The moral quest of Andrei Bolkonsky (based on the novel by L. N

In the novel "War and Peace" Lev. Nikolayevich Tolstoy speaks about the development of Russia, about the fate of the people, their role in history, about the relationship between the people and the nobility, about the role of the individual in history. The writer reveals in the novel the meaning of the Patriotic War of 1812, helps to understand the features of the Russian national character. Tolstoy's favorite heroes are looking for answers to the questions posed by time, they strive to find a worthy place in life for themselves. These heroes include Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. We meet him for the first time in Anna Scherer's salon. His handsome face "with certain dry features" is marred by an expression of boredom and displeasure. Tolstoy explains this by the fact that "all those who were in the living room were not only familiar, but already tired of him so much that it was very boring for him to look at them and listen to them." The prince seems cold and inaccessible to those around him. In a conversation with Scherer, he sharply expresses his dislike for the way of thinking and for the moral standards of court society. Andrei says: "This life is not for me." He longs for activity, dreams of accomplishing a feat in the name of people.

Possessing not only a brilliant mind and education, but also a strong will, Andrei Bolkonsky completely changes his life - he enters the service of the headquarters of the commander in chief. We see that this person has already formed a clear outlook on life. He knows what to strive for - to "his Toulon". He wants fame and power. Napoleon became his idol, and Prince Andrei wants to follow him in everything. The feat accomplished by Andrei Bolkonsky during the battle of Austerlitz, when he led the soldiers into battle with a banner in his hands, was noticed by those around him and even by Napoleon himself. But having committed this heroic deed, Andrei is not happy.

This moment in his life can be called a turning point, because Prince Andrei evaluates everything that happens in a new way. As he lay, badly wounded, an endless sky opened up to his gaze. We can say that for the first time he saw him, and with him - the simple truth of life, which lies in a person's love for home, family, and nature.

Bolkonsky is deeply disappointed in Napoleon, who seemed to him an ordinary little forty-year-old man in a gray frock coat. The thought that this person brings misfortune to other people finally “sobers up” Andrei Bolkonsky. He no longer believes that the outcome of a battle can depend on the actions of one person, on plans and dispositions. After Austerlitz, his idea of ​​not only a feat, but also the meaning of life completely changes.

Therefore, he returns to his family, but there a new shock awaits him - the death of his wife Lisa, to whom he had lost interest in his time and now wanted to make amends. Andrei is trying to live a quiet life, taking care of his son, improving the lives of his

serfs. Three hundred people he made free cultivators, the rest he replaced the corvee with dues. These humane measures tell us about the advanced views of the prince. But the transformations cannot completely occupy his mind and heart, and Andrei Bolkonsky is still depressed.

Changes in Andrei's difficult state of mind come with the arrival of Pierre, who tries to inspire his friend with faith in the existence of goodness, truth and happiness. In the disputes between Andrei and Pierre, we notice that the prince is critical of himself. He understands that "living for yourself" means that "at thirty-one years life is over."

Andrei Bolkonsky experiences a real, spiritual uplift when he meets Natasha Rostova. Communication with her opens up a new side of life for him: love, beauty, poetry. But he is not destined to be happy with Natasha. Continuing to feel that he cannot “just exist”, Andrei goes to St. Petersburg. There he takes part in the work of the Speransky commission. And again, the eternal search, reflections on life lead him to the conclusion that the commission is meaningless. Andrei Bolkonsky gives up his career as a government official.

The separation proved too difficult for Natasha. The story with Anatole Kuragin destroys Andrei Bolkonsky's possible happiness with her. The proud prince cannot forgive Natasha for her mistake. And she feels remorse, believes that she is unworthy of such a noble, ideal person. The break with Natasha again leads the hero to a deep crisis.

When Napoleon enters the borders of Russia and begins to rapidly move forward, Andrei Bolkonsky, who hated the war after Austerlitz, joins the army, refusing to work safely at the emperor's headquarters. Prince Andrei becomes an ordinary regimental commander. The soldiers love him and call him "our prince". Andrei no longer dreams of fame and achievement. He's just protecting his country. Now we notice in him the same "hidden warmth of patriotism" as in the soldiers.

The views of Andrei Bolkonsky, formed over the years of painful searches for his place in life, are revealed in a conversation with Pierre before the battle. Prince Andrei realized that the outcome of the battle did not depend on the genius of the commanders, but on the "spirit of the army", his confidence in victory. At the moment of a mortal wound, Andrey experiences a huge craving for life. He wonders why he is so sorry to part with her. The firm and cold nature of Andrei Bolkonsky did not allow him to fully experience simple human happiness. The Battle of Borodino can be called the culmination in the life of Prince Andrei. His near-death suffering helped him comprehend the meaning of Christian love: "Compassion, love for brothers, for those who love, love for those who hate us, love for enemies - yes, the love that God preached on earth ... and which I did not understand."

Thus, Tolstoy leads his hero to death in the name of the life of others, in the name of the future of Russia, spiritually, he leads him to the comprehension of eternal moral values. The image of Andrei Bolkonsky reflected the best features of a nobleman-patriot: intelligence, education, honesty, conscientiousness, ardent love for the Motherland.

Target:

During the classes

I

1. Pierre Bezukhov

In my opinion, the most important thing in Pierre is kindness. That is why he knows how to understand any person. When Pierre meets Princess Mary, he understands her too. In general, he is kind to everyone, even to that French officer whom he saved, to Rambal.)

II, hV

• Yes, this is true kindness and humanity. Let us recall another episode of the duel between Pierre and Dolokhov. Read this scene (vol. II, part I, ch. 5 with the words “Well, start!” Dolokhov said ...”) Did Pierre want this duel?

(No, I didn't.)

• And Dolokhov?

Pierre cannot see someone else's suffering, someone else's misfortune, even if they are experienced by a person whom he does not love, who is guilty before him. He is able to condemn himself, and this can not everyone. It seems that this is also a manifestation of Pierre's sweet, inherent awkwardness. If approached strictly, this feature is a disadvantage, as others judge it, but if Tolstoy had deprived his hero of this awkwardness, worldly impracticality, his charm would have disappeared. So often people's shortcomings are a continuation of their virtues. It is no coincidence that Prince Andrei said about his friend: "This is the most ridiculous and absent-minded person in the world, but the most golden heart." Tell us what are the paths of truth that Pierre followed.

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"The moral quest of Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov"

Lesson 21

Moral quest

Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov

Target: to synthesize and deepen the knowledge of students in the images of Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky.

During the classes

I. Conversation with elements of dispute

1. Pierre Bezukhov

Tell me, which of the characters in the novel did you like the most?

Today we will talk only about Pierre and Prince Andrei. Why did you like Pierre Bezukhov?

(He is not like other secular ... Here he appears in the salon of A.P. Scherer. The owner of the salon is even frightened by his sincere, truthful look. I like his simplicity, understanding of other people and sympathy for them. When Pierre is captured, then he easily talks with the soldiers, finds a common language with them.

In my opinion, the most important thing in Pierre is kindness. That is why he knows how to understand any person. When Pierre meets Princess Mary, he understands her too. In general, he is kind to everyone, even to that French officer whom he saved, to Rambal.)

Or maybe Pierre just understands that there could be trouble due to the murder of a French officer ...

(No, it’s not at all typical for Pierre to calculate what will happen as a result of some act, he simply could not allow a person to be killed.)

Where else do you see Pierre's kindness?

(He saved the child during a fire, stood up for a woman, once he gave money to everyone who asked. He managed to understand Natasha after her break with Prince Andrei. He managed to console her, although at first he went to her with a feeling of resentment for his friend, Prince Andrei. (Read excerpt t.II, hV, ch.22 with the words "It was frosty and clear...".)

Yes, this is true kindness and humanity. Let us recall another episode of the duel between Pierre and Dolokhov. Read out this scene (vol. II, part I, ch. 5 with the words “Well, start!” Dolokhov said ...”) Did Pierre want this duel?

(No, I didn't.)

And Dolokhov?

(Dolokhov did not care. He is a hussar, used to duels. Although Denisov did not want bloodshed, he was afraid for both Dolokhov and Pierre.)

How does Pierre survive Dolokhov's injury? It was the first time he had shot a man.

(He is sad, sad. And, probably, not only because he wounded Dolokhov, but also because life is generally absurd if, not wanting to kill, you can suddenly kill.)

Pierre cannot see someone else's suffering, someone else's misfortune, even if they are experienced by a person whom he does not love, who is guilty before him. He is able to condemn himself, and this can not everyone. It seems that this is also a manifestation of Pierre's sweet, inherent awkwardness. If approached strictly, this feature is a disadvantage, as others judge it, but if Tolstoy had deprived his hero of this awkwardness, worldly impracticality, his charm would have disappeared. So often people's shortcomings are a continuation of their virtues. It is no coincidence that Prince Andrei said about his friend: "This is the most ridiculous and absent-minded person in the world, but the most golden heart." Tell us what are the paths of truth that Pierre followed.

These searches were the main ones in the life of the hero. At the end of the novel, we see that it is Pierre who appears before us as the organizer of the secret political society "Independent, Free People". He accuses the tsar of inaction, sharply criticizes the existing system, is indignant at the reaction and Arakcheevism.

2. Prince Andrew

What attracts you to Andrei Bolkonsky?

(He is smart, understands life, understands politics. And most importantly, he is not a careerist, not a coward, not looking for a “cozy place”)

Let's go back to the beginning of the novel. Prince Andrei appears in the salon of A.P. Scherer and even without knowing him, we can already say something important about him. What exactly?

(He is uncomfortable in secular society.)

And with what details does Tolstoy emphasize this?

(Prince Andrei has a bored look. He looks at everyone with narrowed eyes. His handsome face spoils the grimace. When Pierre touches him from behind, Prince Andrei frowns in annoyance, because he does not know that it is Pierre.)

We learn that Prince Andrei can be completely different from those he loves ... When Pierre asked him why he was going to a war that cannot be called fair ... What does Prince Andrei answer him?

(The excerpt is read out “For what? I don’t know. It’s necessary ... - I’m going because this life that I lead here is not for me.”)

What conclusion can we draw?

(Prince Andrei is not satisfied with an empty secular life, he wants something more, he dreams of glory (read an excerpt from v.I, part III, ch.12 “The night was foggy”).

Do you think fame is the most important thing that a person needs?

(Probably not. After all, glory is only for oneself. Prince Andrei wants to earn glory by a feat, a real deed. Such determination can fill a lifetime. Suvorov said: “That soldier who does not dream of being a general is bad.”)

But you can want to be a general in different ways. One is promoted through his strengths and abilities, and sees the ultimate goal in the fullest realization of himself. Well, if you delve deeper into Suvorov's statement, then it should be understood as follows: everyone should strive to achieve perfection in their work.

And why does Prince Andrei want to advance in life?

(To show his strength, and he also thinks about honors. The vanity inherent in secular society also offends him. Despite the fact that Prince Andrei thinks about fame, we like him, because he wants to achieve fame honestly. In dreams of glory shows his disgust for a meaningless and meaningless life.He is looking for the meaning of life.)

He is very young. Dreaminess is characteristic of the young. There is nothing wrong with this. When a person matures, finds his recognition, all vain recedes.

The wiser a person, the less vanity in his dream. When did Prince Andrei understand this?

(After the Battle of Austerlitz. His dreams of glory seemed to him insignificant, and Napoleon - petty, although he once dreamed of "his Toulon".)

Bolkonsky after the war of 1805-1807. returns home, lives in his estate. His state of mind is grave.

Dreams of glory no longer occupy: what to strive for? Tell me, can Boris Drubetskoy or Berg suffer because they have no purpose in life?

(Of course not. They are small people, and Prince Andrei is a deep person. He suffers from a lack of meaning in life. He decides to engage in public affairs, participates in the work of the commission for drafting new laws, but then he realizes that they are out of touch with life. He goes to war. Before the battle of Borodino, his feelings are overwhelmed, because he is participating in a common patriotic cause. But even here he is disappointed.)

What conclusions does Prince Andrei come to about life?

(He understands that you need to live for good. Being kind in general, understanding and loving people is good, however, such a person needs an active expression of this love.)

Death interrupts Prince Andrei's quest. But if he had not died and his search continued, where would they have led Bolkonsky?

(Pierre expresses the idea that if Prince Andrei were alive, he would be with the Decembrists.)

Why didn't Prince Andrei forgive Natasha?

(He is a tough person by nature, constant in his principles. He could not accept Natasha, who is weak, confused, mistaken, rushing about.)

Why did Pierre forgive Natasha?

(He is kinder. Perhaps he took pity on her.)

When did Prince Andrei forgive Natasha?

(Already wounded, lying in the hut, he realized how cruel he was. Bolkonsky rethinks his life. For the first time he thinks not about himself, but about her pain and suffering. He had to endure a lot, he becomes softer, kinder, wiser.)

What brings Prince Andrei and Pierre closer, despite the difference in their characters?

(A lot of things bring them together. They are advanced people of their time. They do not live an empty secular life. They have a goal, moreover, a big goal. They want to be useful in their activities.)

II. Demonstration of a fragment of the video film "War and Peace"

Episodes "Battle of Austerlitz", "Battle of Borodino", "Wounding of Prince Andrei".

III. Recording of the OSK "Andrey Bolkonsky"

The path of the ideological and moral quest of Andrei Bolkonsky. Performed by students of the 10th "D" class MOBU "Secondary School No. 73" of Orenburg Mezentseva Natalia, Palatova Xenia, Mamedova Shabnam, Lavrenchuk Julia. Teacher: Pukhalskaya L.V.

Andrei Bolkonsky. In the artistic world of Tolstoy there are heroes who persistently and purposefully seek the meaning of life, striving for complete harmony with the world. They are not interested in secular intrigues, selfish interests, empty talk in high-society salons. They are easily recognizable among haughty, self-satisfied faces. These, of course, include one of the most striking images of "War and Peace" - Andrei Bolkonsky. True, the first acquaintance with this hero does not cause much sympathy, because his handsome face "with definite and dry features" spoils the expression of boredom and discontent. 3

Prince Andrei Son of N. A. Bolkonsky, brother of Princess Marya. "... Small in stature, a very handsome young man with definite and dry features." This is a smart, proud person who is looking for great intellectual and spiritual content in life. The sister notes in him some kind of “pride of thought”. He is reserved, educated, practical and has a strong will.

I. First Acquaintance We first meet Prince Andrei in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer. Prince Andrei sharply stands out from the high society environment with his education, breadth of interests. He feels the vulgarity, the illusiveness of the people of his circle. This gives rise to a thirst for real life and great achievements. He sees the possibility of their implementation in military service. To Pierre, he explains his decision with a desire to escape from the sphere of social and family life that bored him. But there are other, secret reasons that Andrei does not tell anyone about: “he dreams of accomplishing a feat, dreams of fame like Napoleon’s, dreams of his Toulon.” Of course, these dreams have nothing to do with the careerist plans of Berg or Drubetskoy. “After all, what is glory? - says Prince Andrew. “The same love for others, the desire to do something for them, the desire for their praise.”

II. spiritual crisis. Leaving for the war To achieve his goal, he appears in the most dangerous places of the battle. The unimaginable feat was not achieved. The harsh military events contributed to the fact that Prince Andrei was disappointed in his dreams. On the battlefield during the battle of Austerlitz (1805), he saw fierce battles of embittered and frightened people seeking to destroy a friend, felt the false patriotism of staff officers.

II. spiritual crisis. Leaving for the war Before the battle of Austerlitz, dreams are ready to become reality. Andrei feels that his hour is approaching, and that hour is coming. Raising the fallen banner, Bolkonsky stops the Russian soldiers who have taken flight, and drags them along to attack. Soon he falls, wounded in the head. By the time he woke up, the fight had already died down. Lying on his back, Andrei sees the blue sky. This sky, exciting, turning the soul, opens the way for him to a new life, becomes a symbol of a high understanding of life: "How could I not see this high sky before? And how happy I am that I finally recognized it. Yes! Everything is empty, everything is a lie, except this endless sky". At these moments, a new world opens before him, where there are no selfish thoughts, lies, but only the purest, highest, fair. The prince realized that there is something more significant in life than war and glory. Now the former idol (Napoleon) seems to him petty and insignificant.

1. In an effort to break out of the vicious circle of secular life, Prince Andrei dreams of personal glory in a military feat. 2-4. Participation in the Battle of Shengraben (1805), unfair assessment of the feat of Captain Tushin's battery by the highest military authorities, the feat of Prince Andrei himself on the field of Austerlitz and a serious wound - all this leads him to disappointment in his dreams of glory.

III. Return after being wounded It is not known how Bolkonsky's life would have turned out with his wife. But, when, “having risen from the dead,” he returned home kinder and gentler, a new blow fell upon him - the death of his wife, before whom he could not make amends. After that, Andrey goes to Bogucharovo.

Andrey Bolkonsky's occupations: - construction; - raising a son with his father and Princess Mary; - service for the collection of the militia under the command of the father. The discovery of the wealth of a peaceful life - without ambitious plans, in the family, at home, among loved ones. Happiness comes (incomplete - remorse in front of a wife who died in childbirth). Prince Andrey turns out to be attentive, gentle and touching in communication with his father, sister, son Nikolenka. In his soul, the natural needs of love and kindness lurk. But active, active by nature, Prince Andrei lives in a closed world. Therefore he suffers. “Extinct, dead look”, in a smile “concentration and death”. ten

IV. Gradual awakening from a moral crisis But Andrey's active nature, of course, could not be limited to this, he cannot live in such a narrow world: the search for the meaning of life as a hero begins again, the search for a new business useful to others. Andrey's meeting with Pierre on the ferry turns out to be fateful. Bezukhov's words: "We must live, we must love, we must believe" - ​​show Andrei the path to happiness. He realized that life was far from over for him. He again sees an opportunity to be useful (this time in public administration), to be happy, to love. "We must live in such a way that everyone knows me, so that my life goes on not only for me ... so that it is reflected on everyone and that they all live with me together!"

4-7. He is trying to find the meaning of life - in civic activity (work in the Speransky commission), but a conversation with Arakcheev and his own observations convince him that there is no high civic goal in this field either.

V. Ball "I've been waiting for you for a long time," this frightened and happy girl seemed to say ... raising her hand on Prince Andrei's shoulder. A certain role in the spiritual quest was played by Andrei Bolkonsky's love for Natasha Rostova. “Now life opened before him, all life with all its joys. It seems to him that in love he found true happiness. To live, helping and sympathizing with people, to merge your life with their life - this is the new ideal that has awakened in Andrei's soul.

Anatole Kuragin But this happiness turned out to be short-lived. Suddenly, Anatole Kuragin stands in his way. Proud and proud Andrei is unable to forgive Natasha for her mistake. Prince Andrei is once again disappointed...

VI. Prince Andrei during the War of 1812 The most significant milestone in the life of Prince Andrei was the events of 1812, when the defense of the homeland from the enemy became the highest goal. Dreams of personal glory no longer excite him. Only on the Borodino field does he understand that the meaning of life is in unity with the people, in the struggle for the freedom and happiness of the Motherland. To live, helping and sympathizing with people - this is his new ideal. Prince Andrei meets a wounded man whose leg has just been cut off. In it he recognizes Anatole. He remembered everything that had happened between him and Kuragin, and enthusiastic pity and love for this man filled his happy heart. The love that God preached on earth, which Princess Mary taught him, was now accessible to his understanding.

11-12. Only on the Borodino field, he finally understands that the meaning of life is in unity with the people, in the struggle for the freedom and happiness of the Motherland.

VII. The last moments of the life and death of Andrei Bolkonsky It is symbolic that at the moment of a mortal wound, Andrei feels a huge craving for a simple earthly life, but then he thinks about why it is so sad to part with it. This struggle between earthly passions and an ideal coldish love for people is especially aggravated before his death. Having met Natasha and forgiving her, he feels a surge of vitality, but this quivering and warm feeling is replaced by some kind of unearthly detachment, which is incompatible with life and means death. Thus, having revealed in Andrei Bolkonsky many remarkable features of a patriotic nobleman, Tolstoy cuts off his path of search by heroic death for the sake of saving the fatherland. And to continue this search for higher spiritual values, which remained unattainable for Andrei, is destined in the novel to his friend and like-minded Pierre Bezukhov.

During his illness, he relentlessly thought about life and death. His spiritual path continued, he was looking for the last truth that would reconcile him with death. Tolstoy conveyed the thoughts that his hero came to shortly before his death. These are thoughts about love, about God, about eternity. They are very important, they are comforting for Prince Andrei. Prince Andrey's new and final knowledge is special knowledge and is not expressed in words. But it is manifested by immediate reality by the actions of the hero's life by the way he leaves this world. The death of Prince Andrei convinces those close to him present that he has learned the truth. But not everyone who was next to him, but only those closest to him, whose love for him allowed them to penetrate the essence of what was happening: Natasha and Princess Mary.

12 - 15. There is reason to believe that if the author had left his hero alive, then he would have been one of those who in 1825 would have gone to the Senate Square in St. Petersburg.

Stages of Andrei Bolkonsky's spiritual quest a) Orientation to the ideas of Napoleon, a brilliant commander, superpersonality b) Wound near Austerlitz, a crisis in consciousness. c) The death of his wife and the birth of a child, the decision to "live for yourself and your loved ones." d) Meeting with Pierre, conversation at the crossing, transformation in the estate. e) Meeting with Natasha in Otradnoe. f) Communication with Speransky, love for Natasha, awareness of the meaninglessness of "state" activities. g) Break with Natasha, spiritual crisis. h) Borodino. The final change in consciousness, rapprochement with the people. i) Before his death, Bolkonsky accepts God, a feeling of universal love, harmony with life.

Results: Happiness of Bolkonsky Andrey spent his whole life looking for happiness, but not earthly, but “proud, perfect”; And Natasha, and Princess Mary, and Pierre - everyone remembered him after his death, and each remembered him with some kind of deep philosophical meaning, but everything was kind. And most importantly, he became an idol, a deity for Nikolenka's son. Therefore, no matter what they say, Prince Andrei died happy. The fate of Andrei Bolkonsky The fate of Andrei Bolkonsky is the path of a person who makes mistakes and is able to atone for his guilt, striving for moral perfection. Initiation to the feeling of eternal love revived the strength of spirit in Prince Andrei, and he accomplished the most difficult, according to Tolstoy, deed - he died calmly and with dignity. Andrei Bolkonsky went from ambitious egoism and pride to self-denial. His life is the evolution of the pride of the human mind, resisting the unconscious kindness and love that make up the meaning of human life. Death interrupted his moral search, but at the end of his life Andrei realized that the meaning of life is in serving the Fatherland and people.

Results: The fate of Andrei Bolkonsky (continued) The image of Prince Andrei is one of the most interesting, without him the novel would not have happened. If Bolkonsky had not died, then the "road of honor" would inevitably have led him to Senate Square on December 14, 1825. The poems of the poet A. Gorodnitsky speak of the fate of the Decembrists, as the fate of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky himself, if he had survived: The candle is ending, ending. The night twilight is long. Your friends are swinging in a noose At the Peter and Paul Wall. Your friends in the stage dust Wander, dejectedly bending over. How timely they killed you, Prince!

"War and Peace"

One of the main characters of the novel "War and Peace" are Pierre Bezukhoe and Andrei Bolkonsky. I At first glance, they are completely different from each other. Bolkonsky is the son of an aristocrat, brought up on the high ideals of serving the Motherland, while Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count, did not know his father and was educated abroad. Bolkonsky is mortally bored in high-society society, while Pierre, having first entered the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer, expects “something especially clever” from those around him. Even outwardly, these characters are completely opposite: Pierre is a “massive, fat young man”, who differs from Anna Pavlovna’s guests with a “smart ... and natural look”, Prince Andrei is small in stature, “very handsome ... with definite and dry features”, with "a dull, bored look."

However, the spiritual relationship of the characters is even more important. Their desire and desire to find an application for their strength, the ability to moral quest. Throughout the novel, Tolstoy's heroes go through a difficult path of moral quest.

We meet Prince Andrei at the moment when he decides to go to war in order to break the "vicious circle" of social life. He dreams of glory, Napoleon is an idol for him. "... I love nothing but glory, human love, ”he admits to himself. And this one; the moment of glory has come: with a banner in his hands, Prince Andrei drags the battalion behind him into the attack. However, this moment did not bring him the highest happiness. He feels happy when he lies wounded on the field of Austerlitz, sees “an immeasurably high sky” above him and understands that “... everything is empty, everything is a lie ...” He realizes all the pettiness of human aspirations for glory, and Napoleon already seems him "small, insignificant."

A little time will pass, and Bolkonsky will tell Pierre: "... I lived for others and ... ruined my life." Pierre at that moment is experiencing a spiritual uplift. After receiving an inheritance, marrying Helen, disappointment in love for her, a duel with Dolokhov, Bezukhov feels that “the main screw on which his whole life rested returned in his head.” He begins to think about the “eternal” questions of being: “Why live, and what am I? What is life, what is death? What power governs everything? After meeting with Freemason Bazdeev in Torzhok, Pierre tries to find answers to these questions 3 in the teachings of Freemasons. He joins the Masonic lodge, is engaged in philanthropic activities on his estates.

thought to the eternal: “On earth ... there is no truth; but in the world ... there is a kingdom of truth, and we are now the children of the earth, and forever the children of the whole world. This is how he now imagines the purpose of life:! "We must live, we must love, we must believe ...".

"not bothering anyone."

However, this meeting was extremely important for the prince, and after a while he will decide that “life is not over at thirty-one”: “... it is necessary ... that my life should not go for me alone, ... that for all it was reflected and so that everyone ... lived with me together! This will happen as a result of intense internal work after the meeting with Natasha Rostova in Otradnoe. So into the life of Prince Andrei! love enters. Pierre begins to realize how dear Natasha is to him, already at the moment when Bolkonsky tells him about his feelings for her. Now Prince Andrei is full of hope, infinitely happy. Pierre, by this time, was disillusioned with Freemasonry, he was overcome by "the former gloomy thoughts about the vanity of everything human." He is not satisfied with inaction, the situation, he recalls his unfulfilled youthful dreams. And only after Natasha’s break with Bolkonsky, experiencing “a feeling of pity, tenderness and love” for her, Pierre regains the meaning of life. Returning from the Rostovs, he sees “a huge expanse of starry dark sky” and a bright comet, and it seems to him that “this star fully corresponded to what was in his softened life that blossomed to a new one! and an uplifted soul."

He lives one life with the soldiers defending his native land. They call him "our prince". It is interesting that Pierre Bezukhov was also called “our master” at Ravsky’s battery, but “mentally they accepted Pierre into their family.” Both Prince Andrei and Pierre strive to "be a soldier, just a soldier." Both of them understand that "war is not a courtesy, but the most disgusting thing in life." At the same time, they are characterized by deep, patriotism... Prince Andrei, having shown an example of courage, is mortally wounded during the Battle of Borodino. Pierre, after the capture of Moscow by the French, remains in the capital to kill Napoleon. Of course, he does not succeed, and yet he does courageous deeds: he saves the girl, stands up for the woman.

After being wounded, on the eve of death, those truths are revealed to Prince Andrei, to the comprehension of which he strove all his life: “Compassion, love for brothers, for those who love and hate us ...” Death for him is an awakening, communion with the truth, with eternity .

Pierre, on the other hand, still had a long path of moral quest ahead of him. After the execution of the "arsonists" by the French, "the world collapsed in his eyes." And only a meeting with Platon Karataev leads him to the idea that happiness for a person is in himself, in his right to live and enjoy life. But still, Pierre cannot fully accept Karataev's philosophy. He "has always been and will always be a dreamer." Therefore, in the epilogue, he returns to himself and again chooses a new path, it seems to him that he is called upon "to give a new direction to the entire Russian society and the whole world." The only thing in which he finds constancy and harmony is family life.

"lived honestly", as they strived to comprehend themselves and eternal truths. This is what Tolstoy most appreciates in his heroes.

“The moral quest of Andrei Bolkonsky (based on the novel by L. N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”)”

If you carefully follow how the fate of the main characters of Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" developed, then we can say with confidence: each of them experienced a significant evolution of their views on life. One example is the absolute change in the outlook of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. We first meet him at the reception of Anna Pavlovna Sherer. There, all the conversations in one way or another revolve around the personality of Napoleon Bonaparte. Moreover, members of the circle talk about Napoleon as if he were a frequent visitor to the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer: they tell various funny stories about him and present him as a well-known, even close, person. Andrei Bolkonsky has a completely different perception of Napoleon's personality, so salon conversations irritate him insanely. For him, Napoleon is an exceptional personality. Prince Andrei is afraid of his genius, which may "turn out to be stronger than all the courage of the Russian troops," and at the same time is afraid of "shame for his hero." With all his being, Bolkonsky rushes in pursuit of the ideal associated with the victorious career of Napoleon. As soon as Prince Andrei learns that the Russian army is in distress, he decides that it is he who is destined to save her and that “here it is, that Toulon that will lead him out of the ranks of unknown officers and open the first path to glory for him” . However, fate decreed otherwise. She gave him the opportunity to see his idol, but at the same time showed the insignificance of his search for earthly glory. Looking at the high Austerlitz sky, the wounded Prince Andrei says to himself: “Yes, I didn’t know anything, I didn’t know anything until now.” And when Napoleon approaches him - Napoleon Bonaparte himself, his recent idol - who, mistaking him for the murdered man, utters a pompous phrase: “Here is a beautiful death!” For Bolkonsky, this praise is like the buzzing of a fly. Napoleon seems to him small and insignificant in comparison with what was revealed to his mind at that moment. Overcoming the "Napoleonic" ideal is one of the stages in the evolution of the personality of Andrei Bolkonsky. However, when a person loses old ideals and does not acquire new ones, a void forms in his soul. So too, after the overthrow of Napoleon from the pedestal and the rejection of his former dreams of glory, Prince Andrei began a painful search for the meaning of life. He scares Pierre Bezukhov with his gloomy thoughts, caused precisely by the absence of this meaning. Prince Andrei no longer wants to serve in the army: “After Austerlitz! .. No, I humbly thank you, I promised myself that I would not serve in the active Russian army.” He does not approve of Pierre's ideas about the emancipation of the peasants, believing that this will not benefit them. Having ceased to live for glory, Prince Andrei tries to live for himself. But such a philosophy only fills his soul with confusion. The mood of Prince Andrei is keenly felt at the moment when, on the way to Otradnoye, he sees a huge old oak tree. This oak "did not want to submit to the charm of spring and did not want to see either spring or the sun." Bolkonsky, as it were, tries to attribute to the oak the thoughts that overcome him: “Spring, love and happiness! .. And how do you not get tired of the same stupid, senseless deception!” This moment seems to be the highest, critical point of Prince Andrei's mental torment. But fate again surprises him - a small episode that radically changes his whole life. This is the first meeting with Natasha Rostova in Otradnoe. Not even so much a meeting as just an overheard conversation between her and her friend, a light touch on her inner world. This contributed to the fact that "in his soul suddenly rose ... an unexpected confusion of young thoughts and hopes that contradicted his whole life." Returning home the next day, Prince Andrei again saw the oak tree, which had made such a gloomy impression on him the day before. Bolkonsky did not immediately recognize him: “The old oak tree, all transformed, spread out in a tent of juicy, dark greenery, was thrilled, slightly swaying in the rays of the evening sun.” At that moment, Prince Andrei realized that life was not over, and it was necessary to make sure that it flowed not for him alone, but was reflected in everyone. He had an urgent need to take an active part in life. This was followed by the fascination of Prince Andrei with the personality of Speransky. He met Speransky at the moment when the latter's fame reached its zenith. It was a kind of "twin" of Napoleon - not only in terms of the strength of the impression, but even in appearance and character traits. However, the memory of Austerlitz did not allow Prince Andrei to create another idol for himself, despite all the admiration that Speransky aroused in him. Thus, Prince Andrei finally overcame the influence of Napoleon's personality. When the war of 1812 began, Bolkonsky seemed to have forgotten that he no longer wanted to serve in the Russian army. He went to war, this time not in search of glory, but with the only desire to share the fate of his people. There was not even a shadow of the former arrogance left in him, he changed his attitude towards the peasants, and they paid him love and trust, calling him “our prince”. After the Battle of Borodino, the mortally wounded Prince Andrei ends up in the hospital and there he suddenly recognizes Anatole Kuragin in one of the wounded. In the plot of the novel, their meeting is no less important than Bolkonsky's meeting with Napoleon on the Field of Austerlitz, since these are links in the same chain - the spiritual renewal of the hero who comprehends the meaning of life. In the camping hospital, Anatole is cut with a crushed leg, and Bolkonsky at this time is tormented not so much by a physical wound as by a spiritual wound. The contrast arising from the juxtaposition of the bodily and the spiritual very accurately characterizes both Anatole and Prince Andrei. Anatole, in fact, is already dead as a person, and Bolkonsky retained his spirituality. He plunged into memories "from the world of children, pure and loving." At that moment, the experiences of a child and a dying person were combined in his mind. And in such a connection, Bolkonsky felt an ideal state of mind. It was a moment. But at that moment, by exerting physical and spiritual strength, the hero brought together all the best qualities of his nature. He remembered Natasha at the ball in 1810, since it was at that time that he, perhaps, for the first time felt in himself with extraordinary clarity the power of “natural” life. And now love for Natasha made him color everything around with this living feeling and forgive Anatole Kuragin. The dying Bolkonsky demonstrates the victory of the natural principle in him. Death for Prince Andrei in his new state is devoid of horror and tragedy, since the transition “there” is as natural as the arrival of a person from non-existence into the world. The scene in the hospital is followed by a description of the results of the Battle of Borodino. The triumph of the spirit of Prince Bolkonsky and the triumph of the spirit of the Russian people echo each other. “The thought of the people” is thus organically embodied in the image of Prince Andrei. It is no coincidence that Pierre compares Bolkonsky with Platon Karataev. Before his death, Prince Andrei comes precisely to the Karataev worldview. The only difference is that this understanding of life and death was not given to Prince Andrei by nature, but was the result of hard work of thought. However, Tolstoy is closer to those heroes for whom this philosophy is natural, that is, it lives in them by itself and they do not even think about it. Such, for example, is Natasha, who lives by the principle: “You live and live.” The internal unity of Bolkonsky and Karataev is emphasized by the characteristic coincidence of the attitudes of others towards the death of both. Pierre took the death of Karataev as a natural event, and Natasha and Princess Mary reacted to the death of Prince Andrei in the same way. An aristocrat, a nobleman, Prince Bolkonsky passed away in the same way as the peasant Platon Karataev. This was a huge moral victory for Prince Andrei, for objectively, according to Tolstoy, he approached the faith, the bearers of which were Platon Karataev and thousands, millions of Russian people. Pierre Bezukhov compares Bolkonsky and Karataev as two equally beloved people who "both lived and both died." This reasoning for Pierre is full of deep meaning. Bolkonsky and Karataev are the children of the great mother nature. Their life and death are a natural link in nature, which gave them life and into the bosom of which they, like thousands of their kind, had to return. which is completely inaccessible to Nikolai, although he is older and more experienced: “For Dolokhov, she almost quarreled with her brother. She insisted that he was an evil person, that in a duel with Bezukhov, Pierre was right, and Dolokhov was to blame, that he was unpleasant and unnatural. Natasha does not know how to explain, to prove logically, because she understands people not with her mind, but with her heart. And her heart always tells her right. It is interesting that Natashg, unlike Sonya, does not at all seek to sacrifice herself to someone else, she does not even set herself the goal of helping people, making them happy.

She simply lives and with her sensitivity, understanding one way or another helps everyone around her. Natasha gives people the warmth of her soul, infects with that irrepressible thirst for life that overwhelms her. There are many examples of this. When Nikolai returned home after losing at cards, Natasha “instantly noticed the state of her brother ... but she herself was so cheerful at that moment ... that she ... deliberately deceived herself” and continued to sing. And yet, without knowing it herself, Natasha sang for her brother and thus helped him. Listening to her singing, Nikolai understood: “All this, and misfortune, and money, and Dolokhov, and malice, and honor - all this is nonsense ... but it’s real ...” thinking that love and happiness are “stupid, senseless deceit”. The very thought of rebirth to a new life, love, activity was unpleasant to him. However, when he saw a “strangely thin”, black-eyed girl running away from his carriage with a cheerful laugh, he was hurt that this girl “did not know and did not want to know about his existence.” Natasha’s nighttime conversation with Sonya, accidentally overheard by Prince Andrei, had such an effect on him that “an unexpected confusion of young thoughts and hopes suddenly arose in his soul, contradicting his whole life.” Only Natasha could evoke such feelings in people, only she could make them dream of “flying into the sky,” as she herself dreamed. Princess Mary is different. Growing up in the countryside, brought up by a stern and sometimes cruel father, she did not know the joys of life that Natasha fully enjoyed. For the old Prince Bolkonsky, there were “only two virtues: activity and intelligence.” He considered order to be the main condition for activity, and this "order in his way of life was brought to the last degree of accuracy." Princess Mary did not have a mother to whom she could run at night to chat and kiss "on the darling", as Natasha did. There was a father, whom she, of course, loved, but was so afraid that even “red spots shimmered over her face.” When you read about how she does mathematics with her father, the heart is filled with such pity for this girl that one wants to protect her from her tyrant father. It becomes clear why “the princess’s eyes were dimmed, she didn’t see anything, didn’t hear anything ... and only thought about how she could leave the office as soon as possible and understand the task in her own space.” She is corresponding with Julie Karagina, sincerely believing that this is her friend. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the smart, subtle Princess Marya believes in the friendship of the false and narrow-minded Julie. After all, she no longer has friends, and in part she invented a friend for herself. Their letters are similar only at first glance, but they are like day and night: Julie's artificial and far-fetched sufferings have nothing in common with Princess Mary's completely sincere, bright and pure thoughts. Deprived of all joy, lonely, locked in a village with a stupid Frenchwoman and a despotic, albeit loving father, Princess Mary tries to console the poor, suffering Julie. She herself finds solace only in religion. The faith of Princess Marya commands respect, because for her it is, first of all, demanding of herself. She is ready to forgive the weaknesses of everyone, but not herself. Tolstoy loves the princess and, apparently, therefore, is merciless towards her. He takes her through many trials, as if in order to check if she can stand it, if she will not lose her sincerity and spiritual purity. But Princess Mary, who seems so weak and defenseless, is in fact so strong in spirit that she can withstand all the hardships sent down to her by fate.

Ways of finding a place in life by Pierre Bezukhov

Tolstoy's books are a documentary presentation of all the searches that a strong personality undertook in order to find a place and a deed in the history of Russia.AM. Gorky's novel "War and Peace" is the brightest work that has become the greatest achievement of Russian literature.

L. N. Tolstoy captures and combines into a single whole the most important questions of the era: about the ways of development of Russia, about the fate of the people, about their role in history. We are shown outstanding personalities, great historical events, which at the beginningXIX centuries deeply touched the souls of many millions of people, the entire Russian people and were the center of events in this period of time, which later went down in history. Tolstoy's favorite character is Pierre Bezukhov. The image of this hero was conceived and written as the image of the future Decembrist. Not being a supporter of the uprising against the tsarist autocracy, the author, however, has great sympathy for the noble revolutionaries. Like Bolkonsky, Pierre is an honest, noble, highly educated nobleman, a comprehensively developed and intelligent person. Bezukhov is a spontaneous nature, capable of keenly feeling, easily excited. He is characterized by reflections and doubts in search of the “meaning of life”. His path is complex and tortuous. Tolstoy is very close to the search for his hero, because for a long time he himself could not understand the meaning of life, often looking for him in vain and in vain. Pierre Bezukhov is “a massive, fat young man with a cropped head, wearing glasses ... This fat young man was the illegitimate son of the famous Catherine’s nobleman, Count Bezukhov, who was dying in Moscow. He has not served anywhere yet, he has just arrived from abroad, where he was brought up, and was for the first time in society.” This is how Leo Tolstoy described his hero. But despite the appearance of Pierre, Tolstoy endowed him with magnificent human qualities and character. True, Pierre, even in his early youth, only having arrived in St. Petersburg, does not understand people well. He takes hypocrisy and lies for truth, sympathizes with false suffering. And therefore only, faced with the cruelty of this society, he seeks salvation in religion. At this critical moment, Bezukhov falls into the hands of Bazdeev. This "preacher" deftly sets up before the gullible count the nets of a religious-mystical society that called for moral self-improvement of people and united them on the basis of brotherly love. Pierre understood Freemasonry as “the teaching of equality, brotherhood and love”, and this helps him direct his forces towards the improvement of the life of serfs. But this good-natured and open person is being deceived here too. Wealthy, prosperous peasants and the manager cash in on the good of the count. This means that being a “good landowner” and a “benefactor” under the conditions of the feudal system is a real utopia. Masonic activity does not satisfy Pierre, his economic "transformations" fail. We know that the Patriotic War of 1812, in particular the Battle of Borodino, played a huge role in the life of Pierre Bezukhov. The events of 1812 bring the young count out of a state of spiritual emptiness and disappointment. Bezukhov participates in the preparation of the militia. But he again fails, as in the period of Freemasonry, because he takes up the matter too ardently, with a passionate desire to benefit the Motherland. His bold speech, addressed to the Moscow nobility, caused general discontent. However, overwhelmed by patriotic feelings, Pierre equips a thousand militia with his own money, and he himself remains in Moscow to kill Napoleon, or die, or stop the misfortune of the Motherland, which, according to Pierre, came from Napoleon alone. An important stage on the path of Pierre's searches is his visit to the Borodino field at the time of the famous battle. He understood here that history is created by the most powerful force in the world - the people. Bezukhov approvingly perceives the wise words of the unknown soldier: “They want to pile on all the people, one word - Moscow. They want to make one end.” The sight of the “lively and sweaty” militia men, “with a loud talk and laughter” working on the field, “acted on Pierre more than anything that he had seen and heard so far about the solemnity and significance of the present moment.” An even closer rapprochement between Count Bezukhov and ordinary people takes place in Moscow, in the barracks of prisoners of war. There he meets a soldier, a former peasant, Platon Karataev, who, according to the author, is a part of the masses. Pierre understood the meaning of life, which for him consisted in the fact that if life exists, then you can’t look for some only bad sides in it, but you need to see a lot of good things and take everything good from life. From Karataev, Pierre gains "peasant wisdom", in communication with the peasants "finds that calmness and contentment with himself, to which he vainly aspired before." If earlier Bezukhov closed himself in, now he is interested in the world around him, critically evaluates the phenomena of life. Pierre gained confidence and firmness of character, which he has been striving to find in himself all this time. Pierre Bezukhov belongs to that best part of Russian society, which draws forward along an unknown path to an amazing future and touches hearts with the tender fire of creative search. Pierre, as an advanced person of his time, is characterized by his personality: his desire for the best, his non-reconciliation with society, which often strangled and humiliated him. In addition to its historicity, the novel "War and Peace" is an interweaving of the destinies of many people. The main idea of ​​this novel is universal unity. It is important, relevant, topical, imbued with patriotism and heroism of the Russian people.