Lesson-research based on L. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace. Analysis of the episode “Conversation between Prince Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre in Bogucharovo before the Battle of Borodino” (based on the novel by L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”) (School essays) Pierre’s arrival to Andrei

“War and Peace” by L. N. Tolstoy is a heroic epic telling about the national feat in the war of 1812. The historical destinies of the Russian people, primarily the nobility and peasantry, constitute the main content of the work. At the same time, the author tells about the life path individual heroes, which determines the genre specificity of “War and Peace” as novel.

Tolstoy's favorite heroes–Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov- go through complex, contradictory path of spiritual quest.

Heroes of Tolstoy looking for meaning in life and happiness. Meaning of life, according to the writer, consists in a person’s acquisition of spiritual unity with other people, in deep, sincere faith in God. However, in Tolstoy’s view, finding the meaning of life is unthinkable without personal happiness. Earthly happiness the writer sees in love, in creating a family, in raising children.

Not all of Tolstoy's heroes capable of spiritual quests. This quality is possessed extraordinary personalities, striving for moral improvement. That's why ability for spiritual quest is an important criterion for assessing personality at Tolstoy's.

It is important for the writer to show not only the ultimate goal of the heroes’ spiritual quest, but also the complex, contradictory the path of this quest: from finding the meaning of life to losing it, from happiness to unhappiness and vice versa.

WITH Andrey Bolkonsky we meet for the first time in St. Petersburg, in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer. Then Tolstoy shows the hero at the moment of a conversation with Pierre in the prince’s St. Petersburg apartment. Andrey explains to his friend why he is going to war. Hero not satisfied with social life. He doesn’t feel family happiness either. We will learn about the main reason for Andrei Bolkonsky’s departure to the army later. Prince Andrey dreams of fame. He wants to become like Napoleon, find your “Toulon”.

Finding himself at war, Andrei Bolkonsky gradually becomes disillusioned with his dreams of glory. Thus, the real hero of the Battle of Shengraben, Captain Tushin, almost fell out of favor with his superiors. During the Battle of Austerlitz, Andrei Bolkonsky commits feat, leading the attack with a banner in his hands. Being seriously wounded, Prince Andrei lies on the field of Austerlitz and sees against the backdrop of the endless sky, the insignificant figure of Napoleon. Dreams of fame turn out to be ghostly. The sky of Austerlitz reminded Prince Andrei of eternal. However, remembering the icon given to him by Princess Marya, Andrei realizes that he still far from true faith, from God, from that secret, the existence of which the endless sky reminded him of.

Birth of a son and death of a wife- joyful and sorrowful events - opened new stage spiritual quest of the hero. Prince Andrei decided from now on “ live for yourself", for your loved ones. However, a quiet, calm life cannot satisfy the hero.

The first step towards the spiritual awakening of Prince Andrei is his meeting with Pierre in Bogucharovo, their subsequent conversation on the ferry. For Pierre, passionate about social activities under the influence of Freemasonry, his faith in God was revealed. Andrei sympathizes with Pierre's faith, but still does not yet find a place for it in his heart. And yet fracture in the mind of Andrei Bolkonsky has begun. Tolstoy writes about this: “The meeting with Pierre was for Prince Andrei the era from which, although in appearance it was the same, but in the inner world his new life began.”

The next important moment in the life of Andrei Bolkonsky is meeting with Natasha Rostova in Otradnoye. This meeting is preceded by episode with the old oak tree. Andrei Bolkonsky, looking at the old and gnarled oak tree, sadly thinks about his lost youth, about the meaninglessness of his present life.

In Otradnoye, the hero unwittingly overheard Natasha’s night conversation with Sonya, imbued with the joy of life, optimism, coming from Natasha. On the way home, Prince Andrei is overcome a cheerful feeling at the sight of a transformed old oak. Faith in the possibility of earthly happiness is revived in the hero’s soul.

Arriving in St. Petersburg, Andrei Bolkonsky takes an active part in participation in Speransky’s reform activities. At first, this activity captivates the hero.

Having met Natasha again at the ball and falling in love with her, Prince Andrei disappointed in Speransky's activities, and Speransky himself seems vulgar and insignificant to him. Love for Natasha fills the life of Andrei Bolkonsky joy and bright hopes.

The happiness of love did not last long. Natasha's betrayal again plunges Andrei Bolkonsky into a state mental crisis. The hero meets the year 1812 with sad feelings.

The need to defend the homeland gradually brings Prince Andrei out of his mental stupor. Having refused to serve at headquarters, he commands a regiment and deserves the love and respect of soldiers and officers. Prince Andrey tells Pierre about his spiritual unity with ordinary soldiers. As a result, not finding his own purpose in ambitious ambitions, Andrei Bolkonsky comes to true understanding of the meaning of life which opens up to him in unity with the people. This moment can be called culminating in the spiritual quest of the hero.

Mortally wounded Prince Andrei, by the will of Providence, meets Natasha again and forgives her. Before death the hero feels alienated from everything earthly. At the same time, they finally open to him deep faith in God and all-encompassing love.

Son of Andrei Bolkonsky, Nikolenka, depicted in the epilogue, inherits the best traits of his father: intelligence, honesty, spiritual nobility, high impulses.

WITH Pierre We also meet for the first time in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer. From the hero's emotional statements we learn that he defender of Enlightenment ideas. In Napoleon he sees a great man, outstanding statesman, curbing the excesses of the French Revolution. Pierre's words shock the salon's visitors.

At the same time the hero leads wild life in the single company of Anatoly Kuragin and Dolokhov.

Then in Pierre's life comes turn. After the death of his father, he becomes a rich heir, his marry Helen Kuragina. Pierre's wife turns out to be an empty and depraved woman. After duel with Dolokhov And breaking up with his wife Pierre finds himself in a position mental crisis.

On the road from Moscow to St. Petersburg at the Torzhok Pier station meets freemason Osip Alekseevich Bazdeev. It turns out that Pierre doesn't believe in God. Bazdeev strives to awaken faith in him.

Soon Pierre joins the Masonic lodge. Then he goes to his estates in the Kyiv province, trying to free the peasants. And although the hero is deceived and the situation of the peasants remains the same, the hero’s very desire to do good deeds is important. The meaning of life is revealed to him.

On the way home, Pierre stops by to visit Prince Andrei in Bogucharovo. Happens them conversation on the ferry. Sincere Faith Pierre, the desire to do good makes an indelible impression on Andrei Bolkonsky.

Soon Pierre cooling towards Freemasonry, seeing in him the same falsehood, hypocrisy, selfish interests as in the secular life that disgusted him. Pierre breaks with the St. Petersburg Masons. He leads again scattered existence, again dissatisfied with life.

Participation in Natasha's fate after Anatole's attempt to kidnap her and her breakup with Prince Andrei awakens Pierre. He realizes his love for Natasha, but at the same time he understands that their happiness together is impossible.

Able mental turmoil Pierre is watching comet- a harbinger of great upheavals in the life of Russia and in his own destiny.

With the beginning Patriotic War of 1812 Pierre is covered patriotic impulse. He takes an active part in the formation of the militia. Then he rushes to the place of decisive events.

On the eve of the Battle of Borodino Pierre watches everyone spiritual uplift. In the actions of soldiers and militias, in the words of Andrei Bolkonsky about the upcoming battle, Pierre feels the “hidden warmth of patriotism.” During the battle, Pierre finds himself on the Raevsky battery, observes the feat of artillery soldiers, feels involved in a great event, feels a spiritual connection with the people. After the battle, at the inn in Mozhaisk, Bezukhov realizes that he wants to be “like them” wants to be a simple soldier. The Battle of Borodino is becoming one of the culminating moments in Pierre's spiritual quest.

The feeling of participation in “common life”, the consciousness of the need to subordinate one’s freedom to the Divine will were reflected in hero's dream which he sees in Mozhaisk. Pierre is possessed the idea of ​​connecting all things in the moral existence of man.

Upon Bezukhov’s return to Moscow, he is overcome by the idea of ​​what is destined for him. kill Napoleon. Pierre remains in the city captured by the French. The hero fails to kill Napoleon, but he commits noble deeds: in the fire saves a child, protects from the abuses of the French woman.

Pierre gets into captivity. Saves him from execution meeting with Marshal Davout. Pierre and Davout exchanged glances, understood each other humanly, and Bezukhov was saved from death.

Captured Pierre meets Platon Karataev. Thanks to Karataev, the hero joins the spiritual life of the people, feels unity with other people. However, unlike Karataev, Pierre does not lose its own individuality. He gains harmony of personal and general.

Another important moment in Pierre’s spiritual life the hero's dream is about a wonderful globe. In this dream he comes to the feeling that life is God. The meaning of human existence is to love life, love God. The mysterious image of the globe, which appeared to Pierre in a dream, thus symbolizes the unity of the individual with the world and with God.

At the end of the novel we learn that Bezukhov has found not only the meaning of life, but also earthly happiness. The love of Pierre and Natasha crowned happy family life.

IN epilogue Pierre appears to us as secret society member. He is outraged by the reactionary policies of the government and Arakcheevism. In a polemic with Nikolai Rostov, the hero defends civic ideals. From now on, his life principle is "active virtue"

IN dream who sees at the end of the novel Nikolenka Bolkonsky, Pierre's image merges in children's performance with the image of the deceased father. In this dream, Pierre appears as Fighter for justice, a bearer of high moral ideals.

Let's draw conclusions. Tolstoy's favorite heroes - Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov - pass a long and difficult path of spiritual quest.

The search for the meaning of life for these heroes is first and foremost the process of their comprehension of spiritual connections with other people, with their people. At the same time this is overcoming individualism, isolation within one’s own “I”, the path of knowledge true love for God and neighbor.

"War and Peace" is one of those great works that you can reflect on endlessly, as Tolstoy examines human life from different angles. This novel raises highly moral issues that concern people in conditions of war and peace.

A feature of Tolstoy’s epic novel is the so-called “episode nature”. The author seems to give separate pictures in the mass of events. Changing episodes is similar to changing frames in a movie - this achieves the integrity of the entire work. All episodes of “War and Peace” are not random; each of them provides a characterization of either a hero, or a political situation, or war and military operations. This creates the vitality and realism of the novel.

I would like to dwell in more detail on the episode in which Pierre Bezukhov comes to Bogucharovo to visit his friend Andrei Bolkonsky. This episode is key to understanding the life principles of the characters, their positions and aspirations. Returning from a southern trip, Pierre Bezukhov fulfills his “long-standing intention - to call on his friend Bolkonsky, whom he has not seen for two years.”
At first, the meeting between the two men was cold, “the conversation could not be established for a long time,” but a conversation began between the interlocutors about what evil is and what its meaning is. According to Andrei Bolkonsky, “there are only two real misfortunes in life: remorse and illness, and happiness is only the absence of these two evils.” You need to live for yourself and try to avoid these phenomena.
Pierre does not accept this idea: “To live only in such a way as not to do evil, so as not to repent, this is not enough. I lived like this, I lived for myself and ruined my life. And only now, when I live, or at least try to live for others, only now I understand all the happiness of life.”

Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre do not understand each other when Bezukhov says that one should help one’s neighbors, people who are poor and suffering. What does it matter when a person can do something to another, but does not? And the main pleasure is “to do good, for good is the only true happiness in life.” Andrei Bolkonsky, reflecting on this idea, comes to a completely different conclusion, which completely contradicts Pierre's reasoning. Bolkonsky is confident that “the only possible happiness is animal happiness,” which a man possesses, and which can be deprived by giving these “happy” people moral needs.
In this episode, Andrei appears as a more unhappy person than people who suffer need. “I live and it’s not my fault, therefore, I need to live until I die somehow better, without interfering with anyone,” - here Bolkonsky’s skepticism and rejection of reality is manifested. According to this hero, people whose existence is meaningless and bestial cannot evoke pity. These people are not worthy of attention; here we cannot talk about good and evil in general, because a man does not know how to think, and therefore, truly suffer. You need to turn only to those people “who are perishing morally, making repentance for themselves, suppressing this repentance and becoming rude because they have the opportunity to execute right or wrong.”
Andrey does not see the true meaning of life, this is his tragedy. He doesn’t understand everything that Pierre says. Bezukhov realizes that Bolkonsky is deeply unhappy and wants to help him. Andrei's soul does not want to accept the truth of Pierre, who feels that “there is a kingdom of truth throughout the world.” This kingdom is omnipresent, and its name is God. “If there is a God and there is a future life, then there is truth, there is virtue; and man's highest happiness consists in striving to achieve them. You have to live, you have to love, you have to believe,” says Pierre. Bezukhov’s emotional mood nevertheless changed Andrei’s internal state, drowning out the pain of Bolkonsky, who had been trying to deny life itself for a long time: “...Coming off the ferry, he looked at the sky, which Pierre pointed out to him, and for the first time after Austerlitz he saw that high , the eternal sky, which he saw while lying on the Field of Austerlitz, and something that had long fallen asleep, something better that was in him, suddenly woke up joyfully and youthfully in his soul.”

In my opinion, the author’s position is also manifested in the words of Pierre Bezukhov, because L.N. Tolstoy saw happiness in life itself and in every moment - a step towards the truth and towards God. This episode is not at all accidental in the novel. The state in which Bolkonsky finds himself after Austerlitz greatly oppresses him and does not give him any repose; he abandons past ideals and aspirations, but does not acquire new ones. Hence his deep disappointment in life.
The meeting with Bezukhov to some extent changes his passive attitude towards the world around him: “The meeting with Pierre was for Prince Andrei the era from which, although in appearance it was the same, but in the inner world his new life began.”

Strange as it may seem, a certain schematicism is visible in the composition of Tolstoy’s novel. In particular, one of the compositional foundations of the novel, a kind of backbone of the plot, is the meeting of two friends - Prince Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov. Moreover, the life paths of these two main characters and their intersections can be easily depicted mathematically using sinusoids, in which the events that cause the emotional uplift of each of the characters will sequentially and fairly evenly alternate with moments of mental crises. Moreover, each new meeting of friends occurs at a moment when one of the heroes is at the peak of elation (the top of the sine wave), and the other is at the very bottom of the crisis (the bottom of the sine wave); and with a new meeting each time, each person begins to move in the opposite direction - for one from rise to crisis, for the other from crisis to rise.

The first meeting of friends in the novel is in Scherer's salon. At this moment, Pierre is in a state of inspiration, full of new hopes, and Bolkonsky, like Onegin, is disappointed in the world and deeply bored. Mutual influence during communication, spiritual searches and vicissitudes of fate after this meeting slowly and surely lead Pierre to disappointment and mistakes, and Andrei to hopes. Pierre has carousing in St. Petersburg until his expulsion from the city, rapprochement with Helen, marriage, history with Dolokhov and complete devastation after a duel with him. For Andrey - the origin and development of a patriotic and at the same time ambitious desire to save the Russian army in Europe, farewell to his father, Schoengraben and Austerlitz and, finally, the pinnacle of philosophical discovery in this period of life - the endless Austerlitz sky with the small and insignificant recent idol Napoleon against the great background of this sky - a symbol of eternity and immortality.

Another meeting is on the ferry. Pierre came to her through devastation and, following this devastation, a meeting with a Freemason and a passion for Freemasonry. At the moment of the conversation with Prince Andrei, Pierre is again at the peak of hope, faith and creative enthusiasm. Andrei, after being disappointed in his recent idol, goes through another severe shock - the death of his wife - and by the time of the conversation on the ferry, he is extremely disappointed and closed in his secular-selfish pessimism. And again, “mutual contamination” occurs, and after this meeting, Andrey begins another upswing, associated with his rapprochement with Natasha and work on the Speransky commission, and Pierre begins another decline, caused by disappointment in Freemasonry and moving away from it.

The next highest point on the path of Prince Andrei’s quest (a new peak of the sine wave) will be at the moment of his explanation with Natasha, but Natasha’s betrayal will lead to another rapid fall into the abyss of skepticism and disappointment. At the same time, Pierre - again exactly the opposite - has a path to rise: rapprochement with Natasha, love for her. The highest point of ascent was a performance in the Assembly of Nobility.

In 1812, friends meet before the Battle of Borodino. Now Pierre is in a gloomy mood, he is searching and cannot find himself, and Prince Andrei is again driven by patriotism and a more mature understanding that the success of battles depends on the spirit of the people, and not on the number of troops, their location or the skill of the commanders. Now the patriotism of Prince Andrei, in contrast to the state on the eve of Schöngraben and Austerlitz, is cleared of the admixture of vanity and therefore has become, according to Tolstoy, true.

As a result of their quest, both heroes reach the pinnacle of their quest. But these peaks are completely different. Prince Andrei will go through physical suffering, spiritual enlightenment from the forgiveness of Kuragin and Natasha and rise above earthly existence, having comprehended the highest gospel truth of love for everyone through physical death. Pierre will go through Borodino, Moscow occupied by the French, captivity, shock from the imminent execution, acquaintance with Platon Karataev and discover the highest earthly truth- the truth of serving the people. Prince Andrey finds the highest truth of existence, and Pierre finds the highest earthly truth.

Why does Tolstoy lead one of his most beloved heroes to death? After the happiness of Prince Andrei’s discovery of the highest unearthly truth, it is no longer possible to live further on earth. Unlike Bulgakov's master, Bolkonsky goes into the light, not into peace, and there is no return from the light to the sinful earth. Which of the two happinesses – Bolkonsky’s happiness or Bezukhov’s happiness – does Tolstoy prefer? It is impossible to answer this question precisely, but, in all likelihood, Tolstoy seems to be telling the reader that every worthy person deserves his own happiness - earthly or unearthly.

In his epic “War and Peace” by L. Tolstoy managed to create unique images, focusing on the formation of heroes as individuals, the spiritual development of each. Tolstoy showed how the most vital impressions or events turn out to be decisive, causing instant changes in the hero’s life position, in his idea of ​​the world and himself in this world. The writer made a discovery in literature, which was later called Tolstoy’s “dialectics of the soul.”

Tolstoy distinguishes two main states in the human soul: what makes a person human, its moral essence, stable and unchangeable, and unreal, what society imposes (secular etiquette, the desire for career growth and maintaining external decency). “The history of the soul” is the name of the process during which a person goes through ups and downs and, having gotten rid of unnecessary “fuss,” as a result, becomes real. Such a hero is the most important for the author, therefore Tolstoy strives to feel and show a person at the most crucial moments of his life.

For example, 1812 is such a turning point for Pierre Bezukhov, especially his time in captivity. It was then, having suffered various hardships, that Pierre learned to truly appreciate life. There, having met with Platon Karatevim, he comes to the conclusion that all human misfortunes arise “not because of a lack, but because of an excess.” Karataev lives in complete harmony with the whole world. He has an inherent desire to change the environment, to remake it in accordance with some abstract ideals. He feels part of a single natural organism, lives easily and joyfully, which significantly influences Pierre Bezukhov’s worldview. Thanks to Plato and other soldiers, Pierre joins folk wisdom and achieves inner freedom and peace.

Of all the heroes of the novel “War and Peace,” it is Bezukhov, in my opinion, who can be called a truth-seeker. Pierre is an intellectual person, looking for answers to the main moral, philosophical, social questions, trying to find out what the meaning of human existence is. Tolstoy's hero is kind, selfless, selfless. He is far from material interests, because he has an amazing ability not to be “infected” by meanness, greed and other vices of the society that surrounds him. And yet, only the feeling of belonging to the people, the awareness of a common national disaster as a personal grief opens up new ideals for Pierre. Soon Bezukhov finds long-awaited happiness next to Natasha, whom he secretly loved all his life, even from himself.

A deep internal rebirth occurs with Andrei Volkonsky. Andrey's conversation with Pierre on the ferry, the meeting with the old oak tree, the night in Otradnoye, his love for Natasha, the second wound - all these events cause dramatic changes in his spiritual state. Similar changes occur with Natasha Rostova, and with her brother Nikolai, and with Maria - all of Tolstoy’s favorite heroes go a long way before getting rid of everything artificial that they had, and finally finding themselves.

In my opinion, it is no coincidence that in the novel all the author’s favorite heroes make tragic mistakes. Obviously, it is important for the writer to see how they atone for their guilt, how they themselves realize these mistakes.

Prince Andrei goes to the War of 1805 because he is tired of small talk, he is looking for something real. Volkonsky, like his idol Napoleon, really wants to find “his Toulon.” However, the dream and real life are noticeably different, especially when Prince Andrei finds himself on the battlefield. Andrei Volkonsky, like Napoleon at the Battle of Arcoli, picked up the banner on the field of Austerlitz and led his troops. But this flag, in his dreams so proudly fluttered above his head, in reality turned out to be just a heavy and uncomfortable stick: “Prince Andrei again grabbed the banner and, dragging it by the pole, fled with the battalion.” Tolstoy also denies the concept of a beautiful death, so even the description of the hero’s wound is given in a very harsh form: “As if, with a strong cue, one of the nearby soldiers, as it seemed to him, hit him in the head. It was a little painful, and most importantly, unpleasant...” War is meaningless, and the author does not accept the desire to be like Napoleon, the man who decided it. This is probably why the already wounded Prince Andrei, lying on the battlefield, sees a high, clear sky above him - a symbol of truth: “How come I haven’t seen this high sky before? And how happy I am that I finally recognized him. So, everything is deception, everything is deception, except this endless sky.” Prince Andrei refuses his chosen path, glory and the symbol of this glory - Napoleon. He finds other values: the happiness of simply living, seeing the sky - being.

The hero recovers and returns to the family estate. He goes to his family, to his “little princess”, from whom he once fled and who is about to give birth. However, Lisa dies during childbirth. Andrei's soul is in turmoil: he suffers from guilt in front of his wife. Prince Andrei confesses to Pierre: “I know only two real misfortunes in life: remorse and illness. And happiness is only the absence of these two evils.” Under Austerlitz, the hero understood the great truth: infinite value is life. But misfortune in life can be not only illness or death, but also a restless conscience. Before the battle, Prince Andrei was ready to pay any price for a moment of glory. But when his wife died, he realized that Toulon was not worth the life of a loved one. After a conversation on the ferry with Pierre Vezukhov about the meaning of existence, about the purpose of man, Andrei finally feels that he is open to people. Apparently, this is why Natasha Rostova appears in his life, whose natural inner beauty is capable of reviving Volkonsky’s soul with new feelings.