WAR AND PEACE
WAR AND PEACELeo Tolstoy delves into his masterpiece with several different themes that ultimately interlock to reveal life as the true meaning of the book. A master of technical devices, he frequently used the mental and psychological thoughts of his characters to foreshadow upcoming events, thus helping to build suspense and climax through internal actions rather than by external actions. This difficult achievement can be found in the mental progression of Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky, the embodiments of Tolstoy’s spirit. Their thoughts gave insight into the painful yet fulfilling change in their personalities, as well as advanced and explained their actions. This effect portrays War and Peace’s deep theological impression in a realistic sense, and Tolstoy’s choice of setting in a real historical area with real characters and events only expounded the realism he tried to achieve. Thus, by allowing the main characters’ thoughts to be scrutinized to further the plot and learn new ideas all under a shroud of realism and historical significance, Tolstoy blended his values with superb technical skills to create the greatest novel of all time. The first book concluded with the horrible defeat of the Russians on the field of Austerlitz, where Prince Andrei Bolkonsky was severely wounded after distinguishing himself with valor, and he was left in critical condition by Napoleon’s doctors to the care of the local inhabitants. During this battle, Nikolai Rostov, in a mission as messenger to either the Commander-in-Chief or the Emperor, saw his hero, Tsar Aleksandr, first. The young Rostov was so shocked to find his Emperor in such a defeated condition, and he was so overcome by the same feelings a shy boy has in trying to reason his way out of introducing himself to the girl of his dreams when he finally meets up with her, that he turned away without delivering his then-useless message. Not only did he disobey his orders in not doing so, but he thereby threw away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to offer personal assistance to the Tsar. What a sad day for the Russians and our main characters.
Struggling to find a method to introduce the multitude of characters in his novel, Tolstoy finally embarked on presenting the majority at an upper-class soire, notably that of Anna Pavlovna. Here, he plunges into his narrative, describing his characters through the way they talk and think, and not so much on how they appear. This Russian soire becomes a foundation for the book’s plot, as the events of the early 19th century Napoleonic Wars revolve around the areas of St. Petersburg, Moscow, and western Russia. At the soire, Tolstoy introduces his two main characters, Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky, and immediately from their conversations and thoughts comes a description of their personalities and characters. The next large scale scene Tolstoy uses to introduce his characters, the Rostov estate, concludes the presentation of the major families of the novel. These three families-the Bezukhovs, Bolkonskys, and Rostovs-become the catalysts of the novel, and much of their internal and external actions dictate the outcomes of each other’s lives. In essence each family represents only a microcosm of early 19th century Russia during Napoleon’s invasion and retreat, and Tolstoy meant for their actions to mimic that of others around the country during these times of “war” and “peace.” Members of the three families marry and fall in love with each other, Marya Bolkonsky and Nikolai Rostov, Natasha Rostov and Pierre, Natasha and Andrei, and through this interaction they create a strong bond that results in a fulfilling yet saddened conclusion. The remaining main characters: Petya Rostov, Dolokhov, Vasily Kuragin, Sonya, Lise Bolkonsky, old Nikolai Bolkonsky, Count and Countess Rostov, Napoleon, Tsar Alexander, and Kutuzov, serve to further the plot and expound Tolstoy’s beliefs on life and death. Yet, he never meant for his major characters to be one-sided, so throughout the novel each person evolves for the better or for the worse depending on the situation they find themselves in.
At the soire, Pierre and Andrei immediately distinguish themselves because of their contrasting views concerning Napoleon’s march throughout Europe. Thus, Tolstoy already foretells their conflict with society as well as with their minds regarding these strong convictions. He also introduces Nikolai Rostov, a young soldier who will parallel Andrei in each man’s search for glory and recognition during the war. The two soon find disillusionment in their goals. While in Russia Pierre gains a large inheritance and marries a woman whom he does not love. As the fighting arrives Andrei gets wounded, and from this experience he begins a journey to better understand life and death. Pierre, also in a dilemma concerning his life, leaves his wife to join the Freemasons and gain wisdom from their teachings. Pierre differs from Andrei in that his journey to spiritual renewal will be long and arduous, but will ultimately end in happiness. Andrei quickly learns the lessons on life and death after witnessing the passing away of his wife, Lise, who had just given birth to their child, Nikolenka. Deeply scarred, Andrei attempts to live a new life with Natasha Rostov, whom he will marry after a one year period of physical and emotional recovery. Much to Andrei’s disappointment, Natasha nearly elopes with another man, Anatole Kuragin, and eventually breaks off the marriage. Soon after, Napoleon enters Russia and will affect the lives of the two main characters drastically. Andrei again gets wounded at Borodino, and slips into death after being seen off by his sister, Marya, and his ex-love, Natasha. Pierre, still searching for the answers to life, decides to stay in Moscow during the French occupation. He gets arrested as an incendiary, and after witnessing the murder of several prisoners he becomes a captive in a French camp. Here, Pierre finally finds the answers that the Freemasons did not offer him from a mythical man named Platon Karatayev. Almost unrealistic, Karatayev opens Pierre’s mind and heart into an acceptance of life, death, people, and suffering. In traditional legendary fashion, Platon dies and leaves the student, Pierre, to enjoy a more fulfilling life. Owing more to Tolstoy’s ability in writing about history, the Russian Kutuzov drives Napoleon away thus completing the cycle of “war” and “peace.” Pierre falls in love again, but this time with Natasha Rostov whom he had affection for but had tried to suppress it while on his soul-searching journey. Marya, who had to endure the deaths of her sister-in-law, brother, and father, marries Nikolai Rostov, a man also torn by contradicting feelings. Like a devastating hurricane, the force of war came and went, though not without its share of victims. Despite all the changes in personalities, marriages, and emotions, life and death remained the only constants in this tumultuous experience called life.
“War and Peace” can easily be separated from all other novels in terms of greatness because of the deep understanding and number of themes expressed in its chronicle. In addition to the historical significance, the political propaganda, and the critical essay of Tolstoy in the Second Epilogue, “War and Peace” probed into the human essence and its search for the truths of life. With such a variety and number of characters, Tolstoy focused on two men to represent and carry the burden of finding those ethereal values. Throughout the novel, he utilized numerous images, symbols, dialogue, and foreshadowing to advance the progress of his characters. Yet, his most effective use of technical device can be found in describing the psychological thoughts and interior monologues of the characters. Most notably, the thoughts of Pierre and Andrei served to portray their spiritual changes better than by what they did, and also helped to foretell and build suspense to upcoming actions. By doing so, Tolstoy furthered the plot and created a realistic world from which to study characters who acted, talked, and most importantly, thought as real human beings do in the same situations.
The magnanimity of Tolstoy’s use of internal actions rather than external actions has far reaching effects to this day. Pierre and Andrei underwent a drastic change, and because of this critics compare them to Tolstoy himself. Tolstoy grew up in an aristocratic household, but because he wanted to live life as it should be lived, he also searched for the answers to the problem of life. Like Pierre and Andrei, he faced many difficulties in his journey, but eventually found salvation in the basic values of simplicity, understanding of life and death, and love of all creatures. Thus, Tolstoy, Pierre, and Andrei transformed themselves through pain and suffering to attain a higher level of spirituality, notably mimicking the legendary change of St. Paul the Apostle. In addition to his connections with the Christian St. Paul, Tolstoy also laid down the foundations for Buddhist Zen in the western world. Many Zen masters consider Tolstoy “a God,” because of his introduction of the values of simplicity and life that Zen masters had taught in the east for centuries. Truly a pioneer, he managed to profess these beliefs in a fictitious novel that has become one of the masterpieces of western and world literature. Upon further examination of “War and Peace,” he expresses these Zen and early Christian beliefs specifically through the mental thoughts of Pierre, Andrei, and even the mythical Platon. Though not as skilled a writer of the human mind as his compatriot, Fyodor Dostoevsky, he did meritoriously utilize Pierre’s and Andrei’s mental awareness and psychological changes of consciousness to foreshadow upcoming actions and to present the Zen belief, so popular in the modern western world today.
Tolstoy introduces his first main character, Pierre Bezukhov, at Anna Pavlovna’s soire. Pierre will experience several mental awakenings into the meaning of life that eventually builds up into a climactic revelation that changes his life forever. In essence, Pierre’s life progresses mainly through his thoughts and feelings rather than through his actions. Of all the major characters, he partakes in the least number of physical actions, and the actions he does perform can be foreshadowed from previous thoughts. His journey to define life occurs in three psychological stage: pre-conversion, conversion, and post-conversion. The pre-conversion period portrays his mind as a conglomerate of differing emotions, feelings, thoughts, and impulses. Tolstoy describes these internal actions so eloquently, that Pierre’s thoughts build suspense and predict his future actions. This constant forecasting by Tolstoy also forces the reader to continue with the book, teased with hints as to the exciting events to come. At the soire, Anna Pavlovna immediately frowns upon Pierre and believes him to be unworthy of high-class sociability because of his fat, sloth-like appearance. Pavlovna’s thoughts already prophesy a conflict Pierre will have with society, though she had not even spoken to him. Once he does speak, he immediately causes disruption by proclaiming Napoleon as “the greatest man in the world.” Thus, his inner beliefs prognosticate an even deeper conflict he will have to face - fighting his own values. As a Tolstoy hero, he had to believe in the Russian people as the saviors of the world by the end of his mission, and because of this he will eventually have to change his attitudes about the French and about his life.
The pre-conversion period of Pierre’s journey can be subdivided into two categories: inner struggles and heightened awareness. Tolstoy used these two methods for several reasons, including to make Pierre more realistic, express his Zen beliefs, and most importantly to advance the plot. The inner struggles and awakenings that Pierre has to deal with forewarn of coming events in his life and those around him as well. His first struggle begins with his desires to live life fully and learn from the mistakes he makes. Thus, his perverted spirit causes him to marry Ellen Kuragin whom he does not actually love. Though Pierre could not resist the temptation, he begins to battle his moral and sensual lusts in his heart and mind. Tolstoy alludes to this by describing his hesitation to marry Ellen and the frustration afterwards. By Pierre’s inner struggles in his mind alone, he builds suspense in presaging a rupture with Ellen that will be infelicitous to the father, the corrupt Prince Vasily. This inner struggle continues in Pierre’s growing anger at Dolokhov, who many believe has an ongoing affair with Ellen. Considering Pierre’s mild nature, the struggle to overcome hatred foretells of a conflict that will eventually arise between Pierre and Dolokhov. After the heightened awareness Pierre received from the Freemasons, he soon begins to lost interest in the brotherhood because of its false promises. Thus, he struggles again in his mind in having to choose between the moral life he sought with the Masons, and the wild, immoral life he led before. This builds suspense in that no one, not even Pierre, knows which of the two paths he will ultimately take as now it seems that he has rejected both. After periods of awareness, he finds new mental struggles in his search for love. The heightened awareness he attains causes him to leave his materialistic life, but when he encounters Natasha he struggles with a sensual love he had tried to suppress for so long. In his mind, he begins a new battle over whether he can love a person with so much desire yet continue on his quest for purity. By describing these thoughts, Tolstoy foreshadowed a choice Pierre will have to make concerning the balance of love and a simplistic life. The final psychological struggle Pierre has to overcome comes when the French occupy Moscow amidst the fleeing Russians. Already well on his spiritual quest, he had only struggled with his questioning love for Natasha. When the French arrive, though, his life turns upside down and he begins to feel hatred for Napoleon, even plotting to assassinate this man whom he once adored. Thus, he arrives back at his mental struggles to choose between the Zen life he had led, and this bestial personality that suddenly came over him. Without performing any external actions, Pierre’s thoughts already build suspense in that he will have to choose whether to continue his impulses and kill Napoleon, or have the mentality to erase these putrid thoughts from his mind and continue his journey. As seen from the novel, this inner struggle made Pierre more aware of his journey and led to the discoveries that would change his life forever.
The second category to which Pierre’s internal actions dictate his role in the novel include the heightened mental awareness he attains. The first act of awareness Pierre receives comes in his decision to join the Brotherhood of Freemasons. Earlier, he had struggled with a choice of two diametrically opposite lives, which prognosticated a change that would have to happen in his mind. The prophecy came true, and Pierre sought to change his life for the better. Considering that Tolstoy’s main characters evolve throughout the entire novel, a further change in Pierre becomes inevitable. After his new found awareness in Freemasonry, the struggle that caused that change of consciousness eventually went full circle into a new awareness of the brotherhood’s detrimental effects. Through much pondering, he decides to leave their practices and continue with his life. This internal action furthers the novels excitement, because now he has to make that same decision between the pure and the dissolute life. Pierre later finds more freedom to continue his quest, since his wife, Ellen, and his boss, Rostopchin, leave taking away the last material connections to him. This thought by Pierre, though, builds up a sense of suspense in its prevailing irony. The aforementioned complete evolution of Tolstoy’s characters and the fact that Pierre feels free so early in the novel, signals some event to come that will shatter that freedom and lead to more struggles ahead. Yet, these struggles finally achieve their goal upon his conversion and discovery of the truth he sought before.
The final stage of his conversion and his post-conversion experiences come through the various mental discoveries he makes as a Russian prisoner of war. The discoveries he makes build up excitement to a final climax, where he realizes his dreams of finding the meaning of life. The beginning of Pierre’s mental discovery occurs at the Borodino field, where he dreams of his Freemason benefactor, Osip Bazdayev, telling him “that goodness is being like [the common soldier],” and that “no one can be a master of anything while he fears death. If it were not for suffering, a man would not know his limits, would not know himself. The hardest thing is to know how to unite one’s soul with the significance of the whole.” This dream foretells further discoveries soon to occur in Pierre’s search. Once captured by the French, he witnesses a firing squad and several of his fellow prisoners shot before his eyes This harrowing experience foreshadows the death to life progression and beliefs that Pierre will ultimately learn with Karatayev. This prisoner, Platon Karatayev, becomes the force that aids Pierre in his mental discovery of the truths of life. With Karatayev, Pierre becomes free mentally and spiritually, and thus presages happy times to come where he can practice these new beliefs. The mental discoveries prophesied the post-conversion elation of Pierre better that if his external actions directed the events. Indeed, happiness came true as Pierre married Natasha, which also freed Nikolai to pursue his love of Marya. Coupled with the return to peace in Moscow, Pierre’s long arduous journey came full circle to a life he sought for many years. Through it all, his thoughts by way of struggles, awareness, and discoveries shed light into the actions he would take and built suspense to a climax Pierre and the reader had anxiously hoped for.
Tolstoy develops Prince Andrei and utilizes his thoughts to build excitement in a different manner than he did Pierre. Because Andrei died immediately after the climax of his quest for rebirth, he had no post-conversion life to fulfill. Andrei merely advances the plot as well as his own narrative through his psychological struggles and discoveries. Early in the novel, Tolstoy describes him as a man who sought glory and fame by being a hero in battle. Twice, though, he becomes disillusioned of this materialistic quest by being denied at the court at Brunn, and by witnessing Tushin’s courage. From this, he ponders and struggles mentally the fact that glory may not necessarily be life’s treasure. Hence, this mental struggle presages a conflict in his mind where he has to choose between two impulses, and builds suspense as to the outcome of it. He takes this mental struggle further, and begins to contemplate the viewpoints of self-esteem versus esteem for others. From this lack of self-awareness, he becomes a man yearning for death, and Tolstoy uses this struggle to foreshadow a change in Andrei that will in some way include death. When Andrei gets wounded at Austerliz, Tolstoy builds more suspense in describing Andrei’s thoughts of the “mysterious power and glory,” “the mist,” and the “infinite lofty sky.” These images allude to death, bringing more excitement into Andrei’s life that will soon metaphorically turn upside down. While in the process of losing that egotism that haunted his personality, the death of his wife, Lise, during childbirth forms another struggle in his mind. Just as Pierre became disillusioned by his sensual desires for Ellen, Andrei meditates as to whether or not his new journey to overcome death can be worthwhile to his life where he has already lost a wife and will have to raise a son as a single parent. This prognosticates further conflict in Andrei’s soul, and builds suspense as to the decision he will have to make and if those omens of death come true again.
Unlike Pierre who vacillated between periods of psychological struggle and awakening only to culminate in a breakthrough discovery in the most desolate of places, Andrei’s discovery comes immediately after his struggles with Lise’s death. After a time of reflection, Andrei makes a mental discovery in his new life - love. He loses the apprehension caused by failures as a government official and begins to court the beautiful Natasha. This builds excitement in beginning to depict Andrei’s future life that now has love but still includes the forewarned figure of death. After the Schongraben campaign and his injury, he becomes mentally aware that courage takes place when a man confronts and overcomes death personally, furthering the narrative towards a climax that will somehow encompass love, death, and now his ordeal to overcome it. On the eve of the battle of Borodino, Pierre makes a mental detection himself concerning Andrei by sensing his expectation to die due to his growing nihilistic nature. Thus, Tolstoy manages to near the climax of Andrei’s life through his thoughts as well as those of others. Yet, the only question that remains concerns the implication of Andrei’s death to those who love him. He comes full circle when mortally wounded at battle and being taken care of by the fleeing Rostovs. All throughout the narrative, Tolstoy foretold of his acceptance of life only through his acceptance of death. This slow process included the death of his wife, Lise, the hospital scene with Anatole, and being wounded at Austerliz and Borodino, significant events that clash with his dreams of heroics as an army leader. Yet, at his death bed he gives in to life and finally embraces it. Though this event indicates the climax of Andrei’s psychological journey, it also builds suspense in that it allows Marya, Natasha, Nikolai, and Pierre to search for each other’s love, whereas Andrei’s presence restrained them before. As witnessed, the lives of the four significant remaining characters followed the prophecy of Andrei’s internal actions, and they all turned out for the better.
In conclusion, Tolstoy achieved two effects through his skillful description of the thoughts of Pierre and Andrei. Their mental struggles, awakenings, awareness, and discoveries helped build suspense in the plot that culminated in a fulfilling climax for the lives of these enigmatic men. The advancement of the plot by this method made their personalities and actions more realistic than if only external actions dictated the forthcoming events. It provided balance to a story that assimilated external actions of war with the internal actions of the human mind. In addition, Tolstoy interjected his beliefs through the personalities of Pierre and Andrei; beliefs that make “War and Peace” one of the greatest masterpieces of world and Zen literature of all time.