PICTURE OF SECULAR SOCIETY IN THE NOVEL “WAR AND PEACE” The work was completed by 10th grade students of MAOU Secondary School No. 11 Olga Tsygankova, Angelina Mazurina G. Kaliningrad

Tolstoy recalled that he was inspired to write the novel “WAR and PEACE” by “folk thought.” It was from the people that TOLSTOY himself learned and advised others to do the same. Therefore, the main characters of his novel are people from the people or those who stood close to ordinary people. Without denying the merits of the nobility to the people, he divides them into two categories. The first category includes those who, by their character, outlook, worldview, are close to the people or come to this through trials. The best representatives of the nobility in this regard are Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre BezuKHOV, Natasha Rostova, Princess Marya Bolkonskaya.

But there are other representatives of the nobility, the so-called “secular society,” who constitute a special caste. These are people who recognize only a few values: title, power and money. Only those who have one or all of the listed values ​​are allowed into their circle and recognized as their own. Secular society completely empty, just as its individual representatives are empty and insignificant, people without any moral or ethical principles, without life goals. Their spiritual world is just as empty and insignificant. But despite this, they have great power. This is the elite that runs the country, the people who decide the destinies of their fellow citizens.

Tolstoy tries in the novel to show the entire nation and all its representatives. "War and Peace" begins with scenes depicting the highest noble society. The author shows mainly the present, but also touches on the past. Tolstoy paints the nobles of this bygone era. Count Bezukhov is one of their representatives. Bezukhov is rich and noble, he has a good estate, money, power, which he received from the kings for small services. A former favorite of Catherine, a reveler and a libertine, he devoted his entire life to pleasure. He is opposed by the old Prince Bolkonsky, his peer. Bolkonsky is a loyal defender of the fatherland, which he served faithfully. For this he was repeatedly in disgrace and out of favor with those in power.

“Secular society,” even with the onset of the War of 1812, changed little: “calm, luxurious, concerned only with ghosts, reflections of life, St. Petersburg life went on as before; and because of the course of this life, it was necessary to make great efforts to recognize the danger and the difficult situation in which the Russian people found themselves. There were the same exits, balls, the same French theater, the same interests of the courts, the same interests of service and intrigue...” Only the conversations changed - they began to talk more about Napoleon and patriotism.

In War and Peace all layers of Moscow noble society are represented. Tolstoy, characterizing noble society, strives to show not individual representatives, but entire families. After all, it is in the family that both the foundations of integrity and morality, as well as spiritual emptiness and idleness, are laid. One of these families is the Kuragin family. Its head, Vasily Kuragin, occupies a fairly high position in the country. He is a minister called to take care of the people. Instead, all the elder Kuragin’s concerns are directed towards himself and his own children. His son Ippolit is a diplomat who cannot speak Russian at all. For all his stupidity and insignificance, he craves power and wealth. Anatol Kuragin is no better than his brother. His only entertainment is carousing and drinking. It seems that this person is completely indifferent to everything except indulging his own whims. His friend Drubetskoy is Anatole’s constant companion and a witness to his dark deeds.

Thus, by depicting noble society, Tolstoy shows its inactivity and inability to rule the country. The noble nobility has outlived its usefulness and must leave the stage of history. The necessity and inevitability of this was convincingly demonstrated Patriotic War 1812. The highest nobility differs from the people even in their language. Language noble nobility- This is a Frenchized language. He is as dead as the rest of society. It preserves empty cliches, once and for all established expressions, ready-made phrases that are used in convenient cases. People have learned to hide their feelings behind common phrases.

All the characters in the novel “War and Peace” (both fictional characters and historical figures) are grouped and assessed by Tolstoy depending on the degree of their proximity or distance from the people. This single principle of characterizing and evaluating the entire set characters(and there are more than five hundred of them in the novel) allowed the writer to bring together the image of people from very different social strata and different individual destinies.

The main accusation that Tolstoy makes against the St. Petersburg secular society, which leads a “ghostly”, artificial life, is isolation from the people, especially in times of terrible trials. “War and Peace” begins with a description of an evening in Anna Pavlovna Scherer’s salon, where the capital’s nobility gathers. In itself, the comparison of the evening with a spinning workshop (“Spindles made noise evenly and incessantly from different sides”) was quite accurate and definitely expressed the author’s attitude to the world of falsehood and emptiness, to that artificial life, which is characterized by mechanism and deadness. The thought of old Prince Bolkonsky about European politics: “some kind of puppet comedy” - takes on a generalized meaning.

L. N. Tolstoy puts forward certain criteria by which he determines the value human personality: a person’s attitude to his homeland, people, nature, the ability for introspection, depth of experience, moral quest. Representatives of secular society do not stand the test of humanity. The environment of the Kuragins and others like them (Adolf Berg, Boris Drubetskoy and Rostopchin with his pseudo-patriotism) is distinguished precisely by their lifelessness, puppetry, hostility towards everything truly human, natural, and finally, simply decent. Vasily Kuragin tried to rob Pierre, his son, Anatole, involved Pierre in scandalous stories, he also brought a lot of grief to Marya Bolkonskaya and Natasha Rostova. Pierre had every reason to say, turning to Helen and referring not only to her alone, but to the entire secular world that she embodied: “...where you are, there is debauchery, evil...”.

The basic principle of Tolstoy's depiction negative characters- static, lack of movement, depth of experience. Their moral world is always primitive, devoid of intellectual richness and moral attractiveness; they are not given a living perception of nature (none of them are depicted outside city houses, social evenings, balls, etc.). Thus, already in “War and Peace,” that “tearing off of all and every mask” begins, which will become especially characteristic of Tolstoy’s subsequent work. Elaborated poses, unchanging smiles, and acting were common both for habitual visitors to Anna Pavlovna’s salon and for Napoleon.

The motifs of puppetry and play as signs of unnaturalness and artificiality sound especially clearly in episodes where we're talking about about how Natasha, who has just returned from the village and has not yet had time to get used to the conventions of secular society, visits the opera house. Tolstoy describes an opera performance, seen as if through her eyes, that is, from the point of view of a natural person: “... then some other people came running and began to drag away that girl who was previously in a white dress, and now in a blue dress. They didn’t drag her away right away, but sang to her for a long time, and then they dragged her away...” It is here, in the theater,

Natasha meets Anatole and becomes infatuated with him. The atmosphere of artificiality, falsehood, when the shameful, illegal turns out to be permitted and ordinary (“Naked Helen sat next to her ...”), deprives Natasha of simple, natural human ideas, her guidelines have shifted, and what would have been impossible for her moral sense just recently, is now becoming quite acceptable.

Tolstoy does not accept a life concerned only with “ghosts, reflections”, devoid of truly human values. And it is characteristic that representatives of the secular world, hated by the author, gradually occupy less and less space in the development of the action, in the end almost completely disappearing from the pages of the novel.

Unexpectedly, Helen dies from a strange and mysterious illness; nothing is said in the epilogue about the Kuragins and Scherer, Berg and Drubetsky. Napoleon is also forgotten. Everything dark, selfish, negative goes away, goodness, light, openness and naturalness win. Heroines of the epic novel “Tolstoy’s moral sensitivity,” writes E. A. Maimin, “forces him to portray heroes - both positive and negative - in the light of his ideal. He does not like those of his heroes who lack life and a unique personality.

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In the novel "War and Peace" Tolstoy created a true and complete picture of Russian life in the first quarter of the 19th century. During this period in Russia, the main social role was played by the nobles, so a significant place in the novel is given to the description of secular society. It should be noted that elite at that time it was represented mainly by two metropolitan societies, quite different from each other: St. Petersburg and Moscow.

St. Petersburg is the capital, a cold, inhospitable city, on par with European cities. The St. Petersburg high society is a special world with its own laws, customs, morals, the intellectual center of the country, oriented towards Europe. But the first thing that catches your eye when describing relationships in this society is unnaturalness. All representatives of high society are accustomed to playing roles imposed on them by society or taken by them voluntarily; it is not for nothing that Prince Vasily is compared to an actor in the novel.

One of the main types of pastime for members of high society were social receptions at which news, the situation in Europe and much more were discussed. It seemed to the new person that everything being discussed was important, and all those present were very smart and thoughtful people, seriously interested in the subject of the conversation. In fact, there is something mechanical and indifferent in these techniques, and Tolstoy compares those present in the Scherer salon to a talking machine. An intelligent, serious, inquisitive person cannot be satisfied with such communication, and he quickly becomes disillusioned with the world. However, the basis of a secular society is made up of those who like such communication and for whom it is necessary. Such people develop a certain stereotype of behavior, which they transfer into their personal and family life. Therefore, in their relationships in the family there is little cordiality, more practicality and calculation. A typical St. Petersburg family is the Kuragin family.

Moscow secular society appears to us completely different, which, however, is still similar in some ways to St. Petersburg. The first image of Moscow light in the novel is the description of the name day in the Rostov house. The morning reception of guests is reminiscent of social receptions in St. Petersburg: discussion of news, although not on a global scale, but local, feigned feelings of surprise or indignation, but the impression immediately changes with the appearance of children, who bring spontaneity, happiness, and causeless fun into the living room. At dinner with the Rostovs, all the qualities inherent in the Moscow nobility are manifested: hospitality, cordiality, nepotism. Moscow society in many ways resembles one big family, where everyone knows everything, where they forgive each other’s small weaknesses and can publicly scold each other for mischief. Only in such a society could a figure like Akhrosimova appear, and Natasha’s outburst be condescendingly appreciated. Unlike the St. Petersburg nobility, the Moscow nobility is closer to the Russian people, their traditions and customs. In general, Tolstoy’s sympathies, apparently, are on the side of the Moscow nobility; it is not for nothing that his favorite heroes, the Rostovs, live in Moscow. And although the writer cannot approve of many of the traits and morals of Muscovites (gossiping, for example), he does not focus on them. In his depiction of secular society, Tolstoy actively uses the technique of “detachment,” which allows him to look at events and characters from an unexpected point of view. Thus, when describing an evening at Anna Pavlovna Scherer’s, the writer compares the salon with a spinning workshop, illuminating the social reception from an unexpected angle and allowing the reader to penetrate into the essence of the relationships at it. The French language in the speech of the heroes is also a technique of “detachment,” making it possible to more fully create the image of a secular society that at that time spoke mainly French.

1. “War and Peace” is an epic novel.
2. The concept and history of the work.
3. Petersburgers and Muscovites in the novel.
4. The significance of the work for understanding the society of the 19th century.

What are passions? - after all, sooner or later their sweet illness
Disappears at the word of reason; And life, as you look around with cold attention -
Such an empty and stupid joke...
M.Yu.Lermontov

“War and Peace” by L. N. Tolstoy is one of greatest works, included in world classics literature. The novel was worked on for a long time and painstaking work. The writer began it in 1863, and finished it only six years later - in 1869. During this time, the novel underwent multiple corrections and was rewritten several times, almost from scratch.

The intention of the novel can be judged from the following letter addressed to A.I. Herzen and dated 1861: “I started a novel about four months ago, the hero of which should be the returning Decembrist ... in 56 to Russia with his wife, son and daughter and trying on his strict and somewhat ideal look to new Russia...". However, the original idea expanded and changed over time ( diary entry Tolstoy): “Involuntarily, I moved from the present to 1825, the era of errors and misfortunes of my hero, and left what I started. But even in 1825 my hero was already mature, family man. To understand him, I needed to travel back to his youth, and his youth coincided with the glorious era of 1812 for Russia. Another time I abandoned what I had started and began to write from the time of 1812, the smell and sound of which are still audible and dear to us... The third time I returned back out of a feeling that may seem strange... I was ashamed to write about our triumph in the fight against Bonaparte's France, without describing our failures and our shame. So, having returned from 1856 to 1805, from now on I intend to take not one, but many of my heroines and heroes through historical events 1805, 1807, 1812, 1825 and 1856."

In this novel, also called an epic novel, the author managed to thoroughly accurately, vividly and at the same time interestingly convey the life of the Russian nobility to the first half of the 19th century century. A significant role is also given to the description of secular society, at that time divided into two “camps” that are very different from each other and constantly warring with each other - Moscow and St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg, which was the capital city at that time, is still distinguished to this day by its austere and cold beauty. He is unfriendly, unapproachable and beautiful. It is on a par with European cities, since it itself is a window to Europe. The high society of St. Petersburg is a special, closed and isolated world with its own laws and orders. The morals and customs of the members of this society are oriented towards European traditions. But the first, striking difference between such people is the extreme unnaturalness of their thoughts, words, and gestures. Representatives of this circle are too accustomed to the fact that going out into society is a game where you have to keep your face and you cannot show sincere emotions and feelings. It is no coincidence that Prince Vasily, who is directly related to this category of people, is repeatedly compared to an actor.

The main and favorite form of intellectual pastime of St. Petersburg society is the so-called salons. They held conversations about everything and nothing at the same time: they discussed acquaintances, politicians and emperors, news of war and culture. Naturally, communication was carried out “on top level“and it might seem to an unfamiliar person that the things being discussed by these people are very important and serious, and those talking themselves are well-read and smart. However, this is not so, because it is no coincidence that the author himself compares one of these salons of Madame Scherer to a “talking machine.” There is something indifferent, mechanical in these techniques, acting without emotion according to a program set by the operator.

Such a pastime cannot satisfy an intelligent, inquisitive and lively person - there is too little soul and really important words in it. However, the people who form the basis of this society need such entertainment. For such salon regulars, this manner of behavior and communication extends to family life, devoid of warmth and understanding and filled with mechanical, cold calculation. A typical St. Petersburg family is the Kuragin “clan”.

Moscow society is presented completely differently. Despite some similarities with St. Petersburg, Moscow nobles arouse great reader sympathy. The first mention of Moscow high society is a description of the Rostov house. The morning reception of guests, dedicated to the name day, on the one hand, resembles gatherings at Scherer’s - the same gossip, as well as empty talk and discussion of important matters. The scale of the conversations is smaller, as is the smaller amount of feigned surprise and deceit, which completely disappears from the room with the arrival of children. Children bring with them happiness, spontaneity, light and purity, and adults begin to enjoy life with them.

At the reception, the main qualities of Moscow high society are fully revealed - cordiality, family, hospitality. Moscow society resembles one big family with common troubles and joys. Here everyone knows about everyone and forgives each other’s minor sins, although they can scold each other publicly. Thus, Natasha Rostova’s outburst, which is natural for Moscow, will be absolutely unacceptable in St. Petersburg society. The Moscow world is closer to the people, remembers and honors their traditions. The author's sympathies lie with the Muscovites; it is not for nothing that the Rostovs live in Moscow. And although Muscovites also have shortcomings (the same gossip), Tolstoy does not focus on them.

When depicting secular society, the author constantly resorts to the technique of “detachment,” which allows one to look at the characters from a new, previously unexamined side. Likewise, the French language in the speech of the heroes is the same technique of “detachment”, which makes it possible to more accurately convey the thoughts and emotions of society. He spoke mainly French and German.

The epic novel was created already in the second half of the 19th century, that is, the author could not be a witness to the time period he described and used the works of writers and historical documents. It is for this reason that the depiction of society in the work is both traditional and revolutionary new. Thanks to masterfully created characters and accurately described details social life, the novel “War and Peace” became a kind of encyclopedia of the Russian nobility of the first quarter of the 19th century.

Readers are introduced to high society already on the first pages of Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace,” when we find ourselves in A.P.’s salon. Scherer. We can't help but notice the ironic author's attitude to the insincerity, ostentatious stiffness, and mannerisms of the guests of this grand lady. Socialite Anna Pavlovna, as was customary in the world, approached the selection of guests for her magnificent evening very strictly: “Just as a good head waiter serves as something supernaturally beautiful that piece of beef that you won’t want to eat if you see it in a dirty kitchen, So this evening Anna Pavlovna served her guests first the Viscount, then the Abbot, like something supernaturally refined.”

The choice of guests is not explained by them human qualities or level of intelligence, but by nobility and wealth. The Viscount and the Abbot at this social evening are a kind of dessert and serve to give it significance, splendor, weight, just as exotic overseas fruits serve to decorate the table.

Tolstoy compares Anna Pavlovna Sherer to the “owner of a spinning workshop”, who methodically seated his “workers in their work places”, where everyone performs their task, and he walks around the workshop, keeping order. Tolstoy writes: “... so Anna Pavlovna, walking around her living room, approached a circle that had fallen silent or was talking too much and with one word or movement again started up a uniform, decent conversational machine.”

Everything here is luxurious, prim, somehow unnatural. That is why Scherer is so frightened by the new guest - the “massive, fat” Pierre Bezukhov, “the illegitimate son of the famous Catherine’s nobleman.” Fat, big, a little clumsy, so ungraceful and unaristocratic, he does not know secular manners at all and does not know how to behave in society. Anna Pavlovna also feels fear of “the intelligent and at the same time timid, observant and natural look that distinguished him from everyone in this living room. This is what scares people moving in secular circles: a real, lively mind, spontaneity, simplicity.”

And Pierre is still very naive. It's so a kind person that he doesn’t even have a thought about bad people. He cannot admit that in secular society there can be people like the cold, calculating Prince Kuragin and his daughter Helen. Or the unprincipled and vile Anatole, who, without hesitation, destroys a person’s life. Or the Bergs with their cynical life formula: “you can and should always have acquaintances with people who are taller than you, because only then will there be pleasure from acquaintances” and so that you don’t have children for a longer time, because “you have to live for society.”

Naive Pierre still sincerely believes that truly intelligent people gathered at this evening, “and his eyes, like a child’s in a toy store, were wide open”: “he was still afraid of missing the smart conversations that he might hear.” Pierre is waiting with hope for “something especially smart.”

Time will pass, and on a fateful day for Russia - the day of the Battle of Borodino - high society will also gather here to have a good time, demonstrate new outfits in public and express loud declarations of love for Russia. Scherer’s guests did not have the tact on a terrible day for Russia not to organize a magnificent evening out of respect for those people who are now where blood is shed, groans and cries of the dying are heard. But Tolstoy writes: “Anna Pavlovna had an evening on August 26, the very day of the Battle of Borodino, the flower of which should have been the reading of the letter from the Eminence, written when sending the icon of the Reverend Sergius to the sovereign.”

Prince Vasily, who became famous for “his art of reading,” was entrusted with reading this letter. The reading of this letter "had political significance." And these people, drowning in luxury, still had the conscience to condemn Kutuzov! Receiving alarming news about the state of affairs of the war with the French, representatives of the secular nobility sighed and said: “What is the position of the sovereign!” Now they “no longer extolled, like the day before, but ... condemned Kutuzov, who was the cause of concern for the sovereign.” Meanwhile, all the patriotism of these people boils down to the fact that they refuse to speak English for a while. French and fine those who violated this rule, in favor of the needs of the Russian army.

Representatives of high society view marriage between people, first of all, as a mutually beneficial, social union. Here we are, together with Natasha Rostova, rejoicing at her first ball, her first Great love, her success. And Peronskaya comments: “This is a millionaire bride. And here are the grooms.” Among the suitors is Boris Drubetskoy. All fans of an ugly girl want only a profitable marriage, despite the lack of at least some sympathy for the girl.

Prince Vasily, having decided to marry Helen to the rich Pierre, arranges this marriage, which is destined to become unhappy. He behaves like a subtle psychologist and strategist. Prince Vasily forgets that a family union of two people is also a spiritual union, mutual understanding.

Unfortunately, even in the wonderful Rostov family such marriages take place! Even in this family, where comfort, complete mutual understanding, sincere, ardent affection for each other reign. Nikolenka and Sonya have been in love with each other since childhood, they swore allegiance. But miracles only happen in fairy tales. Sonya lives in the Rostov family, does not need anything, she is a full member of this friendly family. But still she is a homeless woman who has nothing. The Rostovs' affairs are not in very good condition, and this marriage could completely ruin them.

The Rostovs need money. The Count and Countess protest against Nikolenka's marriage to Sonya, and he marries Marya Bolkonskaya. Of course, Marya turned out to be a wonderful girl. Marya and Nikolai truly fell in love with each other, created a good family, but the fact remains: unprofitable marriages are unacceptable in high society.

Tolstoy's attitude towards high society is ambivalent. He perfectly sees the vices of the world: insincerity, stiffness, arrogance, deceit, self-interest. But Tolstoy’s high society is also the intelligentsia, noble people with a fine mental organization. This is Pierre Bezukhov, and Natasha Rostova, and Andrei Bolkonsky, and Marya Bolkonskaya, and Nikolai Rostov. These are people who know how to love, know how to forgive and truly love their Russia.