General characteristics of Andrey
Andrei Bolkonsky, one of Leo Tolstoy's favorite characters, appears before the reader almost at the beginning of the novel. Tolstoy characterizes Bolkonsky in the novel "War and Peace" as a gifted nature with a rich inner world and a heightened sense of honor. Bolkonsky is a man of an extraordinary mind, prone to constant analysis of both external and internal, spiritual events. Not alien to selfishness at the beginning of the work, Prince Andrei gravitates toward state activity, he longs for fame and recognition - but not for himself, but for the good of the Russian people. This confused, lost inner reference point, but deeply honest patriot and true nobleman throughout the whole work is looking for himself, the meaning of life, answers to those difficult questions that the current situation poses to him.
The first description of Bolkonsky in the novel “War and Peace” speaks at once about both the appearance and the inner world of the hero: “... Prince Bolkonsky was small in stature, a very handsome young man with definite and dry features. Everything in his figure, from a tired, bored look to a quiet measured step, represented the sharpest contrast with his little lively wife ... ".
However, he does not fit into either secular society or his own family. And all because Andrei, as a man of honor, cannot become part of a world ruled by pretense, pretense and false patriotism. Unlike the “mannequins” surrounding him in beautiful outfits. His wife, whom our contemporaries would call a "socialite", he considers a doll without a soul and a brain.
The beginning of the way. Selfishness and the desire for glory
In the first chapters of the novel, Prince Andrei yearns with every fiber of his soul for personal glory in the military field. For the sake of this deeply selfish aspiration, he is ready to sacrifice everything: “I love nothing but glory, human love. Death, wounds, loss of family, nothing scares me.” The idol of the young man is Napoleon.
It is these aspirations and hopes that push Andrei to enter the military service. He becomes Kutuzov's adjutant. At the decisive moment, the young man rushes into the thick of the Austerlitz battle, waving a banner raised from the ground - and practically calms the panic in the ranks of the Russian army, dragging an entire battalion into the attack. At this moment, we see Andrei as real, without a touch of disappointment and rejection of the surrounding reality, with which he was covered at home from head to toe. This is a true patriot of his Motherland, a true nobleman and a man of honor. He knows no fear and doubt when it comes to protecting the interests of the state. He wants to serve the Motherland with every cell of his body. And this egoist longs for popular love and recognition, wants to become a hero - but this is for himself personally.
Andrei receives a serious wound - and all his ambitious aspirations fly into hell. Bleeding on the battlefield, he looks to the sky - and understands the value of life: “How have I not seen this high sky before? And how happy I am that I finally got to know him. Yes! Everything is empty, everything is a lie, except for this endless sky. And after some time, the image of his hero also falls into dust: the man sees how Napoleon, grinning maliciously, looks at the battlefield, from where the groans of the wounded and dying come from.
“No, life is not over at 31!”
The changed Andrei can no longer fight. He returns home, but only to suffer the bitterness of loss (his wife died in childbirth, leaving the prince's son Nikolenka) and get confused again. Bolkonsky decides from now on to devote himself entirely to his relatives, to live only for them. But his desire to serve does not disappear. Having met with Pierre Bezukhov, the man understands that it is possible to serve people and the Motherland not only in war.
Bolkonsky ceases to limit himself to the family nest, he strives to contribute to all projects, the implementation of which will benefit the Russian people and country. Arriving in St. Petersburg, he joins the Speransky circle and participates in the project to abolish serfdom in the country. But... At one of the capital's balls, a man meets young Natasha Rostova - and remembers the most valuable thing in the life of every person: love, happiness and family. Which leads to disappointment in Speransky and in government activities in general.
In a relationship with this young, cheerful and naive girl, dry and callous Andrei learns the value of every moment of life and the happiness of being loved - but even this cannot “evaporate” his egoism. Andrei postpones their wedding for a year, and when Natasha cheats, he cannot forgive her and goes to war again. Why? Because here, as it seems to him, he is valued, here he can serve such understandable and such correct ideals of patriotism and heroism.
Those who have reached the ideal are taken away by God ...
Andrei is mortally wounded. Almost to the last breath, this courageous man clings to life: “I can’t, I don’t want to die, I love life, I love this grass, earth, air.” However, having heard the heavy steps of the old woman with the scythe, he submits to fate: he stops fighting, does not want to see anyone, loses all hope.
Bitterly, but the death of the hero occupies an important place in the characterization of Andrei Bolkonsky. Because this deeply gifted and highly moral person, tirelessly looking for his place in life, became practically a saint by the end of his life: he loved everyone, forgave everyone. Having reached such spiritual heights, he simply would not be able to endure those cruel disappointments that were tirelessly prepared for him by the thoroughly rotten and therefore even some fake upper world.
Artwork test
One of the main images of the novel "War and Peace" by the great Russian humanist Leo Tolstoy - Andrei Bolkonsky - is an example of an aristocrat, the owner of the best features that can only be characteristic of a person. The moral quest of Andrei Bolkonsky and his relationship with other characters only serve as clear evidence that the author managed to embody willpower and realism in this.
General information
As the son of Prince Bolkonsky, Andrei inherited a lot from him. In the novel "War and Peace" he is contrasted with Pierre Bezukhov, who is more romantic, although he has a complex disposition. The younger Bolkonsky, who works with the commander Kutuzov, has a sharply negative attitude towards Vyatka society. In his soul, he harbors romantic feelings for Natasha Rostova, whose poetry captivated the hero. His whole life is a path of searching and trying to find the worldview of the common people.
Appearance
For the first time, this hero appears on the pages of the novel "War and Peace" at the very beginning, namely at the evening of Anna Pavlovna Sherer. His behavior clearly indicates that he is not only not attracted, but in the most direct sense repelled, and he does not find anything pleasant here. He does not at all try to hide how disappointed he is in these mannered, deceitful speeches, and calls all the attendees of such meetings "stupid society." The image of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky is a reflection of a person who is disappointed in false morality and who is disgusted by the manner of falsity that reigns in the highest circles.
The prince is not attracted by such communication, but he is much more disappointed that his wife, Liza, cannot do without secular conversations and superficial people. He is here only for her sake, because he himself feels like a stranger at this celebration of life.
Pierre Bezukhov
The only person whom Andrei can consider his friend, close to him in spirit, is Pierre Bezukhov. Only with Pierre can he be frank and without any grimaces admit to him that such a life is not for him, that he lacks sharpness, that he cannot fully realize himself, using the inexhaustible source of the thirst for real life inherent in him.
The image of Andrei Bolkonsky is the image of a hero who does not want to remain in the shadows behind the backs of his colleagues. He wants to do serious things and make important decisions. Although he has the opportunity to stay in St. Petersburg and become an aide-de-camp, he wants much more. On the eve of serious battles, he goes to the very heart of the fighting. Such a decision becomes for the prince a treatment for his long-term dissatisfaction with himself and an attempt to achieve something more in life.
Service
In the army, the prince does not behave quite the way many would have done if they were in his place. He does not even think about immediately getting a high position, taking advantage of his aristocratic origin. He deliberately wants to start his service from the lowest positions in Kutuzov's army.
In his aspirations, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky differs sharply not only from representatives of high society who found themselves in the war, but also from ordinary employees who, by all means, want to get the coveted high post. Their main goal is regalia and recognition, no matter how useful they prove to be and how bravely they behave in battle.
Vanity is not alien to Bolkonsky either, but it is expressed in a completely different way. Prince Andrei Bolkonsky feels that he is to some extent responsible for the fate of Russia and the people. He was especially influenced by the Ulm defeat and the appearance of General Mack. During this period, important changes take place in the soul of the hero, which will affect his entire future life. He felt at ease and realized that it was in the army that he could realize his powerful potential. Boredom disappeared from his face, it became clear from his whole appearance that the prince was full of energy, which he wanted to direct towards achieving his goals, that is, to protect the Russian people.
The prince becomes ambitious, he wants to accomplish a feat so that his name will be imprinted in history for many centuries. Kutuzov is pleased with his employee and considers him one of the best officers.
The life of Andrei Bolkonsky in the army is fundamentally different from the “insipid” existence in the circle of secular ladies that he led earlier. He is ready to do things and does not hesitate to do so. The hero demonstrated honor and courage already during the Battle of Shengraben, when he bravely circled the positions, despite the inexorable unceasing fire of the enemy. During this battle, the younger Bolkonsky had a chance to witness the heroism shown by the gunners. In addition, the prince showed his courage by defending the captain.
Battle of Austerlitz
Recognition, honor and eternal memory - these are the main goals that are a priority in order to fully reveal the image of Andrei Bolkonsky. A summary of the events of the Battle of Austerlitz will only help to understand how important it has become for the prince. This battle was a turning point in moral quest and an attempt to accomplish a feat for the younger Bolkonsky.
He hoped that during this battle he would be lucky to show all his courage and become a hero. He really managed to accomplish a feat during the battle: when the ensign carrying the banner fell, the prince raised him and led the battalion to attack.
However, Andrei did not succeed in becoming a hero in full, because it was during the battle of Austerilis that many soldiers were killed, and the Russian army suffered terrible losses. Here the prince realized that his desire to gain world fame was just an illusion. After such a fall, the plans of the ambitious prince undergo drastic changes. He no longer admires the image of the great Napoleon Bonaparte, now this brilliant commander becomes for him only a simple martinet. This battle and the arguments inspired by it are completely new and one of the most important stages in the search for Tolstoy's hero.
Return to secular society
Significant changes in the worldview of the prince occur upon his return to where he was sent after a serious wound received on the battlefield. The image of Andrei Bolkonsky becomes more pragmatic, especially after new tragic events take place in his life. Soon after his return, his wife dies in labor pains, giving birth to her son Nikolenka, who later becomes the successor of his father's spiritual quest.
It seems to Andrei that he is guilty of what happened, that his actions are the cause of the death of his wife. This state, close to depression, together with the mental disorder that appeared after the defeat in leads the prince to the idea that he should give up his claims to military glory, and at the same time stop any social activities.
rebirth
The arrival of Pierre Bezukhov to the Bolkonsky estate brings radical changes in the life of the prince. He takes an active position and begins to make many transformations in his possessions: he makes the peasants free, changes the corvée for quitrent, writes out a grandmother and pays the salary of a priest who teaches peasant children.
All this brings him a lot of positive emotions and satisfaction. Although he did all this "for himself", he managed to do much more than Pierre.
Natasha Rostova
The image of Andrei Bolkonsky cannot be fully analyzed without mentioning Natasha. Acquaintance with this young girl leaves an indelible imprint in the soul of the prince. Her energy, sincerity and spontaneity allow Andrei to feel the taste for life again and take part in social activities.
He decided to take up the drafting of state laws and entered the service of a certain Speransky. Soon he is deeply disappointed in the usefulness of such activities and realizes that he is surrounded by sheer falsehood. However, after returning, he sees Natasha again and revives. The characters flare up feelings that, it would seem, should end in a happy marriage. However, many obstacles appear on their way, and everything ends with a gap.
Borodino
Disappointed in everything and everyone, the prince goes to the army. He is again fascinated by military affairs, and aristocrats, who crave only glory and profit, arouse more and more disgust in him. He is sure of his victory, but, alas, Tolstoy prepared a different end for his hero. During the battle, Andrei was mortally wounded and soon died.
Before his death, an understanding of the essence of life descended on the prince. Lying on his deathbed, he realized that the guiding star of every person should be love and mercy towards his neighbor. He is ready to forgive Natasha, who betrayed him, and believed in the boundless wisdom of the Creator. The image of Andrei Bolkonsky embodies all the best and purest that should be in the human soul. Having passed a difficult, but short, he nevertheless understood what many will not be able to comprehend even for an eternity.
From birth, Andrei has faced difficulties.He was born into a wealthy privileged family of an aristocrat from an old and noble family.However, his mother apparently died when he was just a boy, as she is not mentioned at all in the novel. The father was not distinguished by attentiveness and caring. He was a tough and stubborn man, which bothered Andrei in childhood. Over time, their relationship becomes more tense, the boy no longer tries to win the favor of his father, and any attempts to get closer and communicate end in scandals. Andrey also has a sister, Marya. Even though she was not outwardly attractive, her heart was full of love and kindness. She developed a warm close relationship with her brother, which survived until the death of the hero.Appearance (citation characteristic)
The author describes him as a short man, but very handsome. "Prince Bolkonsky was short, a very handsome young man with definite and dry features." Tolstoy does not give a detailed description, pointing only to the reaction of other heroes who consider Andrei Bolkonsky to be very handsome and graceful. "... Women's society, the world cordially received him, because he was a rich and noble groom ...".Important! Andrew was very attractive. Leo Tolstoy repeatedly notes its beauty and attractiveness for other people, especially women.
Character traits of Andrei Bolkonsky
Speaking about the complex character of his father, one would think that Andrei was also a difficult hero. However, there was no radical rigidity in him.Important! The character of the hero is dominated by positive properties: he is noble and purposeful.Andrey can gain authority with the interlocutor and inspires respect from everyone, including those who do not like it. He can behave with dignity both at a secular reception and in the company of army comrades.
Important! At the beginning of the story, Andrei is not alien to the desire for success in the service, however, he wants fame and recognition not so much for himself, but in order to be able to bring good to the people.Despite his merits, Bolkonsky is still distinguished by some rudeness and arrogance. Sometimes he allows himself to ignore people, indecent behavior, express non-verbal signs of disdain (glance, smile, etc.), and sometimes unpleasant statements.
Important! This is a person who is somewhat confused and has lost his inner orientation. Like many nobles, he is full of searches for the meaning of life, his place in it.This hero is very restrained, you cannot call him cheerful - more often his face remains impartial. At the same time, Andrei is very kind and generous towards anyone, regardless of social status.
Prince's relationship with women
Andrei Bolkonsky appears before us as an already married man who is about to have his first child.He married Lisa Meinen, who was Kutuzov's niece.He considers his wife a soulless and stupid doll. This marriage for the hero is not happy. In childbirth, Lisa dies, and the baby Nikolenka remains in Andrei's arms, whom he is raising with his sister Marie. After the death of Lisa, Bolkonsky is tormented by guilt before his wife, whom he did not appreciate during his lifetime. Andrei has always been successful with women, but for a long time he did not think about marrying again. Howeverat the ball he meets with Natasha Rostova.The hero falls in love with her and receives reciprocity - Natasha is impressed by the beauty and gallantry of the gentleman. Communication with Natasha awakens the brightest traits in the dry and callous character of the hero, he wants to be loved, appreciates every moment of life. Bolkonsky proposes to Natasha and her parents agree, but his father forces him to postpone his marriage for a year. Andrei agreed and went abroad. And Natasha meets Anatole Kuragin and falls madly in love with him, planning an escape. Andrew is deeply hurt. Proud and principled, after that he constantly seeks meetings with Kuragin in order to take revenge on him.
Military service of Bolkonsky
Andrei Bolkonsky has been dreaming of military service since childhood. His hero was Napoleon, and he yearns for such fame and honors. He takes part in the battles near Austerlitz, at the decisive moment showing himself as a hero, performing a feat. He saves the battalion and leads it into battle boldly and without a shadow of a doubt, trying to protect the Motherland. In this battle, he receives a severe wound and, bleeding, lies on the battlefield. This event radically changes his views. He understands how unimportant and senseless war is. At the same time, the heroic image of Napoleon collapses - Andrei sees how his idol smiles, looking at the field with dead and wounded soldiers, and this disgusts him. The death of his wife forces him to refuse service. He returns and decides to dedicate his life to his family.Bolkonsky meets with his friend and realizes that it is possible to benefit the Motherland not only on the battlefield.He is actively engaged in various projects that will benefit the people, for example, in drawing up a plan for the abolition of serfdom.
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LN Tolstoy never showed himself as an unprincipled writer. Among the variety of his images, one can easily find those to whom he treated positively, with enthusiasm, and those to whom he felt antipathy. One of the characters to whom Tolstoy was clearly not indifferent was the image of Andrei Bolkonsky.
Marriage to Lisa Meinen
For the first time we meet Bolkonsky at Anna Pavlovna Sherer's. He appears here as a guest bored and tired of the whole secular society. In his inner state, he resembles a classical Byronic hero who does not see the point in secular life, but continues to live this life out of habit, while experiencing internal torment from moral dissatisfaction.
At the beginning of the novel, Bolkonsky appears before readers as a 27-year-old young man married to Kutuzov's niece, Lisa Meinen. His wife is pregnant with her first child and is due to give birth soon. Apparently, family life did not bring happiness to Prince Andrei - he treats his wife rather coolly, and says to Pierre Bezukhov that marriage is detrimental to a person.
During this period, the reader sees the development of two different hypostases of Bolkonsky's life - secular, related to the arrangement of family life and military - Prince Andrei is in military service and is an adjutant under General Kutuzov.
Battle of Austerlitz
Prince Andrei is full of desire to become a significant person in the military field, he gives great hopes for the military events of 1805-1809. - according to Bolkonsky, this will help him lose his sense of the meaninglessness of life. However, the very first injury sobers him up significantly - Bolkonsky reconsiders his priorities in life and comes to the conclusion that he will be able to fully realize himself in family life. Having fallen on the battlefield, Prince Andrei notices the beauty of the sky and wonders why he had never looked at the sky before and did not notice its uniqueness.
Bolkonsky was not lucky - after being wounded, he became a prisoner of war in the French army, but then he has the opportunity to return to his homeland.
Having recovered from his wound, Bolkonsky goes to his father's estate, where his pregnant wife is. Since there was no information about Prince Andrei, and everyone considered him dead, his appearance was a complete surprise. Bolkonsky arrives home just in time - he finds his wife giving birth and her death. The child managed to survive - it was a boy. Prince Andrei was depressed and upset by this event - he regrets that he was in a cool relationship with his wife. Until the end of his days, he remembered the frozen expression on her dead face, which seemed to ask: "Why did this happen to me?"
Life after the death of his wife
The sad consequences of the Battle of Austerlitz and the death of his wife were the reasons why Bolkonsky decided to refuse military service. While most of his compatriots were called to the front, Bolkonsky specifically tried to make sure that he did not get back on the battlefield. To this end, under the guidance of his father, he begins to work as a militia gatherer.
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At this moment, there is a famous fragment of Bolkonsky's vision of an oak, which, in contrast to the entire verdant forest, argued the opposite - the blackened oak trunk suggested the finiteness of life. In fact, the symbolic image of this oak embodied the internal state of Prince Andrei, who also looked devastated. After some time, Bolkonsky again had to pass along the same road, and he saw that his seemingly dead oak had found the strength to live. From this moment begins the moral restoration of Bolkonsky.
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He does not stay in the position of militia collector and soon receives a new appointment - work in the commission for drafting laws. Thanks to his acquaintance with Speransky and Arakcheev, he was appointed to the post of head of the department.
At first, this work captures Bolkonsky, but gradually his interest is lost and he soon begins to miss life on the estate. His work on the commission seems to Bolkonsky to be idle nonsense. Prince Andrei increasingly catches himself thinking that this work is aimless and useless.
It is likely that during the same period, Bolkonsky’s internal torment brought Prince Andrei to the Masonic lodge, but judging by the fact that Tolstoy does not develop this part of Bolkonsky’s relationship with society, the Masonic lodge did not have any spread and influence on the life path.
Meeting with Natasha Rostova
At the New Year's ball in 1811, he sees Natasha Rostova. After meeting with the girl, Prince Andrei realizes that his life is not over and he should not get hung up on Lisa's death. Bolkonsky's heart is filled with love in Natalia. Prince Andrei feels natural in Natalya's company - he can easily find a topic for conversation with her. In communicating with a girl, Bolkonsky behaves at ease, he likes the fact that Natalya accepts him for who he is, Andrei does not need to pretend or play along. Natalya was also captivated by Bolkonsky, he seemed attractive to her both externally and internally.
Without thinking twice, Bolkonsky proposes to the girl. Since the position in Bolkonsky's society was impeccable, and besides, the financial situation was stable, the Rostovs agree to marriage.
The only person who was extremely dissatisfied with the engagement that took place was the father of Prince Andrei - he persuades his son to go abroad for treatment and only after that deal with marriage matters.
Prince Andrei gives in and leaves. This event became fatal in the life of Bolkonsky - during his absence, Natalya fell in love with the rake Anatoly Kuragin and even attempted to escape with the brawler.
He learns about this from a letter from Natalia herself. Such behavior unpleasantly struck Prince Andrei, and his engagement with Rostova was terminated. However, his feelings towards the girl did not fade away - he still continued to love her passionately until the end of his days.
Return to military service
To drown out the pain and take revenge on Kuragin, Bolkonsky returns to the military field. General Kutuzov, who always treated Bolkonsky favorably, invites Prince Andrei to go with him to Turkey. Bolkonsky accepts the offer, but the Russian troops do not stay in the Moldavian direction for a long time - with the beginning of the military events of 1812, the transfer of troops to the Western Front begins, and Bolkonsky asks Kutuzov to send him to the front line.
Prince Andrei becomes the commander of the Jaeger regiment. As a commander, Bolkonsky demonstrates himself in the best possible way: he treats his subordinates with care and enjoys significant authority with them. Colleagues call him "our prince" and are very proud of him. Such changes in him were realized thanks to Bolkonsky's rejection of individualism and his merger with the people.
The Bolkonsky regiment became one of the military units that took part in the military events against Napoleon, in particular during the Battle of Borodino.
Wound in the Battle of Borodino and its consequences
During the battle, Bolkonsky is seriously wounded in the stomach. The wound received causes Bolkonsky to reevaluate and realize many life dogmas. Colleagues bring their commander to the dressing station, on the next operating table he sees his enemy - Anatol Kuragin and finds the strength to forgive him. Kuragin looks very pathetic and depressed - the doctors amputated his leg. Looking at the emotions of Anatole and his pain, anger and the desire to take revenge, which had been devouring Bolkonsky all this time, recedes and is replaced by compassion - Prince Andrei feels sorry for Kuragin.
Then Bolkonsky falls into unconsciousness and is in this state for 7 days. Bolkonsky comes to consciousness already in the Rostovs' house. Together with other wounded, he was evacuated from Moscow.
Natalia at this moment becomes his angel. In the same period, Bolkonsky's relationship with Natasha Rostova also takes on a new meaning, but for Andrei everything is too late - his wound leaves him no hope of recovery. However, this did not prevent them from finding short-term harmony and happiness. Rostova all the time relentlessly cares for the wounded Bolkonsky, the girl realizes that she still loves Prince Andrei, because of this, her guilt towards Bolkonsky only intensifies. Prince Andrei, despite the severity of his injury, tries to look as usual - he jokes a lot, reads. Oddly enough, of all the possible books, Bolkonsky asked for the Gospel, probably because after the “meeting” with Kuragin at the dressing station, Bolkonsky began to realize Christian values and was able to love people close to him with true love. Despite all efforts, Prince Andrei still dies. This event tragically affected Rostova's life - the girl often remembered Bolkonsky and went over in her memory all the moments spent with this person.
Thus, the life path of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky once again confirms Tolstoy's position - the life of good people is always full of tragedy and quest.
After reading Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace", readers come across some images of heroes who are morally strong and give us a life example. We see heroes who go through a difficult path to find their truth in life. Such is the image of Andrei Bolkonsky in the novel "War and Peace". The image is multifaceted, ambiguous, complex, but understandable to the reader.
Portrait of Andrei Bolkonsky
We meet Bolkonsky at the evening of Anna Pavlovna Sherer. L.N. Tolstoy gives him the following description: "... a small stature, a very handsome young man with certain dry features." We see that the presence of the prince at the evening is very passive. He came there because it was supposed to be: his wife Lisa was at the party, and he had to be next to her. But Bolkonsky is clearly bored, the author shows this in everything "... from a tired, bored look to a quiet measured step."
In the image of Bolkonsky in the novel War and Peace, Tolstoy shows an educated, intelligent, noble secular person who knows how to think rationally and be worthy of his title. Andrei loved his family very much, respected his father, the old prince Bolkonsky, called him “You, father ...” As Tolstoy writes, “... he cheerfully endured his father’s mockery of new people and with apparent joy called his father to a conversation and listened to him.”
He was kind and caring, although he may not seem so to us.
Heroes of the novel about Andrei Bolkonsky
Liza, the wife of Prince Andrei, was somewhat afraid of her strict husband. Before leaving for the war, she told him: “... Andrey, you have changed so much, so changed ...”
Pierre Bezukhov "... considered Prince Andrei a model of all perfections ..." His attitude towards Bolkonsky was sincerely kind and gentle. Their friendship maintained its devotion to the end.
Marya Bolkonskaya, Andrei's sister, said: "You are good to everyone, Andre, but you have some kind of pride in thought." By this, she emphasized the special dignity of her brother, his nobility, intelligence, high ideals.
The old prince Bolkonsky had high hopes for his son, but he loved him like a father. “Remember one thing, if they kill you, it will hurt me, an old man ... And if I find out that you didn’t behave like the son of Nikolai Bolkonsky, I will be ... ashamed!” - Father said goodbye.
Kutuzov, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, treated Bolkonsky in a paternal way. He received him cordially and made him his adjutant. “I myself need good officers ...,” Kutuzov said when Andrei asked to be let go to Bagration’s detachment.
Prince Bolkonsky and the war
In a conversation with Pierre Bezukhov, Bolkonsky expressed the idea: “Living rooms, gossip, balls, vanity, insignificance - this is a vicious circle from which I cannot get out. I am now going to war, to the greatest war that has ever been, and I know nothing and am no good.”
But Andrei's craving for glory, for the greatest destiny, was strong, he went to "his Toulon" - here he is, the hero of Tolstoy's novel. “... we are officers who serve our tsar and fatherland ...”, Bolkonsky said with true patriotism.
At the request of his father, Andrei ended up at Kutuzov's headquarters. In the army, Andrei had two reputations that were very different from each other. Some "listened to him, admired him and imitated him", others "considered him a puffed up, cold and unpleasant person." But he made them love and respect themselves, some even feared him.
Bolkonsky considered Napoleon Bonaparte "a great commander." He recognized his genius and admired his talent for conducting military operations. When Bolkonsky was entrusted with the mission to report to the Austrian Emperor Franz about the successful battle near Krems, Bolkonsky was proud and glad that he was the one who was going. He felt like a hero. But when he arrived in Brunn, he learned that Vienna was occupied by the French, that there was a “Prussian alliance, a betrayal of Austria, a new triumph of Bonaparte ...” and he no longer thought about his glory. He thought about how to save the Russian army.
In the battle of Austerlitz, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky in the novel "War and Peace" is at the peak of his glory. Without expecting it himself, he grabbed the thrown banner and shouting “Guys, go ahead!” ran to the enemy, the whole battalion ran after him. Andrei was wounded and fell on the field, there was only the sky above him: “... there is nothing but silence, calmness. And thank God! ..” The fate of Andrei after the battle of Austrellitsa was unknown. Kutuzov wrote to Bolkonsky's father: "Your son, in my eyes, with a banner in his hands, ahead of the regiment, fell a hero worthy of his father and his fatherland ... it is still unknown whether he is alive or not." But soon Andrei returned home and decided not to participate in any military operations anymore. His life acquired a visible calmness and indifference. The meeting with Natasha Rostova turned his life upside down: “Suddenly, such an unexpected confusion of young thoughts and hopes that contradicted his whole life arose in his soul ...”
Bolkonsky and love
At the very beginning of the novel, in a conversation with Pierre Bezukhov, Bolkonsky said the phrase: “Never, never marry, my friend!” Andrei seemed to love his wife Liza, but his judgments about women speak of his arrogance: “Egoism, vanity, stupidity, insignificance in everything - these are women when they are shown as they are. You look at them in the light, it seems that there is something, but nothing, nothing, nothing!” When he first saw Rostova, she seemed to him a joyful, eccentric girl who only knows how to run, sing, dance and have fun. But gradually a feeling of love came to him. Natasha gave him lightness, joy, a sense of life, something that Bolkonsky had long forgotten. There is no more melancholy, contempt for life, disappointment, he felt a completely different, new life. Andrey told about his love to Pierre and established himself in the idea of marrying Rostova.
Prince Bolkonsky and Natasha Rostova were engaged. To part for a whole year for Natasha was a torment, and for Andrey it was a test of feelings. Carried away by Anatole Kuragin, Rostova did not keep her word to Bolkonsky. But by the will of fate, Anatole and Andrei ended up together on their deathbed. Bolkonsky forgave him and Natasha. After being wounded on the Borodino field, Andrei dies. Natasha spends his last days of his life with him. She takes care of him very carefully, understanding with her eyes and guessing exactly what Bolkonsky wants.
Andrei Bolkonsky and death
Bolkonsky was not afraid to die. He had experienced this feeling twice already. Lying under the Austerlitz sky, he thought that death had come to him. And now, next to Natasha, he was completely sure that he had not lived this life in vain. Prince Andrei's last thoughts were about love, about life. He died in complete peace, because he knew and understood what love is, and what he loves: “Love? What is love?... Love prevents death. Love is life…”
But still, in the novel "War and Peace" Andrei Bolkonsky deserves special attention. That is why, after reading Tolstoy's novel, I decided to write an essay on the topic "Andrei Bolkonsky - the hero of the novel" War and Peace ". Although there are enough worthy heroes in this work, and Pierre, and Natasha, and Marya.
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