The moral quest of Pierre Bezukhov in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace. The life path of Pierre Bezukhov in the novel "War and Peace": the spiritual path of quest, life story, stages of biography Pierre Bezukhov's spiritual quest

Tolstoy thought about writing a work about the Decembrists. Therefore, this theme is also reflected in War and Peace. Tolstoy wanted to trace how, under what circumstances in life, that conscience and that high understanding of honor and duty were awakened in a person from an aristocratic environment in the era of wars of 1805-1812, which led him to deny the environment where he was born, and then to a complete break with her. Tolstoy solves the problem of revealing the appearance of such a person with the images of Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov. But the author allows only Pierre to stay alive after the war. Bolkonsky dies in the novel.
For the first time we meet Pierre in the brilliant salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer, where the cream of high society gathered. Pierre has just returned from Paris. The author describes him as a fat, clumsy, huge man with red hands, but with an intelligent and observant look. Feeling this look, Anna Pavlovna feels anxiety and fear. Despite the fact that Pierre is invited to the salon, they treat him condescendingly there. They greet him only by tilting his head, as if thereby showing that he is on the lowest level among the rest. This is not surprising, Pierre is the illegitimate son of the old Count Bezukhov. In a society where gold and title were valued, Pierre could not be put on a par with himself. Looking ahead, I will say that in the future Pierre will become the legal heir of the old count and the owner of thousands of souls and millions. After that, the attitude towards him will immediately change. He will become a welcome guest of all salons and houses. In the meantime, back to Anna Scherer's salon. Pierre is distinguished here not only by his appearance. He violates the established order. According to the rules, guests should go up to the old aunt and kiss her hand, not because everyone respects her, but because it is customary. Even conversations here are conducted only on certain topics. Pierre, on the other hand, breaks the harmonious rhythm of the “talking machine”, breaking out into a chaotic speech in response to the welcoming words of a stiff aunt. He tries to defend the idea of ​​the French Revolution, admires Napoleon, which was typical of young people at that time. Pierre is well acquainted with Andrei Bolkonsky. They are old buddies who enjoy talking to each other. But Pierre in this period is just beginning to look for himself. So far, he spends most of his time in the company of Anatole Kuragin, leading the most wild life in the circle of the metropolitan aristocratic youth, notorious in this respect. The struggle of the spiritual with the sensual is one of the components of the process of Pierre's internal development. Tolstoy shows this struggle as the development of contradictions between the vicious morals that reigned in the highest noble society and the moral forces of the hero. But so far, Pierre has no contradictions in his views on life with this society. Revelry, drinking and extravagant entertainment were considered almost the norm. In addition, Pierre's character went to his father, Catherine's former favorite, "a nobleman in the event", who amassed his wealth and title, becoming famous not so much for military as for amorous feats.
The sensual beginning takes over, and Pierre marries the brilliant St. Petersburg beauty Helen Kuragina. Her beauty is the beauty of a statue, inside she is cold and empty. Pierre understands this, but loses his head. Helen herself played a big role in the marriage. Pierre had no choice but to play a role written for him in advance. Unwillingly, Pierre utters the fatal words: "I love you." And it's over. Pierre very soon realizes that behind the external beauty in his wife lies emptiness and satiety. Pierre rushes about, the duel with Dolokhov only intensifies his torment by internal contradictions. The moral shock experienced by Pierre in a collision with Dolokhov awakens remorse in him and further aggravates the internal struggle. Thinking about the meaning of life, Pierre comes to Freemasonry. At first, he is fascinated by the atmosphere of mystery surrounding the Masons, but above all, he is looking for answers to the questions: “What is wrong? What well? What should you love, what should you hate? Why live, and what am I...” For some time here he finds the illusion of peace of mind and tries to implement his idea of ​​helping his neighbor in practical life. He sincerely seeks to alleviate the situation of his peasants, up to their liberation from serfdom. Here, for the first time, Pierre comes into contact with the people's environment, but this contact is superficial. All his good intentions remain misunderstood by the peasants. Moreover, Pierre is deceived by his own manager, "playing him like a toy." Here is how Tolstoy describes what came out of Pierre's innovations: “... he did not know that due to the fact that, on his orders, they stopped sending children - women with babies to corvée, these very children carried the most difficult work in their half. He did not know that the priest, who met him with a cross, burdened the peasants with his requisitions and that the disciples gathered to him with tears were given to him and were bought off by their parents for big money. He did not know that stone, according to the plan, buildings were erected by their workers and increased the corvée of the peasants, reduced only on paper ... And therefore, Pierre was delighted with his journey through the estates and completely returned to the philanthropic mood in which he left Petersburg " . Pierre soon becomes disillusioned with Freemasonry, discovering that most Freemasons seek only profitable acquaintances in the organization, striving for personal gain. Dissatisfaction, the search for his "I" prepared his spiritual revival in the days of the war of 1812. Pierre is not a military man, but he cannot stand aside when his homeland is in danger. He sells his estate and uses these funds to form a regiment, which he takes for his own support. He himself remains in Moscow. Having seen the true face of Napoleon, having understood his aggressive goal, he no longer looks at him as a "liberator of peoples." Pierre wants to kill Napoleon, seeing in him the culprit of all the people's troubles. Left in Moscow, Pierre suffers and lives in poverty along with ordinary Muscovites. Here the true character of Pierre is revealed, his kindness, ability for self-sacrifice, patriotism. He protects a woman, stands up for a lunatic, saves a child from a burning house.
Having gone through fire, blood, tears, having touched human grief, having seen the war as it really is, Pierre begins to realize the falsity of his previous conclusions. Another truth is revealed to him, he comes to the ideal of folk life: “In captivity, in a booth, Pierre learned not with his mind, but with his whole being, with his life, that a person was created for happiness, that happiness is in himself, in satisfying natural human needs, that all misfortune comes not from lack, but from excess. The rich count, who, along with everyone else, ate horse meat, suffered from lice, trampled his feet in blood, he learned to appreciate and understand life. In captivity, Pierre meets a soldier of the Apsheron regiment, Platon Karataev, who becomes a real teacher for him. From Karataev, Pierre acquired the ability to obey the natural course of events and learned those folk truths, which he later followed. Tolstoy describes how, after returning from captivity, Pierre meets with soldiers who have settled down for a halt. He drinks tea with them, and then thinks that before he would have paid the soldiers for refreshments, but now he won’t. Here, it turns out, is what is needed in order to be understood by the people. To do this, it is necessary to fight together with him for common interests.
Count Bezukhov remained a fat, clumsy and absent-minded man. However, his inner life became different.
In the capital, his wife dies, and he marries Natasha. Seven years later, Pierre is a prominent public figure, the father of a family. She and Natasha love each other and are happy together. Once, when they were alone, Natasha said: “Do you know what I'm thinking about? - about Platon Karataev. How is he? Would you approve now?" The period of formation and search for Pierre is over. The time has come for true spiritual maturity.

In Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" we see the historical development of Russia and part of Europe. And against the background of these global accomplishments, the author shows us the formation of individuals. One of them is the main character of the work, Pierre Bezukhov. It was on his example that Tolstoy showed how the soul of a person is tempered, and his rebirth takes place.

The first time we see Pierre is in the Scherl salon. A fat, ridiculous, awkward young man who has just returned from France and does not know the local order at all. The guests of the event look at him with a grin and condemn the views and ideas that he puts forward. We see that while Pierre is spiritually weak and has no inner rod, therefore it is easily influenced by other people: Prince Andrei, Prince Kuragin and his son Anatole.

After the death of his father, Pierre receives his inheritance, for which he did not even fight and immediately becomes the center of everyone's attention. Prince Kuragin quickly brings him together with his daughter Helen. Having no experience and strength to resist the pressure of the Kuragins, Pierre married Helen, sincerely believing in mutual love.

After a showdown with Helen and a duel with Dolokhov, Pierre has a spiritual crisis: he no longer knows what to believe in, what his destiny is. And he finds answers in Freemasonry. Being in this society, Pierre is active, he is reforming his estates, trying to make the life of his subordinates better, but soon he realizes that all his efforts are in vain, and Russian Freemasonry is not at all on the path of goodness and disinterestedness.

The battle of Borodino becomes the culmination of the novel and the most important event in Pierre's life. Seeing soldiers who are not afraid to give their lives for their homeland and not just watching the battle, but being a participant in it, Pierre begins to truly appreciate life, and his desire to bring good to the world becomes even stronger.

Soon Pierre is captured and there he meets Platon Karotaev, who, with his philosophical reasoning, leads Bezukhov to new truths.

After communicating with this man, Pierre began to see happiness in small things that do not depend on fame and nobility, that the main thing in life is to live in kindness and harmony with oneself.

Pierre finds real happiness in marriage with Natasha Rostova, the love for which he carried through all the trials that fell to his lot.

Speaking of Pierre's spiritual growth, one cannot fail to mention his friendship with Prince Andrei. Thanks to this man, Pierre had the ideals of valor and honesty.

At the end of the work, we see Pierre Bezukhov as a strong man with certain values ​​that he is ready to defend. He reached this position after going through a long and difficult path that we observed on the pages of the novel.

Option 1 (Plan)

I. Origin. Childhood and youth.

II. Portrait. Its significance for understanding the character of the hero.

III. Pierre's quest, his delusions and disappointments. peculiarity of his nature.

1. Freethinking, independence of Pierre's judgments; the contradiction of his views with the views of representatives of the world:

a) Pierre's spiritual wealth, his emotionality (good nature, cordiality, naturalness, sincerity, simplicity, generosity),

b) distraction, a tendency to "dreamy philosophizing."

2. Life mistakes of Pierre in his youth (sprees, marriage to Helen):

a) lack of will

b) dissatisfaction with oneself, striving for moral balance. Internal monologue as a means of realistic depiction of the hero's feelings.

3. Fascination with Freemasonry, attempts to reorganize the activities of the Masonic order. Antiserfdom transformations in the estates:

a) striving for useful activities for the people;

b) impractical.

4. Disappointment, moral crisis. Reviews of actors as a means of characterizing the hero.

5. Pierre's activities during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Rapprochement with the common people; willpower, calmness, self-confidence.

6. The organization of a secret society is the result of Pierre's activities as a representative of the advanced nobility.

Option 2 (Thesis plan with quotes)

The path of moral quest of Pierre Bezukhov

I. Monsieur Pierre is the illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov.

1) Pierre in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer (naive, timid, natural; he does not “fit” into a secular salon and causes the hostess “anxiety and fear, similar to that which is expressed at the sight of something too huge and unusual for a place”, but Pierre is interested here!).

2) Friendship with Prince Bolkonsky.

3) In the company of Dolokhov and Kuragin (a tribute to the passion for sensual pleasures, a struggle with oneself, dissatisfaction with oneself).

4) Deportation to St. Petersburg "for riot".

II. The rich man and Count Pierre Bezukhov.

1) The changed attitude towards Pierre of relatives and acquaintances. Princess Mary was right when she was worried about Pierre: “So young to be burdened with such a huge fortune - how many temptations he will have to go through!”).

2) Marriage to Helen Kuragina - the first temptation that Pierre could not stand; he betrayed himself and will pay bitterly for it.

3) Bezukhov's quarrel with Dolokhov. Duel. Break with his wife, departure to Petersburg. (Pierre blames not others, but himself for his misfortunes, painfully looking for his own guilt: “But what am I to blame for?). Severe spiritual crisis: “... that main screw, on which his whole life rested, curled up in his head”

III. In the lodge of Masons.

1) Meeting at the station in Torzhok with freemason Osip Alekseevich Bazdeev. He revealed to Pierre the idea of ​​inner purification and self-improvement: "Cleanse yourself, and as you cleanse, you will learn wisdom." Pierre felt like a new person. “There was no trace of the old doubts in his soul. He firmly believed in the possibility of a brotherhood of people united for the purpose of supporting each other on the path of virtue.”

2) The first doubts in the Masons during the rite of initiation into the Masons (he acutely feels unnaturalness).

3) An active member of the lodge of Masons (strive to embark on the path of renewal and an active virtuous life ..., to resist evil).

4) Pierre’s attempts to improve the life of his serfs in Kiev estates, but “Pierre did not know that where they brought him bread and salt and built a chapel of Peter and Paul ... the chapel was already being built by the rich peasants of the village, and that nine-tenths of this village were in the greatest ruin…” (naively believes that “so much good can be done” with so little effort).

5) Disappointment in Russian Freemasonry, a trip abroad in order to get acquainted with the activities of the Freemasons there (the reasons for Pierre's disappointment: he sees in the Masonic lodge the same lies and the same hypocrisy as in the world; self-interest and personal gain rule here too, “the desire to do good” remains only in words.

6) Pierre's unsuccessful attempt to give a new character to the work of the Russian lodge after returning from abroad; Pierre's exit from the lodge of Masons.

IV. Clever eccentric, retired chamberlain Pierre in the brilliant secular salon of his wife Helen Kuragina.

1) Reconciliation with his wife; search for oblivion and tranquility.

2) Love for Natasha Rostova, which is stronger than pride and pride. Departure to Moscow.

3) The final break with all the Kuragins.

V. War of 1812 in the fate of Pierre Bezukhov.

1) The noble patriotism of Muscovites and the mood of Pierre, who was dissolved in mass patriotism. Pierre felt the strength in himself that could benefit Russia.

2) Departure of Pierre to the troops near Borodino. On the Raevsky battery, Pierre understood the whole meaning and significance of the Battle of Borodino; admired the courage of ordinary soldiers, felt the “hidden warmth of patriotism”, realized that war is madness, an unnatural state for a person.

3) At the inn in Mozhaisk. Thought about the possibility of human relations between him and the soldiers. “To be a soldier, just a soldier! To enter this common life with the whole being, to be imbued with what makes them so.

4) Pierre in Moscow after the Battle of Borodino. He returns to the decision to kill Napoleon, “in order to either perish or end the misfortunes of all Europe.”

5) In Bazdeev's house. A burst of frankness in a conversation with the French officer Rambal.

6) On the streets of burning Moscow. Rescue of the girl; protection of an Armenian woman from whom the necklace is torn off. Here Pierre "felt freed from the thoughts that weighed on him." Pierre's detention.

7) Pierre in captivity:

a) interrogation by Marshal Davout (Pierre realized that “a person is a chip that has fallen into the wheel of an unknown to him, but correctly operating machine”

b) the execution of five prisoners in front of Pierre (the shock led to a severe crisis: he felt that his faith in the improvement of the world had collapsed;

c) 4 weeks in a barracks for prisoners of war: Pierre has never been so unfree;

G) meeting with Platon Karataev; Pierre is attracted to him by kindness, the ability to endure life's difficulties, naturalness, truthfulness, simplicity, but Plato resigned himself to the surrounding evil - and evil killed him;

e) the discovery that Pierre made from captivity: a person can become stronger than the surrounding cruelty, he can be internally free, no matter how humiliated and insulted by external circumstances (“Caught me, locked me up. They hold me captive. Who? Me? Me - my immortal soul!”);

f) the release of Pierre from captivity by the partisans.

VI. New spiritual life of Pierre after captivity.

1) “He became some kind of clean, smooth, fresh; just from the bath; - morally from the bath” (Natasha about Pierre); but after a moral upsurge, Pierre experienced and felt spiritual emptiness, felt that he could not understand the joys and sorrows of other people.

2) The inner work accomplished in captivity brought a new sensation: “a smile of the joy of life,” which Pierre now appreciated; “his eyes shone with concern for people…”, he “experienced a feeling of joy, freedom, life”.

3) Love and marriage to Natasha Rostova. For Pierre, “the whole world, the whole meaning of life was love”

4) Member of a secret society. “…take hand in hand, those who love goodness…”.

Option 3

The path of moral quest of Pierre Bezukhov

The illegitimate son of the famous Catherine's grandee, Pierre Bezukhov from the first pages of the novel attracts the attention of readers. He spent his childhood and youth (from 9 to 20 years old) abroad. Then he returned to Russia and lived in St. Petersburg, choosing a career. He revolves in a circle of secular people, but stands out sharply among them.

He was “a fat young man with a cropped head, glasses, light trousers in the fashion of the time, with a high frill and a brown tailcoat” (vol. I, part I, ch. II). Pierre was “clumsy”, taller than usual, broad, with huge red hands” (vol. I, part I, ch. V).

It conquers the expression of "good nature, simplicity and modesty", sincerity and lack of posture. His good-natured wide smile seemed to say: “See what a kind and nice fellow I am. It has something of a child in it. This childishness is already noticeable in the very portrait of the hero. So Pierre's smile differed from the smiles of other people, "merging with an unsmile." “On the contrary, when a smile came, his serious and even somewhat gloomy face suddenly disappeared and another appeared - childish, kind, even stupid, and as if asking for forgiveness.”

Scherer Pierre was distinguished from everyone in the living room by his "intelligent and at the same time timid, observant and natural" look. He does not know how to get in and out of the salon, he allows a number of impoliteness from the point of view of secular etiquette: he does not listen to his aunt, delays the hostess when she needs to go to another guest, keeps someone else's hat in his ruach due to his absent-mindedness. But this is not the most important thing.

He does not share the views of the guests of the Scherer salon. Pierre is characterized by free-thinking and independence of judgment. His views are sharply opposed to those of representatives of the world. A man of incorruptible honesty, he boldly expresses admiration for the French Revolution and he does not want to serve in the Horse Guards because he does not want to fight against France “If it were a war for freedom, I would understand, I would be the first to enter military service” (vol. I, part I, ch.V) - he says.

Weak-willed, distracted, impractical, prone to "dreamy philosophizing", he cannot make the right choice and often easily succumbs to the temptations of high life, making difficult life mistakes. He revels with golden youth, despite his promise to Prince Andrei not to visit Anatole Kuragin anymore and not to take part in his revels.

Trusting and simple-hearted, Pierre does not know life and does not know how to use his powers. He becomes a victim of cunning, greedy and flattering people. Prince Vasily, the manager, and many secular people, whose flattery he takes for a sincere expression of love and admiration, take advantage of his kindness and ignorance of life.

Pierre marries Helen Kuragina. This marriage caused a deep moral crisis. Pierre is becoming more and more aware that he does not have a real family, that his wife is an immoral woman. Dissatisfaction grows in him, but not with others, but with himself. This is exactly what happens to truly moral people. For their disorder, they consider it possible to execute only themselves. The explosion occurs at a dinner in honor of Bagration. Pierre challenges Dolokhov, who insulted him, to a duel. But during the duel, seeing the enemy wounded by him lying on the snow, Pierre grabbed his head and, turning back, went into the forest, walking entirely in the snow and aloud saying incomprehensible words: “Stupid ... stupid! Death… lie…” he kept repeating, grimacing. Stupid and false - this again applies only to himself. In a secular circle, Pierre feels unhappy and lonely. Shutting himself in, he talks a lot on abstract philosophical topics about good and evil, about the essence and purpose of life, but does not find an answer to the questions that tormented him.

These painful thoughts of Pierre, the secret movements of the soul and thoughts that the hero cannot express aloud, Tolstoy reveals by means of an internal monologue: “What is bad? What well? What to love, what to hate? What is life for and what am I? What is life, what is death? What power governs everything? (vol. II, part II, ch. I).

Trying to find a way out of these contradictions, Pierre was influenced by Freemasonry. At the moment of spiritual discord that Pierre was experiencing, the freemason Bazdeev appears to him just the person he needs. Pierre is offered the path of moral improvement, and he accepts this path, because what he needs most now is to improve his life and himself. Pierre is attracted not by the mystical, but by the moral side of Freemasonry, the opportunity to "correct the human race" and "with all his might to resist the evil that reigns in the world." In "the pleasure of doing good" he sought satisfaction.

The writer reveals these moods in episodes of anti-serfdom transformations in the countryside. Tolstoy shows abstract humanism, ignorance of life and isolation of Peter from the people. Pierre failed to make life easier for the peasants.

The generous and disinterested Pierre took up charitable work and conceived a broad plan for anti-serfdom transformations in the estates. He decided to free the peasants in the southern estates from serfdom, free women with children from work, organize medical assistance to the peasants, abolish corporal punishment and establish hospitals, shelters and schools in every village.

But his good intentions did not materialize. Pierre's chief manager considers all the master's undertakings an eccentricity, an absurd whim. And he acts in his own way, preserving the former order on Bezukhov's estates. And he puts on a performance of an enthusiastic reception from the peasants for Pru. driving through the estates, Pierre saw the buildings of schools, hospitals and shelters everywhere. He was met by women with babies in their arms, thanking him for getting rid of hard work, and the children, whom the priests taught to read and write, offered him bread and salt. But he did not know that the buildings were empty, and the peasants continued to give money and work everything that they had given before, and as a result, their fate became even harder: the “women-children” did back-breaking work, children were redeemed from the priests for money, because it was necessary to work, the peasants were in the greatest ruin, the construction of buildings only increased the corvee, reduced only on paper.

Just as fruitless is the idea of ​​personal self-improvement. Despite the fact that Pierre sincerely strives to eradicate personal vices, his life goes on as before, “with the same hobbies and licentiousness”, he cannot resist the “amusements of single societies”, although he considers them “immoral and humiliating”.

The inconsistency of the Masonic teaching is also exposed by Tolstoy in the depiction of the behavior of the "brothers" who visit the lodge. Pierre notes that most members of the lodge in life are “weak and insignificant people”, many become Freemasons “because of the possibility of rapprochement with rich, noble, influential persons”, others are only interested in the external, ritual side of the doctrine.

Returning from abroad, Pierre offers the "brothers" his program of socially useful activities. However, the Freemasons do not accept Pierre's proposals. And he is finally disappointed in the "brotherhood of freemasons."

Having broken with the Freemasons, the hero experiences a deep internal crisis, a mental catastrophe. He loses faith in the very possibility of socially useful activity. Outwardly, Pierre returns to his former activities: benefit performances, bad pictures, statues, charitable societies, gypsies, revels - nothing is refused. That period of Bezukhov's life begins, when he gradually begins to turn into the usual "retired good-natured chamberlain living his life in Moscow, of which there were hundreds." Despising and hating his life, he lives in Moscow as “a rich husband of an unfaithful wife, a retired chamberlain who loves to eat, drink and scold the government a little ...” (vol. II, part V, ch. I).

Pierre's love for Natasha and the terrible events of the military war of 1812 lead him out of this impasse in life. This is a period of restoration of spiritual integrity, Pierre's familiarization with the "general", the affirmation in his soul of his "sense of the expediency of being." An important role here was played by Pierre's visit to the Rayevsky battery during the Battle of Borodino and his stay in French captivity.

Being on the Borodino field, among the endless roar of cannons, the smoke of shells, the screech of bullets, the hero experiences a feeling of horror, mortal fear. The soldiers seem to him strong and courageous, they have no fear, no fear for their lives. The very patriotism of these people, seemingly unconscious, comes from the very essence of nature, their behavior is simple and natural. And Pierre wants to become "just a soldier", to free himself from the "burden of the external person", from everything artificial, superficial. Faced with the people's milieu for the first time, he keenly feels the falsity and insignificance of the secular world, feels the fallacy of his former views and attitudes.

Returning to Moscow, Pierre is imbued with the idea of ​​​​killing Napoleon. However, his intention was not given to come true - instead of the grandiose "picture murder of the French emperor", he performs a simple, human feat, rescuing a child from a fire and protecting a beautiful Armenian woman from French soldiers. In this very opposition of ideas and reality, Tolstoy's favorite thought about the "external forms" of genuine heroism is guessed.

And for Pierre, the difficult days of captivity come, when he is forced to endure the ridicule of those around him, the interrogations of French officers, the cruelty of a military court. He feels like "an insignificant chip that has fallen into the wheels of an unknown car." This order instituted by the French kills, destroys, deprives him of his life, "with all his memories, aspirations, hopes, thoughts." after the execution of five prisoners, and Pierre was sixth in a row, it was as if in his soul they pulled out "the spring on which everything rested." “In him ... faith was destroyed in the improvement of the world, and in the human, and in his soul, and in God ... Before, when such doubts were found on Pierre, these doubts had their own source of guilt. And in the very depths of his soul, Pierre then felt that from that despair and those doubts there was salvation in himself. But now he felt that it was not his fault that the world collapsed in his eyes ... He felt that it was not in his power to return to faith in life. These feelings for Bezukhov are tantamount to suicide.

Meeting with Platon Karataev helps Pierre survive, gain a new view of the world and himself. The main thing for Karataev is good looks, acceptance of life as it is. Just in case, he has a saying, in his movements Pierre seems to have something “soothing and round”. Platon Karataev treats everyone around him equally evenly and affectionately, while not having any attachments, love, friendship. “He loved his mongrel, loved his comrades, the French, loved Pierre, who was his neighbor; but Pierre felt that Karataev, despite all his affectionate tenderness for him, ... would not be upset for a minute by parting with him.

In captivity, Pierre learned to find joy and happiness in life, despite the vicissitudes of life. “He sought this in philanthropy, in Freemasonry, in the dispersion of secular life, in wine, in the heroic feat of self-sacrifice” - but all these searches deceived him. Pierre had to go through the horror of death, through deprivation, through what he understood in Karataev, in order to come to terms with oneself. Having learned to appreciate simple everyday things: good food, cleanliness, fresh air, freedom, the beauty of nature, Pierre experiences a hitherto unknown sense of joy and strength of life. In Karataev, Pierre admired the independence of his moral state from the external conditions of life, the ability to maintain a joyful perception of life, love for the world, peace of mind, despite any blows of fate. The discovery that Pierre made from captivity: a person can become stronger than the surrounding cruelty, he can be internally free, no matter how humiliated and insulted by external circumstances (“Caught me, locked me up. immortal soul!");

According to Tolstoy, Karataev’s influence on Pierre was so great that Karataev “remained forever in Pierre’s soul the most precious and powerful memory”, “the personification of the spirit of simplicity and truth” (vol. IV, part I, ch. XIII).

Released from captivity, he retained in his moral character those features that he acquired under the influence of closeness to the people and the deprivation of life. He became more attentive to people, tolerant of the thoughts and feelings of other people. “He became some kind of clean, smooth, fresh; just from the bath; - morally from the bath” (Natasha about Pierre).

However, having experienced the influence of Karataev's philosophy, Pierre, having returned from captivity, did not become a Karataev, knowing the truth of Karataev, Pierre in the epilogue of the novel is already going his own way. A happy family life (married to Natasha Rostova) does not take Pierre away from public interests. He becomes a member of a secret society. His dispute with Nikolai Rostov proves that Bezukhov faces the problem of the moral renewal of society. Pierre speaks with indignation about the reaction that has come in Russia, about Arakcheevism, theft. At the same time, he understands the strength of the people and believes in them. With all this, the hero strongly opposes violence. "Active virtue", according to Pierre, can lead the country out of the crisis. “It seemed to him at that moment that he was called to give a new direction to the whole of Russian society and the whole world.” It is necessary to unite honest people. And the search begins again:

Intense intellectual search, the ability to selfless deeds, high spiritual impulses, nobility and devotion in love (relationship with Natasha), true patriotism, the desire to make society more just and humane, truthfulness and naturalness, the desire for self-improvement make Pierre one of the best people of his time . “In order to live honestly, one must tear, get confused, fight, make mistakes, start and quit, and start again and quit again, and always struggle and lose. And calmness is spiritual meanness ”- these are the words of L.N. Tolstoy is explained both by the worldview, and the fate, and the life principles of his favorite heroes.

The novel "War and Peace" was created by Tolstoy in the 1860s, and the final edition appeared in the 1870s, when there were disputes in Russian society about the further ways of Russia's development.

The epic basis of the work is the feeling of life as a whole and being in the full breadth of this concept. According to Tolstoy, life is concrete in its national and socio-historical content, it is presented in the variety of its forms and contradictions.

Questions of life and death, truth and lies, joy and suffering, personality and society, freedom and necessity, happiness and unhappiness, war and peace constitute the problematic of the novel. Tolstoy showed the many spheres of life in which a person's life takes place.

The image of Pierre is presented in the work in the process of constant development. Throughout the novel, one can observe the train of thought of this hero, as well as the slightest vibrations of his soul. He is looking for not just a position in life, in particular, convenient for himself, but absolute truth, the meaning of life in general. The search for this truth is the search for the whole destiny.

In the novel, Pierre first appears in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer. "He has not served anywhere yet, he has just arrived from abroad, where he was brought up, and was for the first time in society." At the beginning of the epic, Pierre is a weak-willed young man who constantly needs someone's guidance and therefore falls under various influences: either Prince Andrei, then the company of Anatole Kuragin, then Prince Vasily. His outlook on life is not yet firmly established. Pierre returned from France, engulfed by the ideas of the French Revolution. Napoleon for him is a hero, the embodiment of the French national spirit. Going to the Assembly of Nobility, he recalls the communication of the monarch with the people in 1789 and hopes that he will see something similar to what was in France. In the epilogue, Tolstoy makes it clear that Pierre takes an active part in the secret Decembrist societies.

As a personality, Pierre has not yet formed, and therefore the mind in him is combined with "dreamy philosophizing", and absent-mindedness, weakness of will, lack of initiative, unsuitability for practical activities - with exceptional kindness.

Pierre is just beginning his life and therefore has not yet been spoiled by social conventions and prejudices, by that environment for which only dinners, gossip and, in particular, who the old Count Bezukhov will leave his inheritance are interested in.

Gradually, Pierre begins to understand the laws by which this society lives. Before his eyes, there is a struggle for the mosaic portfolio of Count Bezukhov. The hero also observes a change in attitude towards himself, which occurred after he received the inheritance. And yet, Pierre is not characterized by a sober assessment of what is happening. He is perplexed, sincerely surprised at the changes, and yet he takes it for granted, without trying to find out the reasons for himself.

In the living room of Anna Pavlovna, he meets Helen - a person who is completely opposite to him in spiritual content. Helen Kuragina is an integral part of the world, where the role of the individual is determined by her social position, material well-being, and not by the height of moral qualities. Pierre did not have time to get to know this society, where "there is nothing truthful, simple and natural. Everything is saturated through and through with lies, falsehood, heartlessness and hypocrisy." He did not have time to understand the essence of Helen.

With the marriage to this woman, one of the important milestones in the life of the hero began. "Indulging in debauchery and laziness," Pierre is increasingly aware that family life does not add up, that his wife is absolutely immoral. He acutely feels his own degradation, dissatisfaction grows in him, but not with others, but with himself. Pierre considers it possible to blame only himself for his disorder.

As a result of an explanation with his wife and great moral stress, a breakdown occurs. At a dinner in honor of Bagration, Pierre challenges Dolokhov, who insulted him, to a duel. Having never held a weapon in his hands, Pierre must take a responsible step. He hurts Dolokhov. Shooting with him, the hero first of all defends his honor, defends his own ideas about the moral duty of a person. Seeing the enemy wounded by him lying on the snow, Pierre says: "Stupid ... stupid! Death ... a lie ..." He understands that the path he followed turned out to be wrong.

After everything that happened to him, especially after the duel with Dolokhov, Pierre's whole life seems meaningless. He is plunged into a spiritual crisis, which manifests itself both in the hero's dissatisfaction with himself and in the desire to change his life, to build it on new, good principles.

On the way to St. Petersburg, waiting for horses at the station in Torzhok, he asks himself difficult questions: “What is bad? What is good? What should one love, what should one hate? The hero gladly accepts his teaching, because, tormented by the consciousness that he is in a spiritual impasse, he tries in vain to resolve the question of what is Good and Evil. In the Freemasons, he sees just those who give him the answer to painful questions and establish firm life principles that must be followed. In moral purification for Pierre lies the truth. This is what a hero needs.

And Pierre is trying to do good, guided by the Christian ideas of Freemasonry. He travels to Kyiv to his southern estates, trying to make the peasants happy, plant culture and education in the villages, although it turns out that there is no benefit from his innovations.

Over time, Pierre becomes disillusioned with Freemasonry, but from the "Masonic" period of his life, he retains many moral concepts associated with the Christian worldview. Again in the life of the hero comes a spiritual crisis. Pierre enters that stage of development when the old worldview is lost, and the new one has not yet taken shape.

The culmination of the novel was the depiction of the Battle of Borodino. And in the life of Bezukhov, it was also a decisive moment. Wanting to share the fate of the people, Russia, the hero, not being a military man, takes part in the battle. Through the eyes of this character, Tolstoy conveys his understanding of the most important event in the people's historical life. It was in the battle that Pierre knew who THEY were. "They, in Pierre's understanding, were soldiers - those who were on the battery, and those who fed him, and those who prayed for the icon." The hero is surprised that the soldiers going to certain death are still able to smile, paying attention to his hat. He sees how the soldiers dig trenches with laughter, push each other, making their way to the miraculous icon. Pierre begins to understand that a person cannot own anything while he is afraid of death. The one who is not afraid of her owns everything. The hero realizes that there is nothing terrible in life, and sees that it is these people, ordinary soldiers, who live the true life. And at the same time, he feels that he cannot connect with them, live the way they live.

Later, after the battle, Pierre hears in a dream the voice of his Mason mentor and, thanks to his preaching, learns a new truth: "It is not necessary to connect all this, but it is necessary to conjugate." In a dream, the benefactor says: "Simplicity is obedience to God, you can't get away from him, and they are simple. They don't talk, but they do." The hero accepts this truth.

Soon Pierre plans to kill Napoleon, being "in a state of irritation, close to insanity." Two equally strong feelings are fighting in him at this moment. “The first was the feeling of the need for sacrifice and suffering in the consciousness of a common misfortune,” while the other was “that indefinite, exclusively Russian feeling of contempt for everything conventional, artificial ... for everything that is considered by most people to be the highest good of the world.”

Disguised as a tradesman, Pierre remains in Moscow. He roams the streets, rescues a girl from a burning house, defends a family that is being attacked by the French, and is arrested.

An important stage in the life of the hero is his meeting with Platon Karataev. This meeting marked the introduction of Pierre to the people, to the people's truth. In captivity, he finds "that calmness and self-satisfaction, for which he vainly sought before." Here 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, in the satisfaction of natural human needs." Initiation to the people's truth, the people's ability to live helps Pierre's inner liberation. Pierre was always looking for a solution to the question of the meaning of life: "He was looking for this in philanthropy, in Freemasonry, in the distraction of secular life, in wine, in the heroic feat of self-sacrifice, in romantic love for Natasha. He was looking for this through thought, and all these searches and attempts deceived him." And finally, with the help of Platon Karataev, this issue is resolved.

The most essential thing in Karataev's character is loyalty to himself, his only and constant spiritual truth. For a while, this also became an ideal for Pierre, but only for a while. Pierre, by the very essence of his character, was not able to accept life without searching. Having learned the truth of Karataev, Pierre in the epilogue of the novel goes further than this truth - he goes not by Karataev, but by his own way.

Pierre reaches the final spiritual harmony in marriage with Natasha Rostova. After seven years of marriage, he feels like a completely happy person.

By the end of the 1810s, resentment was growing in Pierre, a protest against the social order, which is expressed in the intention to create a legal or secret society. Thus, the moral quest of the hero ends with the fact that he becomes a supporter of the emerging movement in the country

Decembrists.

Initially, the novel was conceived by Tolstoy as a story about contemporary reality. Realizing that the origins of the contemporary liberation movement lie in Decembrism, the writer changed the previous idea of ​​the work. The writer showed in the novel that the ideas of Decembrism lay in the spiritual upsurge experienced by the Russian people during the war of 1812.

So, Pierre, learning more and more new truths, does not renounce his former convictions, but leaves from each period some life rules that are most suitable for him, and gains life experience. He, in his youth, obsessed with the ideas of the French Revolution, in his maturity became a Decembrist revolutionary, from the Masonic rules of life, he retained faith in God, the Christian laws of life. And, finally, he learns the main truth: the ability to combine the personal with the public, his own convictions with the convictions of other people.

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Pierre Bezukhov is the character that evokes a feeling of admiration and pity at the same time. The uncommon appearance of a young man is definitely repulsive - Pierre looks flabby and ugly, but in contrast to this he is handsome in soul, and this is the special tragedy of this character. Tolstoy repeatedly leads the reader to the idea that it is good to love a beautiful, attractive person, while it is difficult to love an outwardly unpleasant person.

Childhood and youth of Pierre Bezukhov

Pierre Bezukhov was the illegitimate heir of Count Kirill Bezukhov. Despite everything, Count Cyril gave his son a decent education and upbringing - for ten years Pierre has been living abroad with his tutor, where he is studying.

At the age of 20, Pierre returns to Russia. At this point, Count Cyril was seriously ill and was on the verge of life and death. Despite the fact that the old count did not actually take a personal part in Pierre's upbringing and was a stranger and stranger to the young man, Pierre sincerely pities his father and worries about him.

Returning to Russia, Pierre was confused for some time - in view of his age, peculiarities of upbringing and sensitivity of nature, he imagines a life full of bright colors, selflessness and striving for the eternal and beautiful, but does not know where to start.

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Pierre often appears in company with Anatole Kuragin, and also maintains friendly relations with Andrei Bolkonsky. At first glance, it seems that Pierre, in view of his naivety, is trying to be good for everyone, but in fact this is not so - the young man communicates with people of different characters and moral values ​​in order to determine what suits him.

Count Kirill Bezukhov soon dies, leaving all his countless wealth to Pierre. Since then, the young man has become the most desired guest in all homes and a promising groom. Prince Vasily Kuragin helps Pierre settle down in a new world for him - he contributes to the enrollment of Pierre in the diplomatic corps and the assignment of the rank of chamber junker to Bezukhov.
Soon, Prince Vasily managed to win over Pierre to himself and even marry him to his daughter.

Marriage to Elena

Elena Kuragina was not a typical "Russian woman". There was no shyness, no meekness of character, no wisdom in her. However, Elena, of course, possessed one of the most powerful weapons - beauty, charm and affectation. Many young people dreamed of having this girl, so Pierre, who, because of his appearance, was not the favorite of the fair sex, was captivated by Elena and quickly proposed to the girl.

Elena arouses passion in Pierre, carnal desire, which Bezukhov is ashamed of - in his concept these are low feelings. Pierre is convinced that the family is something sublime, based on harmony.

No matter how strong Pierre’s passion is, he still has the ability to assess the situation - Pierre understands that Elena is stupid, but just can’t refuse her. While the young man was wondering if he needed Elena, Prince Vasily successfully arranged the situation so that Pierre became Elena's unofficial fiance. It was difficult for the mild-mannered Bezukhov to go against public opinion, and he proposed to Elena, although he realized that this was not the woman who suited him.

Disappointment in family life was not long in coming - Elena did not hide her disgust and directly stated that she did not intend to have children from a person like Bezukhov.

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At this point, Pierre begins to realize that his concept of family and family life was a utopia. Bezukhov slowly sinks into the blues and becomes absolutely unhappy in family life.
Elena did not become discouraged by family life and, using her husband's money, took the path of a socialite. Soon, the elite of society began to gather in the house of the Bezukhovs. Pierre himself did not take part in his wife's events and successfully retired from her life. Elena takes lovers, and soon the whole city begins to talk about her love affairs. The only person who was in the dark was Pierre Bezukhov, he still considered his wife honest and pious.

The news of his wife's infidelity for Pierre became an unpleasant event. Angry Bezukhov for the first time shows character - in a quarrel with his wife, he does not behave as usual - a shy mumble - anger and anger break out. Pierre stops living with his wife, but does not stop sponsoring her, which could not but please Elena.

Over time, Pierre again draws closer to his wife, but still it is not possible to live a full-fledged family. Elena is also cheating on her husband. That it is true that Bezukhov receives something like moral compensation for such behavior of his wife - a promotion, which, however, he is ashamed of. As a result, young people completely exhaust themselves within the framework of a joint marriage - Elena accepts Catholicism in order to divorce her husband, but does not have time to fulfill her plan - the woman dies. Thus, the marriage of Pierre Bezukhov with the beautiful Elena Kuragina lasted 6 years.

Tolstoy does not detail the description of the recreated effect on Pierre with this piece of news. Elena's death occurs during Pierre's stay in captivity and, as a result, his acquaintance with Karataev. Based on the general situation, it can be assumed that he experienced considerable relief, since the death of Elena allowed him to regain freedom and inner balance.

freemasonry

Difficult relationships in marriage and a sense of disharmony of oneself as a person contribute to the desire to find oneself in this world, to feel needed and useful.

Pierre was far from religion - he did not believe in God, therefore, even in a difficult period of his life, he does not feel the need to seek solace in the bosom of religion. By chance, Bezukhov meets Joseph Alekseevich Bazdeev, who was a member of the Masonic lodge.

The ideas of this society soon captivate the young man - he sees this as an opportunity to find happiness. Freemasons gladly accept Pierre into their ranks. The reason for this cordiality lies in the state of Bezukhov - Pierre can make significant sums as a donation. Proceeding from this position, Pierre's disappointment in Freemasonry was not long in coming. In 1808, Pierre unexpectedly became the head of St. Petersburg Freemasonry.

The death of Bazdeev became unpleasant news in the life of Bezukhov - Pierre loses all interest in social activities and self-development. In the same period, Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky are betrothed - Pierre, of course, has friendly feelings towards Prince Andrei, but cannot be happy for him - his sympathy for Natasha does not allow him to do this. As a result, Bezukhov begins to live like a real rake - he could often be seen in carousing and drinking with Anatole Kuragin.

Pierre at war

In 1812, life is preparing another unpleasant surprise for Bezukhov - the war with Napoleon. This event for Pierre becomes doubly unpleasant. On the one hand, the very process of military events is unpleasant for Pierre - by nature he is a peace-loving person. On the other hand, Bezukhov has always admired the image of Napoleon both as a political person and as a commander, but after Bonaparte has a desire to seize Russia, Pierre's admiration for this person disappears, and his place is taken by deep disappointment and even anger.

Pierre decides to serve the Motherland - he goes to the front. Due to his condition, Bezukhov provides materially for the regiment - Bezukhov cannot personally take part in hostilities, and in general, he is not a military man.

When, nevertheless, Pierre appears on the battlefields, everyone around notes that Bezukhov's concept of war is very spatial - his figure in white pantaloons and an excellent suit looks very comical against the background of the whole massacre.

Pierre perceives everything with some kind of enthusiasm and solemnity. He notes that the faces of the officers from Kutuzov's entourage were imprinted with "warmth of feelings." Ordinary soldiers, on the other hand, do not perceive Bezukhov so cordially - anger and bewilderment are read on their faces. They do not understand what this gentleman in an exquisite hat is doing here. No matter how flattered Pierre is by the military smoke, he nevertheless notices such an attitude of the soldiers towards himself and he becomes embarrassed. Pierre loses this sense of unity with the military, which arose at the very beginning, he understands that he is superfluous here.

However, this trend did not last long - the soldiers noticed that Pierre was walking “under bullets as if on a boulevard”, not being afraid of either shells or death, and were imbued with sympathy for this eccentric stranger. Soon Pierre became a favorite at all. When the euphoria has passed, Pierre plunges into a spleen - of course, he had previously understood and realized that the war does not happen without victims, but the sight of the dead soldiers, who just a minute ago laughed and joked, has an extremely depressing effect on him.

Under the general influence, Pierre decides to accomplish a feat - to kill Napoleon, who was so dearly beloved by him. However, Bezukhov's plan fails. Pierre is captured. Being in French captivity opened Pierre's eyes to many things. Thanks to Platon Karataev, Bezukhov begins to realize life values ​​and rethink them. Finally, Pierre embarks on a path that gives him hope for happiness and harmony.

Marriage to Natasha Rostova

The events of the war with Napoleon became significant in the lives of many people. So, Natasha Rostova nevertheless realized her affection for Prince Andrei, but she was not destined to find happiness with this man - Bolkonsky was seriously injured and soon died. During the period of moral exhaustion of Natalia, Pierre Bezukhov appears in her life, but not as a good friend and friend, but as a fiancé.

This time, Pierre was not mistaken in choosing his wife - the calm and meek Natalia became the embodiment of his youthful ideal of a wife. Natasha was not interested in social life, she was rarely in public and was reluctant to receive guests at her place.

In the marriage of Rostova and Bezukhov, three daughters and a son are born. Natalia devoted herself completely to family life.

Pierre and the secret society

The social activities of Pierre Bezukhov do not end with the beginning of family life. in the last chapters of the novel, Tolstoy repeatedly makes hints that Pierre belongs to some kind of secret organization. According to researchers, these hints mean activities in the organization of the Decembrists - Pierre's youthful desire to change the world for the better does not leave him.

Summarize: Pierre Bezukhov is to some extent the forerunner of a new era - humanism and humane changes in society. Despite all the difficulties, Pierre does not remain in the abyss of social life, his desire to help others, to make the world a better place turns out to be stronger than alcohol, balls and the beauty of women. Bezukhov's moral dissatisfaction spurs him on to find new ways to realize himself in society. The path of his quest is definitely not the easiest - many disappointments become a real test for a young man. At the end of the novel, Pierre receives a worthy reward - a happy family and the opportunity to help others.