What happened to Pierre after the war? How did Pierre change after captivity? Fun of secular youth
In the epic novel JI. N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" Pierre Bezukhov is one of the author's main and favorite characters. Pierre is a searching man, unable to stop, calm down, forget about the need for a moral “core” of existence. His soul is open to the whole world, responsive to all impressions of the surrounding existence. He cannot live without resolving for himself the main questions about the meaning of life, about the purpose of human existence. And he is characterized by dramatic delusions and contradictory character. The image of Pierre Bezukhov is especially close to Tolstoy: the internal motives of the hero’s behavior and the uniqueness of his personality are largely autobiographical.
When we first meet Pierre, we see that he is very pliable, soft, prone to doubt, and shy. Tolstoy more than once emphasizes, “Pierre was somewhat larger than other men,” “big legs,” “clumsy,” “fat, taller than normal height, wide, with huge red hands.” But at the same time, his soul is subtle, gentle, like that of a child.
Before us is a man of his era, living by its spiritual mood, its interests, seeking answers to specific questions of Russian life at the beginning of the century. Bezukhov is looking for a business to which he could devote his life; he does not want and cannot be satisfied with secular values or become a “better person.”
Opierre is told that with a smile, “his serious and even somewhat gloomy face disappeared and another one appeared - childish, kind...” About him, Bolkonsky says that Pierre is the only “living person among our entire world.”
The bastard son of a major nobleman, who inherited the title of count and a huge fortune, Pierre nevertheless turns out to be a special stranger in the world. On the one hand, he is certainly accepted in the world, and on the other, respect for Bezukhov is not based on the count’s commitment “ values common to all, and on the “properties” of his property status. Sincerity and openness of soul distinguish Pierre in secular society and contrast him with the world of ritual, hypocrisy, and duality. His openness of behavior and independence of thought distinguish him among visitors to the Scherer salon. In the living room, Pierre is always waiting for an opportunity to break into the conversation. Anna Pavlovna, who was “watching” him, manages to stop him several times.
The first stage of Bezukhov's internal development, depicted in the novel, covers Pierre's life before his marriage to Kuragina. Not seeing his place in life, not knowing what to do with his enormous strength, Pierre leads a riotous life in the company of Dolokhov and Kuragin. An open, kind person, Bezukhov often finds himself defenseless against the skillful play of those around him. He cannot correctly evaluate people and therefore often makes mistakes about them. Revelry and reading of spiritual books, kindness and involuntary cruelty characterize the count's life at this time. He understands that such a life is not for him, but he does not have the strength to break out of the usual cycle. Like Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre begins his moral development with a delusion - the deification of Napoleon. Bezukhov justifies the actions of the Emperor by state necessity. But at the same time, the hero of the novel does not strive for practical activity and denies war.
Marrying Helene calmed Pierre down. Bezukhov does not understand for a long time that he has become a toy in the hands of the Kuragins. The stronger his feeling of bitterness and offended dignity becomes when fate reveals to Pierre his deception. Time lived in the calm consciousness of one’s happiness turns out to be an illusion. But Pierre is one of those rare people for whom moral purity and understanding of the meaning of one’s existence are vital.
The second stage of Pierre's internal development is the events after the breakup with his wife and the duel with Dolokhov. Realizing with horror that he was capable of “encroaching” on the life of another person, he tries to find the source of his fall, that moral support that will give him the opportunity to “return” his humanity.
Bezukhov's search for truth and the meaning of life leads him to the Masonic lodge. The principles of the Freemasons seem to Bezukhov “a system of rules of life.” It seems to Pierre that in Freemasonry he has found the embodiment of his ideals. He is imbued with a passionate desire to “regenerate the vicious human race and bring himself to the highest degree of perfection.” But even here he will be disappointed. Pierre is trying to free his peasants, establish hospitals, shelters, schools, but all this does not bring him closer to the atmosphere of brotherly love preached by the Freemasons, but only creates the illusion of his own moral growth.
Napoleon's invasion sharpened the count's national consciousness to the highest degree. He felt like a part of a single whole - the people. “To be a soldier, just a soldier,” Pierre thinks with delight. But the hero of the novel nevertheless does not want to become “just a soldier.” Having decided to “execute” the French emperor, Bezukhov, according to Tolstoy, becomes the same “madman” as Prince Andrei was under Austerlitz, intending to single-handedly save the army. Borodin's field opened up to Pierre a new, unfamiliar world of simple, natural people, but previous illusions do not allow the count to accept this world as the ultimate truth. He never understood that history is made not by individuals, but by people.
Captivity and the execution scene changed Pierre's consciousness. He, who all his life had been looking for kindness in people, first of all, saw indifference to human life, the “mechanical” destruction of the “guilty.” The world turned into a meaningless pile of fragments for him. The meeting with Karataev revealed to Pierre that side of the people's consciousness that requires humility before the will of God. Pierre, who believed that the truth “is” with people, is shocked by the wisdom that testifies to the inaccessibility of truth without help from above. But something else won in Pierre - the desire for earthly happiness. And then his new meeting with Natasha Rostova became possible. Having married Natasha, Pierre for the first time feels like a truly happy person.
Marriage to Natasha and passion for radical ideas are the main events of this period. Pierre believes that society can be changed through the efforts of several thousand honest people. But Decembrism becomes a new delusion of Bezukhov, close in meaning to Bolkonsky’s attempt to get involved in changing Russian life “from above.” Not genius, not the “order” of the Decembrists, but the moral efforts of the entire nation is the path to real change in Russian society. According to Tolstoy's plan, the hero of the novel was to be exiled to Siberia. And only after this, having experienced the collapse of “false hopes”, Bezukhov will come to a final understanding of the true laws of reality...
Tolstoy shows the change in Pierre's character over time. We see twenty-year-old Pierre in Anna Scherer's salon at the beginning of the epic and thirty-year-old Pierre in the epilogue of the novel. It shows how an inexperienced youth became a mature man with a great future. Pierre made mistakes in people, submitted to his passions, committed unreasonable acts - and thought all the time. He was always dissatisfied with himself and reconsidered himself.
People with weak character often tend to explain all their actions by circumstances. But Pierre - in the most difficult, painful circumstances of captivity - had the strength to do enormous spiritual work, and it brought him that same sense of inner freedom that he could not find when he was rich, owned houses and estates.
One of the main characters in Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” is Pierre Bezukhov. His image stands out clearly among other heroes of the epic. In the person of Bezukhov, the author portrays representatives of the advanced intelligentsia of the early 19th century, who were characterized by spiritual quests, since they could no longer live in the environment of the decaying system of autocracy.
During the course of the story, Pierre's image changes, as does the meaning of his life when he finally comes to the highest ideals.
We meet Bezukhov at an evening with Anna Pavlovna Sherer: “A massive, fat young man with a cropped head, glasses, light trousers in the fashion of that time, with a high frill and a brown tailcoat.” The external characteristics of the hero are nothing interesting and only cause an ironic smile.
Bezukhov is a stranger in this society, because along with his ridiculous appearance, he has a “smart and at the same time timid, observant and natural look,” which does not see a single living soul in the high-society salon, except for the “mechanical” guests of the salon owner.
Having received a huge inheritance, Pierre still remains in this society; on the contrary, he becomes even more mired in it by marrying the cold beauty Helen Kuragina.
However, everything about him is opposed to secular society. Pierre's main character trait is his kindness. On the first pages of the novel, the hero is simple-minded and trusting; in his actions he is guided by the call of his heart, therefore he is sometimes impulsive and ardent, but in general he is distinguished by his generosity of soul and ardent love. The hero's first life test is Helen's betrayal and Pierre's duel with Dolokhov. A deep spiritual crisis begins in Bezukhov’s life. The hero decides to join the Masonic lodge; it seems to him that the idea of universal brotherhood, continuous work on the inner world - this is the meaning of life. But gradually Pierre becomes disillusioned with Freemasonry, because things do not go further than analyzing his own state of mind. However, Pierre continues to search for the meaning of life, wanting to be useful to the world.
A meeting in French captivity with Platon Karataev, a simple soldier, had a huge influence on the hero’s views. The proverbs and sayings that fill Karataev’s speech mean more to Bezukhov than the detached wisdom of the Freemasons.
During his captivity, Pierre Bezukhov becomes patient, he steadfastly endures life's hardships and adversities, and also begins to overestimate all the events that happened to him before: “He learned to see the great, the eternal and the infinite... and joyfully contemplated the ever-changing, eternally great, incomprehensible and endless life.”
After captivity, Pierre feels spiritually free, his character changes. His attitude towards people has also changed: he wants to understand people, to see something good in everyone.
Pierre becomes truly happy in his marriage to Natasha Rostova. In the epilogue of the novel, Bezukhov appears before us as a happy family man, the father of four children. The hero found his happiness, peace of mind and joy. Of course, Bezukhov is interested in social issues that concern not only his personal happiness. He shares his thoughts with Nikolai Rostov, his wife’s brother. But Pierre's political activities remain behind the scenes; we say goodbye to the hero on a positive note, leaving him with his family, where he feels completely happy.
Favorite hero
Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy describes in detail the path of quest of Pierre Bezukhov in the novel “War and Peace”. Pierre Bezukhov is one of the main characters of the work. He belongs to the author’s favorite characters and is therefore described in more detail. The reader is given the opportunity to follow how a man, wise with life experience, is formed from a young naive youth. We become witnesses to the hero's mistakes and delusions, his painful search for the meaning of life, and the gradual change in his worldview. Tolstoy does not idealize Pierre. It honestly reflects his positive traits and character weaknesses. Thanks to this, the young man seems closer and more understandable. It’s as if he comes to life on the pages of the work.
Many pages are devoted to Pierre's spiritual quest in the novel. Pierre Bezukhov is the illegitimate son of a wealthy St. Petersburg nobleman, one of the main contenders for a million-dollar inheritance. Having recently arrived from abroad, where he received his education, Pierre cannot decide on his future path in life. An unexpected inheritance and a high title of count greatly complicates the young man’s position and causes him a lot of trouble.
Strange appearance
The hero's remarkable appearance evokes a smile and bewilderment. Before us is “a massive, fat young man with a cropped head, glasses, and light trousers in the fashion of that time...”. He does not know how to communicate with ladies, behave correctly in secular society, be polite and tactful. His awkward appearance and lack of good manners are compensated by a kind smile and a naive, guilty look: “smart and at the same time timid, observant and natural.” Behind the massive figure, a pure, honest and noble soul breaks out.
Pierre's misconceptions
Fun of secular youth
Arriving in the capital, the main character finds himself in the company of frivolous golden youth, who mindlessly indulge in empty entertainment and amusements. Noisy feasts, hooligan antics, drunkenness, debauchery occupy all of Pierre's free time, but do not bring satisfaction. Only in communication with his only friend Andrei Bolkonsky does he become sincere and open his soul. An older friend tries to protect the gullible young man from fatal mistakes, but Pierre stubbornly follows his own path.
Fatal love
One of the main misconceptions in the hero’s life is his infatuation with the empty and depraved beauty Helen. Gullible Pierre is an easy prey for members of the greedy family of Prince Kuragin. He is unarmed against the seductive tricks of a secular beauty and the pressure of an unceremonious prince. Tormented by doubts, Pierre is forced to propose and become the husband of the first beauty of St. Petersburg. Pretty soon he realizes that for his wife and her father he is only a money bag. Disappointed in love, Pierre breaks off relations with his wife.
Passion for Freemasonry
The ideological quest of Pierre Bezukhov continues in the spiritual sphere. He is interested in the ideas of the Masonic brotherhood. The desire to do good, work for the good of society, and improve oneself force the hero to take the wrong path. He tries to alleviate the plight of his serfs and begins to build free schools and hospitals. But he will be disappointed again. Money is stolen, the Masonic brothers pursue their own selfish goals. Pierre finds himself at a dead end in life. No family, no love, no worthy occupation, no purpose in life.
Heroic Rush
The state of gloomy apathy is replaced by a noble patriotic impulse. The Patriotic War of 1812 pushed into the background all the hero’s personal problems. His honest and noble nature is concerned about the fate of the Fatherland. Unable to join the ranks of the defenders of his country, he invests in the formation and uniform of a regiment. During the Battle of Borodino he is in the thick of things, trying to provide all possible assistance to the military. Hatred for the invaders pushes Pierre to commit a crime. He decides to kill the main culprit of what is happening, Emperor Napoleon. The heroic impulse of the young man ended with a sudden arrest and long months of captivity.
Life experience
One of the most important stages in Pierre Bezukhov’s life was the time spent in captivity. Deprived of his usual comfort, a well-fed life, and freedom of movement, Pierre does not feel unhappy. He receives pleasure from satisfying natural human needs, “finds that peace and self-satisfaction that he had previously strived for in vain.” Finding himself in the power of the enemy, he does not solve complex philosophical questions of existence, does not think about his wife’s betrayal, and does not understand the machinations of those around him. Pierre lives a simple and understandable life, which Platon Karataev taught him. This man’s worldview turned out to be close and understandable to our hero. Communication with Platon Karataev made Pierre wiser and more experienced, and suggested the right path in later life. He learned “not with his mind, but with his whole being, with his life, that man was created for happiness, that happiness is in himself.”
Real life
Freed from captivity, Pierre Bezukhov feels like a different person. He is not tormented by doubts, has a good understanding of people and now knows what he needs for a happy life. An insecure, confused person becomes strong and wise. Pierre is restoring the house and proposes to Natasha Rostova. He clearly understands that it was her that he truly loved all his life and that it was with her that he would be happy and calm.
Happy outcome
At the end of the novel, we see L.N. Tolstoy’s beloved hero as an exemplary family man, a passionate person who has found himself. He is involved in social activities and meets interesting people. His intelligence, decency, honesty and kindness are now in demand and useful to society. A beloved and devoted wife, healthy children, close friends, interesting work - the components of a happy and meaningful life for Pierre Bezukhov. The essay on the topic “The Path of Quest of Pierre Bezukhov” provides a detailed analysis of the moral and spiritual quest of an honest and noble person who, through trial and error, finds his meaning of existence. The hero finally achieved “calmness, agreement with himself.”
Work test
The young hero lived and studied abroad, returning to his homeland at the age of twenty. The boy suffered from the fact that he was an illegitimate child of noble birth.
The life path of Pierre Bezukhov in the novel “War and Peace” is a search for the meaning of human existence, the formation of a consciously mature member of society.
Petersburg adventures
The young count's first appearance in the world took place at Anna Scherrer's party, with a description of which begins Leo Tolstoy's epic work. The angular guy, who resembled a bear, was not dexterous in court etiquette, and indulged in behavior that was somewhat discourteous towards the nobles.
After ten years of strict upbringing, deprived of parental love, the guy finds himself in the company of the unlucky Prince Kuragin. A wild life begins without the restrictions of tutors, prejudices and control.
Alcohol flows like a river, and children of wealthy members of the nobility hang out in noisy company. There are rarely cases of shortage of money, few people dare to complain about the hussars.
Pierre is young, the awareness of his own personality has not yet come, there is no craving for any activity. The revelry eats up time, the days seem busy and fun. But one day the company, in a drunken stupor, tied a guard to the back of a trained bear. They released the beast into the Neva and laughed, looking at the screaming law enforcement officer.
The patience of society came to an end, the instigators of hooliganism were demoted in rank, and the erring young man was sent to his father.
Fight for inheritance
Arriving in Moscow, Pierre learns that Kirill Bezukhov is ill. The old nobleman had many children, all illegitimate with no right to inheritance. Anticipating a fierce struggle for the wealth left by him after his death, the father asks Emperor Alexander I to recognize Pierre as his legitimate son and heir.
Intrigues begin related to the redistribution of capital and real estate. The influential Prince Vasily Kuragin enters the struggle for the Bezukhovs' inheritance, planning to marry the young count to his daughter.
Having lost his father, the young man becomes depressed. Loneliness makes him withdrawn; he is not happy with his wealth and the title of count, which fell unexpectedly. Demonstrating concern for the inexperienced heir, Prince Kuragin arranges for him a prestigious position in the diplomatic corps.
Falling in love and marriage
Helen was a beauty, seductive, able to make eyes. The girl knew what men liked and how to attract attention. It was not particularly difficult to catch the sluggish young man in your net.
Pierre was inspired, the nymph seemed so fantastic to him, unattainable, secretly desired. He wanted to possess her so much that he did not have the strength to voice his feelings. Having developed passion and confusion in the gentleman’s soul, Prince Kuragin with effort organized and announced Bezukhov’s engagement to his daughter.
Their marriage was a disappointment for the man. In vain he looked for signs of female wisdom in his chosen one. They had absolutely nothing to talk about. The wife did not know anything about what her husband was interested in. On the contrary, everything that Helen wanted or dreamed of was petty, not worthy of attention.
Severance of relations and return to St. Petersburg
The connection between Countess Bezukhova and Dolokhov became known to everyone; the lovers did not hide it and spent a lot of time together. The Count challenges Dolokhov to a duel, offended by the painful situation. Having wounded his opponent, the man remained completely unharmed.
Having finally realized that he has connected his life not with a chaste, modest woman, but with a cynical and depraved woman, the count goes to the capital. Hatred tormented his heart, devastation filled his soul with pain. The collapse of hopes for a calm family life plunged Pierre into despondency; existence lost all meaning.
An unsuccessful marriage brought misfortune to the count; he turned away from his religious views, becoming a member of the Masonic society. He really wanted to be needed by someone, to turn his life into a stream of virtuous deeds, to become an impeccable member of society.
Bezukhov begins to improve the lives of the peasants, but nothing works out for him; bringing the desired order to the estates is more difficult than he thought. The estate, the count becomes the head of the St. Petersburg Masonic society.
Before the war
The reunion with Helen took place in 1809 under pressure from her father-in-law. The wife loved social life and turned men's heads at balls. Pierre was accustomed to consider her his punishment from God and patiently bore his burden.
A couple of times, through the efforts of his wife’s lovers, he was promoted in the civil service. This made me feel completely disgusted and ashamed. The hero suffers, rethinks life and changes internally.
Pierre's only joy was his friendship with Natasha Rostova, but after her engagement to Prince Bolkonsky he had to give up friendly visits. Fate made a new zigzag.
Once again disappointed in his human purpose, Bezukhov leads a chaotic lifestyle. The shocks suffered radically change the appearance of the hero. He returns to Moscow, where he finds noisy companies, champagne and nightly fun to drown out his mental pain.
War changes worldview
Bezukhov volunteered to go to the front when the French army approached Moscow. The Battle of Borodino became a significant date in Pierre's life. The patriot Bezukhov will never forget the sea of blood, the field covered with the bodies of soldiers.
Four weeks of captivity became a turning point for the hero. Everything that previously seemed important looked insignificant in the face of enemy aggression. Now the count knew how to build his life.
Family and Children
After being released from captivity, it became known about Helen's death. Remaining a widower, Bezukhov renewed his friendship with Natasha, who was grieving over the death of Andrei Bolkonsky. This was a different Pierre, the war cleansed his soul.
In 1813, he married Natasha Rostova in the hope of finding his happiness. Three daughters and a son made up the meaning of the life of the hero, who could not calm down his craving for the common good and virtue.
Leo Tolstoy loves his hero, who in some ways resembles the author. For example, with his aversion to war, true humanism and friendly attitude towards the whole world.
One of the brightest masterpieces in Russian prose is the epic novel “War and Peace.” The four-volume work, which is distinguished by its diversity of plot lines and an extensive system of characters, the number of which reaches five hundred characters, is, first of all, not only a reflection of pictures of historical reality, but a novel of ideas. Tolstoy went to the final version of the work through ideological and plot quests, which also recalls the image of Pierre Bezukhov in Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.”
The ideological quest of the author and hero
Initially, Lev Nikolaevich did not plan to write the story of this character, creating him in the image of a Decembrist fighting for civil equality and freedom. However, gradually, as he comprehended historical events and wrote the novel, Tolstoy’s ideological orientation changed. At the end of the work, we clearly see that the true essence of the active hero’s destiny lies not in struggle, but in finding spiritual harmony and personal happiness through rapprochement with the people. Tolstoy reflected his ideological searches through the image of the main character - Pierre Bezukhov.
Development of the image of Pierre Bezukhov
At the beginning of the work, the hero is contrasted with the contemporary high society, in which insincerity, flattery, and superficiality reign. From the first pages of the novel, young Bezukhov appears as an open and honest person who, at all costs, tries to find the truth and his calling in life - this is the characterization of Pierre in Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace.”
Suddenly finding himself rich, Pierre becomes a victim of his own financial situation and falls into the shackles of an unhappy marriage. Marriage to Helen Kuragina made Pierre disillusioned with the spirituality and purity of the institution of marriage and family. Pierre still does not give up. He tries to find his place in life to do good, help people, and feel needed by society. He believes that he will definitely find his just cause: “I feel that besides me there are spirits living above me and that there is truth in this world.” These aspirations became the reason for the hero’s entry into the ranks of the Masonic movement. Imbued with the ideas of equality and brotherhood, mutual assistance and self-sacrifice, Pierre shares the views of Freemasonry with high ideological passion. However, this period of his life also brought disappointment. The hero again finds himself at a crossroads.
Whatever he did or thought was caused by the desire to carry out activities useful for society, for Russia. The War of 1812 was his chance to finally do the right thing and serve his people. The main character of the novel “War and Peace,” Pierre Bezukhov, with the same passion and zeal, lights up with the idea of sharing the fate of his people and contributing his all possible help for the common victory. For this purpose, he organizes a regiment and fully finances its support.
Not being a military man, Pierre cannot directly participate in hostilities, but the role of a passive observer is also not pleasant for such an active hero. He decides that it is he who needs to carry out the most important mission that will rid Russia of the French invaders. Desperate Pierre plans an assassination attempt on Napoleon himself, whom he once considered his idol. Following the lead of his ardent ideas, Bezukhov does not think about the possible consequences. Ultimately, his plan failed, and the hero himself was captured.
Understanding the essence of true human happiness
Another time of disappointment is coming. This time the hero is completely disappointed in faith in people, in kindness, in the possibility of mutual help and friendship. However, a meeting and conversation with Platon Karataev completely changes his worldview. It was this simple soldier who had the maximum influence on the hero’s change of heart. The simplicity and certain primitiveness of Karataev’s speech managed to reveal all the spiritual wisdom and value of human life more than intricate Masonic treatises.
Thus, Pierre's stay in captivity became decisive in the formation of his civic and personal consciousness. Finally, Pierre realizes that the essence of happiness was in fact so simple and was always on the surface, but he looked for its meaning in philosophical depths, personal suffering, and desires for active action. The hero realized that true happiness is to have the opportunity of spiritual and physical freedom, to live a simple life in unity with his people. “There is truth, there is virtue; and man’s highest happiness consists in striving to achieve them.” Awareness of such simple human values finally led the main character to mental balance, inner harmony and personal happiness.
Implementation of the novel's idea by the hero
At the end of his ideological quest, the author rewards Pierre with life in an atmosphere of real family idyll. The hero enjoys peace and happiness, surrounded by the care of his beloved wife and the happy voices of four children. The image of Pierre Bezukhov is the personification of the hero, through whose spiritual and ideological quests and the path of their awareness the main idea of the work is revealed.
As we see, like Pierre Bezukhov, the author himself renounces his original beliefs. Thus, at the heart of the novel “War and Peace” the main idea was not serving civic duty or participating in social movements. The main idea of the work and my essay on the topic: The image of Pierre Bezukhov in the novel “War and Peace” is in depicting the ideal of human happiness in the family circle, in life in one’s native land, in the absence of war, in unity with one’s people.
Work test
