Tolstoy war and peace. Essay on the topic “female images in the novel l.n.
In Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" there are a huge number of interesting female characters. The images of women in the novel are revealed and evaluated by the author using his favorite technique - the contrast between internal and external.
Here is an essay on the topic “ Women's images in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy's WAR AND PEACE" for 10th grade. I hope the essay will help you prepare for your Russian literature lesson.
Female images in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"
In the famous novel by L.N. Tolstoy depicts many human destinies, different characters, bad and good. It is the opposition of good and evil, morality and recklessness that lies at the heart of Tolstoy’s novel. At the center of the story are the fates of the writer’s favorite heroes - Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky, Natasha and Marya Bolkonskaya. All of them are united by a sense of goodness and beauty, they are looking for their way in the world, striving for happiness and love.
But, of course, women have their own special purpose, given by nature itself; she is, first of all, a mother, a wife. For Tolstoy this is indisputable. The world of family is the basis of human society, and the mistress of it is a woman. The images of women in the novel are revealed and evaluated by the author using his favorite technique - contrasting the internal and external images of a person.
We see the ugliness of Princess Marya, but “ beautiful, radiant eyes "light up that face amazing light. Having fallen in love with Nikolai Rostov, the princess is transformed at the moment of meeting him so that Mademoiselle almost does not recognize her: “ chest, feminine notes “There is grace and dignity in the movements.
“For the first time, all the pure spiritual work that she had lived until now came out ” and made the heroine’s face beautiful.
We don’t notice any particular attractiveness in Natasha Rostova’s appearance either. Eternally changeable, on the move, responding violently to everything that happens around her, Natasha can “to open your big mouth, becoming completely stupid”, “to roar like a child”, “only because Sonya was crying ”, she may grow old and change beyond recognition from grief after Andrei’s death. It is precisely this variability in life in Natasha that Tolstoy likes because her appearance is a reflection richest world her feelings.
Unlike Tolstoy's favorite heroines - Natasha Rostova and Princess Marya, Helen is the embodiment of external beauty and at the same time strange immobility, fossilization. Tolstoy constantly mentions her " monotonous ”, « unchanging "smile and" antique beauty of the body ". She resembles a beautiful but soulless statue. It is not for nothing that the author does not mention her pelvis at all, which, on the contrary, in positive heroines always attracts our attention. Helen is good in appearance, but she is the personification of immorality and depravity. For the beautiful Helen, marriage is the path to enrichment. She cheats on her husband constantly, the animal nature prevails in her nature. Pierre, her husband, is struck by her inner rudeness. Helen is childless. " I'm not stupid enough to have children “,” she says blasphemous words. Not being divorced, she decides who she should marry, unable to choose one of her two suitors. Mysterious death Helen is associated with the fact that she is entangled in her own intrigues. Such is this heroine, her attitude to the sacrament of marriage, to the responsibilities of a woman. But for Tolstoy, this is the most important thing in assessing the heroines of the novel.
Princess Marya and Natasha become wonderful wives. Not everything is available to Natasha in Pierre’s intellectual life, but with her soul she understands his actions and helps her husband in everything. Princess Marya captivates Nicholas with spiritual wealth, which is not given to his simple nature. Under the influence of his wife, his unbridled temper softens, for the first time he realizes his rudeness towards men. Marya does not understand Nikolai's economic worries, she is even jealous of her husband for them. But harmony family life and lies in the fact that husband and wife seem to complement and enrich each other, making up one whole. Temporary misunderstandings and mild conflicts are resolved here through reconciliation.
Marya and Natasha are wonderful mothers, but Natasha is more concerned about the health of the children (Tolstoy shows how she takes care of her youngest son). Marya amazingly penetrates into the child’s character, takes care of the spiritual and moral education. We see that the heroines are similar in the main, most valuable qualities for the author - they are given the ability to subtly feel the mood of loved ones, to share other people's grief, they selflessly love their family. A very important quality of Natasha and Marya is naturalness and artlessness. They are not able to play a role, do not depend on prying eyes, and can violate etiquette. At her first ball, Natasha stands out precisely for her spontaneity and sincerity in expressing her feelings. Princess Marya, at the decisive moment of her relationship with Nikolai Rostov, forgets that she wanted to remain aloof and polite. She sits, thinking bitterly, then cries, and Nikolai, sympathizing with her, goes beyond the scope of small talk. As always, with Tolstoy everything is finally decided by a look that expresses feelings more freely than words: “ and the distant, impossible suddenly became close, possible and inevitable «.
In his novel “War and Peace,” the writer conveys to us his love for life, which appears in all its charm and completeness. And, considering the female images of the novel, we are once again convinced of this.
The female image in the novel “War and Peace” by L. N. Tolstoy is, one might say, the theme of a separate work. With its help, the author shows us his attitude to life, understanding of a woman’s happiness and her purpose. The pages of the book present many characters and destinies of representatives of the fair sex: Natasha Rostova, Maria Bolkonskaya, Lisa Bolkonskaya, Sonya, Helen Kuragina. Each of them is worthy of our attention and shows the attitude of the great writer towards this. So, let’s try to remember who embodies the female character in the novel “War and Peace”. We will pay attention to several heroines who appear on the pages of the work.
Natasha Rostova at the beginning of the novel
This female image in the novel “War and Peace” requires the greatest attention of the author; it is to Natasha that he devotes many pages of his creation. The heroine, of course, arouses the keenest interest of readers. At the beginning of the work she is a child, but a little later a young enthusiastic girl appears before us. We can see her gracefully twirling in a dance, smiling, looking at life as if it were a just-opened book, full of mysteries, miracles, and adventures. This is an amazingly kind and open young lady who loves the whole world and trusts it. Every day of her life is a real holiday, she is her parents' favorite. It seems that such an easy character will definitely give her a happy, carefree life with a loving husband.
She is fascinated by beauty moonlit night, she sees something beautiful in every moment. Such enthusiasm wins the heart of Andrei Bolkonsky, who accidentally overheard a conversation between Natasha and Sonya. Natasha, of course, also falls in love with him easily, joyfully, selflessly. However, her feeling has not stood the test of time; with the same readiness she accepts the courtship of Anatoly Kuragin. Andrei cannot forgive her for this, which he confesses to his friend, Pierre Bezukhov. It is difficult to blame Natasha for infidelity, because she is so young and so wants to learn more about life. This is the young female image in the novel War and Peace.
Natasha Rostova. Trials in life
However, the girl faces many trials that greatly change her character. Who knows, perhaps if Natasha had not faced life’s difficulties, she would have grown into a narcissistic egoist, thinking only about her interests and joys, unable to make her husband and children happy.
She readily undertakes to care for the dying Andrei Bolkonsky, showing herself as a completely mature, adult person.
After Andrei’s death, Natasha is very grieving and has a hard time experiencing his passing. Now we are no longer looking at a cheerful coquette, but a serious young woman who has experienced a loss.
The next blow in her life is the death of her brother Petya. She cannot indulge in grief, since her mother needs help, almost because of the loss of her son. Natasha spends day and night at her bedside, talking to her. Her gentle voice calms the countess, who has turned from a youthful woman into an old woman.
We see before us a completely different captivating female image in the novel War and Peace. Natasha Rostova is now completely different, she easily sacrifices her interests for the sake of the happiness of others. It seems as if all the warmth that her parents gave her is now poured out onto those around her.
Natasha Rostova at the end of the novel
For many, the favorite female character in the novel “War and Peace” is the image of Natasha Rostova. This heroine is loved by the author himself; it is not without reason that he pays so much attention to her. At the end of the work we see Natasha as the mother of a large family who lives by caring for loved ones. Now she does not at all resemble the young girl who was in front of us on the first pages of the work. The happiness of this woman is the well-being and health of her children and husband Pierre. Empty pastime and idleness are alien to her. She gives back with even greater force the love she received at a tender age.
Of course, Natasha is now not so graceful and beautiful, she doesn’t take very good care of herself, and wears simple clothes. This woman lives in the interests of people close to her, devoting herself entirely to her husband and children.
Surprisingly, she is absolutely happy. It is known that a person is capable only when he lives in the interests of loved ones, because loved ones are an extension of ourselves. Love for children is also love for oneself, only in a broader sense.
This is how L.N. Tolstoy described this amazing female image in the novel “War and Peace.” Natasha Rostova, it’s difficult to talk about her briefly, is the ideal woman of the writer himself. He admires her graceful youth, admires the matured heroine and makes her a happy mother and wife. Tolstoy believed that the greatest happiness for a woman is marriage and motherhood. Only then will her life be filled with meaning.
L.N. Tolstoy also shows us how different female attractiveness can be. At a young age, admiration for the world and openness to everything new certainly delight others. However, such behavior in an adult lady may seem ridiculous. Just imagine if the beauty of the night was admired not by a young girl, but by a lady more mature age. Most likely, she would look ridiculous. Every age has its own beauty. Caring for loved ones makes an adult woman happy, and her spiritual beauty makes others admire her.
When high school students are asked to write an essay on the topic “My favorite female character in the novel “War and Peace”,” everyone, without exception, writes about Natasha Rostova, although, if desired, of course, they could write about someone else. This once again confirms that generally accepted human values have been defined in the world for a long time, and the heroine of a novel written more than a hundred years ago still evokes sympathy.
Marya Bolkonskaya
Another favorite female character of the author in the novel “War and Peace” is Marya Bolkonskaya, Andrei Bolkonsky’s sister. Unlike Natasha, she did not have the liveliness of character and attractiveness. As Tolstoy writes about Marya Nikolaevna, she was ugly: weak body, thin face. The girl meekly obeyed her father, who wanted to develop her activity and intelligence, being confident in her daughter’s absolute unpretentiousness. Her life consisted of classes in algebra and geometry.
However, the extraordinary decoration of this woman’s face were her eyes, which the author himself calls the mirror of the soul. It was they who made her face “more attractive than beauty.” Marya Nikolaevna's eyes, large and always sad, radiated kindness. This author gives them an amazing description.
The female image in the novel “War and Peace”, embodied by Marya Nikolaevna, is an absolute virtue. From the way the author writes about her, it becomes clear how much he admires such women, whose existence is sometimes unnoticed.
Andrei Bolkonsky’s sister, like Natasha, loves her family, although she was never pampered, she was brought up in strictness. Marya tolerated her father and respected him. She couldn’t even think about discussing Nikolai Andreevich’s decisions; she was in awe of everything he did.
Marya Nikolaevna is very impressionable and kind. She is saddened by her father's bad mood, she sincerely rejoices at the arrival of her fiancé, Anatoly Kuragin, in whom she sees kindness, masculinity, and generosity.
Like any good woman, Marya, of course, dreams of children. She endlessly believes in fate, in the will of the Almighty. Bolkonsky’s sister does not dare to desire anything for herself; her noble, deep nature is incapable of envy.
Marya Nikolaevna's naivety does not allow her to see human vices. She sees in everyone a reflection of her own pure soul: love, kindness, decency.
Marya is one of those who are truly happy with the happiness of others. This smart and bright woman is simply not capable of anger, envy, revenge and other base feelings.
So, the second delightful female character in the novel “War and Peace” is Marya Bolkonskaya. Perhaps Tolstoy loves her no less than Natasha Rostova, although he does not pay so much attention to her. She is like the ideal author that Natasha will come to after many years. Having neither children nor family, she finds her happiness in giving warmth to other people.
Women's happiness of Marya Bolkonskaya
Bolkonsky’s sister was not mistaken: without wanting anything for herself, she nevertheless met a man who sincerely loved her. Marya became the wife of Nikolai Rostov.
Two, it would seem, completely different people fit each other perfectly. Each of them experienced disappointment: Marya - in Anatol Kuragin, Nikolai - in Alexander the First. Nikolai turned out to be the person who was able to increase the wealth of the Bolkonsky family, making his wife’s life happy.
Marya surrounds her husband with care and understanding: she approves of his desire to improve himself through hard work, through housekeeping and caring for the peasants.
The female image in the novel "War and Peace", embodied by Marya Bolkonskaya, is a portrait real woman, accustomed to sacrificing herself for the well-being of others and being happy because of this.
Marya Bolkonskaya and Natasha Rostova
Natasha Rostova, whom we see at the beginning of the work, is absolutely not like Marya: she wants happiness for herself. Andrei Bolkonsky’s sister, like her brother, puts a sense of duty, faith, and religion first.
However, the older Natasha gets, the more she resembles Princess Marya in that she wishes happiness for others. However, they are different. Natasha's happiness can be called more down-to-earth; she lives by everyday chores and activities.
Marya is more concerned about the mental well-being of loved ones.
Sonya
The niece of Natasha Rostova's father is another female image. In the novel War and Peace, Sonya seemingly exists only to show Natasha's best qualities.
This girl, on the one hand, is very positive: she is reasonable, decent, kind, and ready to sacrifice herself. If we talk about her appearance, then she is very good. She is a slender, graceful brunette with long eyelashes and a luxurious braid.
Initially, Nikolai Rostov was in love with her, but they were unable to get married because Nikolai's parents insisted on postponing the wedding.
A girl's life is more subordinated to reason than to feelings. Tolstoy does not really like this heroine, despite all of her. He leaves her lonely.
Lisa Bolkonskaya
Liza Bolkonskaya is, one might say, a supporting heroine, the wife of Prince Andrei. In the world they call her “the little princess.” She is remembered by readers thanks to her pretty upper lip with a mustache. Lisa is an attractive person, even this small flaw gives the young woman a unique charm that is unique to her. She is good, full of vitality and health. This woman easily endures her delicate position, and everyone around her has fun watching her.
It is important for Lisa to be in society; she is spoiled, even capricious. She is not inclined to think about the meaning of life, leads the usual lifestyle for a society lady, loves empty conversations in salons and at evenings, and enjoys new outfits. Bolkonsky's wife does not understand her husband, Prince Andrei, who considers it important to benefit society.
Lisa loves him superficially, as if they were just about to get married. For her, he is a background that fits into the ideas of society ladies about what a husband should be like. Lisa doesn’t understand his thoughts about the meaning of life; it seems to her that everything is simple.
It's hard for them to be together. Andrei is forced to accompany her to balls and other social events, which becomes completely unbearable for him.
This is perhaps the simplest female character in the novel War and Peace. Liza Bolkonskaya remained unchanged from the first edition of the novel. Its prototype was the wife of one of Tolstoy’s relatives, Princess Volkonskaya.
Despite the complete lack of mutual understanding between the spouses, Andrei Bolkonsky, in a conversation with Pierre, notes that she is a rare woman with whom you can be calm about your own honor.
When Andrei leaves for the war, Lisa moves into his father's house. Her superficiality is once again confirmed by the fact that she prefers to communicate with Mademoiselle Bourrienne rather than with Princess Marya.
Lisa had a presentiment that she would not be able to survive childbirth, and so it happened. She treated everyone with love and did not wish harm to anyone. Her face spoke of this even after death.
Lisa Bolkonskaya's character flaw is that she is superficial and selfish. However, this does not prevent her from being gentle, affectionate, and good-natured. She is a pleasant and cheerful conversationalist.
However, Tolstoy treats her coldly. He does not like this heroine because of her spiritual emptiness.
Helen Kuragina
The last female character in the novel “War and Peace” is Helen Kuragina. Or rather, this is the last heroine we will write about in this article.
Of all the women who appear on the pages of this grandiose novel, Helen is certainly the most beautiful and luxurious.
For her beautiful appearance are selfishness, vulgarity, intellectual and spiritual underdevelopment. Helen realizes the power of her beauty and uses it.
She achieves everything she wants through her own appearance. Having become accustomed to this state of affairs, this woman stopped striving for personal development.
Helene becomes the wife of Pierre Bezukhov solely because of his rich inheritance. She does not really strive to create a strong family, to give birth to children.
The War of 1812 finally puts everything in its place. For the sake of her own well-being, Helen converts to Catholicism, while her compatriots unite against the enemy. This woman, whose image can be called “dead,” really dies.
Of course, the most beautiful female character in the novel “War and Peace” is Helen. Tolstoy admires her shoulders at Natasha Rostova’s first ball, but he interrupts her life, considering such an existence meaningless.
Lisa Bolkonskaya, Helen Kuragina and Natasha Rostova
As mentioned above, the deaths of Lisa and Helen were not accidental. They both lived for themselves, were capricious, selfish.
Let's remember what Natasha Rostova was like at the beginning of the novel. Just like Liza Bolkonskaya, she admired balls and high society.
Like Helen Kuragina, she was attracted to something forbidden and inaccessible. It was for this reason that she was going to run away with Anatole.
However, Natasha’s high spirituality does not allow her to remain forever a superficial fool and plunge, like Helen, into a depraved life. main character Romana accepts the difficulties that befall her, helps her mother, and takes care of the terminally ill Andrei.
The deaths of Lisa and Helen symbolize that passion for social events and the desire to try the forbidden should remain in youth. Maturity requires us to be more balanced and willing to sacrifice our own interests.
Tolstoy created a whole gallery of female images. He loved some of them, others not, but for some reason he included them in his novel. It is difficult to determine what is the best female character in the novel War and Peace. Even negative and unloved heroines were invented by the author for a reason. They show us human vices, the inability to distinguish what is feigned and superficial from what is truly important. And let everyone decide for themselves what the most attractive female character in the novel “War and Peace” is.
A short essay-discussion on literature on the topic: “War and Peace” - female characters: Natasha Rostova, Marya Bolkonskaya, Helen Kuragina. My favorite hero of the novel "War and Peace". The beauty of the soul in Tolstoy's novel.
L. N. Tolstoy created one of the most large-scale and universal works in Russian literature, touching on almost all the “eternal” problems in literature: good and evil, love and hate, honor and baseness. The writer showed the whole picture of life, in all its contrasts (this is already clear from the title). In his epic novel, L.N. Tolstoy created a whole gallery of images. In total, there are 550 heroes in War and Peace, each with individual traits. The main characters are drawn with special care, their joys and sorrows are experienced by the readers as if they were their own. Therefore, it is interesting to analyze Tolstoy’s approach to revealing female images - a complex and incomprehensible skill.
Natasha Rostova is one of the main heroines of the epic. As a child, she was a thin, black-eyed, lively girl with a big mouth. By nature, although she is spoiled, she is honest, open and brave: “Well, you see, if I kept her strictly, I forbade her... God knows what they would do on the sly (the Countess meant, they would kiss), and now I know her every word. She herself will come running in the evening and tell me everything. Maybe I’m spoiling her, but really, this seems better...” The heroine’s home life is cloudless and unclouded by anything, which is why it seems to Natasha that the whole world is at her feet. She carries these thoughts to herself in her early youth: “Natasha walked in her purple silk dress with black lace the way women know how to walk - the calmer and more majestic the more painful and ashamed she was in her soul. She knew and was not mistaken that she was good.” Natasha has good taste, a talent for singing and dancing, but her most important quality is sensitivity, which is why she is able to understand with her heart what she does not understand with her mind.
Natasha Rostova
Her calmness ended with her childhood. At her first ball, the heroine saw Andrei Bolkonsky and fell in love. Or rather, it seemed so to her. Natasha herself could not understand her feelings, and prematurely committed herself to an engagement with Andrei. But it was not love, which is why Anatol Kuragin almost seduced the inexperienced girl. Bolkonsky could not forgive this, so he broke off all relations with the bride. This plunged Natasha into a deep mental crisis. And pull yourself together, get closer to real life, and not to dreams and tragedy helped her get rid of selfishness - Patriotic War 1812. The heroine met Andrei again, but he was already on his deathbed, and she selflessly looked after him, their love turned into a kindred, Christian, universal love. But losses were not limited to Bolkonsky; Natasha lost both her brother Petya and her house in the Moscow fire. The heroine endured everything steadfastly, and fate gave her happiness in her family: she finally found true love where I wasn’t looking, with a person who was always there, with Pierre Bezukhov. Natasha was created for the family: “She grew plump and wider, so that it was difficult to recognize in this strong mother the former thin, active Natasha. Her facial features were defined and had an expression of calm softness and clarity. In her face there was not, as before, that incessantly burning fire of revival that made up her charm. Now only her face and body were often visible, but her soul was not visible at all. One strong, beautiful and fertile female was visible.” Her energy was finally directed in the right direction, the heroine found harmony.
Marya Bolkonskaya is the complete opposite of Natasha, but evokes no less positive emotions from the author. The heroine’s appearance is far from charming, only her eyes were good: “Ugly, weak body and thin face. The eyes, always sad, now looked at themselves in the mirror especially hopelessly<…>The princess’s eyes, large, deep and radiant (as if rays of warm light sometimes came out of them in sheaves), were so beautiful that very often, despite the ugliness of her entire face, these eyes became more attractive than beauty.” The girl also did not have secular talents, but her main gift was a deeply loving, pure soul. Marya is ready to take care of everyone, to feel sorry for everyone, but in the face of the harshness of life, in situations where humility and patience will not help, she is lost. The heroine is ready to renounce herself for the benefit of others: she selflessly raises her nephew Nikolenka and takes care of her extravagant father. The Patriotic War of 1812 changed her life: she was left completely alone, without protection, but she was also able to endure it, and still became stronger. A tragedy like war gave her the opportunity to find happiness in the person of Nikolai Rostov. Finally, Marya is loved and loves the way she needs it. She deserves it, because she has never done harm to anyone, something that even Natasha cannot boast of.
In contrast to the “favorite” heroines, whom the author led to happiness and harmony, it is worth paying attention to Helen Kuragina (Bezukhova). She expresses the whole world: luxurious, but deceitful and empty. Outwardly, the heroine is impeccable: dark eyes, blonde hair, radiant, calm smile, “extraordinary, antique beauty of the body.” She is aware of her beauty, emphasizes it with revealing outfits, uses it as a means of influence (this is how she seduced Pierre and married him, although she did not love him for a second). But there is nothing behind this beauty. Helen knows how to seem and not be. To seem dignified while being simply an immoral and soulless woman. Appearing smart and erudite in all matters, being limited and fixated on secular pleasures. Seeming graceful and airy, while being mean and vulgar (she tried to push Natasha into the arms of her brother, with whom, according to rumors, she herself had a relationship). Helen is unpleasant to the author, so he cannot lead her to happiness. She cheats on her husband, leaves him, renounces the Orthodox faith, divorces Pierre, and then dies from an unknown illness: “Countess Elena Bezukhova died suddenly from this terrible disease, which was so pleasant to reprimand. Officially, in large societies, everyone said that Countess Bezukhova died from a terrible attack of angine pectorale (chest sore throat).”
L.N. Tolstoy depicts the ideal of a woman in his novel. This ideal should combine the features of Marya and Natasha and exclude even a hint of Helen. First of all, the author considers spirituality and sensitivity to be the main qualities in a person. Such a woman will definitely come to happiness, despite all the trials. To forget about the soul, to seem and not to be - all this leads to the abyss, to where Helen found herself.
Interesting? Save it on your wall!In Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" a huge number of images pass before the reader. All of them are excellently depicted by the author, lively and interesting. Tolstoy himself divided his heroes into positive and negative, and not just into secondary and main ones. Thus, positivity was emphasized by the dynamic nature of the character, while staticity and hypocrisy indicated that the hero was far from perfect.
In the novel, several images of women appear before us. And they are also divided by Tolstoy into two groups.
The first includes female images that lead a false, artificial life. All their aspirations are aimed at achieving one single goal - a high position in society. These include Anna Scherer, Helen Kuragina, Julie Karagina and other representatives of high society.
The second group includes those who lead a true, real, natural lifestyle. Tolstoy emphasizes the evolution of these heroes. These include Natasha Rostova, Marya Bolkonskaya, Sonya, Vera.
Helen Kuragina can be called an absolute genius of social life. She was as beautiful as a statue. And just as soulless. But in fashion salons, no one cares about your soul. The most important thing is how you turn your head, how gracefully you smile when greeting and what an impeccable French pronunciation you have. But Helen is not just soulless, she is vicious. Princess Kuragina marries not Pierre Bezukhov, but his inheritance.
Helen was a master at luring men by appealing to their baser instincts. So, Pierre feels something bad, dirty in his feelings for Helen. She offers herself to anyone who is able to provide her with a rich life full of secular pleasures: “Yes, I am a woman who can belong to anyone, including you.”
Helen cheated on Pierre, she had a well-known affair with Dolokhov. And Count Bezukhov was forced to fight a duel in defense of his honor. The passion that clouded his eyes quickly passed, and Pierre realized what a monster he was living with. Of course, the divorce turned out to be good for him.
It is important to note that in the characteristics of Tolstoy’s favorite heroes, their eyes occupy a special place. Eyes are the mirror of the soul. Helen doesn't have it. As a result, we learn that the life of this heroine ends sadly. She dies of illness. Thus, Tolstoy pronounces sentence on Helen Kuragina.
Tolstoy's favorite heroines in the novel are Natasha Rostova and Marya Bolkonskaya.
Marya Bolkonskaya is not famous for her beauty. She looks like a frightened animal because she is very afraid of her father, the old Prince Bolkonsky. She is characterized by “a sad, frightened expression that rarely left her and made her ugly, painful face even more ugly...”. Only one feature shows us her inner beauty: “the princess’s eyes, large, deep and radiant (as if rays of warm light sometimes came out of them in sheaves), were so beautiful that very often... these eyes became more attractive than beauty.”
Marya devoted her life to her father, being his irreplaceable support and support. She has a very deep connection with the whole family, with her father and brother. This connection manifests itself in moments of emotional turmoil.
Distinctive feature Marya, like her entire family, has high spirituality and great inner strength. After the death of her father, surrounded by French troops, the grief-stricken princess nevertheless proudly rejects the French general’s offer of patronage and leaves Bogucharovo. In the absence of men in an extreme situation, she manages the estate alone and does it wonderfully. At the end of the novel, this heroine marries and becomes happy wife and mother.
The most charming image of the novel is that of Natasha Rostova. The work shows her spiritual path from a thirteen-year-old girl to a married woman, mother of many children.
From the very beginning, Natasha was characterized by cheerfulness, energy, sensitivity, and a subtle perception of goodness and beauty. She grew up in the morally pure atmosphere of the Rostov family. Her best friend there was the resigned Sonya, an orphan. The image of Sonya is not drawn out so carefully, but in some scenes (explanation of the heroine and Nikolai Rostov), the reader is struck by the pure and noble soul of this girl. Only Natasha notices that “something is missing” in Sonya... She really does not have the liveliness and fire characteristic of Rostova, but the tenderness and meekness so beloved by the author excuses everything.
The author emphasizes the deep connection of Natasha and Sonya with the Russian people. This is great praise for the heroines from their creator. For example, Sonya fits perfectly into the atmosphere Christmas fortune telling and caroling. Natasha “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.” Emphasizing the folk basis of his heroines, Tolstoy very often shows them against the backdrop of Russian nature.
Natasha's appearance, at first glance, is ugly, but her inner beauty ennobles her. Natasha always remains herself, never pretends, unlike her secular acquaintances. The expression of Natasha's eyes is very diverse, as are the manifestations of her soul. They are “shining”, “curious”, “provocative and somewhat mocking”, “desperately animated”, “stopped”, “pleading”, “frightened” and so on.
The essence of Natasha's life is love. She, despite all the hardships, carries it in her heart and finally becomes the embodied ideal of Tolstoy. Natasha turns into a mother who completely devotes herself to her children and husband. There are no interests in her life other than family ones. So she became truly happy.
All the heroines of the novel, to one degree or another, represent the worldview of the author himself. Natasha, for example, is a favorite heroine because she fully meets Tolstoy’s own needs for a woman. And Helen is “killed” by the author for not being able to appreciate the warmth of the hearth.
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“War and Peace” is, without a doubt, one of the pinnacles of Russian literature. Leo Tolstoy touches on acute social and philosophical problems. But also worthy of attention are the female characters in the novel “War and Peace,” which represent the roles of female characters - both in times of war and peace.
Prototypes of female images of “War and Peace”
We invite curious readers to familiarize themselves with what is described in Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”
Leo Tolstoy admitted to Mitrofan Polivanov, a childhood friend and former fiancé of Sofia Andreevna, that his family served as inspiration for creating the image of the Rostov family. In correspondence with Polivanov, memoirist Tatyana Kuzminskaya - the sister of Sofia Tolstoy - notes that Boris is based on the image of Mitrofan himself, Vera - on Lisa (especially the features of sedateness and attitude towards others). The writer endowed Countess Rostova with the features of a mother-in-law - the mother of Sofia Andreevna and Tatyana. Kuzminskaya also found common features between themselves and the image of Natasha Rostova.
In addition to the fact that Tolstoy took many of the traits and qualities of the characters from real people, the writer also mentioned in the novel many events that happened in reality. For example, Kuzminskaya recalls the episode of her wedding with the Mimi doll. It is known that Leo Tolstoy highly appreciated the literary talents of “Bersov”, that is, his wife, Tatyana Kuzminskaya and his own children. Therefore, Berses occupy a significant place in War and Peace.
Viktor Shklovsky, however, believes that the issue of prototypes is not resolved unambiguously. The critic recalls the stories of the first readers of War and Peace, who actually recognized images of people in the work - their friends and loved ones. But now, according to Shklovsky, we cannot adequately say that such and such a person served as the prototype for this character. Most often they talk about the image of Natasha Rostova and the fact that Tolstoy chose Tatyana Kuzminskaya as the prototype for the heroine. But Shklovsky makes a remark: modern readers did not know and could not know Kuzminskaya, and therefore it is impossible to objectively judge how Tatyana Andreevna matches Natasha’s features (or vice versa – Natasha – Tatyana). There is another version of the “origin” of the image of the younger Countess Rostova: Tolstoy allegedly borrowed the “template” of the character from some English novel, adding the qualities of Sofia Andreevna. In his letters, Lev Nikolaevich himself says that the image of Natasha Rostova is a mix, a “mixture” characteristic features women who mattered in the writer's life.
Maria, Andrei Bolkonsky’s sister, is based on the writer’s mother, Maria Volkonskaya. It is noteworthy that in this case Tolstoy did not change the name of the heroine, leaving it as similar as possible to the name of the prototype. The Senior Countess of Rostov bears resemblance to the author’s grandmother: we're talking about about Pelageya Tolstoy. The writer’s attitude towards these heroines is emphasized tender and warm. It is clear that Tolstoy invested a lot of effort and emotion into the creation of female characters.
Dear book lovers! We bring to your attention the novel “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy.
Rostov occupies a special place. The family's surname was formed by transforming the writer's surname. This explains why among the images of the Rostovs there are so many similarities with the family and relatives of Leo Tolstoy.
Interesting details surround another prototype of the heroine of War and Peace, Lisa Bolkonskaya, the wife of Prince Andrei. Readers sometimes ask why Tolstoy treated this character so cruelly: as we remember, the literary Liza Bolkonskaya is dying. This image was generated by the personality of the wife of the second cousin of the author of “War and Peace” (Alexander Volkonsky) - Louise Ivanovna Volkonskaya-Truson. Tolstoy describes unusual and “best” memories that relate specifically to Louise. There is a version that 23-year-old Tolstoy was in love with a 26-year-old flirtatious relative. It is curious that the writer denied that the prototype of Lisa is Louise Volkonskaya. However, Sofya Andreevna, the author’s wife, wrote that she found similarities between Lisa and Louise Ivanovna.
The reader will certainly find many similarities between the people who surrounded Tolstoy and the images created by the writer. But it is worth mentioning one more thought of Viktor Shklovsky: prototypes are the tragedy of the author, who tries to hide from the prototypes in the novel, to avoid parallels with real persons, which never works.
The female theme in the novel by Leo Tolstoy
The title of the work forces the writer to divide the novel into two parts - war and peace. War is traditionally associated with masculine traits, with cruelty and rudeness, and the coldness of life. The world is identified with the regularity, predictable calm of everyday life and the image of a woman. However, Lev Nikolaevich demonstrates that during periods of the highest tension of human strength, in a situation, for example, war, masculine and feminine traits are mixed in one person. Therefore, the women in the novel are meek and patient, but at the same time, strong in spirit, capable of bold and desperate actions.
Natasha Rostova
The young Countess of Rostov is the writer’s favorite. This can be felt in the tenderness with which the creator of War and Peace approaches writing the image of the heroine. The reader witnesses the changes happening to Natasha as the events of the novel develop. Something in the younger Rostova remains unchanged: the desire to love, devotion, sincerity and simplicity, whimsically combined with the sophistication of nature.
At the beginning of the story, the Countess appears as a child. Natasha is 13-14 years old, we know something of the girl’s background. Natasha's first childhood love was Boris Drubetskoy, who lived next door to the Rostov estate. Boris will later leave his father's house to serve under Kutuzov. The theme of love will continue to occupy a significant place in Natasha’s life.
The reader first meets the young countess in the Rostov house. The episode is the name day of the eldest countess and the youngest daughter, both Natasha. The youngest Rostova behaves flirtatiously and a little capriciously, because she understands that the sweet child is allowed everything on this day. Parents love their daughter. Peace reigns in the Rostov family, an atmosphere of hospitality and friendliness.
Then, before the eyes of the readers, Natasha turns into a girl who grows up, forms a worldview and a picture of the world, studying her awakening sensuality. From a small, lively, ugly, constantly laughing, big-mouthed girl suddenly grows into an adult, romantic and sophisticated girl. Natasha's heart is ready to open to great feelings. At this time, the Countess meets Prince Bolkonsky, who lost his wife and experienced a spiritual crisis after the military events. Prince Andrey, who, it would seem, is the direct opposite of the younger Countess Rostova, proposes to the girl. The prince's decision is accompanied by internal struggle and doubts about Natasha.
Natasha is not depicted as ideal: the girl is no stranger to mistakes, frivolous actions, and what can be called humanity. Rostova is amorous and flighty. At the insistence of his father, Andrei Bolkonsky postponed his engagement to Natasha for a year, but the girl did not pass the test, being carried away by the handsome but womanizer Anatoly Kuragin. Rostov takes Anatoly's betrayal seriously, even trying to commit suicide. But music and a passion for art help Natasha to withstand the wind of life’s difficulties.
After the war with Napoleon, Natasha again meets an old childhood friend, Pierre Bezukhov. Rostova sees purity in Pierre. In one of the dialogues of the novel, Bezukhov, who returned from the war, was in captivity, and rethought his life, is compared to a man who has taken a bath. In her relationship with Pierre, Natasha shows completely different traits from her youthful image: now she is a woman, mature, confident in her feelings, a devoted mother and wife, serious, but still in need of love.
Special emphasis should be placed on Natasha’s patriotism. During the retreat from Moscow, the girl insisted that the carts on which the family belongings were transported be cleared for the wounded. By sacrificing property, Natasha demonstrates her understanding of the value of the life of a simple soldier. This image is reminiscent of the story of how the daughters of the latter Russian Emperor, during the First World War, worked in the hospital as ordinary nurses, changing bandages for sick and wounded soldiers.
Natasha is filled with passion for life, she is a charming, light, cheerful girl. Rostova manages to maintain this lightness even while caring for the dying Prince Andrei. Despite the past, Natasha selflessly takes care of the seriously wounded Bolkonsky: the prince dies in the arms of his former bride.
Elder Princess of Rostov
Natalya, Natasha Rostova's mother, is described as a wise and mature woman. The heroine, the mother of the family, is supposed to be strict. In fact, the woman is kind and loving, only feigning anger at capricious children - for educational purposes.
It is typical for the Rostovs not to draw a moral line between themselves and the common people. This is combined with the liberal tendencies that dominated among the nobles at that time. Contrary to the accepted rules of good manners, the eldest Rostova is a compassionate person, striving to help friends and acquaintances in need.
At first glance, Natalya Rostova gives children complete freedom of choice. But, if you take a closer look, the Countess, like a mother, is worried about the future of her children. Natalya is trying to keep Boris Drubetsky away from his youngest daughter and make sure that Nikolai makes a profitable match. To achieve this, Natalya does not allow her son to marry his beloved, Sophia. The girl was a relative of Nikolai Rostov, but did not have a penny behind her, which embarrassed the young man’s mother. The image of the senior Countess Rostova is an expression of pure and all-consuming mother's love.
Vera Rostova
The image of Natasha’s sister, Vera, is located a little to the side on the map of War and Peace characters. Vera's beauty is oppressed by the coldness of the girl's nature. Leo Tolstoy emphasizes that Natasha, despite the ugliness of her facial features, created the impression of a very pretty person. This effect was achieved due to the beauty of the inner world. Vera, on the contrary, was attractive in appearance, but the girl’s inner world was far from perfect.
Vera is described as an unsociable, withdrawn young lady. The girl’s face sometimes even became unpleasant. Vera is a selfish nature and focused on her own person, so Vera did not like the company of her younger brothers and sister.
Vera Rostova’s character trait is self-absorption, which distinguished the girl from the rest of her relatives, who are more likely to have a sincere attitude towards others. Vera becomes the wife of a certain Colonel Berg: this match suits the girl’s character very well.
Lisa Bolkonskaya
Prince Andrei's wife. A hereditary aristocrat who came from an influential noble family. For example, Lev Nikolaevich writes that Kutuzov himself was the girl’s uncle. As a girl, the heroine’s name was Lisa Meinen, but the reader is not told anything about Lisa’s childhood, parents and teenage life. We know this character only by " adult life».
Liza’s relationship with the Bolkonskys is neutral. Lisa appears petite, light and cheerful girl, balancing the difficult character of Prince Andrei. However, Bolkonsky is tired of his wife's company. In a fit of mental turmoil, the prince leaves for war. Pregnant Lisa is awaiting her husband's return. But marital happiness was not destined to come true, since on the day of Andrei’s arrival, Lisa dies in childbirth. It is tragic that, upon returning, Andrei firmly decided to try to start his relationship with his wife from scratch. Lisa's death upsets Bolkonsky: the prince falls into a state of gloom and depression for a long time.
The cheerful Lisa is liked by all the guests who come to the Bolkonskys’ house. However, the relationship with her husband is not the best in the best possible way. Before marriage, romance reigned between the future spouses, but in the process of family life disappointment comes. Lisa and Andrey are not united by a common outlook on life or common goals: the spouses live as if separately. Lisa is a big child. The woman is capricious, a little eccentric, and observation is not typical for the princess. In general, the princess is kind and sincere.
Marya Bolkonskaya
The sister of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky is a merciful and deep girl. The first impression of Princess Marya is that she is an unhappy girl suffering from her own unattractiveness, sad and withdrawn. The princess, meanwhile, is kind and caring, devotedly caring for her dying father, who was always pointedly rude and tyrannical with his daughter.
Marya is distinguished by intelligence and wisdom, maturity acquired in an isolated life. The girl is adorned with eyes that focus all attention on themselves - so that the princess’s ugliness becomes unnoticeable. The uniqueness of the image of Marya Bolkonskaya requires attention to the girl’s spiritual life. Gradually the reader sees how strong the heroine’s nature is, how strong her character is. Marya protects the estate from plunder by the French and buries her father.
The girl’s dreams, meanwhile, are simple, but unattainable. Marya wants family life, warmth, children. The princess is described quite an adult girl who is about to get married. Anatol Kuragin seems to Bolkonskaya a candidate suitable for her status. But later the princess finds out that the chosen one is married. Out of sympathy for the unfortunate woman - Anatole's wife - Marya refuses marriage. However, family happiness still awaits the girl: the princess will marry Nikolai Rostov. Marriage with Nikolai is beneficial to both: for the Rostov family it is salvation from poverty, for Princess Bolkonskaya it is salvation from a lonely life.
Marya does not like Natasha. Relations between the girls improve after the death of Prince Andrei. Natasha’s selflessness, shown during her brother’s injury, helped the princess change her mind about Rostova.
Elen Kuragin
Elena Vasilievna Kuragina is a beautiful princess who became the first wife of Pierre Bezukhov. The princess looked like an antique statue, and the girl’s face was enlivened by deep, black eyes. Helen was well versed in fashion and was known as a lover of dresses and jewelry. The princess's outfits were always characterized by excessive frankness, bare shoulders and back. The reader is not told anything about Helen's age. But the heroine’s manners are truly aristocratic and stately.
A graduate of the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens, Helen showed a calm character, self-control, and upbringing worthy of a real society lady. The heroine is characterized by sociability and a love of noisy parties, which Helen organized at home, hosting “the whole of St. Petersburg.”
Helen's appearance, attention to her beauty, smile and bare shoulders characterizes the girl's soullessness, fixation exclusively on physicality. Helen is a stupid woman, not distinguished by intelligence and tall moral qualities. Meanwhile, the princess knows how to present herself, so those around her have an illusion about Helen’s intelligence. Meanness, heartlessness, emptiness - this is what distinguishes the girl. Morally, she was not far from her brother Anatole.
The narrative unfolds in such a way that the writer demonstrates Helen’s penchant for debauchery, hypocrisy, and deception. The princess turns out to be a rude and vulgar woman, but purposeful: Kuragina gets what she wants.
Helen starts numerous affairs on the side and even converts to the Catholic faith in order to divorce Pierre Bezukhov and remarry. As a result, Kuragina dies very young from an illness, presumably of a venereal nature.
