The relationship between Andrei Bolkonsky and his father. The Bolkonsky family in the novel "War and Peace": description, comparative characteristics

Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky is a very prominent character in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace. This is one of those heroes who at first glance seems like a gloomy and “dry” person, but who gradually opens up and “exposes” his feelings to the reader. The author of the novel copied the image of the prince from his grandfather, Prince Volkonsky. Perhaps this is why Tolstoy writes about him with warmth and behind the mask of a stern old man there is a deeply feeling and sensitive person.

For the first time we meet a mention of Nikolai Andreevich at the evening of Anna Pavlovna Sherer. We learn about him as the father of Princess Maria Bolkonskaya, who is very rich, but at the same time stingy. "He is very clever man, but with oddities and heavy,” Anna Pavlovna says about him.

We do not know the exact age of the prince, however, from the descriptions we can judge that he is quite old man. He was short, with small hands and bushy eyebrows. However, his young shining eyes gave him away; his vitality was hidden in them. And he moved, as if against the measured order established on his estate, cheerfully and quickly.

And it’s hard to find a busier person. In the Bald Mountains everything was subject to a strict routine. By the way, this is precisely what the prince saw as the reason for his absence of any illnesses. He believed that only “fools and libertines” get sick. Therefore, the prince was constantly busy, this can be judged even by his office, in which everything pointed to the constant vigorous activity of his hands and mind and the enormous vitality of Father Andrei and Maria Bolkonsky.

The prince believed that activity and intelligence are two virtues. And in addition to his own activities, he also determined the daily routine of his daughter, so that there was no room for idleness, which, along with superstition, he considered the source human vices. And in order to develop Maria’s intelligence, he himself studied science with her, not wanting her “to be like... stupid young ladies.”

Nikolai Andreevich is very respected and known in society. He is personally acquainted with Empress Catherine II and Prince Potemkin, and is also an old comrade of Kutuzov. And even despite his exile from the capitals and the fact that he had no importance in government affairs, he still enjoyed unquestioned authority in society.

Despite the external severity and severity, Prince Bolkonsky loves his children very much. He did not promote his son, but when saying goodbye to him, he could barely restrain himself and, alone with himself, he gave vent to his feelings. He was often rude to his daughter, but the thought of her getting married and leaving her old father was difficult for him, because he could not imagine his life without Mary.

Children, in turn, love and honor their father. The princess says that he is very kind and reprimands his governess: “I will not allow myself to judge him and would not want others to do this.”

Nikolai Andreevich - a true patriot. Therefore, he experiences Napoleon’s attack on Russia very hard and dies “of grief.”

The author of the novel describes Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky with such warmth and love that the reader begins to see a loving father in the stern old man. In the image of the hero, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy reflected the entire generation of Russian patriots - people who will always be respected and necessary in their country.

Option 2

Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” is a collection of philosophical themes that are revealed from different sides and views. It raises issues of patriotism, false heroism, life, unity, love and family. The War of 1812 serves only as an expansive backdrop for the characters to interact with each other. One of the most revered characters is Nikolai Bolkonsky, whose priorities and values ​​make people believe in the best. What is this character like?

Nikolai Bolkonsky is a fairly wealthy prince and the father of Maria Bolkonskaya. His exact age is not revealed throughout the volumes of the novel. However, most are inclined to believe that he is already an old man. For his age, Nikolai is very energetic and active person. The reason for such good health is Bolkonsky’s ideal discipline. During his life, he managed to make a fortune in an honest way. But wealth did not spoil his soul. Nikolai continues to work hard.

Nikolai Bolkonsky is distinguished by rigor and seriousness. His control over his daughter knows no bounds. The father independently plans Maria's daily routine. As a result, the young girl has no time left for entertainment and relaxation. But Nikolai justifies this by saying that intellect and any human activity are higher power, bringing goodness and prosperity. The hero is alien to festivities and a frivolous lifestyle. Nevertheless, the Spartan upbringing helped Maria master many sciences and become a very enlightened young lady.

As you read the work, Nikolai Bolkonsky opens with the best side. Behind the mask of stinginess and unpretentiousness hides a rather emotional and vulnerable person. He truly loves his own children and is afraid that one day they will leave him in depressing loneliness. That is why Bolkonsky is afraid to let his offspring go adult life, controlling their every step and action. Children do not judge him for such a character. They try to support him in any way possible.

Nikolai Bolkonsky is a man with an active civic position. He can be considered a true patriot of his own Fatherland. The author shows the character's feelings when it begins Patriotic War. It reflects a generation of real warriors who are ready to stand up for their Motherland. This quality makes Nikolai a revered person in society.

Nikolai Bolkonsky is considered one of the most virtuous people throughout the novel. It combines a certain coldness of soul and clarity of mind. Through his prism of ideas, views and priorities of Bolkonsky, Tolstoy tries to show a true patriot of his state. This character is an example of a moral, honest and respectable person. The writer calls on everyone to honor the people on whom society rests.

Essay about Nikolai Bolkonsky

In my essay I would like to try to reveal the image of Nikolai Bolkonsky. Consider it through the prism of ideas, concepts, lifestyle. Of course, this hero does not carry such a colossal semantic load as Natasha Rostova or Prince Andrei, but one cannot minimize his significance and not try to focus attention on his person, especially since the author himself really likes this hero. The fact is that the prototype of Nikolai Bolkonsky was Tolstoy’s own grandfather, whom he probably treated very well and warmly.

So, Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky is the father of Andrei Bolkonsky and Marya. To identify some features of his appearance, let us turn directly to the novel. Tolstoy writes about him: “an old man” who “aroused in all his guests a feeling of respectful respect”, “a short figure of an old man with small dry hands and gray drooping eyebrows...”.

As for his character, he was a decent, active person. Despite the fact that he lives in the village, he hates idleness and an idle lifestyle. Under Paul the First, he was exiled to the village. Most he spends his time on his beloved daughter. He is also writing memoirs.

He is quite demanding of his daughter, sometimes finds fault with little things, although he loves her dearly; towards Prince Andrei he is rather restrained in expressing his feelings. It is obvious that the prince behaves this way not at all because he is indifferent to the fate of his children, but because he wants them to grow up worthy honest people who consider their main task to be to live honestly and with dignity. He also cares about family honor and dignity.

Nikolai Bolkonsky is interested in what is happening in the country, all military actions and events are known to him. He has his own point of view on everything.

He is also very attentive to his farming, he is very close to the people, and, if possible, tries to do everything in his power for them. He is the embodiment of immeasurable love for people, for all those who are next to him. That is why he raised such worthy and highly moral people.

When you re-read the text of the novel “War and Peace”, you involuntarily pay attention to the love and trepidation with which L.N. Tolstoy describes this wonderful person. The endurance, nobility, and philanthropy of this person are truly worth learning from.

Doctor Zhivago is a novel written by Boris Pasternak in 1955 (it took him ten years to write). Soviet authorities This novel was not accepted, and Pasternak was subject to persecution, due to which he died early.

All people living on earth know about wars. They always talk about them, remember them and of course they are afraid of a repetition of these terrible events Nowadays. Parents and teachers at school constantly remind and talk about all the horrors of wartime

Lermontov, having written this tweet, seems to be copying it to himself. There is a lot to learn from this product, and at the same time, it is even more fruity and succulent. Lermontov took certain moments from his life that confirm certain elements from the novel

Nikolai Bolkonsky.
Nikolai Bolkonsky is a nobleman and an important nobleman who leads the life of a hermit, voluntarily withdrawing from society.

Thanks to his colossal willpower and fortitude, he rose to the highest army leadership position. But unbending character played with Nikolai cruel joke: it allowed him to be a noble citizen, benefiting society, but on the other hand, he made him heavy, harsh person, which not everyone can stand. Apparently because of his insolence, which someone from the highest officials The prince was offended and was exiled to an estate in Bald Mountains, where he drilled his children like soldiers are drilled and broke their characters.

Nikolai strives to subjugate everything to himself: a strict routine reigns on his estate, the violation of which threatens the household children and servants with severe punishment (what is the cost of saying goodbye to a son going to war, in accordance with his father’s schedule).

The lives of his daughter Marya and son Andrei are also under his control. We do not see the childhood of Andrei and Marya in the novel, but looking at the upbringing of his grandson Nikolai, it becomes clear that the prince did not allow his offspring to be children and do everything that children should. They grew up in a harsh atmosphere, close to the army, when the whole day was scheduled to the minute. Their emotions and manifestations of character were suppressed; their father always treated them as adults, demanding that they behave “as befits the children of Nikolai Bolkonsky.”
Let us remember how the old man already called his infant grandson “little prince Nikolai.” “Little” here is not an affectionate prefix, but a sign that there is also Prince Nikolai “big”. That is, Nikolenka is not little, but simply younger, and this does not prevent him from being called a prince from the cradle.
Nikolai Bolkonsky, who knows how to suppress his own weaknesses, does not tolerate the weaknesses of others. He loves his children and wishes them happiness, but because of his harshness, he cannot realize that children need to be raised with affection and even pampered a little, without suppressing their characters by aggressively imposing his vision of the world. Children must discover wisdom themselves; along the way, they may encounter troubles, but these troubles will make them stronger. And those greenhouse conditions that their father created for them are ruining them - they do not have their own experience of communicating with external environment and rely only on the experience of the father. But someone else's experience is not your own. They have nothing to rely on, which is why encounters with life are so difficult for Marya and Andrei.
Nikolai Bolkonsky tries to protect children from life’s challenges, but at the same time he suppresses their own “I”. He prefers to see his daughter Marya as an unmarried old maid, who is alien to the stupidity and immorality that reigns in high society. But is Marya herself happy? Her father suppressed her character so much that she passes off his desires as her own: she had already come to terms with the role of an old maid and accepted it, unable to resist her father’s opinion. The only outlet for Marya in this harsh, soldier’s world, created by her father and not suitable for a woman’s life, is religion and correspondence with her friend Julie. But even these intimate, personal things the father seeks to control. If Marya does not find the strength to resist reading her personal correspondence, then she clung to religion like a drowning man at a straw: take away her last outlet - and she will suffocate.

It is unknown when and under what circumstances Nikolai Bolkonsky lost his wife, but it becomes clear that he raised Marya and Andrei on his own. If their mother were alive, she would, thanks to her natural feminine instincts, raise them as expected. But the mother was not there and the father, a ossified, stern soldier, did it as best he could, not understanding that children need to be raised, and not drilled, that the son needs to be given freedom to some extent, and not break his character, and the daughter’s destiny is not geometry and imprisonment, but marriage and motherhood.
He is an aristocrat to the core, placing the question of origin above all else. He boasts of his noble origin (remember the family tree on the entire wall of the dining room), his essence is filled with prejudice and hostility towards people of lower origin. He puts the dissolute, vile Frenchwoman Mlle Bourrienne and Countess Natasha Rostova on the same level, despite the fact that Bourien is a prodigal girl, and Natasha is a deep, philosophical person. But both of them are lower in origin, both are from a different circle, and that is the only reason why the prince identifies them.
For some reason, the prince seeks to show that nothing human is alien to him, and he strives for equality and brotherhood: he seats a peasant architect at the same table with his family.
Nikolai Bolkonsky wishes his children happiness, but he commits big mistake, which will break the fate of his son and make his daughter unhappy. He encourages you to notice only the positive, good, sublime part of life, and teaches you to ignore the bad, negative, but inseparable from the good.
But this is impossible: good and bad, sublime and ordinary are one whole, like light and shadow, day and night. So the aristocracy is inseparable from the peasantry, and love is inseparable from everyday problems.
Even the novel itself is called “War and Peace”, and not “War or Peace” - Tolstoy strives to show that there is no absolute, ideal purity in the world, just as there is no absolute dirt. Idealizing the world is a utopia.
Prince Andrei will never understand this and, dying, will think: “There was something in this life that I did not understand and do not understand.” Of course, he tried to notice only one, majestic side of life, and did not accept the ordinary, prosaic side, while both sides represent a complete picture. Because of this, we can say that Andrei did not know the essence of life because he forbade himself to accept it as it is.
Because of this misunderstanding, his incomprehensibility of the meaning of life, Andrei broke more than one fate.

The time period of Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” is one of the most significant eras in Russian history. But this specific historical theme does not stand alone in the novel; it is raised to the level of universal human significance. "War and Peace" begins with scenes depicting the highest noble society. Tolstoy reproduces his appearance and historical development over the course of three generations. Recreating without embellishment the “beautiful beginning of Alexander’s days,” Tolstoy could not help but touch on the previous Catherine’s era. These two eras are represented by two generations of people. These are old people: Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky and Count Kirill Bezukhov and their children, who are successors to their fathers. Relationships between generations are first and foremost family relationships. After all, in the family, according to Tolstoy, the spiritual principles of the individual and moral concepts are laid. Let's look at the son and father of the Bolkonskys and their relationship with each other.
Prince Nikolai Andreevich is a representative of the patrimonial Russian aristocracy, a man of Catherine’s era. This era is becoming a thing of the past, however, causing the respect that its representative, old Bolkonsky, rightfully enjoys among the neighboring landowners. Nikolai Andreevich is certainly an extraordinary person. He belongs to the generation that at one time built a powerful Russian statehood. Prince Bolkonsky occupied a special place at court. He was a close associate of Catherine II, but achieved his position not through sycophancy, like many in his time, but through personal business qualities and talents. The very fact that under Paul he received resignation and exile indicates that he served the fatherland, and not the kings. His appearance reflected the features of a noble and wealthy maternal grandfather - a military general. A family legend is associated with the name of this man: a proud man and an atheist, he refused to marry the Tsar’s mistress, for which he was exiled first to the distant northern Trumant, and then to his estate near Tula. Both old Bolkonsky and Prince Andrei are proud of the ancient family and its services to the fatherland. Andrei Bolkonsky inherited from his father a high concept of honor, nobility, pride and independence, as well as a sharp mind and sober judgment about people. Both father and son despise upstarts and careerists such as Kuragin. Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky did not make friends in his time with such people who, for the sake of their career, were ready to sacrifice the honor and duty of a citizen and a person. Old Bolkonsky, however, appreciates and loves Count Kirill Bezukhov. Bezukhov was Catherine’s favorite; he was once known as a handsome man and enjoyed success with women. But Count Kirill’s original philosophy of enjoying life has undergone changes over the years, perhaps that’s why he has now become closer and more understandable to old Bolkonsky.
Andrei has a lot in common in appearance and views with his father, although there are also plenty of disagreements regarding the latter. Old Prince He went through a harsh school of life and judges people from the position of the benefit that they bring both to the fatherland and to other people. In him amazingly combines the morals of an imperious nobleman, before whom everyone at home trembles, an aristocrat proud of his pedigree, and the traits of a man of great intelligence and life experience. He raised his son and daughter in strictness and was accustomed to managing their lives. Old Bolkonsky could not understand his son’s feelings for Natasha Rostova. Not believing in the sincerity of their love, he does everything he can to prevent their relationship. Something similar happened in the case of Lisa. Marriage, according to the old Bolkonsky’s concepts, exists only to give the family a legitimate heir. Therefore, when Andrei and Lisa had friction, the father consoled his son with the fact that “they are all like that.” Andrey had a lot of sophistication, a desire for to the highest ideal, maybe that’s why I felt constant dissatisfaction with myself, which old Bolkonsky could not understand. But if he still took Andrei into account, even then listened to his opinion, then his relationship with his daughter was much more complex. Madly in love with Marya, he made exorbitant demands on her education, character, and talents. He also interferes in his daughter’s personal life, or rather completely deprives her of the right to this life. Because of his selfish motives, he does not want to marry off his daughter. And yet, at the end of his life, the old prince reconsiders his attitude towards children. He has great respect for his son’s views and looks at his daughter in a new way. If earlier Marya’s religiosity was the subject of ridicule from her father, then before his death he admits that she was right. He asks forgiveness for his crippled life from his daughter and, in absentia, from his son.
Old Bolkonsky believed in the progress and future greatness of his homeland, so he served it with all his might. Even while ill, he did not choose the position of an outside observer in the War of 1812. Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky created his own militia detachment from volunteer peasants.
Andrei’s views on the subject of glory and service to the homeland differ from his father’s. Prince Andrey is skeptical about the state and power in general. He has the same attitude towards people who are placed by fate at the highest level of power. He condemns Emperor Alexander for entrusting power to foreign generals. Prince Andrei eventually revised his views on Napoleon. If at the beginning of the novel he perceives Napoleon as the ruler of the world, now he sees in him an ordinary invader who has replaced service to his homeland with the desire for personal glory. The lofty idea of ​​serving the fatherland, which inspired his father, grows with Prince Andrei into the idea of ​​serving the world, the unity of all people, the idea of ​​universal love and the unity of man with nature. Andrey begins to understand those Christian motives, which guided his sister’s life and which he
I couldn't understand it before. Now Andrei curses the war, not dividing it into just and unjust. War is murder, and murder is incompatible with human nature. Maybe that’s why Prince Andrei dies without having time to fire a single shot.
We must remember one more similarity between both Bolkonskys. Both of them are comprehensively educated, gifted people who are close to the ideas of humanism and enlightenment. Therefore, with all their external severity, they treat their peasants humanely. The Bolkonsky peasants are prosperous; Prince Nikolai Andreevich always takes into account the needs of the peasants first. He takes care of them even when leaving the estate due to an enemy invasion. Prince Andrei adopted this attitude towards the peasants from his father. Let us remember that, having returned home after Austerlitz and taken up farming, he does a lot to improve the lives of his serfs.
At the end of the novel we see another Bolkonsky. This is Nikolinka Bolkonsky - Andrei's son. The boy hardly knew his father. When his son was little, Andrei first fought in two wars, then stayed abroad for a long time due to illness. Bolkonsky died when his son was 14 years old. But Tolstoy makes Nikolinka Bolkonsky the successor and continuer of his father’s ideas. After the death of Prince Andrei, the younger Bolkonsky has a dream in which his father comes to him, and the boy vows to live in such a way that “everyone will recognize him, everyone will love him, everyone will admire” him.
Thus, in the novel Tolstoy introduced us to several generations of Bolkonskys. First, a military general - the grandfather of old Prince Nicholas. We do not meet him on the pages of War and Peace, but he is mentioned in the novel. Then the old prince Nikolai Bolkonsky, whom Tolstoy described very fully. Representative younger generation Andrei Bolkonsky, one of Tolstoy's favorite heroes, is shown. And finally, his son Nikolinka. It is he who will have to not only preserve the traditions of the family, but also continue them.

One of the images in the novel “War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoy, which evokes the author’s sympathy, is the image of Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky. This is a general-in-chief, a prince who was dismissed during the reign of Paul I, exiled to his village of Bald Mountains and lived there forever. The prototype of the image of Nikolai Andreevich was Tolstoy’s maternal grandfather, Prince N.S. Volkonsky, for whom the author had deep respect.

The writer also treats his hero with warmth. He draws a man with difficult character, but smart, able to feel deeply. He raises his children - Princess Marya and Prince Andrei - in accordance with his moral principles.

Prince Bolkonsky lives in the village, but he has no time to be bored - he is too careful with his time, unable to tolerate idleness and idleness.

He values ​​order in everything above all. All his days are busy with classes with Marya, working in the garden, and writing memoirs.

Nikolai Andreevich loves his children, but due to his restraint, he does not show it. On the contrary, he is unnecessarily finding fault with Princess Marya, but only because he does not want her to be like cutesy young ladies who are only interested in intrigue and gossip.

Prince Bolkonsky is stern towards children, valuing his family honor, he tells his son: “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!” Sending Prince Andrei to war, he does not hug his son, does not speak parting words, just looks at him silently.

“The old man’s quick eyes were directly fixed on his son’s eyes. Something trembled in the lower part of the old prince’s face.

Goodbye... go! - he suddenly said. - Go! - he shouted in an angry and loud voice, opening the office door. Behind this anger lies a deep feeling of love for his son and concern for him. After the door closed behind Andrei, “from the office one could hear, like gunshots, the often repeated angry sounds of an old man blowing his nose.” And in these sounds we hear the whole gamut of the old prince’s unspoken feelings that he feels towards his son, but which he considers unnecessary to say out loud.

The external characteristics of the character are simple. Nikolai Andreevich “walked in the old-fashioned way, in a caftan and powder,” the hero is short, “in a powdered wig... with small dry hands and gray drooping eyebrows, sometimes, as he scowled, obscuring the brilliance of his intelligent and youthful sparkling eyes.” . The character of the hero is distinguished by his demands and harshness, but by his fairness and integrity. Prince Bolkonsky is smart, proud and reserved. The old prince is interested in both political and military events taking place in the country. The prince, as the head of the Bolkonsky generation described in the novel, himself has a sense of duty and patriotism, decency, nobility and cultivates these qualities in his children. The Bolkonsky family has sharp differences compared to other high society families. The Bolkonskys are characterized by hard work and a thirst for activity. The old prince is firmly convinced that “... only two virtues - activity and intelligence” are the main ones in the world. And he wants to instill these virtues in his daughter Princess Marya, which is why he teaches her mathematics and other sciences.

During the French campaign against Moscow, Prince Bolkonsky serves as commander-in-chief of the militia. Nikolai Andreevich does not dare to refuse this position, because he is guided by a sense of patriotism, duty and love for the Motherland.

Continuing the characterization of the hero, one cannot help but mention one more positive trait the entire Bolkonsky family and Nikolai Andreevich in particular. This is closeness to the people, the desire to delve into their problems and understanding them. The old prince treats his farm with care, without oppressing the peasants.

The image of Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky is described by the author as the embodiment of the entire generation of Russian patriots, highly moral people. But this is not the passing generation. His son, Andrei Nikolaevich, was like his father. Such people will always be at the forefront of the Russian people as long as their descendants are alive. This is evidenced by another little hero novel - Nikolenka Bolkonsky.

The Bolkonsky family in the novel “War and Peace” is one of the key themes in the study of this work. Its members occupy central place in the narrative and play a decisive role in the development storyline. Therefore, the data characterization characters seems particularly important for understanding the concept of epic.

Some General Notes

The Bolkonsky family in the novel “War and Peace” is typical for its time, that is, for the beginning of the 19th century. The author depicted people in whose images he tried to convey the state of mind of a significant part of the nobility. When describing these characters, one must first of all remember that these heroes are representatives of the aristocratic class at the turn of the century, a time that was a turning point in the history of Russia. This was clearly shown in the description of the life and everyday life of this ancient family. Their thoughts, ideas, views, worldview and even household habits serve as a clear demonstration of how a significant part of the nobility lived during the time in question.

The image of Nikolai Andreevich in the context of the era

The Bolkonsky family in the novel “War and Peace” is interesting because in it the writer showed how and with what a thinking society lived at the beginning of the 19th century. The father of the family is a hereditary military man, and his whole life is subject to a strict routine. In this image one can immediately guess typical image an old nobleman from the time of Catherine II. He is a man of the past, the 18th century, rather than the new. You can immediately feel how far he is from the political and social life of his time; it seems that he lives by old orders and habits, which are more appropriate for the era of the previous reign.

About the social activities of Prince Andrei

The Bolkonsky family in the novel “War and Peace” is distinguished by its solidity and unity. All its members are very similar to each other, despite the age difference. However, Prince Andrei is more passionate about modern politics and public life, he even takes part in the project of drawing up government reforms. In him one can very well discern the type of young reformer that was characteristic of the beginning of the reign of Emperor Alexander Pavlovich.

Princess Marya and society ladies

The Bolkonsky family, whose characteristics form the subject of this review, was distinguished by the fact that its members lived under intense mental and moral life. The daughter of the old prince Marya was completely different from the typical society ladies and young women who then appeared in high society. Her father took care of her education and taught her a variety of sciences that were not included in the program for raising young ladies. The latter learned home crafts, fiction, fine arts, while the princess, under the guidance of her parent, studied mathematics.

Place in society

The Bolkonsky family, whose characterization is so important for understanding the meaning of the novel, occupied a prominent position in high society. Prince Andrei was quite active social life, at least until he became disillusioned with his career as a reformer. He served as Kutuzov's adjutant, received Active participation in military operations against the French. He could often be seen at social events, receptions, and balls. However, from his very first appearance in the salon of a famous socialite, the reader immediately understands that he does not belong in this society. He keeps somewhat aloof and is not very talkative, although, apparently, he is interesting conversationalist. The only person with whom he himself expresses a desire to enter into a conversation is his friend Pierre Bezukhov.

A comparison of the Bolkonsky and Rostov families further highlights the peculiarity of the former. The old prince and his young daughter led a very secluded life and almost never left their estate. Nevertheless, Marya maintained contacts with high society, exchanging letters with her friend Julie.

Characteristics of Andrey's appearance

The description of the Bolkonsky family is also very important for understanding the character of these people. Prince Andrei is described by the writer as a handsome young man of about thirty. He is very attractive, carries himself superbly, and in general is a real aristocrat. However, at the very beginning of his appearance, the author emphasizes that there was something cold, aloof and even callous in his facial features, although it is quite obvious that the prince is not an evil person. However, heavy and gloomy reflections left their mark on the features of his face: he became gloomy, thoughtful and unfriendly with others and even with his own wife behaves extremely arrogantly.

About the princess and the old prince

The description of the Bolkonsky family should be continued briefly portrait characteristic Princess Marya and her stern father. The young girl had a spiritual appearance, as she lived an intense inner and mental life. She was thin and slender, but not beautiful in the generally accepted sense of the word. A secular person, perhaps, would hardly call her a beauty. In addition, the old prince’s serious upbringing left its mark on her: she was thoughtful beyond her age, somewhat withdrawn and concentrated. In a word, she did not at all look like a society lady. The lifestyle that the Bolkonsky family led left its mark on her. Briefly it can be characterized as follows: isolation, severity, restraint in communication.

Her father was a thin man of short stature; he behaved just like a military man. His face was distinguished by severity and severity. He had the appearance of a hardy man, who, moreover, was not only in excellent physical shape, but was also constantly busy with mental work. Such an appearance indicated that Nikolai Andreevich was an extraordinary person in all respects, which was reflected in communication with him. At the same time, he could also be bilious, sarcastic and even somewhat unceremonious. This is evidenced by the scene of his first meeting with Natasha Rostova, when she visited their estate as his son’s bride. The old man was clearly dissatisfied with his son’s choice and therefore gave the young girl a very inhospitable reception, making a couple of witticisms in her presence that deeply hurt her.

Prince and his daughter

Relations in the Bolkonsky family could not be called cordial. This was especially evident in the communication between the old prince and his young daughter. He behaved with her in much the same way as with his son, that is, without any ceremony or discounts for the fact that she was still a girl and needed softer and more gentle treatment. But Nikolai Andreevich, apparently, did not make much difference between her and his son and communicated with both in approximately the same way, that is, sternly and even harshly. He was very demanding of his daughter, controlled her life and even read letters that she received from her friend. In classes with her, he was stern and picky. However, based on the above, it cannot be said that the prince did not love his daughter. He was very attached to her and appreciated all the best in her, but due to the severity of his character, he could not communicate otherwise, and the princess understood this. She was afraid of her father, but she respected him and obeyed him in everything. She accepted his demands and tried not to contradict anything.

Old Bolkonsky and Prince Andrei

The life of the Bolkonsky family was distinguished by solitude and isolation, which could not but affect the communication of the protagonist with his father. From the outside, their conversations could be called formal and even somewhat official. Their relationship did not seem cordial; rather, the conversations were similar to an exchange of opinions between two very smart people who understand each other. Andrei behaved with his father very respectfully, but somewhat coldly, aloof and stern in his own way. The father, in turn, also did not indulge his son with parental tenderness and caresses, limiting himself to remarks of an exclusively business nature. He spoke to him only to the point, deliberately avoiding anything that could affect personal relationships. All the more valuable is the final scene of Prince Andrei’s farewell to the war, when deep love and tenderness for his son breaks through the father’s icy equanimity, which he, however, immediately tried to hide.

Two families in the novel

It is all the more interesting to compare the Bolkonsky and Rostov families. The first led a secluded, secluded lifestyle, were strict, stern, and taciturn. They avoided social entertainment and limited themselves to each other's company. The latter, on the contrary, were sociable, hospitable, cheerful and cheerful. All the more significant is the fact that Nikolai Rostov eventually married Princess Marya, and not Sonya, with whom he was connected by childhood love. These must have failed to see better positive traits each other.