that the evolution of the main character of the novel, Andrei Bolkonsky, should be considered. It is no coincidence that Prince Andrei calls the war “the greatest war.” After all, here, in the war, a turning point occurs in his consciousness; Looking for the truth, he enters the “road of honor,” the path of moral quest.

1.Meeting Andrey.

In Tolstoy's huge epic there are several heroes whose fate he reveals especially carefully. Among them are, first of all, Andrei Bolkonsky. Introducing readers to Andrei Bolkonsky, Tolstoy draws a portrait of his hero. Prince Andrey Bolkonsky was short, very handsome with definite and dry features. In Scherer's salon, where we first meet him, he has a tired, bored look, often "a grimace spoils his handsome face." But when Pierre approached him, Bolkonsky “smiled with an unexpectedly kind and pleasant smile.” When talking with Pierre, “his dry face kept trembling with the nervous revival of every muscle; the eyes, in which the fire of life had previously seemed extinguished, now shone with a radiant bright shine.” And so everywhere and always: dry, proud and cold with everyone who is unpleasant to him (and he is unpleasant to careerists, soulless egoists, bureaucrats, mental and moral nonentities), Prince Andrei is kind, simple, sincere, frank. He respects and appreciates those in whom he sees serious inner content. Prince Andrey is a richly gifted person. He has an extraordinary mind, distinguished by a penchant for serious, deep work of thought and introspection, while he is completely alien to daydreaming and the “foggy philosophizing” associated with it. However, this is not a dry, rational person. He has a rich spiritual life and deep feelings. Prince Andrey is a man of strong will, an active, creative nature, he strives for broad social and state activities. This need is supported in him by his inherent ambition, the desire for fame and power. It should be said, however, that Prince Andrei is incapable of bargaining with his conscience. He is honest, and his desire for glory is combined with a thirst for selfless achievement.

We learn that, at the request of his father, an old honored general, Bolkonsky began military service from the lower ranks, that respect for the army and the common soldier became for him the principle of life. We know that his father lives the history of the Russian army and established a prize for the one who will write the history of Suvorov’s wars. Therefore, it is quite logical and understandable that Prince Andrey’s decision, leaving his pregnant wife, to go to war, improve his destiny as a senior officer, his talent and ability as a strategist. Due to his position and connections, he ends up as an adjutant at Kutuzov’s headquarters, but it should immediately be said that this is not a convenient, safe place for him, not a good opportunity to make a career and receive an award, but great opportunities to prove himself, space for his developing talent as a military leader and commander .

Sending a letter with his son to Mikhail Illarionovich, a friend and former colleague, the old prince writes that he should “use his son in good places and not keep him as an adjutant for a long time: it’s a bad position.” At the same time, he states as an unshakable rule: “Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky’s son will not serve anyone out of mercy.” This is against the backdrop of the bustle of other high society persons, collecting letters of recommendation and, by hook or by crook, requests and humiliations, placing their sons as adjutants! The father’s parting words are striking, forever engraved in the memory and heart, and the son’s worthy answer:

“Remember one thing, Prince Andrei: if they kill you, it will hurt me, an old man...” He suddenly fell silent and suddenly continued in a loud voice: “And if they find out that you did not behave like the son of Nikolai Bolkonsky, I will... . ashamed! - he squealed. “You might not have told me this, father,” the son said, smiling.”

Probably, Prince Andrei’s only request to his father - if he is killed, not to give his son to his wife - is also connected with this “shame”, because in high society, in the close circle of his wife, the boy will not be given the same upbringing as in the Bolkonsky house. Leo Tolstoy doesn't just show us Prince Andrei in action. We see down to the smallest detail the behavior of the prince during conversations, his ability to repel an overbearing insolent, to defend an unjustly forgotten person in front of everyone, to give calm, reasonable advice and to prevent a brewing quarrel from breaking out. We see not ostentatious, but real courage and nobility, a true understanding of military discipline and service to the Fatherland.

Complex and deep nature, Prince Andrei lives in a period of social excitement that gripped the educated circles of the nobility during the Patriotic War, in the atmosphere in which the future Decembrists were formed. In such an environment, the deep, sober mind of Prince Andrei, enriched with a variety of knowledge, critical of the surrounding reality, seeks the meaning of life in activities that would bring him moral satisfaction. The war awakened ambition in him. Dizzying career Napoleon makes him dream of his “Toulon”, but he thinks of winning it not by avoiding dangers at headquarters, but in battle, with his courage.

1.1. The Battle of Shengraben and the battlefield of Austerlitz.

Throughout his life, Andrei Bolkonsky dreams of “his Toulon.” He dreams of accomplishing a feat in front of everyone so that, having proven his strength and fearlessness, he can plunge into the world of fame and become a celebrity. “I will be sent there,” he thought, “with a brigade or division, and there, with a banner in my hand, I will go forward and crush everything that is in front of me.” At first glance, this decision seems quite noble; it proves the courage and determination of Prince Andrei. The only repulsive thing is that he is focused not on Kutuzov, but on Napoleon. But the Battle of Shengraben, namely the meeting with Captain Tushin, becomes the first crack in the hero’s belief system.

During the Battle of Shengraben, Prince Andrei, the only one of the staff officers sent with the order, will get to Captain Tushin’s battery and not only give the order to retreat, but will also personally help, under bullets, in the dust, to remove and evacuate the guns, that is, he will act as a comrade and ally like a real man. Without taking credit for this act (as many staff officers would have done), Prince Andrei will speak about this at the council, only to note the merits of Captain Tushin, excited that this man is undeservedly scolded: “... We owe the success of this day to most of all to the action of this battery and the heroic fortitude of Captain Tushin and his company.” He wouldn’t even think of classifying himself, who stood next to him under the bullets, as a hero! Moreover, L. Tolstoy will show us the clash in the soul of Prince Andrei between the desired and the real, when he “felt sad and hard” because what he saw in the war “was so strange that it was unlike what he had hoped for.” Bolkonsky is outraged by the attitude of many senior officers towards the war, their desire not to help the army, but first of all to save themselves, while receiving a reward and promotion. That’s why he so angrily pulls back Adjutant Zherkov, who dared to laugh behind his back at General Mack, the commander of the defeated Allied army. There is so much restrained rage and condemnation in Bolkonsky’s words: “We are either officers who serve our tsar and fatherland and rejoice in the common success, and are saddened by the common failure, or we are lackeys who do not care about the master’s business.”

Separating himself from these “boys”, these staff lackeys, Prince Bolkonsky will still not allow anyone to insult the honor of a staff officer with impunity. And this is not an abstract understanding of the honor of the uniform, this is respect for real commanders and the ability to protect one’s own dignity. To an inappropriate remark about “staff guys,” he responds to Nikolai Rostov calmly and proudly, but at the same time says that now “we will all have to be in a big, more serious duel,” where they will have a common opponent.

Shengraben undoubtedly played a positive role in the life of Prince Andrei. Thanks to Tushin, Bolkonsky changes his view of the war. It turns out that war is not a means of achieving a career, but dirty, hard work where an inhumane deed is committed. The final realization of this comes to Prince Andrey on the Field of Austerlitz. He wants to accomplish a feat and accomplishes it. At the decisive moment, Bolkonsky picks up the banner and shouts “Hurray!” leads the soldiers forward, to feat and glory. But by the will of fate, one stray bullet does not allow Prince Andrei to complete his triumphal procession. He falls to the ground. But he later remembers not his triumph, when he ran towards the French with a banner in his hands, but the high sky of Austerlitz. Andrey sees the sky in a way that no one will probably ever see it again. “How come I haven’t seen this high sky before? And how happy I am that I finally recognized him. Yes! everything is empty, everything is deception, except this endless sky. There is nothing, nothing, except him. But even that is not there, there is nothing but silence, calm. And thank God!.."

The banner and the sky are important symbols in the novel. Banners appear several times in the work, but still it is not so much a symbol as a simple emblem that does not deserve to be taken seriously. The banner represents power, glory, a certain material force, which is by no means welcomed by Tolstoy, who gives preference to the spiritual values ​​of man. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in the novel Tushin trips over the flagpole, it is no coincidence that Prince Andrei remembers not himself with the banner in his hands, but the high, eternal sky. Austerlitz is the second crack in Prince Andrei’s views on life and war. The hero experiences a deep moral crisis. He becomes disillusioned with Napoleon, with previous values, and understands the true, inhumane meaning of the war, the “puppet comedy” played out by the emperor. From now on, the ideal for Prince Andrey becomes Sky, Infinity and Height: “He learned that it was Napoleon - his hero, but at that moment Napoleon seemed to him such a small, insignificant person in comparison with what was now happening between his soul and this lofty , an endless sky with clouds running across it.”

It is also symbolic that Prince Andrei is wounded in the head. This speaks of the superiority of the spiritual over the intellectual, aristocratic, and of the correctness of the path chosen by the hero. The awareness of imminent death gives Prince Andrei the strength to survive and revives him to a new life. Austerlitz had a great influence on the formation of Andrei Bolkonsky's views, helped determine the hero's true values ​​in life, and after the Battle of Austerlitz, Prince Andrei learns to live according to these new laws, previously unknown to him.

1.2. Return of Prince Andrei home.

Returning home, Prince Andrei dreams of starting a new life, no longer with a “little princess” with a “squirrel expression” on her face, but with a woman with whom he hopes to finally create a united family.

But Andrei Bolkonsky's return home was not joyful. The birth of a child and at the same time the death of his wife, before whom he felt morally guilty, deepened his spiritual crisis. Bolkonsky lives in the village all the time, taking care of the household and raising his son Nikolenka. It seems to him that his life is already over. Having abandoned the ideal of glory and greatness, which gave meaning to his life, Prince Andrei is deprived of the joy of existence. Pierre, meeting his friend, was struck by the change that had taken place in him. Glory as the goal of life was false. Andrei Bolkonsky was convinced of this from his own experience. What he lacked is revealed in a dispute with Pierre, who brought Prince Andrei back to life.

“I live and it’s not my fault, therefore, I need to live until death somehow better, without interfering with anyone,” says Prince Andrei. “You have to live, you have to love, you have to believe,” Pierre convinces him. He convinced his friend that one cannot live only for oneself, that he “lived for himself and ruined his life.” Prince Andrei lived for the praise of others, and not for the sake of others, as he says. After all, for the sake of praise, he was ready to sacrifice the lives of even those closest to him.

They later moved on from the original controversial issue to other subjects. It turned out that the answer to the problem: to live for oneself or for people depends on the solution of other fundamental problems. And during the discussion, the heroes came to an agreement on one point: doing good to people is possible only under the condition of the existence of God and eternal life. “If there is God and there is a future life, then there is truth, there is virtue; and man’s highest happiness consists in striving to achieve them.” The prince responded to Pierre’s passionate speech not with denial, but with words of doubt and hope: “Yes, if only it were so!”

In the end, Prince Andrei seems to have emerged victorious in the dispute. In words he showed his skepticism and disbelief, but in reality at that moment he experienced something else: faith and therefore joy. Pierre did not convince his friend; he did not learn from him anything new, previously unknown. Pierre awakened in the soul of Prince Andrei what was in it. And this is better and more indisputable than any ideas.

Prince Andrei disputes Pierre's idea of ​​​​the need to bring good to people, but he questions what serves as its basis - the eternal life of God - but does not deny it. The existence of God, of course, cannot be proven, but therefore it cannot be refuted. Prince Andrei doubts, but he thirsts, passionately wants there to be God and eternal life. And this thirst, awakened by Pierre, becomes a life-changing force for Bolkonsky, transforming him. Under the influence of Pierre, the spiritual revival of Prince Andrei began.

After a trip to his Ryazan estates, “Prince Andrei decided to go to St. Petersburg and came up with various reasons for this decision. A whole series of reasonable logical arguments why he needs to go to St. Petersburg and even serve every minute was ready for his services.” At first I decided to go, and then I came up with reasons. This decision matured in the hero’s soul for a year: that’s exactly how long passed after Prince Andrei’s conversation with Pierre on the ferry.

During this time, Prince Andrei did a lot. He carried out “all those enterprises on the estates that Pierre started and did not bring to any result.” Prince Andrei decided to go to St. Petersburg to take an active part in the transformations that were planned at the beginning of the reign of Alexander I.

But note that the author reports on Bolkonsky’s reforms casually, devoting only a few lines to them. But he talks in detail about Prince Andrei’s trip to Otradnoye, the Rostovs’ estate. Here the hero develops a new understanding of life.

2. Andrey and Natasha.

“In Otradnoye, Prince Andrei meets Natasha Rostova for the first time. On the way to Rostov, passing through the grove, he noticed that the birch, bird cherry and alder trees, having felt spring, were covered with green foliage. And only the old oak tree “alone did not want to submit to the charm of spring and did not want to see either spring or the sun.” Spiritualizing nature, looking for consonance with his mood in it, Prince Andrei thought: “Yes, he is right, this oak tree is right a thousand times, let others, young people, again succumb to this deception, but we know life, our life is over!” He, sad and preoccupied, drove up to the Rostovs’ house. To the right, from behind a tree, he heard a woman's cheerful cry and saw a crowd of girls running. A girl running ahead shouted something, but recognizing the stranger, without looking at him, she ran back. Prince Andrei suddenly felt pain from something.” It hurt him because “this thin and pretty girl did not know and did not want to know about his existence.” The feeling experienced by Prince Andrei at the sight of Natasha is an event. Prince Andrei stays overnight with the Rostovs, his room turns out to be under the rooms of Natasha and Sonya and he unwittingly overhears their conversation. And again he becomes annoyed. He wants them to say something about him. But returning from Otradnoye, he again drove into the same birch grove. “Yes, here, in this forest, there was this oak tree with which we agreed,” thought Prince Andrei. - Where is he? “The old oak tree, completely transformed, spread out like a tent of lush, dark greenery, glimmered, slightly swaying, in the rays of the evening sun”... “Yes, this is the same oak tree,” thought Prince Andrei, and suddenly an unreasonable spring feeling of joy and renewal came over him.” … “No, life is not over at thirty-one, Prince Andrei suddenly decided, finally and without change. - Not only do I know everything that is in me, it is necessary that everyone knows it: both Pierre and this girl who wanted to fly into the sky, it is necessary... that my life should not be for me alone... so that it is for everyone reflected and so that they all live with me!” And here comes the final and irrevocable decision of Prince Andrei to return to active life. It was caused directly by an unreasonable spring feeling of joy by natural forces akin to those that transformed an old tree. But nevertheless, it appeared as the final link in the chain of events that were immediately revealed to Prince Andrei in their clear and undoubted connection. “All the best moments of his life suddenly came back to him at the same time.” The best moments are not necessarily the happiest. The best are the most significant, most important moments in the hero’s life.

In St. Petersburg, Prince Andrei took an active part in the preparation of reforms. The tsar's closest assistants at this time were Speransky, on the civil side, and Arakcheev, on the military side. Having met in St. Petersburg with the Minister of War, Count Arakcheev, Bolkonsky realized that despotism, arbitrariness and stupid ignorance came from the Minister of War. At first, Speransky aroused in Prince Andrei “a passionate feeling of admiration, similar to the one he once felt for Bonaparte.” Prince Andrei, striving for useful activity, decided to work in the commission for drawing up new laws. He led the department “Rights of Individuals.” However, very soon he had to be disappointed in Speransky and in the work that he did. Bolkonsky realized that in the conditions of the palace bureaucratic environment, useful social activity was impossible.

Later, Prince Andrei meets Natasha at her first ball. Count Bezukhov asks Andrei Bolkonsky to invite Rostova and thereby brings Andrei and Natasha closer together. When Prince Andrei danced with Natasha “one of the merry cotillions before dinner,” he reminded her of their meeting in Otradnoye. There is some symbolism in this. In Otradnoye, the first meeting of Prince Andrei and Natasha took place, their formal acquaintance, and at the ball - their inner rapprochement. “I would be glad to rest and sit with you, I’m tired; but you see how they choose me, and I’m glad about it, and I’m happy, and I love everyone, and you and I understand all this,” and Natasha’s smile told Prince Andrei a lot more.

Tolstoy obviously emphasizes the everyday nature of the hero’s state, who has not yet realized the full importance of what happened. Natasha's charm and influence begin to affect the fate of Prince Andrei. The hero has a new view of the world that changes everything: what seemed to be the most important meaning of life is depreciated. Love for Natasha shows and gives Prince Andrei a new measure of what is true in life. Before the hero’s new feeling, his life, the meaning of which was the political interests of transformation, fades. And Pierre, influenced by Prince Andrei’s feelings for Natasha, became disillusioned with his life. “And this former life suddenly presented itself to Pierre with unexpected abomination.” Everything in which he found satisfaction and joy suddenly lost all meaning in his eyes.

So in the soul of Prince Andrei two forces collided: two interests, general and personal. And the general faded and turned out to be insignificant.

In the Rostov family, no one was completely sure of the authenticity of the relationship between Natalya and Andrei. Andrei was still perceived as a stranger, although he was given the warm welcome typical of the Rostovs. That is why, when Andrei asked Natalya’s hand in marriage from her mother, she kissed Andrei with a mixed feeling of alienation and tenderness, wanting to love him as her son, but deep down feeling his foreignness.

Natalya herself, after there was a break in Andrei’s visits to the Rostovs, was at first very disappointed and upset, but then it is said that one day she stopped waiting and went about her usual affairs, which were abandoned after the famous ball. Natalya’s life seemed to return to its previous course. Natalya perceives everything that happens with relief, because it’s better for her and for the entire Rostov family. Harmony and peace returned to the family again, once disrupted by the sudden relationship between Natalya and Andrei.

And suddenly, at this very moment, the decisive visit of Prince Andrei takes place. Natalya is excited: now her fate will be decided, and this morning everything seemed to fall into place. Everything that happens causes fear in her soul, but at the same time a natural female desire - to be loved by the man whom she herself seems to love, and to become his wife. Natalya is absorbed in her own feelings, she is stunned by the unexpected turn of events, and does not even hear Andrei talking about the need to wait one year before the wedding. The whole world exists for her here and now, and suddenly her whole fate is pushed back by one year!

Andrei's final revival to life occurs thanks to his meeting with Natasha Rostova. The love of Rostova and Bolkonsky is the most wonderful feeling in the novel. The description of the moonlit night and Natasha’s first ball emanates poetry and charm. It seems like it's love at first sight. But they were introduced to each other. It would be more accurate to call it some kind of sudden unity of feelings and thoughts of two unfamiliar people. They understood each other suddenly, at a glance, they felt something uniting them both, their souls united. Communication with her opens up a new sphere of life for Andrey - love, beauty, poetry. Andrey looked younger next to Natasha. He became relaxed and natural around her. But from many episodes of the novel it is clear that Bolkonsky could remain himself only with very few people. But it is with Natasha that he is not destined to be happy, because there is no complete mutual understanding between them. Natasha loves Andrei, but does not understand and does not know him. And she, too, remains a mystery to him with her own, special inner world. If Natasha lives every moment, unable to wait and postpone until a certain time the moment of happiness, then Andrei is able to love from a distance, finding a special charm in anticipation of the upcoming wedding with his beloved girl. The separation turned out to be too difficult a test for Natasha, because, unlike Andrei, she is not able to think about something else, to keep herself busy with something. The story with Anatoly Kuragin destroys the possible happiness of these heroes. Now I want to ask myself a question. Why does Natasha, deeply loving Andrei, suddenly fall in love with Anatole? In my opinion, this is a fairly simple question, and I don’t want to judge Natasha strictly. She has a changeable character. She is a real person who is not alien to everything worldly. Her heart is characterized by simplicity, openness, amorousness, and gullibility. Natasha was a mystery to herself. Sometimes she didn’t think about what she was doing, but opened up to her feelings, opening up her naked soul.

The prince controls himself, having learned about Natasha’s wrong move, he doesn’t even want to talk about it with his best friend. “I said that a fallen woman must be forgiven, but I didn’t say that I can forgive, I can’t,” Andrei said to Pierre. Bolkonsky is looking for a personal meeting with Anatoly Kuragin in order to find a reason to quarrel and challenge him to a duel, without interfering Natasha in this story, even now treating the girl with care, like a knight. The War of 1812, the general danger looming over the country, will truly bring Prince Andrei back to life. Now it is no longer the desire to show his talent as an officer, to find “his Toulon” that drives him, but a human feeling of resentment, anger at the invaders of his native land, and a desire for revenge. He perceives the French offensive as a personal grief. “I had the pleasure not only of participating in the retreat, but also of losing everything that was dear to me in this retreat, not to mention the estates and home... my father, who died of grief. “I am from Smolensk,” the prince answers the question about his participation in hostilities. And we note that he answers the unfamiliar officer in Russian, and a simple soldier could say about himself “I am from Smolensk.”

But true love still won and woke up in Natasha’s soul a little later. She realized that the one whom she idolized, whom she admired, who was dear to her, lived in her heart all this time. But proud and proud Andrei is not able to forgive Natasha for her mistake. And she, experiencing painful remorse, considers herself unworthy of such a noble, ideal person. Fate separates loving people, leaving bitterness and pain of disappointment in their souls. But she will unite them before Andrei’s death, because the Patriotic War of 1812 will change a lot in their characters.

2.1. Patriotic War of 1812.

L. N. Tolstoy begins the story of the war of 1812 with stern and solemn words: “On June 12, the forces of Western Europe crossed the borders of Russia, and the war began, that is, an event contrary to human reason and all human nature took place.” Tolstoy glorifies the great feat of the Russian people and shows the full strength of their patriotism. He says that in the Patriotic War of 1812 “the people had one goal: to cleanse their land from invasion.” The thoughts of all true patriots - from Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov to the ordinary soldier - were directed towards the realization of this goal.
The main characters of the novel, Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov, also strive for the same goal. Young Petya Rostov gives his life for this great goal. Natasha Rostova and Marya Bolkonskaya passionately desire victory over the enemy.
Prince Andrei received news of the invasion of enemy troops in Russia in the Moldavian army. He immediately asked Field Marshal Kutuzov to transfer him to the Western Army. Here he was invited to remain with the sovereign, but he refused and demanded appointment to the regiment, thereby “losing himself forever in the court world.” But this was of little concern to Prince Andrei. Even his personal experiences - Natasha’s betrayal and breakup with her - faded into the background: “A new feeling of anger against the enemy made him forget his grief.” His feeling of hatred for the enemy merged with another - a “pleasant, calming feeling” of closeness to real heroes - soldiers and military commanders. “In the regiment they called him our prince, they were proud of him and loved him.” Thus, ordinary Russian soldiers played the main role in the spiritual renewal of Prince Andrei.

As is typical for any person, before such a significant and decisive event as a battle, Prince Andrei felt “excitement and irritation.” For him, this was another battle from which he expected huge sacrifices and in which he had to behave with the most dignity as the commander of his regiment, for each soldier of which he was responsible...

“Prince Andrei, just like all the people of the regiment, frowning and pale, walked back and forth in the meadow near the oat field from one boundary to another, with his hands behind him and his head down. There was nothing for him to do or order. Everything happened by itself. The dead were dragged behind the front, the wounded were carried, the ranks closed…” – The coldness of the description of the battle is striking here. - “...At first, Prince Andrei, considering it his duty to arouse the courage of the soldiers and show them an example, walked along the ranks; but then he became convinced that he had nothing and nothing to teach them. All the strength of his soul, just like that of every soldier, was unconsciously aimed at refraining only from contemplating the horror of the situation in which they were. He walked through the meadow, dragging his feet, scratching the grass and observing the dust that covered his boots; either he walked with long strides, trying to follow the tracks left by mowers across the meadow, then he, counting his steps, made calculations on how many times he must walk from boundary to boundary to make a mile, then he purged the wormwood flowers growing on the boundary, and I rubbed these flowers in my palms and sniffed the fragrant, bitter, strong smell...” Well, is there even a drop of the reality in this passage that Prince Andrei is about to face? He does not want, and cannot, think about victims, about the “whoosh of flights,” about the “roar of gunfire” because this contradicts his, albeit tough, self-possessed, but humane nature. But the present takes its toll: “Here she is... this one is coming to us again! - he thought, listening to the approaching whistle of something from the closed area of ​​​​smoke. - One, another! More! Got it...” He stopped and looked at the rows. “No, it was postponed. But this one hit.” And he began to walk again, trying to take long steps in order to reach the boundary in sixteen steps ... "

Perhaps this is due to excessive pride or courage, but in war a person does not want to believe that the most terrible fate that has just befallen his comrade will also befall him. Apparently, Prince Andrei was one of these people, but the war is merciless: everyone believes in his uniqueness in the war, but it hits him indiscriminately...

“Is this really death? - thought Prince Andrei, looking with a completely new, envious gaze at the grass, at the wormwood and at the stream of smoke curling from the spinning black ball. “I can’t, I don’t want to die, I love this life, I love this grass, earth, air...” He thought this and at the same time remembered that they were looking at him.

Shame on you, Mr. Officer! - he told the adjutant. - What... - he didn’t finish. At the same time, an explosion was heard, the whistling of fragments as if of a broken frame, the stuffy smell of gunpowder - and Prince Andrei rushed to the side and, raising his hand up, fell on his chest ... "

At the fatal moment of his mortal wound, Prince Andrei experiences a final, passionate and painful impulse toward earthly life: “with a completely new, envious gaze” he looks “at the grass and wormwood.” And then, already on a stretcher, he thinks: “Why was I so sorry to part with my life? There was something in this life that I did not understand and do not understand.” Feeling the approaching end, a person wants to live his whole life in a moment, wants to find out what awaits him there, at the end of it, because there is so little time left...

Now before us is a completely different Prince Andrei, and in the remaining time allotted to him, he has to go through a whole path, as if reborn.

2.2. Andrey after being wounded.

Somehow what Bolkonsky experiences after being wounded does not fit in with everything that is happening in reality. The doctor is fussing around him, but it’s as if he doesn’t care, as if he’s no longer there, as if there’s no need to fight anymore and there’s nothing for anything. “Prince Andrei remembered his very first distant childhood, when the paramedic, with his hurried rolled up sleeves, unbuttoned his buttons and took off his dress... After the suffering he suffered, Prince Andrei felt a bliss that he had not experienced for a long time. All the best, happiest moments in his life, especially his earliest childhood, when they undressed him and put him in his crib, when the nanny sang over him, lulling him to sleep, when, burying his head in the pillows, he felt happy with the sheer consciousness of life - they presented themselves to him to the imagination not even as the past, but as reality.” He was experiencing the best moments of his life, and what could be better than childhood memories!

Nearby, Prince Andrei saw a man who seemed very familiar to him. “Listening to his moans, Bolkonsky wanted to cry. Was it because he was dying without glory, was it because he was sorry to part with his life, was it because of these irrevocable childhood memories, was it because he suffered, that others suffered, and this man moaned so pitifully in front of him, but he wanted to cry childish, kind, almost joyful tears..."

From this heartfelt passage one can feel how strong the love for everything around him became in Prince Andrei, more than the struggle for life. Everything beautiful, all memories were like air for him to exist in the living world, on earth... In that familiar person, Bolkonsky recognized Anatoly Kuragin - his enemy. But here too we see the rebirth of Prince Andrei: “Yes, this is him; “Yes, this man is somehow closely and deeply connected with me,” thought Bolkonsky, not yet clearly understanding what was in front of him. “What is this person’s connection with my childhood, with my life?” - he asked himself, not finding an answer. And suddenly a new, unexpected memory from the world of childhood, pure and loving, presented itself to Prince Andrei. He remembered Natasha as he saw her for the first time at the ball in 1810, with a thin neck and thin arms, with a frightened, happy face ready for delight, and love and tenderness for her, even more vivid and stronger than ever, woke up in his soul. He now remembered the connection that existed between him and this man, who, through the tears that filled his swollen eyes, looked dully at him. Prince Andrei remembered everything, and enthusiastic pity and love for this man filled his happy heart...” Natasha Rostova is another “thread” connecting Bolkonsky with the world around him, this is what he still has to live for. And why hatred, sorrow and suffering, when there is such a beautiful creature, when you can live and be happy for this alone, because love is an amazingly healing feeling. In the dying Prince Andrei, heaven and earth, death and life, with alternating predominance, now fight with each other. This struggle manifests itself in two forms of love: one is earthly, reverent and warm love for Natasha, for Natasha alone. And as soon as such love awakens in him, hatred for his rival Anatoly flares up and Prince Andrei feels that he is unable to forgive him. The other is ideal love for all people, coldish and extraterrestrial. As soon as this love penetrates him, the prince feels detached from life, liberated and removed from it.

That is why we cannot predict where Prince Andrei’s thoughts will go in the next moment: whether he will grieve “in an earthly way” over his fading life, or will be imbued with “enthusiastic, but not earthly” love for those around him.

“Prince Andrei could not resist any longer and cried tender, loving tears over people, over himself and over them and his delusions... “Compassion, love for brothers, for those who love, love for those who hate us, love for enemies - yes, the love that God preached on earth, which Princess Marya taught me and which I did not understand. That’s why I felt sorry for life, that’s what was still left for me if I were alive. But now it's too late. I know it!" What an amazing, pure, inspiring feeling Prince Andrei must have experienced! But let’s not forget that such a “paradise” in the soul is not at all easy for a person: only by feeling the border between life and death, only by truly appreciating life, before parting with it, can a person rise to such heights that we , mere mortals never dreamed of.

Now Prince Andrei has changed, which means his attitude towards people has also changed. And how did his attitude towards the most beloved woman on earth change?..

2.3. The last meeting of the prince with Natasha.

Having learned that the wounded Bolkonsky was very close, Natasha, seizing the moment, hurried to him. As Tolstoy writes, “the horror of what she would see came over her.” It could not even have occurred to her what change she would encounter in everything in Prince Andrei; The main thing for her at that moment was just to see him, to be sure that he was alive...

“He was the same as always; but the inflamed color of his face, sparkling eyes fixed enthusiastically on her, and especially the tender child’s neck protruding from the folded collar of his shirt, gave him a special, innocent, childish look, which, however, she had never seen in Prince Andrei. She came up to him and with a quick, flexible, youthful movement knelt down... He smiled and extended his hand to her..."

I'll digress a little. All these internal and external changes make me think that a person who has acquired such spiritual values ​​and looks at the world with different eyes needs some other auxiliary, nourishing forces. “He remembered that he now had new happiness and that this happiness had something in common with the gospel. That’s why he asked for the gospel.” Prince Andrei was as if under a shell from the outside world and watched it away from everyone, and at the same time his thoughts and feelings remained, so to speak, undamaged by external influences. Now he was his own guardian angel, calm, not passionately proud, but a man wise beyond his years. “Yes, I have discovered a new happiness, inalienable from a person,” he thought, lying in a dark, quiet hut and looking ahead with feverishly open, fixed eyes. Happiness that is outside of material forces, outside of material external influences on a person, the happiness of one soul, the happiness of love!..” And, in my opinion, it was Natasha who, with her appearance and care, partly pushed him to realize his inner wealth. She knew him like no one else (although now less) and, without noticing it, gave him the strength to exist on earth. If divine love was added to earthly love, then, probably, Prince Andrei began to love Natasha in a different way, namely, stronger. She was a connecting link for him, she helped soften the “struggle” of his two principles...

Sorry! - she said in a whisper, raising her head and looking at him. - Excuse me!

“I love you,” said Prince Andrei.

Sorry…

Forgive what? - asked Prince Andrei.

Forgive me for what I did,” Natasha said in a barely audible, broken whisper and began to kiss her hand more often, barely touching her lips.

“I love you more, better than before,” said Prince Andrei, raising her face with his hand so that he could look into her eyes...

Even Natasha’s betrayal with Anatoly Kuragin did not matter now: to love, to love her more than before - that was the healing power of Prince Andrei. “I experienced that feeling of love,” he says, “which is the very essence of the soul and for which no object is needed. I still experience this blissful feeling. Love your neighbors, love your enemies. To love everything - to love God in all manifestations. You can love a dear person with human love; but only an enemy can be loved with divine love. And that’s why I felt such joy when I felt that I loved that man [Anatol Kuragin]. What about him? Is he alive... Loving with human love, you can move from love to hatred; but divine love cannot change. Nothing, not death, nothing can destroy it..."

The love of Prince Andrei and Natasha was subjected to many life tests, but withstood, survived, and retained all its depth and tenderness.

It seems to me that, if we forget about the physical pain from the wound, Prince Andrei’s “illness”, thanks to Natasha, turned almost into paradise, to say the least, because with some part of his soul Bolkonsky was no longer “with us.” Now he had gained a new height that he did not want to reveal to anyone. How will he live with this further?..

2.4. The last days of Andrei Bolkonsky.

"He was too good for this world."

Natasha Rostova

When Prince Andrei's health seemed to be restored, the doctor was not happy about this, because he believed that either Bolkonsky would die now (which would be better for him), or a month later (which would be much harder). Despite all these forecasts, Prince Andrei was still fading away, but in a different way, so that no one noticed it; Perhaps outwardly his health was improving, but internally he felt an endless struggle within himself. And even “when they brought Nikolushka [son] to Prince Andrei, looking at his father in fear, but not crying, because no one was crying, Prince Andrei... did not know what to say to him.”

“He not only knew that he would die, but he felt that he was dying, that he was already half dead. He experienced a consciousness of alienation from everything earthly and a joyful and strange lightness of being. He, without haste and without worry, awaited what lay ahead of him. That formidable, eternal, unknown, distant, the presence of which he never ceased to feel throughout his entire life, was now close to him and - due to the strange lightness of being that he experienced - almost understandable and felt ... "

At first, Prince Andrei was afraid of death. But now he didn’t even understand the fear of death because, having survived the wound, he realized that there was nothing terrible in the world; he began to realize that dying is just moving from one “space” to another, and not losing, but gaining something more, and now the border between these two spaces began to gradually blur. Physically recovering, but internally “fading,” Prince Andrei thought about death much more simply than others; It seemed to them that he no longer grieved at all that his son would be left without a father, that his loved ones would lose a loved one. Maybe this is so, but Bolkonsky at that moment was worried about something completely different: how to remain at the achieved height for the rest of his life? And if we envy him even a little in his spiritual acquisition, then how can Prince Andrey combine two principles within himself? Apparently, Prince Andrei did not know how to do this, and did not want to. Therefore, he began to give preference to the divine principle... “The further he, in those hours of suffering solitude and semi-delirium that he spent after his wound, thought about the new beginning of eternal love that was open to him, the more he, without feeling it himself, renounced earthly life . Everything, to love everyone, to always sacrifice oneself for love, meant not loving anyone, meant not living this earthly life.”

Andrei Bolkonsky has a dream. Most likely, it was he who became the culmination of his spiritual wanderings. In a dream, “it,” that is, death, does not allow Prince Andrei to close the door behind him and he dies... “But at the same moment as he died, he remembered that he was sleeping, and at the same moment as he died, Prince Andrey, making an effort on himself, woke up... “Yes, it was death. I died - I woke up. Yes, death is an awakening,” suddenly it brightened in his soul, and the veil that had until now hidden the unknown was lifted before his spiritual gaze. He felt, as it were, the liberation of the strength previously bound in him and that strange lightness that has not left him since then...” And now the struggle ends with the victory of ideal love - Prince Andrei dies. This means that the “weightless” surrender to death turned out to be much easier for him than the combination of two principles. Self-awareness awoke in him, he remained outside the world. Perhaps it is no coincidence that death itself as a phenomenon has almost no lines in the novel: for Prince Andrei, death did not come unexpectedly, it did not creep up - he waited for it for a long time, preparing for it. The land, to which Prince Andrei passionately reached out at the fateful moment, never fell into his hands and floated away, leaving in his soul a feeling of anxious bewilderment, an unsolved mystery.

“Natasha and Princess Marya were now also crying, but they were not crying from their personal grief; they wept from the reverent tenderness that gripped their souls before the consciousness of the simple and solemn mystery of death that had taken place before them.”

Conclusion.

I can conclude that the spiritual quest of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky had a perfectly chosen outcome by Tolstoy: one of his favorite heroes was awarded such inner wealth that there was no other way to live with him than to choose death (protection). The author did not wipe Prince Andrei off the face of the earth, no! He gave his hero a benefit that he could not refuse; in return, Prince Andrei left the world the always warming light of his love.

Andrei Bolkonsky is the only one of the heroes of War and Peace whose journey will continue after his death. The image of a literary hero continues its development, as it were, coming to a logical conclusion. If Prince Andrei had remained alive, his place would have been in the ranks of the Decembrists, next to his friend Pierre, with his son - “ahead of a huge army” of like-minded people. And the son Nikolinka, who essentially remembers little of his father and knew him more from stories, strives, like him, to be the best, to be useful to people. How similar to the words of Prince Andrei are the thoughts of his son: “I only ask God for one thing: that what happened to Plutarch’s people should happen to me, and I will do the same. I'll do better. Everyone will know, everyone will love me, everyone will admire me.” Another person is growing up who will follow the “path of honor,” for whom living only for himself is “spiritual meanness.”

Bibliography.

● Smirnova L. A. Russian literature, Soviet literature, reference materials. Moscow, “Enlightenment”, 1989.

● G. Ordynsky. Life and work of L. N. Tolstoy. "Exhibition at school." Moscow, "Children's Literature", 1978.

● Sakharov V. I., Zinin S. A. Literature. Grade 10: Textbook for general education institutions, Part 2. Moscow, “Russian Word”, 2008.

● Tolstoy L.N. War and Peace. Moscow, “Fiction”, 1978.

● Andreeva E. P. The problem of a positive hero in the works of L. Tolstoy. 1979

Introduction. 1

1.Meeting Andrey. 2

1.1. The Battle of Shengraben and the battlefield of Austerlitz. 4

1.2. Return of Prince Andrei home. 6

2. Andrey and Natasha. 7

2.1. Patriotic War of 1812. eleven

2.2. Andrey after being wounded. 13

2.3. The last meeting of the prince with Natasha. 15

Life turning point, not even the kind...

Andrei Bolkonsky, his spiritual quest, the evolution of his personality are described throughout the entire novel by L. N. Tolstoy. For the author, changes in the consciousness and attitude of the hero are important, because, in his opinion, this is what speaks about the moral health of the individual. Therefore, all the positive heroes of War and Peace go through the path of searching for the meaning of life, the dialectics of the soul, with all the disappointments, loss and gain of happiness. Tolstoy indicates the presence of a positive beginning in the character by the fact that, despite life’s troubles, the hero does not lose his dignity. These are Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov. The common and main thing in their quest is that the heroes come to the idea of ​​unity with the people. Let's consider what the spiritual quest of Prince Andrei led to.

Focus on Napoleon's ideas

Prince Bolkonsky first appears before the reader at the very beginning of the epic, in the salon of Anna Scherer, the maid of honor. Before us is a short man, with somewhat dry features, and very handsome in appearance. Everything in his behavior speaks of complete disappointment with life, both spiritual and family. Having married a beautiful egoist, Lisa Meinen, Bolkonsky soon gets tired of her and completely changes his attitude towards marriage. He even begs his friend Pierre Bezukhov to never marry.

Prince Bolkonsky longs for something new; for him, constant going out into society and family life is a vicious circle from which the young man strives to break out. How? Leaving for the front. This is the uniqueness of the novel “War and Peace”: Andrei Bolkonsky, as well as other characters, their dialectics of the soul, are shown within a certain historical setting.

At the beginning of Tolstoy's epic, Andrei Bolkonsky is an ardent Bonapartist who admires Napoleon's military talent and is an adherent of his idea of ​​gaining power through military feat. Bolkonsky wants to get “his Toulon.”

Service and Austerlitz

With his arrival in the army, a new milestone in the quest of the young prince begins. The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky made a decisive turn in the direction of bold, courageous actions. The prince shows exceptional talent as an officer; he displays courage, valor and courage.

Even in the smallest details, Tolstoy emphasizes that Bolkonsky made the right choice: his face became different, stopped expressing fatigue from everything, feigned gestures and manners disappeared. The young man did not have time to think about how to behave correctly; he became real.

Kutuzov himself notes how talented Andrei Bolkonsky is as an adjutant: the great commander writes a letter to the young man’s father, noting that the prince is making exceptional progress. Andrei takes all victories and defeats to heart: he sincerely rejoices and experiences pain in his soul. He sees Bonaparte as an enemy, but at the same time continues to admire the genius of the commander. He still dreams of “his Toulon.” Andrei Bolkonsky in the novel “War and Peace” is an exponent of the author’s attitude towards outstanding personalities; it is from his lips that the reader learns about the most important battles.

The center of this stage of the prince’s life is the One who showed great heroism, seriously wounded, he lies on the battlefield and sees the bottomless sky. Then Andrey comes to the realization that he must reconsider his life priorities and turn to his wife, whom he despised and humiliated with his behavior. And his once idol, Napoleon, seems to him to be an insignificant little man. Bonaparte appreciated the young officer’s feat, but Bolkonsky didn’t care. He dreams only of quiet happiness and an impeccable family life. Andrei decides to end his military career and return home to his wife,

The decision to live for yourself and loved ones

Fate is preparing another heavy blow for Bolkonsky. His wife, Lisa, dies in childbirth. She leaves Andrey a son. The prince did not have time to ask for forgiveness, because he arrived too late, he is tormented by guilt. Andrei Bolkonsky's life path further is caring for his loved ones.

Raising his son, building an estate, helping his father form the ranks of the militia - these are his life priorities at this stage. Andrei Bolkonsky lives in solitude, which allows him to focus on his spiritual world and search for the meaning of life.

The progressive views of the young prince are manifested: he improves the life of his serfs (replaces corvée with quitrents), gives status to three hundred people. However, he is still far from accepting a sense of unity with the common people: every now and then thoughts of disdain for the peasantry and ordinary soldiers slip into his speech .

Fateful conversation with Pierre

The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky moves into another plane during the visit of Pierre Bezukhov. The reader immediately notices the kinship of the souls of the young people. Pierre, who is in a state of elation because of the reforms carried out on his estates, infects Andrei with enthusiasm.

Young people discuss for a long time the principles and meaning of changes in the life of the peasantry. Andrei does not agree with something; he does not accept Pierre’s most liberal views on serfs at all. However, practice has shown that, unlike Bezukhov, Bolkonsky was able to really make the life of his peasants easier. All thanks to his active nature and practical view of the serfdom.

Nevertheless, the meeting with Pierre helped Prince Andrei to delve well into his inner world and begin moving towards transformations of the soul.

Revival to a new life

A breath of fresh air and a change in outlook on life came from meeting Natasha Rostova, the main character of the novel “War and Peace.” Andrei Bolkonsky, on matters of acquiring land, visits the Rostov estate in Otradnoye. There he notices a calm, cozy atmosphere in the family. Natasha is so pure, spontaneous, real... She met him on a starry night during the first ball in her life and immediately captured the heart of the young prince.

Andrey seems to be born again: he understands what Pierre once told him: he needs to live not only for himself and his family, he needs to be useful to the whole society. That is why Bolkonsky goes to St. Petersburg to make his proposals to the military regulations.

Awareness of the meaninglessness of “state activity”

Unfortunately, Andrei did not manage to meet with the sovereign; he was sent to Arakcheev, an unprincipled and stupid man. Of course, he did not accept the young prince’s ideas. However, another meeting took place that influenced Bolkonsky’s worldview. We are talking about Speransky. He saw good potential for public service in the young man. As a result, Bolkonsky is appointed to a position related to the drafting of wartime laws. In addition, Andrei heads the commission for drafting wartime laws.

But soon Bolkonsky becomes disappointed with the service: the formal approach to work does not satisfy Andrei. He feels that he is doing unnecessary work here and that he will not provide real help to anyone. More and more often, Bolkonsky recalls life in the village, where he was truly useful.

Having initially admired Speransky, Andrei now saw pretense and unnaturalness. More and more often, Bolkonsky is visited by thoughts about the idleness of St. Petersburg life and the absence of any meaning in his service to the country.

Breakup with Natasha

Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky were a very beautiful couple, but they were not destined to get married. The girl gave him the desire to live, to do something for the good of the country, to dream of a happy future. She became Andrei's muse. Natasha compared favorably with other girls of St. Petersburg society: she was pure, sincere, her actions came from the heart, they were devoid of any calculation. The girl sincerely loved Bolkonsky, and did not just see him as a profitable match.

Bolkonsky makes a fatal mistake by postponing his wedding with Natasha for a whole year: this provoked her passion for Anatoly Kuragin. The young prince could not forgive the girl. Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky break off their engagement. The blame for everything is the prince's excessive pride and unwillingness to hear and understand Natasha. He is again as self-centered as the reader observed Andrei at the beginning of the novel.

The final turning point in consciousness - Borodino

It is with such a heavy heart that Bolkonsky enters 1812, a turning point for the Fatherland. Initially, he thirsts for revenge: he dreams of meeting Anatoly Kuragin among the military and avenging his failed marriage by challenging him to a duel. But gradually the life path of Andrei Bolkonsky changes once again: the impetus for this was the vision of the tragedy of the people.

Kutuzov entrusts the command of the regiment to the young officer. The prince completely devotes himself to his service - now this is his life’s work, he has become so close to the soldiers that they call him “our prince.”

Finally, the day of the apotheosis of the Patriotic War and the quest of Andrei Bolkonsky comes - the Battle of Borodino. It is noteworthy that L. Tolstoy puts his vision of this great historical event and the absurdity of wars into the mouth of Prince Andrei. He reflects on the pointlessness of so many sacrifices for the sake of victory.

The reader sees here Bolkonsky, who has gone through a difficult life: disappointment, death of loved ones, betrayal, rapprochement with the common people. He feels that he now understands and realizes too much, one might say, foreshadows his death: “I see that I have begun to understand too much. But it is not fit for a man to eat of the tree of good and evil.”

Indeed, Bolkonsky is mortally wounded and, among other soldiers, ends up in the care of the Rostovs’ house.

The prince feels the approach of death, he thinks about Natasha for a long time, understands her, “sees her soul,” dreams of meeting his beloved and asking for forgiveness. He confesses his love to the girl and dies.

The image of Andrei Bolkonsky is an example of high honor, loyalty to duty to the Motherland and people.

In one of his letters, Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy wrote: “To live honestly, you have to rush, get confused, fight, make mistakes, start and quit... and always fight and get in the way. And calmness is spiritual meanness.” The classic considered the absence of complacency to be important in the life of every person. This is how he shows Prince Andrei Bolkonsky.

For the first time we meet this hero in A.P.’s salon. Scherer. “A very handsome young man with definite and dry features” entered the living room. The prince’s attitude towards secular society is evidenced by his “bored look.” It was clear from everything that everyone present had long since bored him and that he was here only out of necessity. One day he admits: “...this life that I lead here, this life is not for me!...” And only a meeting with some people, such as Pierre Bezukhov, can cause “an unexpectedly kind and pleasant smile.”

Our experts can check your essay according to the Unified State Exam criteria

Experts from the site Kritika24.ru
Teachers of leading schools and current experts of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

In a conversation with Pierre, Andrei said: “Drawing rooms, gossip, balls, vanity, insignificance - this is a vicious circle from which I cannot get out...”. Therefore, when the opportunity to go to war arose, Andrei immediately took advantage of it. The old Prince Bolkonsky, seeing off his son, admonishes him: “Remember one thing, if they kill you, it will hurt me, an old man... And if I find out that you did not behave like the son of Nikolai Bolkonsky, I will be... ashamed!” Andrei Bolkonsky goes to war with the goal of finding his Toulon, because he has long worshiped Napoleon for his military talent, although he notes some of the cruelty and despotism of the French emperor.

Remembering his father’s behests, Bolkonsky behaves heroically in the war. During the Battle of Austerlitz, he picks up the banner from the hands of the killed standard-bearer and carries the regiment along with him into the attack. Then he is wounded. And only under the high, clear sky of Austerlitz, in the face of death, does the prince understand how wrong he was in choosing glory as the meaning of his life. At this moment, right in front of him, he sees Napoleon, who was once his idol. Now he did not even turn his head or look in the direction of the emperor. Napoleon now seemed to him like a small, ordinary man. Both Bolkonsky and Napoleon are nothing compared to eternity.

Once again, Prince Andrey was faced with the question: what is the meaning of life?

He goes to St. Petersburg for public service. Here the prince meets prominent figures Speransky and Arakcheev and serves on the commission for drafting laws. But he soon becomes disillusioned with this work, realizing that it is meaningless. Prince Andrei also does not find satisfaction in family life. His wife Lisa dies at the birth of a child. Young Natasha Rostova cheats on him with the young rake Anatoly Kuragin, without waiting for him from abroad. To forget Natasha, Bolkonsky goes to serve in Turkey.

In 1812, he asks Mikhail Ivanovich Kutuzov to transfer him to the Western Army, where he serves as commander of the Jaeger regiment. The soldiers constantly felt the care of their commander and called him “our prince.” They were proud of him and loved him. Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov also loved the prince. When Andrei asked to be released with Bagration’s detachment, which was heading to certain death, Mikhail Ivanovich replied: “I need good officers myself...”. He still forced himself to respect people who considered Prince Bolkonsky “inflated, cold and unpleasant.” Finding himself at war, the prince understands another immutable truth: war is not only exploits and glory, but also dirt, blood and death. War is considered fair only when you defend your homeland from invaders.

Another important thought comes to Prince Andrei after he witnessed the true patriotism of the common people: the outcome of any battle depends on the internal mood of the common soldiers.

Thus, at the end of the novel we see that the prince has overcome his secular arrogance and has become closer to the people. He came to understand that “...there is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.” But the prince, apparently, is from that breed of people who, having achieved one goal, immediately set themselves another and are constantly dissatisfied with themselves. As a result, Tolstoy leads his hero to a sad ending. Andrei Bolkonsky dies, realizing: “There was something in this life that I did not understand and do not understand.”

Updated: 2018-02-09

Attention!
If you notice an error or typo, highlight the text and click Ctrl+Enter.
By doing so, you will provide invaluable benefit to the project and other readers.

Thank you for your attention.

Throughout the entire novel by Leo Tolstoy “War and Peace” we meet different characters. Some just appear and immediately leave, while others spend their whole lives before our eyes. And we, together with them, rejoice at their successes, worry about failures, worry and think about what to do next. It is no coincidence that L.N. Tolstoy shows us in his novel “War and Peace” the path of Andrei Bolkonsky’s quest. We see a certain rebirth of man, a rethinking of the values ​​of life, a moral ascent to human ideals of life.

Andrei Bolkonsky is one of Leo Tolstoy’s most beloved heroes. We can look at his entire life path in the novel “War and Peace”, the path of personality formation, the path of searching for the soul.

Andrey's ideals

Andrei Bolkonsky, whom we meet at the beginning of the novel, is different from Andrei Bolkonsky, with whom we part at the beginning of the fourth volume of the work. We see him at a social evening in Anna Scherer's salon, proud, arrogant, unwilling to participate in the life of society, considering it unworthy for himself. His ideals include the image of the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. In Bald Mountains, in a conversation with his father, Bolkonsky says: “... how can you judge Bonaparte like that. Laugh as you wish, but Bonaparte is still a great commander!

He treated his wife Lisa unkindly, with visible superiority. Leaving for war, leaving his pregnant wife in the care of the old prince, he asked his father: “If they kill me and if I have a son, do not let him go from you... so that he can grow up with you... please.” Andrei considers his wife incapable of raising a worthy son.

Bolkonsky feels sincere feelings of friendship and love for Pierre Bezukhov, his only devoted friend. “You are dear to me, especially because you are the only living person among our entire world,” he told him.

Bolkonsky's military life is very eventful. He becomes Kutuzov's adjutant, helps decide the outcome of the Battle of Shengraben, protects Timokhin, goes to see Emperor Franz with the good news of the Russian victory (so it seems to him), and participates in the Battle of Austerlitz. Then he takes a significant break from the military campaign - at this time a rethinking of his life takes place. Then a return to military service, a passion for Speransky, the Borodino field, injury and death.

Bolkonsky's disappointments

The first disappointment came to Bolkonsky when he lay under the Austerlitz sky and thought about death. Seeing his idol, Napoleon, standing next to him, Bolkonsky for some reason did not experience from his presence the greatness that he had previously considered possible. “At that moment all the interests that occupied Napoleon seemed so insignificant to him, his hero himself seemed so petty, with this petty vanity and joy of victory, in comparison with that high, fair and kind sky that he saw and understood,” that’s what Bolkonsky was now occupied.

Returning home after being wounded, Bolkonsky finds his wife Lisa in labor. After her death, he realizes that he is partly to blame for what happened, in his attitude towards Lisa. He was too proud, too arrogant, too distant from her, and this brings him suffering.

After everything, Bolkonsky promises himself not to fight anymore. Bezukhov tries to revive him to life, talks about Freemasonry, talks about saving the soul in serving people, but Bolkonsky responds to all this: “I know only two real misfortunes in life: remorse and illness. And happiness is only the absence of these two evils.”

Preparing for the Battle of Borodino, Prince Andrei painfully went through all the events of his life that had happened to him. Tolstoy describes the state of his hero: “The three main sorrows of his life in particular stopped his attention. His love for a woman, the death of his father and the French invasion that captured half of Russia.” Bolkonsky calls “false” images the glory that once worried him so much, the love that he once did not take seriously, the fatherland that was now under threat. Previously, it seemed to him that all this was great, divine, unattainable, filled with deep meaning. And now it turned out to be so “simple, pale and rude.”

Love for Natasha Rostova

True insight into life came to Bolkonsky after meeting Natasha Rostova. Due to the nature of his activity, Andrei needed to meet with the district leader, who was Count Ilya Andreevich Rostov. On the way to Rostov, Andrei saw a huge old oak tree with broken branches. Everything around was fragrant and enjoying the breath of spring, only this oak, apparently, did not want to obey the laws of nature. The oak tree seemed gloomy and gloomy to Bolkonsky: “Yes, he is right, this oak tree is right a thousand times, let others, young people, succumb to this deception again, but we know life - our life is over!” This is exactly what Prince Andrei thought.

But upon returning home, Bolkonsky noticed with surprise that “the old oak tree, completely transformed... No gnarled fingers, no sores, no old grief and mistrust - nothing was visible...” stood in the same place. “No, life is not over at thirty-one,” Bolkonsky decided. The impression that Natasha made on him was so strong that he himself did not yet understand what really happened. Rostova awakened in him all his former desires and joys of life, joy from spring, from loved ones, from tender feelings, from love, from life.

Death of Bolkonsky

Many readers wonder why L. Tolstoy prepared such a fate for his beloved hero? Some consider the death of Bolkonsky in the novel “War and Peace” to be a feature of the plot. Yes, L.N. Tolstoy loved his hero very much. Bolkonsky's life was not easy. He went through a difficult path of moral quest until he found eternal truth. The search for peace of mind, spiritual purity, true love - these are now Bolkonsky’s ideals. Andrei lived a worthy life and accepted a worthy death. Dying in the arms of his beloved woman, next to his sister and son, having comprehended all the charm of life, he knew that he would soon die, he felt the breath of death, but the desire to live was great in him. “Natasha, I love you too much. “More than anything else,” he said to Rostova, and a smile shone on his face at that time. He died a happy man.

Having written an essay on the topic “The path of Andrei Bolkonsky’s quest in the novel “War and Peace,” I saw how a person changes under the influence of life’s experiences, events, circumstances, and the destinies of other people. Everyone can find the truth of life by going through a difficult path, as Tolstoy’s hero did.

Work test