How is popular thought reflected in the novel? Popular thought in the epic novel “War and Peace. Patriotism is a Russian principle

According to Tolstoy himself, he loved “folk thought” in the novel most of all. Reflections on this topic became the most important thing for the writer that he wanted to convey to the reader. What did he mean?

“People's thought” in the novel is not in the depiction of the Russian people as a community and not in the abundance of crowd scenes, as it may seem to an inexperienced reader. It is in the point of view of the writer, the system of moral assessments that he gives to both historical events and his heroes.

1. Don't confuse this!

Mass scenes in the novel are associated with the depiction of battle scenes of 1805, scenes of the Battle of Borodino, the defense and abandonment of Smolensk, and partisan warfare.

In the depiction of the war of 1805, special attention is paid to two battles: Austerlitz and Schöngraben. Tolstoy's goal is to show why the army wins or loses. Shengraben is a “forced” battle, 4 thousand soldiers must cover the retreat of the forty thousand strong Russian army. The battle is observed by Kutuzov’s envoy, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. He sees how the soldiers show heroism, but not the way this quality was imagined by the prince: Captain Timokhin and his squad with skillful actions force the French to retreat, Captain Tushin, an inconspicuous modest man, “does his job”, cheerfully and quickly, his battery smashes the main positions of the French, sets fire to the village and forces them to retreat, and they do not even suspect that they are “ordinary heroes.”

The same thing happens at Borodino: Kutuzov almost does not participate in the leadership of the battle, unlike Napoleon, who believes that the outcome depends on the will of the emperor. No, the outcome depends on the soldiers getting ready for the last battle, as if for a holiday, putting on clean shirts. According to Kutuzov, the Battle of Borodino was neither won nor lost in terms of consequences, but the Russians won, suppressing the French with fortitude and unprecedented unity of all against a single enemy.

This is how “popular thought” manifested itself in crowd scenes.

1. The partisan war that spontaneously unfolded during the invasion also testifies to the unity of the Russian people. In various places under the French, landowners and peasants took up pitchforks and axes to drive the enemy out of their native land. The “club of the people’s war” rose and “nailed ... the Frenchman until the invasion itself perished.” Drawing pictures of guerrilla warfare, Tolstoy depicts some peasant heroes. One of them is Tikhon Shcherbaty, like a wolf attacking the enemy, “the most useful person in the squad,” cruel and merciless. According to Tolstoy, this is a folk type that manifests itself in difficult times for the Motherland. The second folk type is Platon Karataev, from whom Pierre learned to live simply and harmoniously, to accept everything that happens on a person’s path, he realized “that ballet shoes squeeze just like peasant bast shoes,” and therefore a person needs little to be happy. So moral values ​​for Tolstoy become the measure of everything else: peace, war, people, actions.
2. While in captivity, Pierre has a dream. In a dream, the globe appears to him as a ball of drops that tremble, shimmer, separate somewhere, merge somewhere. And every drop reflects God. This metaphor is Tolstoy’s own idea of ​​the people’s life: a person lives his “swarm life”, is busy with his problems and thoughts, but he must “conjugate” (the writer’s word) his life with the lives of others. And if the desires and needs of many people coincide at one point, history makes its movement there. This is another aspect of “folk thought in the novel.”
3. And Tolstoy “measures” his heroes with this yardstick. If they are far from common interests, common aspirations, if they do not understand what is common, they put their own interests above others or try to interfere in the natural course of life, then they sink lower and lower and fall into a spiritual crisis. This happens with Prince Andrey, when he raises soldiers in a senseless attack at Austerlitz, and with Pierre, trying to kill Napoleon. Some of the heroes never realize their own life at all, or rather, existence - such is Helen, Rostopchin with his “posters”, Napoleon. Pierre, trying to somehow help Russia, equips a regiment with his own money, Natasha gives carts to the wounded, without thinking about the well-being of the family, and Berg is trying to “buy a shelf that Verochka likes so much.” Which of them lives according to popular laws?

So, “People's Thought,” according to Tolstoy, is the thought of the need to connect one’s life with common interests, life according to the moral laws that have existed in the world for centuries, life together.

If suddenly the ants attack together,

They will overpower a lion, no matter how fierce he is.

The epic novel “War and Peace” is the largest work of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, covering the life of all strata of society before and after the War of 1812. It shows the ups and downs of the characters, but the main character is the people. Of the many themes in the novel, the author pays special attention to “folk thought.”

L.N. Tolstoy asked the question: “What moves history: the people or the individual?” And throughout the entire novel, history is created and influenced by the people. It was the unity of the Russian people, based on love and affection for their native land, that helped them defeat the French army. Anger for the disturbed calm and peaceful life, killed relatives and the devastation of the country motivated them during the battles. People tried in every possible way to help, to prove themselves, forgetting about everything that was holding them back, and were ready to stand up to the death for the Fatherland. War is made up of small deeds that make a big difference.

Our experts can check your essay according to the Unified State Exam criteria

Experts from the site Kritika24.ru
Teachers of leading schools and current experts of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

By performing them, they show the most important quality of the people - patriotism, which, according to L.N. Tolstoy, can be true and false. The owners of true patriotism are the Rostov family, Tikhon Shcherbaty, Kutuzov, Tushin, Pierre Bezukhov, Marya Bolkonskaya. The author also contrasts them with other heroes of the novel, whose society is filled with hypocrisy and falsehood.

For example, during the move of the Rostov family from besieged Moscow, all things were collected on carts. At this moment, the wounded soldiers ask for help. And Natasha, begging her parents, asked to leave carts for the needy wounded. Of course, they could have taken the chance and saved their property, but a sense of duty, compassion and responsibility took over.

But there are people who are not at all interested in the lives of the suffering population. A careerist, Berg was only interested in fashion and craved money. Even during a fire in Smolensk, he does not think about putting it out, but is looking for benefits in buying new furniture.

Pierre Bezukhov, who became the heir of the wealthy Count Bezukhov, equips the regiment entirely with inherited money. He could have spent it for personal purposes: at festivities and balls, but he acted nobly, helping the people. And the salon A.P. Scherer, on the contrary, does nothing. As usual, their conversations are full of gossip and empty talk about the war. The fine for using French words in speech could not help the people. Therefore their patriotism is false.

During the revolt of the Bogucharov men, Marya Bolkonskaya did not succumb to the temptation to remain under the wing of the French: she did not want to feel like a traitor. Helen Kuragina commits a completely different act. In difficult times for the country, she changes her faith and wants to marry Napoleon, the enemy of the people.

Not only the upper strata of society contributed to the victory. For example, the peasant Tikhon Shcherbaty of his own free will joins Denisov’s partisan detachment, which indicates his concern. Becomes the most active, catching the most “tongues” and doing the hardest work. Boris Drubetskoy shows cowardice by remaining in the headquarters of Kutuzov’s opponent, Bennigsen. Despite all their hatred of their enemies, the Russians show humanism towards the captured French. “They are people too,” says Tikhon Shcherbaty.

The state of the army and the course of the war depend on the supreme commander-in-chief - Kutuzov. Unlike the narcissistic and indifferent Napoleon, Kutuzov is a very simple person and close to the people. He watches only the spirit of the army, inspires them only with news of victorious battles. He treats the army like his own children and acts as a “father” who shows care. He sincerely feels sorry for the people. It is with a good commander that the army becomes interested in winning with all its might.

War, bursting into peaceful life, shows the true face of each person and tears off masks. Possessing false patriotism and general insensitivity, someone will run and hide, making himself a hero only in words. And someone with a real desire to help rushes into battle, no matter what. Each of them contributes something of their own to achieve the people's goal. Those who have true patriotism do this not for show, but for the sake of the land that their fathers and grandfathers once defended. And giving it up without a fight is shameful. All these people become a single whole, a people’s “club” that wages only a war of liberation. Because someone else's land is of no use - you need to defend your Fatherland. And this can only be done by uniting, having real feelings and concern for the future of the people and the country.

Article menu:

There are many works in literature known only to connoisseurs and gourmets, literary critics and philologists. But there are also a number of texts that every person who considers himself educated should know. Such works include Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace.”

Author's idea

Not everyone knows that L.N. Tolstoy initially intended to write a novel where the central character would be a certain Decembrist. The action was supposed to take place when he returns from amnesty. On the street - 1856. To create such a work, the writer plunged into the study of archival documents. In the process of this historical research, L.N. Tolstoy realized that he would not be able to fully realize his idea of ​​the Decembrist without turning to the origins of the uprising, and then even further - to 1812 itself and, accordingly, to Napoleon’s campaign against Russia.

War and Peace

As can be seen from the title of the epic, the plot can be divided into two themes: war and peace. If the world is a description of the daily life of the nobles, often joys, far from real spiritual uplift, then war is a demonstration of the heroism of the people in the fight against the invader, it is an image of the spiritual path, as well as victory and how and with what sacrifices this victory is achieved.

This idea is most clearly revealed precisely in the theme of war, which highlights not only the problems of society, but also shows that it is the people who win that are more united and holistic.

War eliminates the division between aristocrats and commoners; it equalizes people in the struggle for survival, for the safety of the lives of their loved ones, for their homes and, ultimately, for their country.

The image of the people in the novel by L. N. Tolstoy

At first glance, the reader may think that the people in the novel are peasants, serfs, soldiers, in a word, “ordinary people.” But in reality it turns out that this is not entirely true. The author considers everyone who participates in the life of the country to be the people. Both ordinary soldiers and princes (like, for example, Andrei Bolkonsky) fight Napoleon, that is, the nobles go in battle hand in hand with the sons of peasants. The people in the view of L. N. Tolstoy are integral.

“People's Thought” as a leitmotif

Perhaps all the central characters of the novel, and especially those who can be classified as “heroes on the road,” are inseparable from “popular thought.” She is an obligatory part of the unfolding of the storyline.

Pierre Bezukhov

For example, this leitmotif is clearly visible in the life of Pierre Bezukhov. We are interested in the moment when Pierre is captured: it is here that he finally finds the truth of life. But Bezukhov hears this truth not at all from the lips of a learned man, but from the lips of a simple peasant Platon Karataev. Everything turned out to be very simple: all people want happiness. The end of the novel for some readers appeared as a disappointment, but the ending is consistent with these reflections on happiness.

It is curious that the French allowed Pierre to go to prisoners equal to his status, but he wanted to stay with these simple people, who turned out to be wiser than a hundred scientists.

Andrey Bolkonsky

The same leitmotif haunts the spiritual quest of another hero - Andrei Bolkonsky. First of all, the reader witnesses the hero’s surprise, because he, having rushed forward in the pursuit of glory and exploits, did not at all expect that he would become an inspiring example for the rest of the soldiers. But they, seeing the fearless Andrei, rushed into battle after him.

Natasha Rostova

In fact, the nobles were raised quite harshly. There are many cases where noble girls survived in the most difficult conditions. This was possible because their upbringing prepared them for various challenges.

As for Natasha Rostova, the “folk thought” in her life is clearly visible in her actions during her flight from Moscow.

When the girl sees the wounded, she does not spare things and throws them out of her cart to make room for the wounded.

Thus, Natasha, an aristocrat, finds herself in the same carriage with ordinary wounded soldiers. This once again demonstrates to us that war equalizes everyone. But here, even more, the very contradictions of the Russian soul about which so many books have been written are suddenly laid bare.

Guerrilla movement

This part of the war also failed to hide from the attentive eye of the writer. The partisan movement is revealed in the novel through the example of the image of Tikhon Shcherbaty. He also fights with the invader, but his methods differ from the straightforwardness and openness of Andrei Bolkonsky.

Among Tikhon's methods of fighting the enemy are cunning, dexterity, surprise and disobedience. Here the image of Shcherbaty is the opposite of the image of Platon Karataev, already familiar to us. The latter demonstrates such traits as kindness and calmness, wisdom and simple philosophy, which we can call worldly.

Kutuzov

Perhaps Kutuzov is the most striking example, and sometimes it seems that he is the only example, of a commander-in-chief who really never extolled himself. He considered himself equal to the people, the soldiers with whom he fought hand in hand.

We bring to the attention of readers the description in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”.

The greatest pain for him was the lack of unity of the people, the lack of integrity of the army. This, in his opinion, was often the reason for the defeats of the Russians.

L. N. Tolstoy's view of history

“People's thought” in the novel is inseparable from the historical concept of L. N. Tolstoy, which he sets out here. Of particular importance in this regard is the second part of the epilogue, where the author reflects that history does not actually consist of a description of events, but rather of the stories of individuals who influence the course of these events.

The first thing we think of when we read these words is that the stories of personalities are equal to the stories of famous people. These are, as a rule, great rulers and generals, emperors and kings... But L.N. Tolstoy was able to show us that history is made by ordinary people with their lives. And it is the lives of these people that are at the heart of the set of “small” stories that make up the “big” story.

Simplicity, truth, goodness are the three pillars that support the invincibility of the national spirit. The author himself writes about this, but the reader can also draw his own conclusions. However, simple joys and conservative values ​​prevail - this is family and children, who ensure the reproduction of the people (as the French historian J. Dumezil would say).

So, the writer openly said that a work of literature is successful only when its author lives by the main idea written in this work. L.N. Tolstoy demonstrates through the example of this epic that a crisis situation awakens the most sincere qualities in people. Everyone gets what they deserve and according to their conscience: we see how Natasha Rostova changes, how Pierre Bezukhov suddenly finds the truth of life, how Prince Andrei Bolkonsky finally comes to an epiphany about the meaning of his path. But here we see how unforgiving the war is to people who believed that they had everything and could not lose anything: the handsome Anatol Kuragin loses his leg, and his sister Helen experiences a moral decline.

"People's Thought" in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"

L. N. Tolstoy's epic novel "War and Peace" was a unique result, a synthesis of the author's research into the Russian national character, which manifests itself with equal force in everyday life and during the years of great historical changes, during military defeats and victories. Before “War and Peace,” there was no work in literature that would so fully reveal the features of Russian national identity: adherence to Christian commandments, high morality, love for the Fatherland.

The value of each of the heroes of "War and Peace" is tested by "people's thought." It is in the people's environment that Pierre's best qualities are revealed - his unselfishness, simplicity, disregard for the conveniences of life, humanity. Communication with simple Russian soldiers and men gives rise to the desire in him to “enter this life, to be imbued with his whole being by what makes them like us.” Faced with the power and truth of the bloody events near Borodino, Pierre realizes the artificiality and falsity of his previous conclusions. Another truth is revealed to him, he comes to the ideal of people’s life: “In captivity, in a booth, Pierre learned not with his mind, but with his whole being, with his life, that man was created for happiness, that happiness is in himself, in the satisfaction of natural human needs, that All misfortune comes not from lack, but from excess." And this was understood by the count, who, along with the others, ate horse meat, suffered from lice, and trampled his feet into blood.

L.N. Tolstoy invariably emphasized the connection of his heroes, especially his favorite heroes, with the living life of the people. “Our prince,” the soldiers affectionately call Andrei Bolkonsky. And how his sister Marya transforms when, despite the proposal of the Frenchwoman Bourien, she refuses to submit to the conquerors!

And what, for example, forces Natasha Rostova, during her departure from Moscow, to throw her own property off the cart and give it to the wounded? After all, this is a true manifestation of mercy, compassion and kindness that Tolstoy sees in his people. Natasha Rostova reveals the same strength of the national spirit in Russian dance and admiration for folk music. Admiring the dancing Natasha, the writer is amazed: “Where, how, when did this countess, raised by a French governess, suck into herself from that Russian air that she breathed, this spirit, where did she get these techniques from... But the spirit and techniques these were the same, inimitable, unstudied, Russians."

Talking about the unity of the Russian people. Tolstoy especially emphasizes the patriotism of civilians. Leaving Smolensk, the townspeople voluntarily burn their property, not wanting to give it to the conquerors. By order of Kutuzov, Muscovites are leaving their native and, of course, beloved city - the heart of Russia, not because they are afraid of the French, but because they do not want to live under the rule of the invaders.

"People's Thought" permeates the writer's thoughts about the Battle of Borodino and the partisan movement.

According to all participants in the battle on the Borodino field, it was a battle where you had to die, but win. The militia went into battle wearing white suicide shirts, knowing in advance and accepting their end. “They want to attack all the people, one word - Moscow, they want to make one end.”

The same “people's thought” checks the activities of historical figures: Napoleon and Kutuzov, Speransky and Rastopchin. For example, we like Kutuzov’s simplicity and everyday life, his wisdom and understanding of the people, his real concern for people. He always knew how to guess “the meaning of the popular meaning of an event.” “The source of this extraordinary power of insight lay in the national feeling that he bore in all its purity and strength,” - this is how L. N. Tolstoy will define the essence of his military leadership talent. And, on the other hand, we are disgusted by the egoism and pose of Napoleon, ready to walk over corpses to the heights of his own glory: “It was clear that only what was happening in his soul mattered to him, because everything in the world, as it seemed to him , depended only on his will." We cannot talk here about morality or humanity.

So, all the heroes of the novel are tested precisely by the “people's cause”: whether they are animated by a national feeling, whether they are ready for heroism and self-sacrifice. That is why Tolstoy did not need a large number of images from the people to prove the main “folk” idea of ​​the novel. The “folk” is revealed in “War and Peace” as universal, national.

- a novel that gradually transformed from a once-conceived work about the Decembrist into a brilliant epic about the courageous feat of the nation, about the victory of the Russian spirit in the battle with Napoleonic army. As a result, a masterpiece was born, where, as he himself wrote, the main idea was the idea of ​​the people. Today, in an essay on the topic: “People's Thought,” we will try to prove this.

The author believed that the work would be good if the author loved the main idea. Tolstoy was interested in popular thought in his work War and Peace, where he depicted not just the people and their way of life, but showed the fate of the nation. At the same time, the people for Tolstoy are not only peasants, soldiers and peasants, they are also nobles, officers, and generals. In a word, the people are all people taken together, all of humanity, driven by a common goal, one cause, one purpose.

In his work, the writer remembers that history is most often written as the history of individual individuals, but few people think about the driving force in history, which is the people, the nation, the spirit and will of the people that unite together.

In the novel War and Peace, popular thought

For each hero, the war with the French became a test, where Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov, Natasha, Petya Rostov, Dolokhov, Kutuzov, Tushin, and Timokhin all played their role in the best possible way. And most importantly, ordinary people showed themselves, who organized separate small partisan detachments and crushed the enemy. People who burned everything so that nothing would fall to the enemy. People who gave their last to Russian soldiers to support them.

The offensive of Napoleonic army brought out the best qualities in people, where men, forgetting about their grievances, fought side by side with their masters, defending their homeland. It was the people's thought in the novel War and Peace that became the soul of the work, uniting the peasantry with the best part of the nobility with one cause - the fight for the freedom of the Motherland.

Patriotic people, among whom were poor peasants, nobles, and merchants - this is the people. Their will clashed with the French will. She faced and showed real strength, because people fought for their land, which could not be given to the enemy. The people and the formed partisan detachments became the cudgel of the people's war, which did not give Napoleon and his army a single chance of victory. Tolstoy wrote about this in his brilliant novel War and Peace, where the main idea was the folk one.