- A person who betrayed his loved one can be called dishonest
- True personality traits are revealed in difficult life situations
- Sometimes actions that seem dishonest at first glance turn out to be necessary
- A man of honor will not betray his moral principles even in the face of death
- War brings out dishonest people
- Actions done out of anger and envy are always dishonorable
- Honor must be defended
- A dishonest person sooner or later receives retribution for his actions
- A person who betrays his moral principles is dishonest
Arguments
A.S. Pushkin " Captain's daughter». In the work we see two completely opposite heroes: Peter Grinev and Alexey Shvabrin. For Petr Grinev, the concept of honor is key when making important decisions. He does not betray his principles even when he is threatened with execution: the hero refuses to swear allegiance to Pugachev. He decides to rescue Masha Mironova from the Belogorsk fortress, captured by the enemy, although this is very dangerous. When Pyotr Grinev is arrested, he tells the whole truth, but does not mention Marya Ivanovna, so as not to spoil her already miserable life. Alexey Shvabrin is a cowardly person, capable of doing vile things, looking for more profitable terms. He takes revenge on Masha Mironova for refusing to marry him, at the first opportunity he goes over to Pugachev’s side, and in a duel with Pyotr Grinev he shoots in the back. All this suggests that he is a dishonest person.
A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin". Evgeny Onegin does not perceive Tatyana Larina’s letter telling about her feelings as something serious. After the duel with Lensky, the hero leaves the village. Tatyana’s feelings do not subside; she thinks about Evgeniy all the time. Time passes. At one of the social evenings, Evgeny Onegin appears, to whom society is still alien. There he sees Tatiana. The hero explains himself to her, Tatyana also confesses her love for Onegin, but she cannot betray her husband. In this situation, Tatyana maintains her honor and dignity, respecting not her own desires, but high moral principles.
A.S. Pushkin "Mozart and Salieri". The great composer Mozart was given a gift from above. Salieri is a hard worker who has achieved success through many years of work. Out of envy, Salieri decides to do not only a dishonest, but also an inhumane act - he throws poison into Mozart's glass. Left alone, Salieri comprehends Mozart’s words about the incompatibility of villainy and genius. He cries, but does not repent. Salieri is glad that he fulfilled his “duty.”
L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace". Speaking of dishonor, it is impossible not to turn to the Kuragin family. All members of this family are immoral, devoted only to money, and only outwardly seem to be patriots. Trying to get at least part of Pierre Bezukhov's inheritance, Prince Vasily decides to marry him to his daughter Helen. She cheats on the honest, devoted, good-natured Pierre, without feeling any remorse. Anatol Kuragin commits an equally disgusting act: being married, he attracts the attention of Natasha Rostova and prepares an escape attempt, which ends in failure. Reading the work, we understand that such dishonest people cannot be truly happy. Their successes are temporary. True happiness comes from heroes like Pierre Bezukhov: moral, true to their word, truly loving their Motherland.
N.V. Gogol "Taras Bulba". Andriy, the son of Taras Bulba, betrays his father and homeland: unable to resist the power of love for a Polish woman, he goes over to the side of the enemy and fights against those whom he only recently considered comrades. Old Taras kills his son because he cannot forgive him for this dishonorable act. Ostap, the eldest son of Taras Bulba, shows himself completely differently. He fights the enemy to the last, dies in terrible agony, but remains true to his moral principles.
A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm". Katerina, who grew up in an atmosphere of love and care, cannot live well with a weak-willed husband and a wayward Kabanikha. The girl falls in love with Boris, this brings her both happiness and sorrow. Katerina's betrayal is a betrayal that she cannot survive as a moral person. The heroine decides to commit suicide, knowing that she has committed a grave sin that an already terrible society will not forgive. It is unlikely that Katerina can be called a dishonest person, despite the act she committed.
M. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man.” Andrei Sokolov, the main character of the work, is not without reason called a man of honor. Its the best moral qualities revealed themselves during the war, in captivity of the Germans. The hero told the truth about the work that the prisoners do. Someone reported on Andrei Sokolov, which is why Mueller called him. The German wanted to shoot the hero, but before his death he offered to drink “to the victory of German weapons.” Andrei Sokolov is a person incapable of such a dishonorable act, so he refused. He drank to his death, but did not eat, showing the strength of spirit of the Russian people. He refused to eat even after the second glass. Muller called Sokolov a worthy soldier and sent him back with bread and a piece of lard. For Andrei Sokolov, it was a matter of honor to divide the food among everyone, despite the fact that he himself was very hungry.
N. Karamzin “Poor Liza.” Erast, man noble origin, falls in love with Lisa, an ordinary peasant woman. At first, the young man dreams of leaving his society for the sake of their future happiness. Lisa cannot help but believe him; she is so overwhelmed by love that she gives herself over to Erast without a doubt. But the flighty young man loses at cards a large amount money, loses all his fortune. He decides to marry a rich widow, and Liza says that he is going to war. Isn't this a dishonorable act? When Lisa finds out about the deception, Erast tries to pay her off. The poor girl doesn’t need money, she doesn’t see the point in living and eventually dies.
V. Rasputin “French Lessons”. Young teacher Lidiya Mikhailovna teaches French and is class teacher the main character of the work. When the boy comes to school beaten, the traitor Tishkin reveals that he is playing for money. The teacher is in no hurry to scold the hero. Little by little, Lidia Mikhailovna learns how difficult life is for the child: his home is far away, there is little food, and there is not enough money. The teacher tries to help by inviting the boy to play for money with her. On the one hand, her action is unacceptable. On the other hand, it cannot be called bad, because it was committed for a good purpose. The director finds out that Lidiya Mikhailovna is playing with a student for money and fires her. But it is clear that there is nothing to condemn the teacher for: a seemingly dishonest act actually brings goodness.
A.P. Chekhov "The Jumper". Olga Ivanovna is married to doctor Osip Ivanovich Dymov. Her husband loves her very much. He works hard to pay for his wife's hobbies. Olga Ivanovna meets the artist Ryabovsky and cheats on her husband. Dymov guesses about the betrayal, but does not show it, but tries to work even harder and harder. The relationship between Olga Ivanovna and Ryabovsky reaches a dead end. At this time, Dymov becomes infected with diphtheria while carrying out his medical debt. When he dies, Olga Ivanovna understands how dishonest and immoral her behavior was. She admits that she has lost a truly worthy person.
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Final essay - 2016
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Direction "Honor and Dishonor"
Honor is a complex ethical and social concept associated with the assessment of such personal qualities as fidelity, justice, truthfulness, nobility, and dignity.
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“War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy
The problem of moral self-improvement of the individual has always been one of the most important in the work of Leo Tolstoy. At the center of the novel War and Peace is an image Patriotic War 1812, which stirred up the entire Russian people, showing the whole world its power and strength. The great historical upheaval revealed the true essence of each individual person.
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“The forces of twelve languages burst into Russia,” our people rose up in a holy war of liberation.
Tolstoy shows in the novel into what a powerful impulse the “hidden patriotism” grew, living in the heart of every truly Russian person who loved his homeland. the people had one goal: to cleanse their land from invasion.” The thoughts of all true patriots, from Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov to the ordinary soldier and peasant militia, were directed towards the realization of this goal.
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Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov, Vasily Denisov and captain Timokhin strived for the same goal. For her sake, young Petya Rostov gives his life. Natasha Rostova and Marya Bolkonskaya wish for victory over the enemy with all their hearts.
negative traits
Slide 8
Andrei Bolkonsky is an image that embodies the best features of representatives of the advanced noble society of his time. Bolkonsky comes into contact with commander Kutuzov and serves as his adjutant. Andrei sharply opposes secular society and staff officers, being their antipode.
We first meet Andrei Bolkonsky in the Scherer salon. Much in his behavior and appearance expresses deep disappointment in secular society, boredom from visiting living rooms, fatigue from empty and deceitful conversations. This is evidenced by his tired, bored look, the grimacing that spoiled his handsome face, the manner of squinting when looking at people. He contemptuously calls those gathered in the salon “stupid society.”
Slide 10 He has an irresistible thirst real life . His sharp, analytical mind is attracted to her; broad requests push him to great achievements. Their opportunity, according to Andrei, is opened up for him by the army and participation in military campaigns. Although he could easily stay in St. Petersburg and serve as an aide-de-camp here, he goes to where military operations are taking place. The battles of 1805 were a way out of the deadlock for Bolkonsky. Army service becomes one of the important stages in the quest of Tolstoy's hero. Here he is sharply separated from numerous seekers
fast career
and high awards that could be found at headquarters. Unlike Zherkov and Drubetsky, Prince Andrei organically cannot be a servitor. He does not look for reasons for promotion in ranks or awards and deliberately begins his service in the army from the lower ranks in the ranks of Kutuzov’s adjutants.
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Bolkonsky acutely feels his responsibility for the fate of Russia. The Ulm defeat of the Austrians and the appearance of the defeated General Mack gives rise to disturbing thoughts in his soul about what obstacles stand in the way of the Russian army.
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The Battle of Shengraben had already, to some extent, allowed Bolkonsky to show his courage. He boldly circles positions under enemy bullets. He alone dared to go to Tushin's battery and did not leave until the guns were removed.
Here, in the Battle of Shengraben, Bolkonsky was lucky enough to witness the heroism and courage shown by Captain Tushin’s artillerymen. In addition, he himself discovered military endurance and courage here, and then one of all the officers stood up to defend the little captain. Shengraben, however, has not yet become Bolkonsky’s Toulon.
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The Battle of Austerlitz, as Prince Andrei believed, was a chance to find his dream. It will certainly be a battle that will end in a glorious victory, carried out according to his plan and under his leadership. He will indeed accomplish a feat at the Battle of Austerlitz. As soon as the ensign carrying the regiment’s banner fell on the battlefield, Prince Andrei raised this banner and, shouting “Guys, go ahead!” led the battalion into the attack. Having been wounded in the head, Prince Andrei falls, and now Kutuzov writes to his father, that the son of the old Prince Bolkonsky “fell a hero.”
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Slide 16
It was not possible to reach Toulon. Moreover, we had to endure the tragedy of Austerlitz, where the Russian army suffered a heavy defeat. At the same time, Bolkonsky’s illusion associated with the glory of the great hero disappeared. The writer turned here to the landscape and painted a huge, bottomless sky, upon contemplation of which Bolkonsky, lying on his back, experiences a decisive spiritual change.
Bolkonsky’s internal monologue allows us to penetrate into his experiences: “How quietly, calmly and solemnly, not at all like how I ran... not like we ran, shouted and fought... Not at all like how the clouds crawl along this high, endless sky." The brutal struggle between people has now come into sharp conflict with the generous, calm, peaceful and eternal nature.
From this moment on, Prince Andrei’s attitude towards Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he revered so much, changed dramatically. Disappointment arises in him, which became especially aggravated at the moment when the French emperor rode past him, Andrei, with his retinue and theatrically exclaimed: “What a wonderful death!” At that moment, “all the interests that occupied Napoleon seemed so insignificant to Prince Andrey, his hero himself seemed so petty to him, with this petty vanity and the joy of victory,” in comparison with the high, fair and kind sky.
And during his subsequent illness, “little Napoleon with his indifferent, limited and happy look from the misfortunes of others” began to appear to him. Now Prince Andrei severely condemns his ambitious aspirations of the Napoleonic type, and this becomes an important stage in the spiritual quest of the hero.
with its sentimentality and false artificiality. Then the prince doubted the usefulness of the work that he had to do. A new crisis is coming. It becomes obvious that everything in this commission is based on official routine, hypocrisy and bureaucracy. All this activity is not at all necessary for the Ryazan peasants.
The War of 1812 came. Prince Andrey again goes into the army, although he once promised himself not to return there. All petty concerns faded into the background, in particular, the desire to challenge Anatole to a duel. Napoleon was approaching Moscow. The Bald Mountains stood in the way of his army. This was an enemy, and Andrei could not be indifferent to him.
The prince refuses to serve at headquarters and is sent to serve in the “ranks”. According to L. Tolstoy, Prince Andrei “was entirely devoted to the affairs of his regiment,” cared about his people, and was simple and kind in his interactions with them. The regiment called him “our prince,” they were proud of him and loved him. This is the most important stage in the development of Andrei Bolkonsky as a person. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, Prince Andrei is firmly confident of victory. He tells Pierre: "We will win the battle tomorrow. Tomorrow, no matter what, we will win the battle!"
Slide 21 Bolkonsky becomes close to ordinary soldiers. His disgust for the highest circles, where greed, careerism and complete indifference to the fate of the country and people reign, is growing stronger. By the will of the writer, Andrei Bolkonsky becomes an exponent of his own views, honoring the most important force in history people and giving special meaning
the spirit of the army. In the Battle of Borodino, Prince Andrei is mortally wounded. Together with other wounded, he is evacuated from Moscow. Once again he is experiencing a deep mental crisis. He comes to the idea that relationships between people should be built on mercy and love, which should be addressed even to enemies. What is necessary, Andrei believes, is universal forgiveness and firm faith in the wisdom of the Creator.
Prince Andrey. He managed to rise above his own resentment, understand Natasha’s suffering, and feel the power of her love. He is visited by spiritual enlightenment, a new understanding of happiness and meaning. The main thing that Tolstoy revealed in his hero, after his death, continued in his son, Nikolenka. This is discussed in the epilogue of the novel. The boy is captivated by the Decembrist ideas of Uncle Pierre and, turning mentally to his father, he says: “Yes, I will do what even he would be pleased with.”
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At the same time, the writer convinces us of the complete lack of patriotism among people like Prince Vasily Kuragin and his children: Hippolyte, Anatole and Helen. No matter how much the noble guests gathered in Anna Pavlovna Scherer’s salon scolded Napoleon, we will not find a drop of truly patriotic feeling among them.
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It is not love for the Motherland (they do not have this love) that guide Boris Drubetskoy and Dolokhov, who enter the active army. The first one studies the “unwritten chain of command” to make a career. The second tries to distinguish himself in order to quickly regain his officer rank, and then receive awards and ranks. A military official, Berg, in Moscow, abandoned by residents, buys things cheaply... War, as Tolstoy shows, severely tests a person.
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It’s as if he puts all the characters in his novel in the face of mortal danger looming over the Motherland, and seems to ask them: “Come on, what kind of people are you? How will you behave in this difficult time for your fatherland, how will you help the people defending the land from enemy invasion?”
Slide 28
The misfortune that was approaching the ancient Russian capital was of little concern to the highest circles of noble society. Having made some noise in the Slobodsky Palace during a meeting with the emperor and showing patriotism, they began to live as before. “It was difficult to believe that Russia was really in danger and that the members of the English Club were at the same time sons of the fatherland, ready to make any sacrifice for it,” Tolstoy writes with irony.
The military governor, Count F.V. Rastopchin, reassured the residents of Moscow with the stupidest posters, which ridiculed the French and said that they were all dwarfs and that one woman would throw three of them with a pitchfork.”
The theme of honor in the works of Russian classics of the 19th century.
The problem of honor has been relevant at all times, but this was especially evident in the literature of the 19th century. The works of different authors of this period covered various aspects of this topic.
The theme of honor is one of the main ones in the novel by A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter". The epigraph of the work indicates this topic: “Take care of your honor from a young age.” The father of the main character, Pyotr Grinev, gives his son orders to serve honestly, not to please his superiors, and most importantly, to take care of his noble honor. Peter leaves to serve in the army, where he becomes a direct participant in the terrible events of the Pugachev rebellion. When Emelyan Pugachev captured, her defenders refused to swear allegiance to “this robber.” The commandant of the Mironov fortress, his wife and his soldiers were brutally executed. Grinev also refused to swear allegiance to the false emperor. He could not break the oath he gave to Empress Catherine. The code of noble honor required that the hero give his life for the empress, and Grinev was ready for this.
But among the nobles there were also those who forgot about their honor in order to save their own lives. This is Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin, who went over to Pugachev’s side and became one of the commanders of his army. But this hero did not find respect in Pugachev’s camp either. He was condescending and suspicious of this man: if he betrayed him once, he could betray him a second time.
The concept of honor is not alien to Pugachev himself. In relation to this hero we can talk about the concept human honor. Pugachev is able to appreciate the nobility of others: he respects Grinev for the fact that he remained true to his word to the end. And Pugachev himself is humanly honest and fair: he rescues Masha Mironova from Shvabrin’s captivity and punishes the villain.
Pushkin claims that the concept of honor is characteristic of all people, regardless of their class. Whether to follow the code of honor or not depends not on origin, but on the personal qualities of each person.
In the novel “Hero of Our Time” by M.Yu. Lermontov, the theme of honor is revealed through the contrast between Grushnitsky and Pechorin. Both heroes are typical representatives nobility of that time. Each of them has unique concepts about noble and officer honor, each perceives and interprets it in their own way.
For Pechorin, the personal “I” comes first; all his actions are subordinated to the satisfaction of his desires. To get what he wants, he manipulates people without a twinge of conscience. Having decided to get the Circassian Bela, the hero uses her brother’s passion for good horses and literally forces the young man to steal the girl for him. But, fed up with her love, Pechorin simply forgets about her. He doesn’t even think about the feelings of Bela herself, who selflessly loved him, about her desecrated honor. This confirms that the concept of human dignity for Pechorin is very conditional.
But in the chapter “Princess Mary” we see that Pechorin is no stranger to nobility. During a duel with cadet Grushnitsky, the hero does not want to kill his opponent until the last moment. Knowing that Grushnitsky’s seconds loaded only one pistol, main character until the last moment he gives his opponent a chance to change his mind. Having allowed Grushnitsky to shoot first, the hero is ready for almost inevitable death, but he missed. Pechorin understands that he will kill Grushnitsky, so he gives him the opportunity to apologize. But Grushnitsky is in such despair that he himself asks Grigory Alexandrovich to shoot, because otherwise he will kill him at night from around the corner. And Pechorin shoots.
In his grandiose work “War and Peace”, L.N. Tolstoy pays main attention to the problem of moral purity of the soul.
A sense of honor and duty, spiritual generosity and purity are the key to peace and happiness of people on earth. Showing what troubles war brings to the world, Tolstoy concludes that only self-improvement, the desire of each person individually to become better, kinder, will save peoples from destruction and death.
Tolstoy's favorite heroes Andrei Bolkonsky and his relatives, Pierre Bezukhov, the Rostov family these are sincere and noble people who understand their duty to their parents and the Fatherland, living by honor and conscience.
Andrey Bolkonsky is a strong-willed and principled person. At the beginning of the novel, he dreams of military glory, waiting for a happy moment when “he will finally have to show everything that he can do,” to prove himself in battle. “I live for this alone,” thought Prince Andrei.
Raised by his father as the general-in-chief of Catherine's reign, who occupied a prominent position precisely because of his talents, and not because of his desire for a career, Prince Andrei learned the concepts of honor and duty to people and the fatherland. Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky honestly served his fatherland and was never served, as evidenced by his resignation and even exile under Paul.
Bolkonskys are an old aristocratic family. They are rightfully proud of their services to the Fatherland. The old prince passed on his high concept of honor, pride, independence, nobility and sharpness of mind to his son. Both despise upstarts and careerists like Kuragin, for whom there is no concept of honor.
Prince Andrey dreams of a feat. He accomplishes a feat in the Battle of Austerlitz, picking up a fallen banner and thereby inspiring the army that had fled
The image of Prince Andrei is given by Tolstoy in development. As a result of spiritual quests, he changes his idea of the meaning of life. At the end of the book, having been mortally wounded in the Battle of Borodino, “divine love” for people became available to him - that love that should save the world from evil.
Prince Andrei never betrayed his duty and conscience. After breaking up with Natasha Rostova, despite the mental pain caused to him, he does not challenge Kuragin to a duel, being above this. In this case, his nobility and sense of honor do not allow him to take the insult personally. He leaves Natasha's betrayal on her conscience, because of which she suffers greatly. Ultimately, Andrei Bolkonsky forgives Natasha for her hobby, understanding her inexperience and also understanding that he loves only her.
Andrei Bolkonsky has a friendship with Pierre Bezukhov. These two people distinguished each other among the secular empty hypocrites, feeling a unity of views and guessing in each other a person of honor.
Pierre Bezukhov, like Prince Andrei, being in constant search for the meaning of life, never betrayed his honor and always acted like a decent person. He is infinitely kind and able to feel other people's pain. Pierre's intense internal spiritual activity and his desire for self-improvement led him to an understanding of the infinity and beauty of existence. He found his soul, which cannot be killed.
Pierre's observations on behavior ordinary people, their wisdom and naturalness taught him a lot. The moral purity of the people, the ability to self-sacrifice, and spiritual nobility were a discovery for Pierre Bezukhov, and he joyfully felt himself to be part of this people, part of its spiritual strength.
Using the example of the War of 1812, L.N. Tolstoy shows how people heroically create history. The War of 1812 appears in Tolstoy's depiction as a people's war. In times of difficult trials for the Fatherland, the defense of the Motherland becomes the “people's cause.” The novel contains many images of ordinary men and soldiers. All of them are ready to die for their Motherland and are confident of victory. “They want to rush in with all the people.” The whole world is ready to defend the honor of their Fatherland and are unanimous in the decision not to give up their capital to the enemy. To prevent the “devils” from getting anything, it was decided to set Moscow on fire.
Tolstoy shows honor and dishonor by drawing images of two commanders, Kutuzov and Napoleon - the defender of the Fatherland and the invader.
An invading enemy cannot be honest. The essence of his act is the seizure of someone else’s property that does not belong to him, as well as murder. Napoleon is depicted in the novel as selfish and narcissistic, arrogant and arrogant. He wanted to enslave the Russian people and laid claim to world domination.
The figure of Kutuzov is opposite to Napoleon. He is depicted as the leader of a just people's war, connected with the people by close spiritual ties. This was his strength as a commander. Kutuzov's deep patriotic feelings, his love for the Russian people and hatred for the enemy, his closeness to the soldier distinguished him as a man of honor and high morality.
Tolstoy sees in the people the source of spirituality and morality necessary for the whole society. According to Tolstoy, those nobles who are closer to the people are moral and honest. They have a more pronounced patriotic feeling. And vice versa, those nobles who distance themselves from their people and abhor them are callous and soulless.
Prince Andrei Bolkonsky and the soldier of his regiment are equal in love for the Motherland. The regiment called him “our prince,” they were proud of him and loved him.” Platon Karataev, a man from the people, became Pierre Bezukhov’s spiritual teacher. The soldiers called Pierre “our master.”
Tolstoy contrasts the false patriotism of the secular nobility with popular patriotism. The main goal of these people is to catch “crosses, rubles, ranks.” High society was characterized by traits of duplicity and hypocrisy. Life in careless luxury dulled feelings of honor and duty.
In the Patriotic War of 1812, a huge moral strength, which purified and reborn Tolstoy’s heroes. Their destinies followed the same path as the people's fate. They came to the understanding that by defending the honor of their Fatherland, they preserve their honor.
Honor theme important topic in Russian literature of the 19th century. According to Russian writers, honor is one of the main qualities of the human personality. In their works they addressed questions: what is true honor and what is imaginary, what lengths can be taken to protect human honor, is a dishonorable life possible, and so on.
Issues of honor and human dignity worried Tolstoy’s favorite heroes throughout their lives. For a writer, the process of becoming a human personality is very important. Creating the image of Prince Andrei, he shows the dialectic of the soul of his hero through his internal monologues, which testify to the struggle between good and evil in the soul, the formation of personality. “With all the strength of his soul, he always sought one thing: to be completely good,” Pierre said about Andrei Bolkonsky.
But in the image of Andrey there is a certain detachment from everything vain
And petty. The desire for the highest truth is the goal of his spiritual quest. “Go your way with God. I know your road is the road of honor,” Kutuzov says about him. And what road does Prince Andrey go in search of people's ideal"simplicity, goodness and truth"?
Andrei Bolkonsky is getting tired secular society. Tolstoy writes that “he found it very boring to look at them and listen to them.” Prince Andrei is dissatisfied with his life in this society, so he decides to go to military service: “I am going because this life that I lead here, this life is not for me!”
Having decided to do military career, Andrey Bolkonsky
Has changed a lot. He no longer had “the old pretense, fatigue and laziness.” Prince Andrei is busy with a “pleasant and interesting” task. He does not accept the laws of the world among military officers and says that one must serve the fatherland and the tsar, and not be lackeys “who don’t care about the master’s business.” Before the Battle of Austerlitz, Prince Andrei dreams of a feat, of glory and is ready to give everything for it: “And no matter how dear or dear many people are to me... I will give them all now for a moment of glory.” He believes that "Toulon, which he has been waiting for so long, is finally presenting itself to him." And indeed, during the battle the prince behaves heroically and is wounded.
As often happens to people, tragic moments of their lives when we're talking about about life and death, their idea of their own destiny changes. Having fallen, he saw above his head high sky. “How quiet, calm and solemn,” he thought. Prince Andrei becomes disillusioned with his previous goals and dreams, with his former idol Napoleon and abandons his ambitious illusions. Looking at this high, endless sky, he understands that life is more than the desire for glory. Another stage in his search for the meaning of life has ended. But Andrei Bolkonsky’s search continues, and he thinks: “Nothing, nothing is true, except the insignificance of everything that is clear to me, and the greatness of something incomprehensible, but most important!”
Fate continues to test Balkonsky's strength. After the death of his wife and the birth of his son, he settles on the Bogucharovo estate and spends all his time there. He withdrew into himself and renounced active life. His best friend Pierre, having arrived to visit, was amazed at the changes in Prince Andrei. Pierre sees the happiness of life in doing good for people. He is trying to convince Andrei Bolkonsky of this, “The meeting with Pierre was for Prince Andrei the era from which ... his new life began.”
But Tolstoy would not have been a brilliant writer if he had not been able to show us the possibilities of Bolkonsky’s multifaceted and deep personality. Prince Andrei travels to Otradnoye on business, and on the way he comes across an old, gnarled oak tree. He compares himself to this oak tree and thinks: “Our life is over!” But, having arrived in Otradnoye, he meets with Natasha Rostova. This meeting, as well as the oak tree, which had blossomed with fresh young leaves, made Prince Andrei think that “life is not over at thirty-one.”
Only love is capable of awakening in Tolstoy’s hero the sublime feelings that had hitherto slumbered in his soul. Andrei Bolkonsky returns to active life. He often goes out in society and at one of the balls he meets Natasha again. “The wine of her charm went to his head,” and he decided to marry her. The feeling of love revived Prince Andrei. But his happiness was not destined to come true. Natasha could not stand the test of love, and Prince Andrei, as a man of honor, could not forgive the deception: “... a man cannot and should not forget and forgive.” Again, internal devastation and disappointment returned to Prince Andrei.
Andrey's worldview is undergoing changes again. The battle that decides the fate of his homeland is destined to decisively change his life. The Battle of Borodino became the culmination in the life of Andrei Bolkonsky. Being back in military service, he no longer dreams of heroism. He is close to his soldiers, who call him "our prince". "Tomorrow, no matter what, we will win the battle!" - Prince Andrey is sure. Seriously wounded in the Battle of Borodino, Bolkonsky is experiencing a new mental crisis. He comes to the conclusion that true relationships between people are relationships of friendship and brotherly love. Brotherly love should be addressed not only to loved ones, but also to those who hate us, to our enemies. Dying, Andrei Bolkonsky forgives Natasha, Kuragin, and the whole world with all its shortcomings.
Andrei's death elevates him above earthly problems, making him the best of the best. Finally his soul is released and his fate is sealed. His discoveries and misconceptions are the path “from Napoleon to Kutuzov”, the path of a man who makes mistakes and is able to atone for his guilt, striving for perfection, this is the path of honor. It seems to me that the image of Andrei is the most expressive and complete among the heroes of the novel “War and Peace”.
The theme of honor and dishonor. There are about six hundred characters in War and Peace. “It is terribly difficult to think over and change your mind about everything that can happen to all the future people of the upcoming essay, a very large one, and to think over millions of possible combinations in order to choose one millionth of them,” Tolstoy complained. The writer experienced such difficulties while working on each of his major works. But they were especially great when the writer created War and Peace.
Let us remember that the action of this novel lasts more than fifteen years and covers a huge number of events. The writer really had to think about “millions of possible combinations” and choose from them only the most necessary, the most vivid and truthful. Over the course of a year, Tolstoy wrote fifteen versions of the beginning of War and Peace. As can be seen from the surviving manuscripts, he tried to begin the novel with the author’s introduction, which gave an assessment historical events 1812, then a scene that takes place now in Moscow, now in St. Petersburg, now on the estate of the old Prince Bolkonsky, now abroad. What did the writer achieve by changing the beginning of the novel so many times? This can be seen by reading the scene that opens War and Peace. Tolstoy shows the high society salon of the maid of honor Anna Pavlovna Sherer, where eminent guests meet and lead lively conversation about what worried Russian society most of all at that time - about the upcoming war with Napoleon. Reading this scene, we meet many actors
and among them with the two main characters of the novel - Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Vezukhov.
Tolstoy found such a beginning to the work that immediately introduces us to the atmosphere of the pre-war era, introduces us to the main characters, shows how their views and opinions collided when assessing the most pressing issues of the time. And from this first scene until the end of the novel, we follow with unflagging interest and excitement how events unfold and how an increasing number of people become participants in them. It should still be noted that there are scenes in “War and Peace” where the image of Kutuzov is shown contradictorily. Tolstoy believed that the development of all events taking place in the world does not depend on the will of people, but is predetermined from above. It seemed to the writer that Kutuzov thought the same and did not consider it necessary to interfere in the development of events. But this decisively contradicts the image of Kutuzov, which was created by Tolstoy himself. The writer emphasizes that knew how to understand the spirit of the army and sought to control it, that all Kutuzov’s thoughts and all his actions were aimed at one goal - to defeat the enemy.
The image of the soldier Platon Karataev, with whom Pierre Bezukhov met and became friends in captivity, is also depicted contradictorily in the novel. Karataev is characterized by such traits as kindness, humility, willingness to forgive and forget any offense. Pierre listens with surprise and then with delight to Karataev’s stories, which always end with evangelical calls to love everyone and forgive everyone. But the same Pierre had to see the terrible end of Platon Karataev. When the French were driving a party of prisoners along a muddy autumn road, Karataev fell from weakness and could not get up. And the guards mercilessly shot him. One cannot forget this terrible scene: Karataev lies dead by a dirty forest road, and next to him sits and howls a hungry, lonely, freezing little dog, which he so recently saved from death...
Fortunately, the “Karataev” traits were unusual for the Russian people who defended their land. Reading “War and Peace”, we see that it was not the Platon Karataevs who defeated Napoleon’s army. This was done by the fearless artillerymen of the modest captain Tushin, the brave soldiers of captain Timokhin, the cavalrymen of Uvarov, and the partisans of captain Denisov. The Russian army and the Russian people defeated the enemy. And this is shown with great force in the novel. It is no coincidence that during the Second World War, Tolstoy’s book was a reference book for people different countries who fought against the invasion of Hitler's fascist hordes. And it will always serve as a source of patriotic inspiration for all freedom-loving people.
From the epilogue that ends the novel, we learn about how its heroes lived after the end of the Patriotic War of 1812. Pierre Bezukhov and Natasha Rostova united their destinies and found their happiness. Pierre is still concerned about the future of his homeland. He became a member of a secret organization from which the Decembrists would later emerge. Young Nikolenka Bolkonsky, the son of Prince Andrei, who died from a wound received on the Borodino field, listens carefully to his hot speeches.
You can guess about the future of these people by listening to their conversation. Nikolenka asked Pierre:
“Uncle Pierre... If dad were alive... would he agree with you? »
And Pierre replied:
"- I think yes…"
At the end of the novel, Tolstoy depicts Nikolenka Bolkonsky's dream. “He and Uncle Pierre walked ahead of a huge army,” Nikolenka dreamed. They were going to a difficult and glorious feat. Nikolenka’s father was with him, encouraging both him and Uncle Pierre. Waking up, Nikolenka makes a firm decision: to live in such a way as to be worthy of the memory of his father. "Father! Father! - Nikolenka thinks. - Yes, I will do something that would make even him happy *.
With this oath Nikolenka Tolstoy concludes storyline the novel, as if lifting the curtain into the future, stretching threads from one era of Russian life to another, when the heroes of 1825 - the Decembrists - entered the historical arena.
Thus ends the work to which Tolstoy, by his own admission, devoted five years of “incessant and exceptional labor.”