Read an essay on the topic of family thought in the novel War and Peace by Tolstoy for free. Essay on the theme "family thought" by Tolstoy "war and peace"
One of the few writers who paid great attention to the theme of family. Everyone knows that writing epic novel“War and Peace” was prompted by the “people's thought,” that is, anxiety for the future of the nation and the whole country, but he did not forget about the “family thought.” On the background Patriotic War, which unfolded at the beginning of the 19th century, we observe personal and spiritual development the main characters of the novel, which ultimately leads to the truest happiness, which, according to Tolstoy, is a full-fledged family. The basis " family thought The novel included five families. These are, first of all, the Rostovs and Bolkonskys, as well as the Kuragins, Bezukhovs and Drubetskys.
Perhaps that is why each volume of the novel turned out to be so weighty and meaningful. The author describes in detail the life of these families so that readers can understand how society developed in the period from 1805 to 1812, and how this affected the outcome of the war. The Drubetskys and Kuragins are contrasted with the Rostovs and Bolkonskys. Only Pierre is represented at the heart of the plot from the Bezukhov family. His father, the famous Count Bezukhov, before his death leaves his entire fortune to the illegitimate Pierre, after which he becomes the target of the Kuragin family, in particular Helen Kuragina, a cold and calculating beauty who wants to get as much money as possible.
Describing the Kuragins, Tolstoy does not skimp on literary devices and fully shows all the falsity, envy, greed, hypocrisy and meanness of these high society people. Even a dignitary from the Kuragin family is endowed with all of the above qualities. The Rostov family appears to us completely differently - people who are ready to raise Sonya and Boris Drubetsky in their home on an equal basis with their own children. Their house is always open to guests, and their hospitality is famous throughout Moscow. This is a wonderful family in which they laugh openly, cry openly, and treat people of any rank with warmth and kindness.
The house of the Rostovs is contrasted with the house of the Bolkonskys, in which puritanical thinking, spiritual isolation and asceticism reign. In the Bolkonsky house it is not customary to laugh loudly or talk out loud about love. Despite this, Andrei and Marya grow up as worthy citizens of their country and in the most difficult moments come to its defense. Andrei is an ardent opponent of the secular way of life and with the outbreak of war he prefers to go into service. Marya is forced to stay close to her bedridden father, but at the first opportunity she takes care of the wounded. It is strange that these two dissimilar families have intertwined destinies.
Natasha Rostova falls in love with Andrei, and Nikolai Rostov with Marya. Thus, the Rostov and Bolkonsky families forever remain connected by ties of kinship. And yet there is some commonality in them. Take, for example, the patriarchal way of life, closeness to the people, deep cordiality and humanity. It is no coincidence that Tolstoy highly values both of these families. According to the author, a family is not a closed clan or a separate unit of society, but a unique, unique category that is part of an entire people. One feels that the main thing for a writer is family episodes- this is genuine, live communication, through which we learn about the most important events of the novel.
Closely connected with the theme of the people in the novel theme of family and nobility. The author divides the nobles into “haves” (these include Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov), local patriots (old man Bolkonsky, the Rostovs), and secular nobility (the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer, Helen).
According to Tolstoy, the family is the soil for the formation human soul. And at the same time, every family is the whole world, special, unlike anything else, full of complex relationships. In the novel “War and Peace,” the theme of family, according to the author’s plan, serves the most important means text organization. The atmosphere of the family nest determines the characters, destinies and views of the heroes of the work. In the system of all the main images of the novel, the author identifies several families, using the example of which he expresses his attitude towards the ideal of home - these are the Rostovs, the Bolkonskys, the Kuragins.
The Rostovs and Bolkonskys are not just families, they are ways of life based on national traditions. These traditions were most fully manifested in the life of the Rostov representatives - a noble-naive family, living by feelings, combining serious attitude to family honor (Nikolai Rostov does not refuse his father’s debts), warmth and cordiality of family relationships, hospitality and hospitality that distinguishes Russian people. Talking about Petya, Natasha, Nikolai and the elder Rostovs, Tolstoy sought to artistically recreate the history of an average noble family early XIX century.
During the course of the story, Tolstoy introduces the reader to all representatives of the Rostov family, talking about them with deep interest and sympathy. The Rostov house in Moscow was considered one of the most hospitable, and therefore one of the most beloved. A kind, carefree and forgiving spirit of benevolent love reigned here. This caused good-natured ridicule among some, but it did not prevent anyone from taking advantage of Count Rostov’s hospitable generosity: kindness and love are always attractive.
Most a prominent representative The Rostov family is Natasha - charming, natural, cheerful and naive. All these traits are dear to Tolstoy, and for them he loves his heroine. Starting from the first acquaintance, the writer emphasizes that Natasha is not like other characters in the novel. We see her as a daring child when, at her name day, she fearlessly, despite the presence of Countess Akhrosimova (whom the whole world was afraid of), asks what kind of cake will be served for dessert; then matured, but still just as lively, spontaneous and charming, when she has to make the first important decision - to refuse Denisov, who proposed to her. She says: “Vasily Dmitrich, I feel so sorry for you!.. No, but you are so nice... but don’t... this is... otherwise I will always love you...” There is no direct logic in Natasha’s words , but at the same time they are touchingly pure and truthful. Later we see Natasha with Nikolai and Petya in Mikhailovsk, visiting her uncle, when she performs a Russian dance, causing admiration from those around her; Natasha, in love with Prince Andrei, and then carried away by Anatoly Kuragin. As she grows up, Natasha’s character traits also develop: love of life, optimism, amorousness. Tolstoy shows her in joy, in grief, and in despair, and shows her in such a way that the reader cannot doubt: all her feelings are sincere and genuine.
As the story progresses, we learn a lot of important things about Count Rostov: about the financial worries of Ilya Nikolaevich; about his hospitality and good nature; about how inimitably and fervently he dances Danila Kupora; about how much effort he makes to organize a reception in honor of Bagration; about how, in a fit of patriotic delight, returning from the palace where he heard and saw the emperor, he lets his youngest minor son go to war. Tolstoy almost always shows Countess Rostova through the eyes of Natasha. Her main feature is her love for children. For Natasha, she is the first friend and adviser. The Countess understands her children perfectly and is always ready to warn them against mistakes and give the necessary advice.
Tolstoy treats Petya, the youngest son of the Rostovs, with especially touching sympathy. This is a wonderful, kind, loving and beloved boy, so similar to Natasha, a faithful companion of her games, her page, unquestioningly fulfilling all the desires and whims of his sister. He, like Natasha, loves life in all its manifestations. He knows how to take pity on the captive French drummer, invites him to dinner and treats him fried meat, just as his father, Count Rostov, invited everyone to his house to feed and caress him. Petya's death is clear evidence of the senselessness and mercilessness of the war.
For the Rostovs, love is the basis of family life. Here they are not afraid to express their feelings either to each other or to friends and acquaintances. The love, kindness and warmth of the Rostovs extend not only to its members, but also to people who, by the will of fate, have become their loved ones. So, Andrei Bolkonsky, finding himself in Otradnoye, struck by Natasha’s cheerfulness, decides to change his life. In the Rostov family they never condemn or reproach each other even when an act committed by one of its members deserves condemnation, be it Nikolai, who lost to Dolokhov a huge amount money and put the family in danger of ruin, or Natasha, who tried to escape with Anatoly Kuragin. Here we are always ready to help each other and stand up for a loved one at any moment.
Such purity of relationships and high morality make the Rostovs similar to the Bolkonskys. But the Bolkonskys, in contrast to the Rostovs, give great importance his birth and wealth. They do not accept everyone indiscriminately. A special order reigns here, understandable only to family members; here everything is subordinated to honor, reason and duty. All representatives of this family have a clearly expressed sense of family superiority and self-esteem. But at the same time, in the Bolkonskys’ relationship there is natural and sincere love, hidden under the mask of arrogance. The proud Bolkonskys are noticeably different in character from the cozy and homely Rostovs, and that is why the unity of these two families, in the author’s view, is possible only between uncharacteristic representatives of these families (Nikolai Rostov and Princess Marya).
The Bolkonsky family in the novel is contrasted with the Kuragin family. Both the Bolkonskys and the Kuragins occupy a prominent place in social life Moscow and St. Petersburg. But if, when describing the members of the Bolkonsky family, the author draws attention to issues of pride and honor, then the Kuragins are depicted as active participants in intrigues and behind-the-scenes games (the story with Count Bezukhov’s briefcase), regulars at balls and social events. Lifestyle The Bolkonsky family is based on love and cohesion. All representatives of the Kuragin family are united by immorality (secret connections between Anatole and Helen), unscrupulousness (an attempt to arrange Natasha’s escape), prudence (the marriage of Pierre and Helen), and false patriotism.
It is no coincidence that representatives of the Kuragin family belong to high society. From the first pages of the novel the reader is transported to St. Petersburg living rooms big world and gets acquainted with the “cream” of this society: nobles, dignitaries, diplomats, ladies-in-waiting. As the narrative progresses, Tolstoy tears away the veils of external brilliance and refined manners from these people, and their spiritual squalor and moral baseness are revealed to the reader. There is neither simplicity, nor goodness, nor truth in their behavior and relationships. Everything is unnatural, hypocritical in Anna Pavlovna Scherer’s salon. Everything alive, be it a thought and a feeling, a sincere impulse or a topical wit, fades away in a soulless environment. That is why the naturalness and openness in Pierre’s behavior frightened Scherer so much. Here they are accustomed to “decently pulled masks”, to a masquerade. Prince Vasily speaks lazily, like an actor in an old play, while the hostess herself behaves with artificial enthusiasm.
Tolstoy compares the evening reception at Scherer’s to a spinning workshop, in which “spindles made noise evenly and incessantly from different sides.” But in these workshops, important matters are decided, state intrigues are woven, personal problems are solved, selfish plans are outlined: places are looked for for unsettled sons, like Ippolit Kuragin, profitable matches for marriage are discussed. In this light, “eternal inhuman enmity, the struggle for mortal blessings, boils.” Enough to remember distorted faces the “mournful” Drubetskaya and the “gracious” Prince Vasily, when the two of them clutched the briefcase with the will at the bedside of the dying Count Bezukhov.
Prince Vasily Kuragin, the head of the Kuragin family, is a bright type of enterprising careerist, money-grubber and egoist. Entrepreneurship and acquisitiveness became, as it were, “involuntary” traits of his character. As Tolstoy emphasizes, Prince Vasily knew how to use people and hide this skill, covering it with subtle observance of the rules of secular behavior. Thanks to this skill, Prince Vasily achieves a lot in life, because in the society in which he lives, the search for various kinds of benefits is the main thing in relations between people. For the sake of his own selfish goals, Prince Vasily is developing very vigorous activity. Suffice it to recall the campaign launched to marry Pierre to his daughter Helen. Without waiting for Pierre and Helene’s explanation or matchmaking, Prince Vasily bursts into the room with an icon in his hands and blesses the newlyweds - the mousetrap slammed shut. The siege of Maria Bolkonskaya, a rich bride for Anatole, began, and only chance prevented the successful completion of this “operation.” What kind of love and family well-being can we talk about when marriages are made out of open calculation? Tolstoy tells with irony about Prince Vasily, when he fools and robs Pierre, embezzling income from his estates and keeping several thousand quitrents from the Ryazan estate, hiding his actions under the guise of kindness and care for the young man, whom he cannot leave to the mercy of fate. .
Helen is the only one of all the children of Prince Vasily who does not burden him, but brings joy with her successes. This is explained by the fact that she was a true daughter of her father and early understood what rules she needed to play by in the world in order to achieve success and occupy a strong position. Beauty is Helen's only virtue. She understands this very well and uses it as a means to achieve personal gain. When Helen walks through the hall, the dazzling whiteness of her shoulders attracts the gaze of all the men present. Having married Pierre, she began to shine even brighter, did not miss a single ball and was always a welcome guest. Having openly cheated on her husband, she cynically declares that she does not want to have children from him. Pierre rightly defined its essence: “Where you are, there is debauchery.”
Prince Vasily is openly burdened by his sons. Younger son Prince Vasily - Anatol Kuragin - is disgusted already at the first moment of acquaintance. Compiling a characterization of this hero, Tolstoy noted: “He’s like beautiful doll, there’s nothing in the eyes.” Anatole is sure that the world was created for his pleasure. According to the author, “he was instinctively convinced that he could not live differently than he lived,” that he “must live on an income of thirty thousand and always occupy the highest position in society.” Tolstoy repeatedly emphasizes that Anatole is handsome. But him outer beauty contrasts with his empty inner appearance. Anatole's immorality is especially evident during his courtship of Natasha Rostova, when she was the bride of Andrei Bolkonsky. Anatol Kuragin became a symbol of freedom for Natasha Rostova, and she, with her purity, naivety and faith in people, could not understand that this is freedom from the boundaries of what is permitted, from the moral framework of what is permissible. The second son of Prince Vasily - Ippolit - is described by the author as a rake and a veil. But unlike Anatole, he is also mentally limited, which makes his actions especially ridiculous. Tolstoy devotes rather little space to Ippolit in the novel, not deigning him with his attention. The beauty and youth of the Kuragins takes on a repulsive character, for this beauty is insincere, not warmed by the soul.
Tolstoy depicted the declaration of love between Boris Drubetsky and Julie Karagina with irony and sarcasm. Julie knows that this brilliant but poor handsome man does not love her, but demands a declaration of love according to all the rules for his wealth. And Boris, saying the right words, thinks that you can always arrange it so that you rarely see your wife. For the Kuragins and Drubetskys, all means are good to achieve success and fame and strengthen their position in society. You can join Masonic lodge, pretending that you are close to the ideas of love, equality, brotherhood, although in fact the only purpose of this is the desire to make profitable acquaintances. Pierre, a sincere and trusting man, soon saw that these people were not interested in questions of truth, the good of humanity, but in the uniforms and crosses that they sought in life.
Tolstoy considered family to be the basis of everything. It contains love, and the future, and peace, and goodness. Families make up society, the moral laws of which are laid down and preserved in the family. The writer’s family is a society in miniature. Tolstoy's heroes are almost all family people, and he characterizes them through families.
In the novel, the life of three families unfolds before us: the Rostovs, the Bolkonskys, the Kuragins. In the epilogue of the novel, the author shows the happy “new” families of Nikolai and Marya, Pierre and Natasha. Each family is endowed with characteristic features and also embodies its own view of the world and its values. Members of these families participate in one way or another in all the events described in the work. The novel covers fifteen years of life, families are traced through three generations: fathers, children and grandchildren.
The Rostov family is an example of an ideal relationship between loved ones who love and respect each other. The father of the family, Count Ilya Rostov, is depicted as a typical Russian gentleman. The manager Mitenka constantly deceives the count. Only Nikolai Rostov exposes and fires him. No one in the family accuses anyone, suspects anyone, or deceives anyone. They are one whole, always sincerely ready to help each other. Joys and sorrows are experienced together, together they look for answers to difficult questions. They quickly experience troubles; the emotional and intuitive principles predominate in them. All Rostovs are passionate people, but the mistakes and mistakes of family members do not cause hostility and hostility towards each other. The family is upset and grieving when Nikolai Rostov loses at cards, experiences the story of Natasha’s love for Anatoly Kuragin and an attempt to escape with him, although everything secular society discusses this shameful event.
In the Rostov family there is a “Russian spirit”, everyone loves national culture and art. They live in accordance with national traditions: they are happy to have guests, they are generous, they love living in the countryside, they enjoy taking part in folk holidays. All Rostovs are talented and have musical abilities. The courtyard people who serve in the house are deeply devoted to the masters and live with them like one family.
During the war, the Rostov family remained in Moscow until last moment while it is still possible to evacuate. Their house houses the wounded, who need to be taken out of the city so that they are not killed by the French. The Rostovs decide to give up their acquired property and give away the carts for the soldiers. This is how the true patriotism of this family is manifested.
A different order reigns in the Bolkonsky family. All living feelings are driven to the very bottom of the soul. In the relationship between them there is only cold rationality. Prince Andrei and Princess Marya do not have a mother, and the father replaces parental love with over-demandingness, which makes his children unhappy. Princess Marya is a girl with a strong, courageous character. She was not broken by her father’s cruel attitude, she did not become embittered, and did not lose her pure and gentle soul.
Old Bolkonsky is sure that in the world “there are only two virtues - activity and intelligence.” He himself works all his life: he writes the charter, works in the workshop, studies with his daughter. Bolkonsky is a nobleman of the old school. He is a patriot of his homeland and wants to benefit it. Having learned that the French are advancing, he becomes the head of the people's militia, ready to defend his land with arms in hand, to prevent the enemy from setting foot on it.
Prince Andrei looks like his father. He also strives for power, works in Speransky’s committee, wants to become a big man, to serve for the good of the country. Although he promised himself never to participate in battles again, in 1812 he went to fight again. Saving his homeland is a sacred matter for him. Prince Andrei dies for his homeland like a hero.
The Kuragin family brings evil and destruction to the world. Using the example of the members of this family, Tolstoy showed how deceptive external beauty can be. Helen and Anatole are beautiful people, but this beauty is imaginary. External shine hides the emptiness of their low souls. Anatole leaves a bad memory of himself everywhere. Because of money, he wooes Princess Marya and destroys the relationship between Prince Andrei and Natasha. Helen loves only herself, destroys Pierre's life, disgraces him.
Lies and hypocrisy, and contempt for others reign in the Kuragin family. The father of the family, Prince Vasily, is a court intriguer, he is only interested in gossip and vile deeds. For the sake of money, he is ready to do anything, even commit a crime. His behavior in the scene of the death of Count Bezukhov is the height of blasphemy and contempt for the laws of human morality.
There is no spiritual relationship in the Kuragin family. Tolstoy does not show us their house. They are primitive, undeveloped people, whom the author portrays in satirical tones. They cannot achieve happiness in life.
According to Tolstoy, good family is a reward for a righteous life. In the finale, he rewards his heroes with happiness in family life.
“Family Thought” in L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” The main idea in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy“War and peace,” along with popular thought,” is “family thought.” The writer believed that the family is the basis of the entire society, and it reflects the processes that occur in society.
The novel shows heroes who go through a certain path of ideological and spiritual development; through trial and error, they try to find their place in life and realize their purpose. These characters are shown against the backdrop of family relationships. So, families appear before us Rostov and Bolkonsky. Tolstoy depicted in his novel the entire Russian nation from top to bottom, thereby showing that the top of the nation had become spiritually dead, having lost contact with the people. He shows this process using the example of the family of Prince Vasily Kuragin and his children, who are characterized by the expression of all the negative qualities inherent in people of high society - extreme selfishness, baseness of interests, lack of sincere feelings.
All the heroes of the novel are bright individuals, but the members of the same family have a certain common feature that unites them all.
Thus, the main feature of the Bolkonsky family can be called the desire to follow the laws of reason. None of them, except, perhaps, Princess Marya, is characterized by an open manifestation of their feelings. The image of the head of the family, the old prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky, embodies the best features of the ancient Russian nobility. He is a representative of an ancient aristocratic family, his character bizarrely combines the morals of an imperious nobleman, before whom all the household are in awe, from the servants to his own daughter, an aristocrat proud of his long pedigree, the traits of a man of great intelligence and simple habits. At a time when no one required women to display any special knowledge, he teaches his daughter geometry and algebra, motivating it this way: “I don’t want you to be like our stupid ladies.” He educated his daughter in order to develop in her the main virtues, which, in his opinion, were “activity and intelligence.”
His son, Prince Andrei, also embodied the best features of the nobility, the progressive noble youth. Prince Andrei has his own path to understanding real life. And he will go through errors, but his unerring moral sense will help him get rid of false ideals. So, Napoleon and Speransky turn out to be debunked in his mind, and his life will come Love To Natasha, so unlike all the other ladies of high society, the main features of which, in his opinion and the opinion of his father, are “selfishness, vanity, insignificance in everything.” Natasha will become for him the personification of real life, opposing the falsehood of the world. Her betrayal of him is tantamount to the collapse of an ideal. Just like his father, Prince Andrei is intolerant of simple human weaknesses that his wife, the most ordinary woman, has, a sister who is looking for some special truth from “God’s people,” and many other people whom he encounters in life.
A peculiar exception in the Bolkonsky family is Princess Marya. She lives only for the sake of self-sacrifice, which is elevated to moral principle, defining her entire life. She is ready to give all of herself to others, suppressing personal desires. Submission to her fate, to all the whims of her domineering father, who loves her in his own way, religiosity is combined in her with a thirst for simple, human happiness. Her humility is the result of a peculiarly understood sense of duty as a daughter who does not have the moral right to judge her father, as she says to Mademoiselle Burien: “I will not allow myself to judge him and would not want others to do so.” But nevertheless, when self-esteem demands, she can show the necessary firmness. This is revealed with particular force when her sense of patriotism, which distinguishes all Bolkonskys, is insulted. However, she can sacrifice her pride if it is necessary to save another person. So, she asks for forgiveness, although she is not guilty of anything, from her companion for herself and the serf servant, on whom her father’s wrath fell.
Another family depicted in the novel is in some way opposed to the Bolkonsky family. This is the Rostov family. If the Bolkonskys strive to follow the arguments of reason, then Rostov obey the voice of feelings. Natasha is little guided by the requirements of decency, she is spontaneous, she has many child traits, which is highly valued by the author. He emphasizes many times that Natasha is ugly, unlike Helen Kuragina. It’s not the outside that’s important to him. beauty a person, but his internal qualities.
The behavior of all members of this family shows high nobility of feelings, kindness, rare generosity, naturalness, closeness to the people, moral purity and integrity. The local nobility, unlike the highest St. Petersburg nobility, is faithful to national traditions. It was not for nothing that Natasha, dancing with her uncle after the hunt, “knew how to understand everything that was in Anisya, and in Anisya’s father, and in her aunt, and in her mother, and in every Russian person.”
Tolstoy attaches great importance to family ties and the unity of the whole family. Although the Bolkonsky family should unite with the Rostov family through the marriage of Prince Andrei and Natasha, her mother cannot come to terms with this, cannot accept Andrei into the family, “she wanted to love him like a son, but she felt that he was a stranger and terrible to her Human". Families cannot unite through Natasha and Andrei, but are united through the marriage of Princess Marya to Nikolai Rostov. This marriage is successful, it saves the Rostovs from ruin.
The novel also shows the Kuragin family: Prince Vasily and his three children: the soulless doll Helen, the “dead fool” Ippolit and the “restless fool” Anatole. Prince Vasily is a calculating and cold intriguer and ambitious man who lays claim to Kirila's inheritance Bezukhova without having any direct right to do so. He is connected with his children only by blood ties and common interests: they care only about their well-being and position in society.
The daughter of Prince Vasily, Helen, is a typical social beauty with impeccable manners and reputation. She amazes everyone with her beauty, which is described several times as “marble,” that is, cold beauty, devoid of feeling and soul, the beauty of a statue. The only thing that occupies Helen is her salon and social receptions.
The sons of Prince Vasily, in his opinion, are both “fools.” His father managed to place Hippolytus in the diplomatic service, and his fate is considered settled. The brawler and rake Anatole causes a lot of trouble for everyone around him, and, in order to calm him down, Prince Vasily wants to marry him to the rich heiress Princess Marya. This marriage cannot take place due to the fact that Princess Marya does not want to part with her father, and Anatole indulges in his former amusements with renewed vigor.
Thus, people who are not only related by blood, but also spiritually, unite into families. The ancient Bolkonsky family is not interrupted by the death of Prince Andrei; Nikolenka Bolkonsky remains, who will likely continue the tradition of moral quests of his father and grandfather. Marya Bolkonskaya brings high spirituality to the Rostov family. So, “family thought,” along with “folk thought,” is the main one in L. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace.” Tolstoy's family is being studied in turning points stories. Having shown three families most fully in the novel, writer makes it clear to the reader that the future belongs to families such as the Rostov and Bolkonsky families, who embody sincerity of feelings and high spirituality, the most prominent representatives of which each go through their own path of rapprochement with the people.
Composition. “Family Thought” in the novel “War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoy
In the novel "War and Peace" L.N. Tolstoy singled out and considered the most significant "people's thought." This theme is most vividly and multifacetedly reflected in those parts of the work that tell about the war. In the depiction of the “world,” the “family thought” predominates, playing a very important role in the novel.
Almost all the heroes of War and Peace are tested by love. They do not all come to true love and mutual understanding, to moral beauty, and not all at once, but only after going through mistakes and the suffering that redeems them, developing and purifying the soul.
Andrei Bolkonsky's path to happiness was thorny. A twenty-year-old inexperienced young man, carried away and blinded by “external” beauty, marries Lisa. However, very quickly Andrei came to a painful and depressing understanding of how “cruelly and irreparably” he had made a mistake. In a conversation with Pierre, Andrei, almost in despair, utters the words: “Never, never get married... until you have done everything you could... My God, what I wouldn’t give now not to be married! "
Family life did not bring Bolkonsky happiness and peace; he was burdened by it. He did not love his wife, but rather despised her as a child of an empty, stupid “world”. Prince Andrei was constantly oppressed by the feeling of the uselessness of his life, equating him with a “court lackey and idiot.”
Then there was the sky of Austerlitz, the death of Lisa, and a deep spiritual change, and fatigue, melancholy, contempt for life, disappointment. Bolkonsky at that time was like an oak tree, which “stood like an old, angry and contemptuous monster between the smiling birches” and “did not want to submit to the charm of spring.” “Yes, he’s right, this oak tree is right a thousand times,” thought Prince Andrei, “...our life is over.” This is how he first met Natasha in Otradnoye. And from contact with her natural life, illuminated by joy, “an unexpected confusion of young thoughts and hopes” arose in Andrei’s soul. He left transformed, and again in front of him was an oak tree, but not an old, ugly oak tree, but covered with “a tent of lush, dark greenery,” so that “no sores, no old mistrust, no grief - nothing was visible.”
Love, like a miracle, revives Tolstoy's heroes to a new life. True feelings for Natasha, so unlike the empty, absurd women of the “society,” came to Prince Andrei later and with incredible strength turned him upside down and renewed his soul. He “seemed and was a completely different, new person,” “as if he had walked out of a stuffy room into the free light of God.” True, even love did not help Prince Andrei to humble his pride; he never forgave Natasha for “betrayal.” Only after a mortal wound and a new mental fracture and rethinking of life did Bolkonsky understand her suffering, shame and repentance and realize the cruelty of the break with her. “I love you more, better than before,” he said then to Natasha, but nothing, not even her fiery feeling, could keep him in this world.
Pierre's fate is somewhat similar to the fate of his best friend. Just like Andrei, who in his youth was carried away by Liza, who has just arrived from Paris, childishly enthusiastic, Pierre is carried away by the “doll” beauty of Helen. The example of Prince Andrei did not become a “science” for him; Pierre was convinced from his own experience that external beauty is not always the key to internal - spiritual beauty.
Pierre felt that there were no barriers between him and Helen, she “was terribly close to him,” her beautiful “marble” body had power over him. And although Pierre felt that this was “not good for some reason,” he weakly succumbed to the feeling instilled in him by this “depraved woman” and eventually became her husband. As a result, a bitter feeling of disappointment, gloomy despondency, contempt for his wife, for life, for himself gripped him some time after the wedding, when Helen’s “mystery” turned into spiritual emptiness, stupidity and debauchery.
Having met Natasha, Pierre, like Andrei, was amazed and attracted by her purity and naturalness. Feelings for her had already timidly begun to grow in his soul when Volkonsky and Natasha fell in love with each other. The joy of their happiness mixed in his soul with sadness. Unlike Andrey, Pierre's kind heart understood and forgave Natasha after the incident with Anatole Kuragin. Although he tried to despise her, when he saw the exhausted, suffering Natasha, “a never-before-experienced feeling of pity filled Pierre’s soul.” And love entered his “soul, which blossomed towards a new life, softened and encouraged.” Pierre understood Natasha, perhaps because her connection with Anatole was similar to his infatuation with Helen. Natasha believed in the inner beauty and purity of the depraved and empty Kuragin, in communication with whom she, just like Pierre and Helen, “felt with horror that there was no barrier between him and her.”
After a disagreement with his wife, Pierre's journey through life continues. He became interested in Freemasonry, then there was the war, and the half-childish idea of killing Napoleon, and burning Moscow, terrible moments of waiting for death and captivity. Having gone through suffering, Pierre's renewed, purified soul retained his love for Natasha. Having met her, who had also changed greatly, had gone through her own path of spiritual quest and suffering, and had become wiser, he did not immediately recognize her, although he noticed the attentive, affectionate gaze of “a sweet, kind, glorious creature.” Pierre did not recognize Natasha because in her “kind, sad, questioning eyes” there was no “smile of the joy of life” characteristic of them. They both believed that after everything they had experienced they would be able to feel this joy, but love awoke in their hearts, and suddenly it “smelled and filled” with “long-forgotten happiness”, and the “forces of life” began to beat, and a “joyful, unexpected madness” took possession of them.
“Love has awakened, and life has awakened.”
The power of love revived Natasha after the mental apathy caused by the death of Prince Andrei. She thought that her life was over, but arose with new strength"love for her mother showed her that her essence... - love - was still alive in her." Her whole being was filled with a feeling of “love, boundless love... for everything that was close to a loved one,” a feeling of “pity, suffering for others and a passionate desire to give all of myself in order to help them.” This all-crushing power of love, which called Natasha herself to life, “persistent, patient,” called to life the people she loved, to whom it was directed.
The fates of Nikolai Rostov and Princess Marya were not easy. Quiet, meek, ugly in appearance, but beautiful soul During her father’s lifetime, the princess did not even hope to get married or raise children. The only wooer, and even then for the sake of a dowry, Anatole, of course, could not understand her high spirituality, moral beauty, her desire for the “infinite, eternal and perfect.”
A chance meeting with Rostov, his noble deed awakened an unfamiliar, exciting feeling in Marya. Her soul recognized in him a “noble, firm, selfless soul.”
Each meeting revealed each other more and more to them, connected them. In the presence of her beloved, Princess Marya was transformed, “some kind of new power life took possession of her." Awkward, shy, she became graceful and feminine, but in the presence of Anatole, the princess shrank, closed in on herself and became even uglier. When Rostov looked at her, he saw how "all her inner work, dissatisfied with herself, her suffering, the desire for good, humility, love, selflessness - all this shone in... radiant eyes, in a subtle smile, in every feature of her gentle face."
Nikolai admired the beautiful soul that had revealed itself to him and felt that Marya was better and higher than both himself and Sonechka, whom, as it seemed to him before, he loved, in whom she remained a “barren flower.” Sonya was always correct, like Vera, her soul did not live, did not make mistakes and did not suffer and, according to Tolstoy, did not “deserve” family happiness. Rostov also felt that he would never fully understand Princess Marya, and she also understood this, but her “submissive, tender” love seemed to become stronger from this. In their family, both happy and calm, there was no endless understanding, dissolution in each other, which, as Tolstoy believed, was the ideal of marriage.
The Bezukhov family became such an ideal in War and Peace. Natasha internally merged with Pierre, "gave herself... all - that is, with all her soul, leaving not a single corner open to him." She stopped paying attention to the “external” means that many thought were necessary to maintain love. She did not take beautiful poses, did not dress up, did not sing, left society, since all this was weak and ridiculous in front of “something solid, like the connection between her soul and body,” which was between her and her husband. The old countess, with her maternal instinct, guessed that “all Natasha’s impulses began only with the need to have a family, to have a husband.” And when they appeared, she gave them all of herself, served only them and all her interests, her whole life were focused on them. She fulfilled Pierre’s every wish, tried to guess his thoughts and will. Those around her noticed that she was arguing with them using her husband’s words. Often, when they argued, Pierre found in Natasha’s words his own thought, cleared of all superficial things. The wife unconsciously was a reflection of himself, absorbing all the best that she found in her husband.
In the epilogue of the novel "War and Peace" Tolstoy exalts the spiritual unity of people, which forms the basis of nepotism. Was created new family, in which seemingly different principles - the Rostovs and the Bolkonskys - were combined. “As in every real family, in the Lysogorsk house several completely different worlds lived together, which, each maintaining its own peculiarity and making concessions to one another, merged into one harmonious whole.”
Family is the most valuable thing in our life. We spend our whole lives with her, share joy and happiness, grief and despair, experience ordinary situations and celebrate special moments. You can always trust our relatives; they will never deceive or abandon you. Family is close people who will forgive us any offense and help us in everything.
Many works of literature examine “family thought,” showing the relationships of generations, the relationships of relatives, family values and traditions. Each family described by writers is unique, so I am with great interest I read works about families.
Warm and tender feelings arise after reading “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom” by Ermolai Erasmus. They are a symbol of family, love and fidelity. Fevronia, a peasant woman, healed the prince from a serious illness, and as payment for treatment, she wished him to marry her.
Peter fulfilled his promise only the second time, when he fell ill again. The couple carried their love for each other through all the trials and died at the same time. I admire the loyalty and sincerity of this family's feelings.
Another one of my favorite works is the epic novel by Lyuv Nikolaevich Tolstoy “War and Peace,” permeated with “family thought.” The novel intersects different family lines and reveals stories different families. For example, the Rostov family is distinguished by its kindness, emotional responsiveness, sincerity of feelings, and readiness to help. It is here that patriots who go to death for Russia, such as Petya Rostov, grow up. In this family they love each other, children trust their parents, and they respect their opinions.
The image of the Rostovs is the ideal of the inviolability of the family nest. A slightly different Bolkonsky family is characterized by special spirituality. The head of the family, Prince Nikolai, is harsh, values intelligence and activity in people, therefore, while raising his children, he develops these qualities in them. The Bolkonskys are honest and decent people who try to live according to the laws of justice. The opposite of these family lines are the Kuragins. Behind the brightness and beauty of this family are false, greedy and rude people. For them, the most important thing is money and position in society. But, according to Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, family relationships are built precisely on love, mutual assistance and understanding.
No less interesting and beloved is Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons,” which deals with the problem of relationships between generations, that is, fathers and children. Main character Bazarov denies all the foundations of society, including family and family values. Deep down, he loves his parents, but pays little attention to their feelings and experiences. Bazarov rarely comes to his father and mother, and when he arrives at home, he hardly communicates with them. But when their son became seriously ill, it was his parents who began to look after him. After Eugene's death, they often go to the cemetery, grieving for him. Opposite relationships in the family of Bazarov’s friend. Kirsanov loves his father and respects his decisions. Having learned about the appearance of his brother, Arkady, instead of condemning him, shows love and care for the boy and meets his father’s beloved. Kirsanov and Bazarov are very different people who have opposing views on family relationships. The friendship that arose between them is very surprising.
So, “family thought” is one of the leading themes of Russian literature. And this is not an accident. After all family is the basis a society in which love, loyalty, mutual understanding and mutual assistance should be present. I believe that relatives are our support and support.
Updated: 2017-08-22
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“Family thought” was first seriously touched upon by Tolstoy in “Childhood.” He depicts his family, its climate, the relationship between children and parents and the influence of the family atmosphere on himself. The apogee of the development of “family thought” in Tolstoy’s work was the novel “Anna Karenina”. The novel “War and Peace” examines the Patriotic War of 1812 through the prism of “family thought.” The novel “War and Peace” describes the lives of several noble families: Rostov, Bolkonsky and Kuragin.Bolkonsky and Rostov - these are the families with whom Tolstoy sympathizes. From them come Marya and Andrei Bolkonsky, Natasha - the writer’s favorite characters. The members of these families were subjected to three main tests by the writer: social life, love, war. Families are shown not in isolation from the surrounding world, but in close contact with it and contacts with each other. It is in this way that Tolstoy reveals the “family thought.” In the Rostov family, it was customary not to be afraid to express their feelings: cry, fall in love. This was one of the most hospitable families in Moscow. In addition to their children, they raised Boris and Sonya. An atmosphere of universal love and trust reigned in the house. Love binds all family members. It manifests itself in sensitivity, attention, and closeness. With the Rostovs, everything is sincere, it comes from the heart. In this family, cordiality, hospitality, hospitality reign, and the traditions and customs of Russian life are preserved. Only from such a family can children like Nikolai and Natasha come out. These are people with a strong intuitive beginning, but do not carry any spiritual values. That is why they are drawn to the Bolkonsky family, who carry moral and spiritual values.The Bolkonsky family has a spartan atmosphere. It’s not customary to cry here, they don’t like guests here, everything here is subordinated to reason. This is an old aristocratic family. In addition to blood ties, the members of this family are also connected by spiritual closeness. Nikolai Andreevich, loving his daughter, forces her to study natural sciences, believing that she is completely bad. However, the princess’s spiritual foundations prevail. The happiness given to her at the end of the novel is a reward for suffering. Prince Andrey is the image of a real man: strong-willed, strong, practical, educated, moderately sensitive.These two families form, as it were, two halves, and it is quite natural that they are attracted to each other, and they form harmonious couples. The spiritual and practical are reunited in the pair Nikolai - Princess Marya. The same thing should have happened between Prince Andrei and Natasha, but Bolkonsky’s death prevents this. Tolstoy contrasts the Kuragin family with Rostov and Bolkonsky. Kuragins are a symbol of a degraded family, a family in which material interests are placed above spiritual ones. The members of this family appear before us in all their insignificance, vulgarity, callousness, and greed. Kuragins live artificial life, they are selfishly occupied with everyday interests. The family is devoid of spirituality. For Helen and Anatole, the main thing in life is the satisfaction of their base desires. They are completely disconnected from folk life, live in a brilliant but cold world, where all feelings are perverted. Prince Vasily is so carried away by secular affairs that he has lost all human essence. According to Tolstoy, this family has no right to exist, almost all of its members die. The family of Vera and Berg can be compared with the Kuragins. Their whole life consists of imitating others. Their motto is “like others.” This family will be given children, but they will certainly be moral monsters.The couple Natasha Rostova - Pierre Bezukhov becomes the ideal of a harmonious family. All of Pierre’s spiritual quests and all of Natasha’s tireless energy went towards creating a strong and reliable family. It is safe to say that their children will grow up healthy physically and morally. By showing three families most fully in the novel, Tolstoy makes it clear to the reader that the future belongs to families such as the Rostov and Bolkonsky families, who embody sincerity of feelings and high spirituality.
