Works about honor and dishonor. Composition honor and dishonor war and peace Dishonest deeds in war and peace

There are about six hundred characters in War and Peace. “It is terribly difficult to think over and rethink everything that can happen to all future people of the forthcoming work, a very large one, and to think over millions of possible combinations in order to choose one millionth of them,” the writer complained. Tolstoy experienced such difficulties while working on each of his great works. But they were especially great when the writer created War and Peace.

This is natural, because the action of the novel lasts more than fifteen years and covers "an enormous number of events. The writer really had to think over "millions of possible combinations" and choose from them only the most necessary, most vivid and truthful. Tolstoy wrote fifteen options for the beginning of the "War" during the year and the world. "As it is clear from the surviving manuscripts, he tried to start the novel with the author's introduction, which gave an assessment of the historical events of 1812, then with a scene that takes place in Moscow, then in St. Petersburg, then in the estate of the old prince Bolkonsky, then abroad. What the writer was trying to achieve by changing the beginning of the novel so many times can be understood by reading the scene that opens "War and Peace" Tolstoy shows the high-society salon of the lady-in-waiting Anna Pavlovna Scherer, where eminent guests meet and have a lively conversation about what most worried about in at that time, Russian society - about the upcoming war with Napoleon.

Reading this scene, we get to know many characters and among them the two main characters of the novel - Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov. Tolstoy found such a beginning of the work that immediately introduces us to the atmosphere of the pre-war era, introduces us to the main characters, shows how their views and opinions clashed when assessing the most pressing issues of the time. And already from this first scene to the end of the novel, we follow with unflagging interest and excitement how events unfold and how an increasing number of people become participants in them. Nevertheless, it should be noted that there are episodes in War and Peace where the image of Kutuzov is shown inconsistently. Tolstoy believed that the development of all events taking place in the world does not depend on the will of people, but is predetermined from above.

It seemed to the writer that Kutuzov thought the same way and did not consider it necessary to interfere in the development of events. But this decisively contradicts the image of Kutuzov, which was created by Tolstoy himself. The writer emphasizes that the great commander knew how to understand the spirit of the army and sought to control it, that all Kutuzov's thoughts and all his actions were aimed at one goal - to defeat the enemy. The image of the soldier Platon Karataev, whom Pierre Bezukhoye met and befriended in captivity, is also controversially depicted in the novel. Karataev is characterized by such features as gentleness, humility, readiness to forgive and forget any offense. Pierre listens with surprise, and then with delight, to Karata's stories, which always end with gospel calls to love everyone and forgive everyone. But the same Pierre had to see the terrible end of Platon Karataev.

When the French were driving a party of prisoners along a muddy autumn road, he fell from weakness and could not get up. And the guards ruthlessly shot him. One cannot forget this terrible scene: the murdered Karataev lies by the muddy forest road, and a hungry, lonely, freezing little dog sits and howls near him, which he saved from death so recently ... Fortunately, the "Karataev" features were unusual for Russian people, defending their land.

Reading "War and Peace", we see that it was not Platon Karataev who defeated Napoleon's army. This was done by the fearless gunners of the modest Captain Tushin, the brave soldiers of Captain Timokhin, the cavalrymen of Uvarov, and the partisans of Captain Denisov. The Russian army and the Russian people defeated the enemy. And this is shown with great force in the novel. It is no coincidence that during the Second World War, Tolstoy's book was a reference book for people from different countries who fought against the invasion of Hitler's fascist hordes.

And it will always serve as a source of patriotic inspiration for all freedom-loving people. From the epilogue that ends the novel, we learn about how his characters lived after the end of the Patriotic War of 1812. Pierre Bezukhoye and Natasha Rostova joined their destinies, found their own. Pierre is still concerned about the future of his homeland.

He became a member of a secret organization from which the Decembrists would later emerge. Young Nikolenka Bolkonsky, the son of Prince Andrei, who died from a wound received on the Borodino field, listens attentively to his heated speeches. You can guess the future of these people by listening to their conversation. Nikolenka asks Pierre: "Uncle Pierre... If dad were alive...

would he agree with you?" And Pierre replies: "I think so ..." At the end of the novel, Tolstoy draws a dream of Nikolenka Bolkonsky.

He and Pierre go to the difficult and glorious ahead of a huge army. Waking up, Nikolenka makes a firm decision: to live in such a way as to be worthy of the memory of his father. "Father! Father!

Nikolenka thinks. “Yes, I will do what even he would be pleased with.” With this oath, Nikolenka Tolstoy completes the storyline of the novel, as if opening the veil to the future, stretching the threads from one era of Russian life to another, when the heroes of 1825 entered the historical arena - Decembrists.

Honor and dignity are the main qualities of a human character, and those who have lost them are alien to any high
aspirations and searches. The problem of moral self-improvement of the individual has always been one of the most important in creativity.
L. N. Tolstoy.
In the center of the novel "War and Peace" is the image of the Patriotic War of 1812, which stirred up the entire Russian
a nation that showed the whole world its power and strength. A great historical upheaval revealed the true nature of each
individual person.
In a stern and solemn tone, Tolstoy begins the narrative of the events of the “glorious for Russia era of 1812”:
“On June 12, the forces of Western Europe crossed the borders of Russia, and the war began, that is, the opposite happened
the human mind and all human nature an event.
When "the forces of two dozen languages ​​broke into Russia," our people rose to the holy war of liberation.
Tolstoy shows in the novel what a mighty impulse grew "hidden patriotism" that lived in the heart of every truly Russian
a man who loved his country. As Tolstoy writes, in the Patriotic War of 1812 “the goal of the people was one: to cleanse their
land from invasion. The thoughts of all true patriots from the Commander-in-Chief
Kutuzov to an ordinary soldier and a peasant militia. Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov strove for the same goal,
Vasily Denisov and Captain Timokhin. For the sake of her, young Petya Rostov gives his life. With all their hearts they wish victory over the enemy Natasha
Rostova and Marya Bolkonskaya.
There is no reason to doubt the truth of the patriotic feelings that owned both the old prince Bolkonsky and Nikolai
Rostov, in whose character positive and negative traits were intricately combined. At the same time, the writer
convinces us of the complete lack of patriotism among such people as Prince Vasily Kuragin and his children: Ippolit, Anatole and
Helen. No matter how much the distinguished guests who gathered in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer scold Napoleon, we will not find a single
drops of true patriotic feeling.
By no means love for the Motherland (they do not have this love) is guided by Boris Drubetskoy and Dolokhov, entering
active army. The first is studying "unwritten chain of command" to make a career. The second tries to excel in order to
quickly regain your officer rank, and then receive awards and ranks. Military official Berg in abandoned by residents
In Moscow, he buys things on the cheap ... War, as Tolstoy shows, severely tests a person. He seems to put everyone
protagonists of his novel in the face of mortal danger hanging over the Motherland, and, as it were, asks them:
“Well, what kind of people are you? How will you behave in this difficult time for the patronymic, how will you help the people who protect the earth from
enemy invasion?
In fact, almost all the chapters of the third and fourth volumes of "War and Peace" were written in order for the characters of the novel to give
answer to this main question.
The trouble approaching the ancient Russian capital did not bother the highest circles of noble society. Making some noise in
Sloboda Palace during a meeting with the emperor and showing patriotism, they healed as before. "It was hard to believe that
Indeed, Russia is in danger and that the members of the English Club are at the same time the sons of the fatherland, ready for him to
every sacrifice,” Tolstoy writes with irony.
The military governor, Count F.V. Rastopchin, reassured the inhabitants of Moscow with the stupidest posters,
French and it was said that they were all dwarfs and that one woman would throw three of them with a pitchfork. In Julie's high-society salon
Drubetskaya, as in many other "societies" of Moscow, it was agreed to speak only Russian, and those who
forgetfulness spoke French. They paid a fine "in favor of the donation committee." That's the whole "contribution" to the defense
Motherland, brought in by salon "patriots".
Not in high-society living rooms, not in palace chambers, not in the sovereign's headquarters, but on the battlefields
the most important question of the life and death of the Fatherland. The fate of the motherland was taken into their own hands by the people, by whose will, Tolstoy is
emphasizes that against the will of the tsar and the ruling elite, Mikhail was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian troops
Illarionovich Kutuzov. He became the true leader of the army and the people. Tolstoy showed this already in the picture of the first meeting of Kutuzov
with the troops in Tsar's Zaimishche, when he managed to instill confidence in the soldiers that Russia would be saved and victory over the enemy
will be won. Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief on August 8, and already on August 26 he gave the battle of Borodino, which led to
turning point in the course of the war and predetermined its final outcome.
The Russian soldiers who participated in this battle did not have a question about what its outcome would be. For everybody
of these, it could be only one: victory at any cost! Everyone understood that the fate of the Motherland depended on this battle.
The mood of Russian soldiers before the Battle of Borodino was expressed by Andrei Bolkonsky in a conversation with his friend Pierre
Bezukhov: “I believe that tomorrow will really depend on us ... From the feeling that is in me, in
him,” he pointed to Timokhin, “in every soldier.”
And Captain Timokhin confirms this confidence of his regimental commander. He says: “Why feel sorry for yourself now!
The soldiers in my battalion, believe me, did not drink vodka: not such a day, they say.
And, as if summing up his reflections on the course of the war, relying on his combat experience, Prince Andrei says
to Pierre attentively listening to him: “The battle is won by the one who firmly decided to win it ... no matter what, no matter what
confused up there, we'll win the battle tomorrow. Tomorrow, whatever it is, we will win the battle!”
Soldiers, combat commanders, and Kutuzov are imbued with the same firm confidence.
Prince Andrei insistently and confidently says that for him and for all Russian patriotic soldiers the
According to Napoleon, war is not a game of chess, but a most serious matter, on the outcome of which the future of every Russian depends.
person. “Timokhin and the whole army think the same way,” he emphasizes again, expressing the unanimity of the Russian soldiers who got up
to death on the Borodino field.
L. N. Tolstoy clearly showed that this battle affected the moral superiority of the Russian liberation
army over the French - predatory. The inner beauty and wealth of his heroes lies in the harmony of their thoughts and
feelings. The concept of honor cannot be applied to someone who has sacrificed his moral principles for the sake of any
base goals, who lives only to satisfy their personal needs, not noticing around them, stepping over
them. No wonder Tolstoy calls Napoleon, a legendary figure who managed to conquer the world at the cost of millions of human lives.
lives, "a man without honor and conscience."

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Final essay - 2016

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Direction "Honor and dishonor"
Honor is a complex ethical and social concept associated with the assessment of such personality traits as loyalty, justice, truthfulness, nobility, dignity.

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"War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy
The problem of moral self-improvement of the individual has always been one of the most important in the work of Leo Tolstoy. In the center of the novel "War and Peace" is the image of the Patriotic War of 1812, which stirred up the entire Russian people, showing the whole world its power and strength. A great historical upheaval revealed the true essence of each individual person.

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"The forces of two dozen languages ​​broke into Russia", our people rose to the holy liberation war. Tolstoy shows in the novel what a mighty impulse grew "hidden patriotism" that lived in the heart of every truly Russian person who loved his homeland. The goal of the people was one: to clear their land from invasion. The thoughts of all true patriots from the commander-in-chief Kutuzov to the ordinary soldier and the peasant militia were directed towards the realization of this goal.

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Andrey Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov, Vasily Denisov and Captain Timokhin were striving for the same goal. For the sake of her, young Petya Rostov gives his life. Natasha Rostova and Marya Bolkonskaya wish victory over the enemy with all their hearts.

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There is no reason to doubt the truth of the patriotic feelings that owned both the old prince Bolkonsky and Nikolai Rostov, in the character of which positive and negative features were intricately combined.

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Andrei Bolkonsky is an image that embodies the best features of the representatives of the advanced noble society of his time. Bolkonsky comes into contact with the commander Kutuzov, serves as his adjutant. Andrei sharply opposes secular society and staff officers, being their antipode. For the first time we meet Andrei Bolkonsky in the Sherer salon. Much in his behavior and appearance expresses deep disappointment in secular society, boredom from visiting living rooms, fatigue from empty and deceitful conversations. This is evidenced by his tired, bored look, the grimacing that spoiled his handsome face, the manner of squinting when looking at people. Gathering in the cabin, he contemptuously calls "stupid society."

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He has an irresistible thirst for real life. His sharp, analytical mind is attracted to her, broad requests push him to great achievements. Their opportunity, according to Andrey, is opened for him by the army and participation in military campaigns. Although he can easily stay in St. Petersburg, serve as an aide-de-camp here, he goes to where the hostilities are going on. The battles of 1805 were for Bolkonsky a way out of the impasse. Army service becomes one of the important stages in the search for Tolstoy's hero. Here he sharply separates himself from the numerous seekers of fast careers and high awards that could be found at the headquarters. Unlike Zherkov and Drubetskoy, Prince Andrei organically cannot be a lackey. He is not looking for reasons to rise in ranks and awards, and he consciously begins his service in the army from the lower ranks in the ranks of Kutuzov's adjutants.

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Bolkonsky keenly feels his responsibility for the fate of Russia. The Ulm defeat of the Austrians and the appearance of the defeated General Mack gives rise to disturbing thoughts in his soul about what obstacles stand in the way of the Russian army.

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Prince Andrei is unusually ambitious. The hero of Tolstoy dreams of such a personal feat that would glorify him and oblige people to render him enthusiastic respect. He cherishes the idea of ​​fame, similar to the one that Napoleon got in the French city of Toulon, which would lead him out of the ranks of unknown officers. One can forgive Andrei for his ambition, realizing that he is driven by "a thirst for such a feat that is necessary for a military man."

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The battle of Shengraben already to some extent allowed Bolkonsky to show his courage. He boldly goes around the positions under the bullets of the enemy. He alone dared to go to Tushin's battery and did not leave it until the guns were removed. Here, in the battle of Shengraben, Bolkonsky was lucky enough to witness the heroism and courage shown by the gunners of Captain Tushin. In addition, he himself showed military restraint and courage here, and then one of all the officers came to the defense of the little captain. Shengraben, however, has not yet become Bolkonsky's Toulon.

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The battle of Austerlitz, as Prince Andrei believed, was a chance to find his dream. It will certainly be a battle that will end in a glorious victory, carried out according to his plan and under his leadership. He will indeed accomplish a feat in the battle of Austerlitz. As soon as the lieutenant, who was carrying the banner of the regiment, fell on the battlefield, Prince Andrey raised this banner and, shouting “Guys, go ahead!” He led the battalion into the attack. Having been wounded in the head, Prince Andrey falls, and now Kutuzov writes to his father, that the son of the old prince Bolkonsky "fell a hero."

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It was not possible to reach Toulon. Moreover, they had to endure the tragedy of Austerlitz, where the Russian army suffered a heavy defeat. At the same time, the illusion of Bolkonsky, associated with the glory of the great hero, dissipated, disappeared. The writer turned here to the landscape and painted a huge, bottomless sky, at the contemplation of which Bolkonsky, lying on his back, experiences a decisive mental break. Bolkonsky’s internal monologue allows us to penetrate into his experiences: “How quiet, calm and solemn, not at all the way I ran ... not the way we ran, shouted and fought ... Not at all like the clouds crawling along this high, endless sky." The cruel struggle between people now came into sharp conflict with the generous, calm, peaceful and eternal nature.

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From that moment on, the attitude of Prince Andrei towards Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he revered so much, changes dramatically. Disappointment arises in him, which was especially aggravated at the moment when the French emperor rode past him, Andrei, with his retinue and theatrically exclaimed: "Here is a beautiful death!" At that moment, “all the interests that occupied Napoleon seemed so insignificant to Prince Andrei, his hero himself seemed so petty to him, with this petty vanity and joy of victory,” in comparison with the high, just and kind sky. And during the subsequent illness, “little Napoleon with his indifferent, limited and happy look from the misfortunes of others” began to appear to him. Now Prince Andrei severely condemns his ambitious aspirations of the Napoleonic warehouse, and this becomes an important stage in the spiritual search for the hero.

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Andrey's spiritual recovery took a long time, it was difficult (the death of his wife, ... housework, ... a meeting with an oak that had not blossomed and blossomed, ... Natasha ...) Prince Andrei returns to social activities. He goes to St. Petersburg, where he begins to work in the Speransky commission, drawing up state laws. He admires Speransky himself, "seeing in him a man of great intelligence." It seems to him that "the future on which the fate of millions depends" is being prepared here. However, Bolkonsky soon had to be disappointed in this statesman with his sentimentality and false artificiality. Then the prince doubted the usefulness of the work that he had to do. A new crisis is coming. It becomes obvious that everything in this commission is based on bureaucratic routine, hypocrisy and bureaucracy. All this activity is not at all necessary for the Ryazan peasants.

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The War of 1812 came. Prince Andrei again goes to the army, although he once promised himself not to return there. All petty concerns faded into the background, in particular, the desire to challenge Anatole to a duel. Napoleon approached Moscow. On the way of his army were the Bald Mountains. It was an enemy, and Andrei could not be indifferent to him. The prince refuses to serve in the headquarters and is sent to serve in the "ranks". According to L. Tolstoy, Prince Andrei "was completely dedicated to the affairs of his regiment", cared about his people, was simple and kind in dealing with them. In the regiment they called him "our prince", they were proud of him and loved him. This is the most important stage in the formation of Andrei Bolkonsky as a person. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, Prince Andrei is firmly convinced of victory. He tells Pierre: "We will win the battle tomorrow. Tomorrow, whatever it is, we will win the battle!"

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Bolkonsky is moving closer to ordinary soldiers. His aversion to the higher circle, where greed, careerism and complete indifference to the fate of the country and people reign, is growing stronger. By the will of the writer, Andrei Bolkonsky becomes the spokesman for his own views, revering the people as the most important force in history and attaching special importance to the spirit of the army. In the Battle of Borodino, Prince Andrei is mortally wounded. Together with other wounded, he is evacuated from Moscow. Again he is experiencing a deep spiritual crisis. He comes to the conclusion that relations between people should be built on mercy and love, which should be addressed even to enemies. It is necessary, according to Andrei, universal forgiveness and firm faith in the wisdom of the Creator.

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And one more experience is experienced by the hero of Tolstoy. In Mytishchi, Natasha unexpectedly appears to him and asks his forgiveness on her knees. Love for her flares up again. This feeling warms the last days of Prince Andrei. He managed to rise above his own resentment, to understand Natasha's suffering, to feel the power of her love. He is visited by spiritual enlightenment, a new understanding of happiness and meaning. The main thing that Tolstoy revealed in his hero continued after his death in his son, Nikolenka. This is discussed in the epilogue of the novel. The boy is carried away by the Decembrist ideas of Uncle Pierre and, turning mentally to his father, he says: "Yes, I will do what even he would be pleased with."

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At the same time, the writer convinces us of the complete lack of patriotism among such people as Prince Vasily Kuragin and his children: Ippolit, Anatole and Helen. No matter how much the noble guests who gathered in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer scold Napoleon, we will not find in them a single drop of truly patriotic feeling.

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By no means love for the Motherland (they do not have this love) is guided by Boris Drubetskoy and Dolokhov, entering the army. The first is studying "unwritten chain of command" to make a career. The second tries to distinguish himself in order to quickly regain his officer rank, and then receive awards and ranks. The military official Berg in Moscow, abandoned by the inhabitants, buys things on the cheap ... The war, as Tolstoy shows, severely tests a person.

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It is as if he puts all the characters in his novel in the face of mortal danger hanging over the Motherland, and, as it were, asks them: “Well, what kind of people are you? How will you behave in this difficult time for the patronymic, how will you help the people defending the earth from enemy invasion?

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The trouble approaching the ancient Russian capital did not bother the highest circles of noble society. Having made some noise in the Sloboda Palace during a meeting with the emperor and having shown patriotism, they began to live as before. “It was hard to believe that Russia was really in danger and that the members of the English Club were at the same time the sons of the fatherland, ready for any sacrifice for him,” Tolstoy writes with irony. The military governor, Count F.V. Rastopchin, reassured the inhabitants of Moscow with the stupidest posters, in which the French were ridiculed and said that they were all dwarfs and that one woman would throw a pitchfork at three of them.

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In the high society salon of Julie Drubetskaya, as in many other "societies" of Moscow, it was agreed to speak only Russian, and those who, out of forgetfulness, spoke French. They paid a fine "in favor of the donation committee." That's the whole "contribution" to the defense of the Motherland, made by salon "patriots".

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Not in high-society living rooms, not in palace chambers, not in the sovereign's headquarters, but on the battlefields, the most important issue of the life and death of the Fatherland was decided. The fate of the Motherland was taken into their own hands by the people, by whose will, Tolstoy emphasizes this, contrary to the will of the tsar and the ruling elite, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian troops. He became the true leader of the army and the people. Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief on August 8, and already on August 26 he gave the Battle of Borodino, which led to a turning point in the course of the war and predetermined its final outcome.

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The Russian soldiers who participated in this battle did not have a question about what its outcome would be. For each of them it could be only one: victory at any cost! Everyone understood that the fate of the Motherland depended on this battle. The mood of the Russian soldiers before the Battle of Borodino was expressed by Andrei Bolkonsky in a conversation with his friend Pierre Bezukhov: “I believe that tomorrow will really depend on us ... From the feeling that is in me, in him,” he pointed to Timokhin, “in every soldier."

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And Captain Timokhin confirms this confidence of his regimental commander. He says: “Why feel sorry for yourself now! The soldiers in my battalion, believe me, did not drink vodka: not such a day, they say. And, as if summing up his reflections on the course of the war, relying on his combat experience, Prince Andrei says to Pierre, who is attentively listening to him: we will win the battle tomorrow. Tomorrow, whatever it is, we will win the battle!”

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Soldiers, combat commanders, and Kutuzov are imbued with the same firm confidence. Prince Andrei insistently and confidently says that for him and for all Russian patriotic soldiers, the war imposed by Napoleon is not a game of chess, but a very serious matter, on the outcome of which the future of every Russian person depends. “Timokhin and the whole army think the same way,” he emphasizes again, expressing the unanimity of the Russian soldiers who rose to their deaths on the Borodino field.

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LN Tolstoy clearly showed that this battle had an effect on the moral superiority of the Russian liberation army over the French predatory one. The inner beauty and wealth of his characters lies in the harmony of their thoughts and feelings. The concept of honor cannot be applied to someone who has sacrificed his moral principles for the sake of some base goals, who lives only to satisfy his personal needs, not noticing around him, stepping over them. No wonder Tolstoy calls Napoleon, the legendary figure who managed to conquer the world at the cost of millions of human lives, "a man without honor and conscience."

In such a grandiose and large-scale work as "War and Peace", Leo Tolstoy could not but touch upon such eternal topics as honor and dishonor. There are characters in the novel who value honor above life, and there are those for whom only their own interests are important; dishonorable acts are commonplace for them. There are also heroes in whom both honor and dishonor coexist, but at a crucial moment they must make a choice in favor of one of these qualities.

A man full of nobility and honor is the old prince Bolkonsky. He is a patriot himself, and he brings up his children in the spirit of patriotism, strictness, and nobility.

His son Andrei is also a man of honor. He boldly goes to war with only one goal - to protect the Motherland. Being himself incapable of betrayal and deceit, he understands that it is too hard to forgive this beloved woman. But, being a generous person, he still did it.
Pierre Bezukhov is a good-natured and open person, a true friend. In the most difficult moment, he came to the aid of Natasha Rostova. Although he is not a military man, Pierre nevertheless went to the battle of Borodino, he could not stay away from the rest.

Natasha Rostova is a kind and sincere girl with a real Russian soul. Natasha loves the whole world, all people. She gave her heart to Prince Andrei, hard to bear the separation from him. The girl was unable to resist her attraction to Anatole Kuragin. Natasha committed this betrayal unconsciously, she needed love and attention. Yes, she acted dishonorably towards her fiancé, but I think one should not judge a naive girl too harshly.

A striking example of dishonor in the novel is Helen Kuragina, an immoral and prudent woman. She does not know such feelings as love, devotion. She lives only for personal gain and marries Pierre only for money. Her brother, Anatole, is the same cynical and dishonorable person. He seduced the bride of Prince Andrei, offended her honor and made many people suffer for his own benefit and vanity.

The theme of honor and dishonor has been and will be relevant at all times. Each of us has both good and bad qualities. And when it will be necessary to choose between honor and dishonor, we will make a choice based on which qualities we have more.

Essay text:

A noble and honest man was Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, the hero of Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace. For him, the concepts of life and honor were inseparable. Prince Andrei was honest not only in relation to the people around him, but also to himself.
Bolkonsky can be cold, for example, with his wife, who cannot exist outside of secular society, but affectionate and gentle with Pierre, an adult child who is just as alien to the world as Prince Andrei himself.
Bolkonsky made the decision to go to war, partly fueled by the general desire of the noble youth to accomplish a feat, defending the fatherland, but there was another reason: the desire to break with the usual circle, find a different life, different from the one he led before.
In his vainglorious dreams, he pictured himself as the savior of the Russian army. But after the battle of Shengraben, after the panic and confusion of the retreat of the allied forces, everything turned out to be not so heroic as he had dreamed.
On the eve of the Russian offensive at Austerlitz, Prince Andrei again feels a surge of ambitious impulses. Death, wounds, personal life all recede into the background. In the foreground is only the hero, Prince Andrei, and the people who love him, whom he does not know and will never know, but who (oh, dreams, dreams!) I will never forget his feat ...
Obedient fate (or rather, the hand of the great writer personifying it) provided the ambitious prince with such an opportunity. The decisive moment has arrived! Bolkonsky picked up the banner from the hands of the dead soldier and led the battalion to the attack. But the injury separated him from real events, and the high sky with nondescript gray clouds made him feel his insignificance before eternity. He also felt the even greater insignificance of death. And even Napoleon, against the background of this eternal sky, seemed insignificant to him. Diligently erected ideals collapsed in an instant.
Bolkonsky, returning home, decided never to serve in the army again. I began to hope for a quiet family life. But this does not mean at all that the concepts of honor and nobility have been shaken in him. It was these qualities that allowed him to direct his thoughts towards eternity and love. They talked a lot about this with Pierre Bezukhov. One spring, on business, Bolkonsky needed to see Count Rostov, and on the way to him, Prince Andrei drove past a huge old oak. The oak attracted the attention of the prince by the fact that there was not a single green leaf on it. Oak, as it were, personified the end of life. Near this oak, Prince Andrei came to the philosophical conclusion that he, a person, like a tree, should live out his life also calmly and patiently. The main thing is not to harm anyone and not to demand participation.
But soon his life changed dramatically: he met and fell in love with Natasha Rostova. Returning from the Rostovs, the prince noticed that the old oak had turned green, and he took this as a symbol calling him to action, to life, to happiness. Bolkonsky took up legislative work, but soon lost interest in it. Of all the feelings that visited his soul on the day of the meeting with the Rostovs and the age-old tree, only the feeling of love for Natasha glimmered. But Prince Andrei was a man of honor and could not forgive Natasha for deceit. He again returns to the active army and during the Battle of Borodino receives a severe wound. At the dressing station, he met Kuragin, also seriously wounded, remembered Natasha, but felt not irritation, but love and compassion for these people. Bolkonsky, in the moments of his own suffering, understood why and how God loves people, and tears of tenderness burned his inflamed cheeks. At that moment, Prince Andrei loved all the people on earth, not dividing them into relatives and enemies. Then he came to the idea that death is an awakening from life.
I am sure that the generosity and all-encompassing love that Prince Andrei felt at a critical moment in his life are feelings that are far from accessible to all people who are in the same conditions as Bolkonsky. These feelings can arise only in an honest, noble soul. A person for whom the concept of honor means nothing will never see the light of his soul, will never cry about the dear and irrevocable.
The path of Andrei Bolkonsky is complex and contradictory. He was not the ideal of virtue. Lived for himself. Pride prevented him from showing generosity even to the closest people. But it was originally laid grain, which was destined to germinate in favorable conditions. This is the grain of honor. The honor freed from pride helped Prince Andrei overcome his selfishness, brought him closer in the war with the common people, who warmly called him our prince.
Prince Andrei left this world in complete harmony with people and with himself. The author of the novel, having led his hero on such a difficult path to the heights of the spirit, apparently himself believed that such a path was the surest of all human paths leading to the perfection of the soul. This is the path of honor, freed from pride, selfishness and other unkind companions of our life.

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