Pierre Bezukhov, one of the main characters of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace, throughout the entire work tries to understand what the meaning of his life is. Bezukhov has many trials, both actual and spiritual, and the people he meets in his life largely help the hero to better understand himself and his destiny.
At the beginning of the work, Pierre Bezukhov appears before the readers as a somewhat awkward, simple, inspired image of Napoleon, who considers the great commander to be practically his idol. Over time, Bezukhov makes a certain reassessment of his own values, realizing that all people are imperfect, and trying to create for himself an ephemeral and obviously unattainable role model is stupid and even naive. Due to his deep mind and such inappropriate imprudence and excessive softness, Pierre commits many mistakes and wrong actions.
Having married Helen Kuragina, the daughter of Prince Vasily, Bezukhov becomes disillusioned with family life, observing the behavior of his wife - a beautiful, but very greedy and calculating girl. The disgruntled hero of the novel, in an attempt to find himself, comes to the Masonic lodge, hoping to find a true brotherhood there, but here too he is disappointed - no corresponding actions follow beautiful words, and the brotherhood turns out to be an ordinary secular society, which has taken on a raid of mystery.
It is impossible not to mention the meeting of Pierre Bezukhov with Platon Karataev, a man who will have a strong influence on the hero's life. Having met Karataev in the incredibly cruel and inhuman conditions of captivity, Pierre manages to understand the main thing - the true value of humanity and each individual in particular. Platon Karataev opens the hero's eyes to how important it is to love life, no matter what conditions you find yourself in, because every person is an integral part of this world. Each person is a reflection of the Earth. It was after his acquaintance with Plato that Pierre Bezukhov learned to look at the world with wide-open eyes, and in every event that took place to see the grain of truth, the grain of infinite unity with the world.
The ending of the novel shows what the hero's life became after six years. After the death of his wife, Helen Bezukhova, Pierre married Natasha Rostova, this time meeting his true love. I believe that without the changes that took place in the soul of Pierre Bezukhov over the course of his life, there would be no happy ending, no long-awaited reassurance of the hero. All the characters whom Bezukhov met in his life exerted their influence on him - positive or negative. All the events in which the hero was involved were reflected in his worldview. The path that Pierre Bezukhov took from a clumsy young man who first appeared in the living room of Anna Pavlovna Scherer to a harmonious family man who has realized both in his career and in the family is truly amazing.
In my opinion, in the novel War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy does a really great deed - he shows us how much one and the same person can change for the better, despite all the difficulties he had to face.
Bezukhov's life path
Pierre Bezukhov is the protagonist of the work "War and Peace", written by Leo Tolstoy. Pierre is the illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov. Count Bezukhov is one of the outstanding personalities in the history of the Russian Empire in the 18th century. Pierre hardly saw his father, he studied and was brought up abroad. In the novel, Pierre and I meet at Anna Pavlovna's house. On this day, Anna Pavlovna arranged an evening in which she invited all the noble people of high society. Pierre arrived a little later in the evening, and immediately entered into a dispute concerning the Russian-French war. Pierre was a fan of Napoleon, and of course, he justified the French emperor. Pierre, at the beginning of the work, led a wild life, if you read, then immediately remember the story with the bear. Society does not accept Pierre, and our hero does not like it, he does not feel at ease. Count Bezukhov was ill and soon died. After the death of his father, all of a sudden, everyone shows him respect. It turns out that Count Bezukhov gave all his property to Pierre, and our Pierre soon became Count Bezukhov.
Pierre and Helene Kuragina
After the death of his father, Pierre married the beautiful Helene, the daughter of Prince Vasily. But their life together did not last long. Soon, rumors began to circulate in society that Countess Bezukhova was cheating on Pierre with Dolokhov. One fine day, Pierre was invited to an evening, and soon, as it turned out, she was Dolokhov. All evening, Dolokhov constantly insulted Pierre, and the latter, in the end, could not stand it and challenged him to a duel. In a duel, Pierre wounded Dolokhov, and then divorced his wife.
Freemasonry
After the divorce, Pierre decides to go to St. Petersburg, on the road he meets a freemason who was traveling with him. After a long conversation, Pierre decided to believe in God and follow the religious road.
Renewal of relationship with Helen
After his Freemasonry, Pierre resumes his relationship with Helene. But soon, in society again, there are rumors about Pierre's betrayal. This time, Helen cheats on her husband with the prince, and Pierre leaves again.
Rampant life
After Pierre's Masonic mentor dies, and Natasha Rostova, who is so dear to him, chooses Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre decides that his life has no meaning and starts drinking. Then he leaves for Moscow.
Patriotic War
In 1812, our hero decides to go to the front to take part in the Patriotic War. Soon, he is captured by the French. At this time, his wife, Helen, dies. Life in captivity teaches Pierre to look at the world differently, he understands life values, etc. He becomes wise.
Pierre and Natasha Rostova
At the end of the novel, the main characters marry each other, Pierre Bezukhov and Natasha Rostova, and they soon had 3 daughters and one son.
Several interesting compositions
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This tale tells about good people and miracles that happened to them. One of the main characters of Bazhov's fairy tale is the lonely old man Kokovanya.
- Analysis of Prishvin's story Gossamer
M. Prishvin is a writer who devoted his life to studying nature and observing its beauty. He never deprived of his attention even the smallest and smallest part of nature.
- Composition Novosibirsk is my hometown
I was lucky to be born and grow up in such a wonderful city as Novosibirsk. I love him very much with all my heart Novosibirsk is located in the south of Western Siberia
- Analysis of the Tale of Captain Kopeikin (Gogol)
The story is told on behalf of the postal worker. After the war, Captain Kopeikin returned home disabled. Without an arm and without a leg, he had to exist now for the rest of his life.
Mayakovsky's work cannot be called unambiguous. Quite conventionally, creativity can be divided before the revolution and after the revolution. After moving to Moscow from Georgia, he falls under the influence of members of the RSDLP
A person with a childish kind face and a smile, one whose image is remembered for a long time. Which of the heroes of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" has such features? Of course, Pierre Bezukhov, a positive hero, an extraordinary person who has lived an interesting, difficult, but eventful life throughout the work.
First meeting with Pierre Bezukhov
For the first time a reader of War and Peace meets Pierre Bezukhov at Anna Pavlovna Sherer. It is immediately striking that he is not at all like those around him, and, not fitting into a secular society permeated with falsehood, he is, as it were, a black sheep. It is not surprising, because Pierre is sincere, straightforward, does not accept lies and tries to avoid it.
“... Soon after the little princess entered a massive, fat young man with a bobbed head, glasses, light pantaloons in the fashion of the time, with a high frill and a brown tailcoat. This fat young man was the illegitimate son of the famous Catherine's noble, Count Bezukhov, who was now dying in Moscow ... "- this is how the meeting of this hero with Anna Pavlovna is described, who, seeing such an unwelcome guest, was upset to such an extent that anxiety and fear appeared on her face.
It would seem why? It turns out that the mistress of the house was frightened by Pierre's observant, natural gaze, which so distinguished him from everyone present in this living room.
Remarkable is the fact that we meet with Bezukhov on the first pages of a large four-volume novel, which may indicate the importance of this hero for Lev Nikolaevich, who has prepared for him a difficult, but wonderful fate.
Pierre's past
From the novel, the observant reader can learn that Pierre Bezukhov, who almost did not know his father, was brought up abroad from the age of ten and came to Russia as a young man, at the age of twenty.
Reckless step
Pierre Bezukhov's naivety and inexperience led him to a dead end. Once the young man was faced with the question: who to marry, and since Pierre, after the death of his father, Kirill Bezukhov, became a count and a wealthy heir, Helen Kuragina did not fail to take advantage of this, for whom the love of money was above all.
Even an inner voice, when "some incomprehensible horror gripped him at the very thought of this terrible step" could not convince the young count to change his mind. Unfortunately, only after the wedding, Bezukhov realized that, having tied the knot with such an insidious and selfish girl like Elena, he had committed a reckless and reckless act that influenced his future fate. This difficult period of life is described by the author in dark colors.
“… He was silent… and with a completely absent-minded look was picking his nose with his finger. His face was sad and gloomy. " This marriage, dictated by no means by love, lasted six years, when Helen not only showed her bad character, but also betrayed Pierre with Dolokhov, which prompted the hero to fight the offender in a duel. The result of the fight was the injury of the opponent. However, here too Pierre's good feelings prevailed: seeing that Dolokhov was wounded, he "barely holding back sobs, ran to him."
Thus, realizing that his wife is a depraved woman, and now it is unbearable to live with her, Pierre broke off relations with Helene and left for St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, during that period, the hero of the novel lost faith in God. But then, disillusioned with life, Pierre could not even imagine that beyond the mountains of difficult and sometimes unbearable circumstances, in the future, real family happiness awaits him!
Pierre Bezukhov's new plans
Helping them, he regains confidence, despite "bare feet, dirty torn clothes, matted hair ..." Even Pierre's eyes change, because he knows what he lives for.
Changes in fate
Pierre reconnects with his wife, but for a short time. Then their relationship broke off completely, and Bezukhov went to Moscow, after which he went to war, to the Russian army. Helen, having changed the Orthodox faith for the Catholic, wants to divorce her husband, but the sudden premature death does not allow her plans to come true.
Pierre at war
The war became a severe test for the inexperienced Pierre Bezukhov. Despite the fact that he provided financial support to the regiment he created, and also conceived an attempt on Napoleon's life, whose insidious and inhuman actions disgusted Bezukhov, in this field he could not prove himself as a brave and courageous defender of the Motherland.
Having no shooting skills, not really knowing military affairs, Pierre was captured by the enemy, and this is not surprising.
Being in terrible conditions, the hero of the novel went through a harsh school of life.
But here, too, there was a chance to look at it in a new way, to reassess values, and this was facilitated by the same prisoner, like him, by the name of Kartaev, who, however, unlike Count Pierre, was a simple peasant, and his actions were sharply different from those to whom Bezukhov got used to throughout his life. Communicating with this person not of his circle, Pierre understands that in many ways he was wrong, and the meaning should be sought not in high society, but in communication with nature and the common people.
Coming closer to happiness ...
Although Pierre Bezukhov experienced many things in his life, including the bitter consequences of an unsuccessful marriage, in his heart he really wanted to love and be loved. And secret feelings for one girl lived in his soul. Anyone familiar with War and Peace knows who it is about. Of course, about Natasha Rostova, whom Pierre met when she was a thirteen-year-old girl.
Soulmates - this is how one phrase could describe these heroes of the novel, who, having passed a difficult path, having survived trials and losses, still created a strong family. Returning from captivity, Pierre married Natasha, the one who became his faithful friend, advisor, support, with whom he could share both joy and sorrow. The contrast with the past life was obvious, but Pierre had to go through the path of trials with Helene in order to appreciate real happiness with Natalya Rostova and be grateful to the Creator for it.
Strong family ties
Pierre's life sparkled with new colors, shone with joy, found stability and lasting peace. Having married Natalya Rostova, he realized how wonderful it is to have such a sacrificial, kind spouse. They had four children - three daughters and one son - for whom Natasha became a good mother. The novel ends on such a positive note. “She felt that her connection with her husband was not held by those poetic feelings that attracted him to her, but held by something else, indefinite, but firm, like the connection of her own soul with her body” - this is the exact definition given to Natalia, who was ready to take part in every minute of her husband, giving all of herself without a trace to him. And it is wonderful that Pierre, who had suffered so much grief in his past life, finally found true family happiness.
One of the main characters in Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" is Pierre Bezukhov. His image stands out clearly from other heroes of the epic. In the person of Bezukhov, the author depicts representatives of the advanced intelligentsia of the early 19th century, who are characterized by spiritual quests, since they could no longer live in the environment of the decaying system of autocracy.
In the course of the narration, the image of Pierre changes, as the meaning of his life changes when he finally comes to the highest ideals.
We meet Bezukhov at an evening with Anna Pavlovna Sherer: "A massive, fat young man with a shaved head, glasses, light trousers in the fashion of the time, with a high frill and a brown tailcoat." The external characterization of the hero does not represent anything interesting and causes only an ironic smile.
Bezukhov is a stranger in this society, because along with his ridiculous appearance he has a “smart and at the same time timid, observant and natural look”, which does not see a single living soul in the high-society salon, except for the “mechanical” guests of the salon owner.
Having received a huge inheritance, Pierre still remains in this society, even, on the contrary, he becomes even more mired in it, having married the cold beauty Helen Kuraghina.
However, everything about him opposes the secular society. Pierre's main character trait is his kindness. On the first pages of the novel, the hero is simple-minded and trusting, in his actions he is guided by the call of his heart, therefore sometimes he is impulsive and ardent, but in general he is distinguished by the generosity of the soul and ardent love. The hero's first test of life is Helen's betrayal and Pierre's duel with Dolokhov. A deep spiritual crisis ensues in Bezukhov's life. The hero decides to join the Masonic lodge, it seems to him that the idea of \u200b\u200buniversal brotherhood, continuous work on the inner world - this is the meaning of life. But gradually Pierre becomes disillusioned with Freemasonry, because the matter does not go beyond the analysis of his own state of mind. However, Pierre continues to seek the meaning of life, wanting to be useful to the world.
A huge influence on the views of the hero had a meeting in French captivity with Platon Karataev, a simple soldier. The sayings and sayings with which Karataev's speech is saturated mean more for Bezukhov than the detached wisdom of the Masons.
During his captivity, Pierre Bezukhov becomes patient, he steadfastly endures life's hardships and hardships, and also begins to overestimate all the events that have happened to him before: “He learned to see the great, the eternal and the infinite ... and joyfully contemplated around him the ever-changing, great, incomprehensible and endless life ”.
After captivity, Pierre feels spiritually free, his character changes. The attitude towards people has also changed: he wants to understand people, to see something good in everyone.
Pierre becomes really happy when he is married to Natasha Rostova. In the epilogue of the novel, Bezukhov appears before us as a happy family man, the father of four children. The hero found his happiness, peace of mind and joy. Of course, Bezukhov is interested in public issues that relate not only to his personal happiness. He shares his thoughts with Nikolai Rostov, his wife's brother. But Pierre's political activities remain behind the scenes, we say goodbye to the hero on a positive note, leaving him with his family, where he feels completely happy.
Pierre Bezukhov is considered the main character of the novel War and Peace. With his dissatisfaction with the surrounding reality, his disappointment in the light, his search for the meaning of life, he reminds us of the “hero of his time”, traditional for Russian literature. However, Tolstoy's novel is already beyond the literary tradition. Tolstoy's hero overcomes the "tragedy of a superfluous person", acquires the meaning of life and personal happiness.
We get to know Pierre from the very first pages of the novel and immediately note his dissimilarity from those around him. The appearance of Count Bezukhov, his behavior, manners - all this “does not fit” into the author's image of the secular “public”. Pierre is a big, fat, awkward young man who has something of a child in him. This childishness is already noticeable in the very portrait of the hero. So Pierre's smile was different from the smiles of other people, "merging with the unsmiling." "On the contrary, when a smile came, then suddenly, instantly, a serious and even somewhat sullen face disappeared and a different one appeared - childish, kind, even stupid and as if asking for forgiveness."
Pierre is awkward and absent-minded, he does not possess secular manners, "does not know how to enter the salon" and even less knows how to "leave it." Openness, emotionality, shyness and naturalness distinguish him from the indifferent self-confident salon aristocrats. “You are one living person among all our world,” Prince Andrew tells him.
Pierre is shy, childishly gullible and ingenuous, subject to other people's influences. Hence his revelry, "hussarship" in the company of Dolokhov and Anatoly Kuragin, his marriage to Helen. As N.K. Gudziy notes, due to the lack of inner composure and strong will, due to the irregularity of his hobbies, Pierre's character is to a certain extent opposed to the character of Andrei Bolkonsky. Pierre is not characterized by rationalism and constant introspection, in his nature there is sensuality.
However, Pierre's lifestyle here is determined not only by his personal qualities. Violent revelry in the company of "golden youth" is also his unconscious protest "against the base boredom of the surrounding reality, a waste of energy that has nothing to ... apply";
The next stage of Pierre's moral searches is his passion for Freemasonry. In this teaching, the hero is attracted by a certain freedom, Freemasonry in his eyes is "the teaching of Christianity, freed from state and religious fetters", a brotherhood of people capable of supporting each other "on the path of virtue." Pierre thinks that this is an opportunity to "achieve perfection", to correct human and social vices. The ideas of the "brotherhood of free masons" seem to the hero to be a revelation.
However, Tolstoy emphasizes the fallacy of Pierre's views. None of the provisions of the Masonic doctrine is realized in the life of the hero. Trying to correct the imperfection of social relations, Bezukhov is trying to change the position of his peasants. He builds hospitals, schools, orphanages in his villages, tries to alleviate the situation of serfs. And it seems to him that he is achieving tangible results: grateful peasants solemnly greet him with bread and salt. However, all this "prosperity of the people" is illusory - it is nothing more than a performance staged by the general manager on the occasion of the master's arrival. The general manager of Pierre considers all the master's ventures to be eccentricity, an absurd whim. And he acts in his own way, preserving the old order in Bezukhov's estates.
The idea of \u200b\u200bpersonal self-improvement turns out to be just as fruitless. 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 doctrine is 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 teaching.
Returning from abroad, Pierre offers the "brothers" his program of socially useful activities. However, the Freemasons do not accept Pierre's proposals. And he finally became disillusioned with the "brotherhood of free masons."
Having broken with the Masons, the hero is going through a deep inner crisis, a mental catastrophe. He becomes distrustful of the very possibility of socially useful activity. Outwardly, Pierre returns to his former occupations: benefit performances, bad pictures, statues, charities, gypsies, revelry - nothing is denied. He is no longer visited, as before, by moments of despair, blues, disgust for life, but "the same illness, which was previously expressed in sharp seizures," is now "driven inside" and does not leave him for a moment. Begins that period of Bezukhov's life when he gradually begins to turn into an ordinary "retired good-naturedly living out his life in Moscow chamberlain, of which there were hundreds."
Here in the novel the motive of the disappointed hero, the “superfluous person,” the motive of Oblomov appears. However, in Tolstoy this motive takes on a completely different sound than in Pushkin or Goncharov. Tolstoy's man lives in a great, unprecedented epoch for Russia, which "transforms disillusioned heroes", revealing all the best and the genuine in their souls, awakening a rich inner potential to life. The heroic epoch is "generous, generous, wide", it "communicates, purifies, lifts up all who ... are able to respond to its greatness ...".
Indeed, 1812 changes a lot in the hero's life. This is a period of restoration of spiritual integrity, of Pierre's introduction to 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, amid the endless rumble of cannons, smoke of shells, squealing of bullets, the hero experiences a sense of horror, mortal fear. The soldiers, however, seem to him strong and courageous, they have no fear, 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 an external person”, from everything artificial and superficial. For the first time faced with the popular environment, he acutely feels the falsity and insignificance of the secular world, feels the erroneousness of his previous views and attitudes.
Returning to Moscow, Pierre is imbued with the idea of \u200b\u200bkilling 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 in a fire and protecting a beautiful Armenian woman from French soldiers. In this very opposition of intentions and reality, Tolstoy's favorite thought about the "external forms" of true heroism is guessed.
It is characteristic that it is for this feat that Bezukhov is captured by the French, although he is officially accused of arson. Depicting events in this aspect, Tolstoy expresses his attitude towards them. “The Napoleonic army is committing the inhuman deed of an unjust war; therefore, it deprives a person of freedom only for the fact that a person does a human deed, ”writes V. Ermilov.
And for Pierre there are difficult days of captivity, when he is forced to endure the ridicule of those around him, the interrogations of French officers, the cruelty of the military court. He feels like "an insignificant sliver caught in the wheels of a car unknown to him." This order established by the French kills, destroys, deprives him of life, "with all his memories, aspirations, hopes, thoughts."
Meeting with Platon Karataev helps Pierre to survive, to find a new outlook on the world and on himself. The main thing for Karataev is goodness, acceptance of life as it is. Just in case of life, he has a proverb, in his movements Pierre fancies something "soothing and round." S. G. Bocharov notes that there is a certain duality in the idea of \u200b\u200ba circle: on the one hand, it is “an aesthetic figure with which the idea of \u200b\u200bthe achieved perfection is connected from time immemorial,” on the other hand, the idea of \u200b\u200b“a circle contradicts Faustian endless striving into the distance, the search for a goal, contradicts the path as the line along which the heroes of Tolstoy move ”.
However, Pierre comes to moral satisfaction precisely through the "Karate's roundness". “He looked for this in philanthropy, in Freemasonry, in the scattering of secular life, in wine, in the heroic deed of self-sacrifice” - but all these searches deceived him. Pierre had to go through the horror of death, through hardship, through what he understood in Karataev, in order to come to terms with himself. Having learned to appreciate simple everyday things: good food, cleanliness, fresh air, freedom, beauty of nature - Pierre experiences a hitherto unknown feeling of joy and strength of life, a feeling of readiness for anything, moral composure, inner freedom.
These feelings are generated in the hero by the adoption of the "Karataev philosophy". It seems that this was necessary for Pierre in this period, the instinct of self-preservation spoke in him, and not so much physical as the instinct of spiritual self-preservation. Life itself sometimes prompts "a way out", and a grateful subconscious mind accepts it, helping a person to survive in an impossible situation for him.
The French captivity became such an "impossible situation" for Pierre. In his soul, it was as if "the spring on which everything was held" was pulled out. “In him ... the faith in the improvement of the world, in the human, and in his soul, and in God has been destroyed ... Before, when such doubts were found on Pierre, these doubts had their own guilt as a source. 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 caused the world to collapse in his eyes ... He felt that it was not in his power to return to faith in life. " For Bezukhov, these feelings are tantamount to suicide. That is why he is imbued with the philosophy of Platon Karataev.
However, then the hero moves away from her. And the reason for this is in a certain duality, even contradiction of this philosophy. Unity with others, the feeling of being a part of being, the world, the feeling of conciliarity are the positive features of "karatayevism". The flip side of it is a kind of detachment, indifference to man and the world. Platon Karataev treats everyone around him equally evenly and affectionately, without 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, in spite of all his affectionate tenderness towards him, ... would not be upset for a minute at being separated from him. "
As S.G. Bocharov notes, Pierre's inner freedom is freedom not only from circumstances, but also from normal human feelings, freedom from thoughts, habitual introspection, from the search for the purpose and meaning of life. However, this kind of freedom is opposite to Pierre's very nature, his spiritual makeup. Therefore, the hero leaves this feeling already when his former love for Natasha revives.
At the end of the novel, Pierre finds personal happiness in marriage with Natasha Rostova. However, being happy in the family, he is still active and active. We see him as "one of the main founders" of the Decembrist societies. And the path of searching begins again: "It seemed to him at that moment that he was called to give a new direction to the entire Russian society and the whole world."
Pierre Bezukhov is one of Tolstoy's favorite characters, he is close to the writer with his sincerity, restless, seeking soul, critical attitude to everyday life, striving for a moral ideal. His path is the eternal comprehension of truth and its affirmation in the world.
Pierre's life is a path of discovery and disappointment, a path of crisis and in many respects dramatic. Pierre is an emotional person. He is distinguished by a mind prone to dreamy philosophizing, absent-mindedness, weak will, lack of initiative, exceptional kindness. The main feature of the hero is the search for tranquility, harmony with oneself, the search for a life that would be in harmony with the needs of the heart and would bring moral satisfaction.
At the beginning of the novel, Pierre is a fat, massive young man with an intelligent, timid and observant gaze that distinguishes him from the rest of the visitors to the living room. Having recently arrived from abroad, this illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov stands out in the high-society salon for his naturalness, sincerity and simplicity. He is soft, malleable, easily influenced by others. For example, he leads a chaotic, riotous life, participating in the revelry and excesses of secular youth, although he perfectly understands the emptiness and worthlessness of such a pastime.
Large and awkward, it does not fit in with the elegant interior furnishings, confuses and shocks others. But he also instills fear. Anna Pavlovna is frightened by the look of the young man: intelligent, timid, observant, natural. Such is Pierre, the illegitimate son of a Russian nobleman. In the Scherer salon, they accept him just in case, and suddenly Count Kirill officially recognizes his son. Much at first seems strange to us in Pierre: he was brought up in Paris - and does not know how to behave in society. And only later we will understand that spontaneity, sincerity, fervor are the essential features of Pierre. Nothing will ever force him to change himself, to live in a general, average form, to conduct meaningless conversations.
Already here it is noticeable that Pierre does not fit into a false society of flatterers and careerists, the defining feature of which is an all-pervading lie. For this reason, the appearance of Pierre in the majority of those present causes fear, and his sincerity and straightforwardness - frank fear. Let us recall how Pierre walked away from an unnecessary aunt, spoke to the French abbot and got carried away by the conversation so that he began to clearly threaten to disrupt the system of secular relationships familiar to the Scherer house, which revived the dead, fake environment.
With one smart and timid look, Pierre seriously frightened the owner of the salon and her guests with their false norms of behavior. Pierre has the same kind and sincere smile, his special harmless gentleness is striking. But Tolstoy himself does not consider his hero weak and weak-willed, as it might seem at first glance: "Pierre was one of those people who, despite their outward, so-called weakness of character, do not seek an attorney for their grief."
In Pierre, there is a constant struggle between the spiritual and the sensual, the inner, moral essence of the hero contradicts his way of life. On the one hand, it is full of noble, freedom-loving thoughts, the origins of which date back to the era of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Pierre is an admirer of Rousseau, Montesquieu, who captivated him with the ideas of universal equality and the re-education of man.On the other hand, Pierre participates in revelry in the company of Anatol Kuragin, and here he manifests that riotous lordly beginning, which was once embodied by his father, Catherine's nobleman, Count Bezukhov.
Pierre's naivety and gullibility, his inability to understand people make him commit a number of life mistakes, of which the most serious is his marriage to the stupid and cynical beauty Helen Kuragina. By this thoughtless act, Pierre deprives himself of all hope for possible personal happiness.
This is one of the important milestones in the life of the hero. But Pierre is increasingly realizing that he has no real family, that his wife is an immoral woman. Discontent grows in him, but not with others, but with himself. This is exactly what happens with 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 to a duel, who insulted him. After everything that happened to him, especially after the duel, Pierre finds his whole life meaningless. He is experiencing a mental crisis: this is a strong dissatisfaction with himself and the associated desire to change his life to build it on new, good principles.
Bezukhov abruptly breaks with Helen, learning about how strong her love for his money was. Bezukhov himself is indifferent to money and luxury, therefore he calmly agrees with the demands of the cunning wife to give her most of his fortune. Pierre is disinterested and ready to do anything to get rid of the lies that the insidious beauty has surrounded him as soon as possible. Despite his carelessness and youth, Pierre acutely feels the border between innocent jokes and dangerous games that can cripple someone's life, so he is frankly indignant in a conversation with the villain Anatole after the failed abduction of Natasha.
Having broken up with his wife, Pierre, on his way to Petersburg, in Torzhok, waiting at the station for the horses, asks himself difficult (eternal) questions: What is wrong? What well? What should I love, what should I hate? Why live and what am I? What is life, what is death? What power controls everything? Here he meets the freemason Bazdeev. In the moment of mental discord that Pierre was experiencing, Bazdeev seems to him to be exactly the person he needs, Pierre is offered the path of moral improvement, and he accepts this path, because most of all he needs now to improve his life and himself.
Tolstoy forces the hero to go through a difficult path of losses, mistakes, delusions and searches. Having become close to the Masons, Pierre tries to find the meaning of life in religious truth. Freemasonry gave the hero the belief that there should be a kingdom of good and truth in the world, and the highest human happiness is to strive to achieve them. He longs to "reborn the vicious human race." In the teachings of the Masons, Pierre is attracted by the ideas of "equality, brotherhood and love," therefore, first of all, he decides to ease the plight of the serfs. The moral purification for Pierre, as well as for Tolstoy in a certain period, was the truth of Freemasonry, and, carried away by it, at first he did not notice what was a lie. It seems to him that he has finally found the purpose and meaning of life: "And only now, when I ... try ... to live for others, only now I understood all the happiness of life." This conclusion helps Pierre to find the real path in his further searches.
Pierre shares his new ideas about life with Andrei Bolkonsky. Pierre is trying to transform the order of the Freemasons, draws up a project in which he calls for action, practical help to his neighbor, for the dissemination of moral ideas for the good of mankind throughout the world ... that many of them were looking for a means of expanding their secular ties in Freemasonry, that the Masons - these insignificant people - were not interested in the problems of good, love, truth, the good of humanity, but in uniforms and crosses, which they sought in life. Pierre cannot be satisfied with mysterious, mystical rites and sublime conversations about good and evil. Disappointment soon sets in in Freemasonry, since Pierre's republican ideas were not shared by his "brothers", and moreover, Pierre sees that there is hypocrisy, hypocrisy, and careerism among the Masons. All this leads Pierre to break with the Freemasons.
It is typical for him, in a fit of passion, to succumb to such instant hobbies, taking them for true and correct. And then, when the true essence of things is revealed, when hopes are crumbling, Pierre just as actively falls into despair, unbelief, like a little child who has been offended. He wants to find a field of action in order to translate fair and humane ideas into a concrete useful cause. Therefore, Bezukhov, like Andrei, begins to beautify his serfs. All measures taken by him are imbued with sympathy for the oppressed peasantry. Pierre makes sure that only exhortatory and not corporal punishments are used, so that the men are not burdened with backbreaking work, and hospitals, orphanages and schools were established on each estate. But all Pierre's good intentions remained intentions. Why, wanting to help the peasants, he could not do this? The answer is simple. His naivete, lack of practical experience, and ignorance of reality prevented the young humane landowner from realizing good undertakings. The stupid, but cunning chief executive easily twisted an intelligent and intelligent master around his finger, creating the appearance of the exact execution of his orders.
Experiencing a strong need for high noble activity, feeling rich in himself, Pierre nevertheless does not see the purpose and meaning of life. The hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, whose general patriotism captured him, helps the hero find a way out of this state of discord with himself and the world around him. His life only from the outside seemed calm and serene. "Why? Why? What's going on in the world?" - these questions did not cease to disturb Bezukhov. This incessant inner work paved the way for his spiritual rebirth during the Patriotic War of 1812.
For Pierre, contact with the people on the Borodino field was also of great importance. The landscape of the Borodino field before the start of the battle (bright sun, fog, distant forests, golden fields and copses, the smoke of shots) correlates with Pierre's mood and thoughts, causing him some kind of elation, a sense of the beauty of the spectacle, the greatness of what is happening. Through his eyes, Tolstoy conveys his understanding of the decisive events in the people's, historical life. Shocked by the behavior of the soldiers, Pierre himself shows courage and readiness for self-sacrifice. At the same time, one cannot fail to note the hero's naivety: his decision to kill Napoleon.
"To be a soldier, just a soldier! .. To enter this common life with all being, to be imbued with what makes them so" - this is what Pierre's desire seized after the Borodino battle. Not being a military officer, like Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre expressed his love for the fatherland in his own way: he formed a regiment at his own expense and took it on for support, while he himself remained in Moscow to kill Napoleon as the main culprit of the people's disasters. It was here, in the capital occupied by the French, that Pierre's selfless kindness was fully revealed.
Pierre's attitude to ordinary people and to nature reveals once again the author's criterion of beauty in man. Seeing helpless people at the mercy of outrageous French soldiers, he cannot simply remain a witness to the many human dramas that unfold before his eyes. Not thinking about his own safety, Pierre protects the woman, stands up for the madman, rescues the child from the burning house. Before his eyes, representatives of the most cultured and civilized nation are rampaging, violence and arbitrariness are happening, people accused of arson, which they did not commit, are executed. These eerie and painful experiences are exacerbated by the environment of captivity.
But the most terrible thing for the hero is not hunger and lack of freedom, but the collapse of faith in a just order of the world, in man and God. Decisive for Pierre is his meeting with the soldier, a former peasant Platon Karataev, who, according to Tolstoy, personifies the masses. This meeting meant for the hero an introduction to the people, folk wisdom, even closer rapprochement with ordinary people. A round affectionate soldier performs a real miracle, forcing Pierre to look at the world with light and joy again, to believe in goodness, love, and justice. Communication with Karataev evokes a feeling of peace and comfort in the hero. His exhausted soul is warmed up under the influence of the cordiality and participation of a simple Russian person. Platon Karataev has a special gift of love, a sense of blood connection with all people. His wisdom, which amazed Pierre, is that he lives in complete harmony with everything earthly, as if dissolving in it.
In captivity, Pierre finds that calmness and self-satisfaction for which he had 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 satisfying natural human needs ... An introduction to the people's truth, to the people's ability to live helps the inner liberation of Pierre, who was always looking for a solution the question of the meaning of life: he looked for this in philanthropy, in Freemasonry, in the scattering of secular life, in wine, in the heroic deed of self-sacrifice, in romantic love for Natasha; he searched for it by means of thought, and all these searches and attempts all deceived him. And finally, with the help of Karataev, this issue was resolved. The most essential thing in Karataev is loyalty and immutability. Faithfulness to yourself, your only and constant spiritual truth. Pierre follows this for a while.
In describing the state of mind of the hero at this time, Tolstoy develops his ideas about the inner happiness of a person, which consists in complete spiritual freedom, tranquility and peace, independent of external circumstances. However, having experienced the influence of the philosophy of Karataev, Pierre, upon returning from captivity, did not become a Karataev and non-resistance. By the very essence of his character, he was not able to accept life without seeking.
A turning point occurs in Bezukhov's soul, which means the adoption of a life-loving view of the world of Platon Karataev. Having learned the truth of Karataev, Pierre in the epilogue of the novel is already going his own way. His argument with Nikolai Rostov proves that Bezukhov is facing the problem of the moral renewal of society. Active virtue, according to Pierre, can lead the country out of the crisis. An association of honest people is necessary. A happy family life (married to Natasha Rostova) does not take Pierre away from public interests.
The feeling of complete harmony for such an intelligent and inquisitive person like Pierre is impossible without participation in specific useful activities aimed at achieving a high goal - the very harmony that cannot exist in a country where the people are in the position of a slave. Therefore, Pierre naturally comes to Decembrism, entering a secret society in order to fight against everything that interferes with life, humiliates the honor and dignity of a person. This struggle becomes the meaning of his life, but does not make him a fanatic who, for the sake of an idea, deliberately refuses the joys of being. 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 resolutely opposes violence. In other words, for Pierre, the path of moral self-improvement remains decisive in the reorganization of society.
An intense intellectual search, the ability for selfless actions, high mental 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 ...
We see in the ending of the novel a happy man who has a good family, a faithful and devoted wife, who loves and is loved. Thus, it is Pierre Bezukhov who achieves spiritual harmony with the world and himself in War and Peace. He goes to the end the difficult path of searching for the meaning of life and finds it, becoming an advanced, progressive man of his era.
I would like to once again note Tolstoy's ability to portray his hero as he is, without embellishment, as a natural person who is inherently constantly changing. The internal changes taking place in Pierre Bezukhov's soul are profound, and this is reflected in his appearance. At the first meeting, Pierre is "a massive, fat young man with an observant gaze." Pierre looks completely different after his marriage, in the company of the Kuragin: “He was silent ... and with a completely absent-minded look was picking his nose with his finger. His face was sad and gloomy. " And when it seemed to Pierre that he had found a sense of activity aimed at improving the lives of the peasants, he "spoke with the animation of joy."
And only having freed himself from the oppressive lies of a secular farce, having fallen into difficult military conditions and found himself among ordinary Russian peasants, Pierre feels the taste of life, finds peace of mind, which again changes his appearance. Despite his bare feet, dirty tattered clothes, matted hair filled with lice, his eyes were firm, calm and lively, and never before had he had such a look.
Through the image of Pierre Bezukhov, Tolstoy shows that, no matter how different ways the best representatives of high society go in search of the meaning of life, they come to the same result: the meaning of life is in unity with the native people, in love for this people.
It was in captivity that Bezukhov came to the conviction: "Man was created for happiness." But the people around Pierre suffer, and in the epilogue, Tolstoy shows Pierre thinking hard how to defend good and truth.
Thus, having traveled a difficult path, full of mistakes and delusions in the reality of Russian history, Pierre finds himself, retains his natural essence, does not succumb to the influence of society. Throughout the novel, Tolstoy's hero is in constant search, emotional experiences and doubts, which ultimately lead him to his true vocation.
And if at first Bezukhov's feelings are constantly fighting with each other, he thinks contradictory, then then he finally gets rid of everything superficial and artificial, finds his true face and vocation, clearly knows what he needs from life. We see how wonderful Pierre's real, genuine love for Natasha is, he becomes a wonderful father of a family, is actively involved in social activities, benefits people and is not afraid of new things.
Conclusion
The novel "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy introduced us to many characters, each of whom is a bright personality, has individual traits. One of the most attractive characters in the novel is Pierre Bezukhov. His image is in the center of War and Peace, because the figure of Pierre is significant for the author himself and plays a huge role in his work. It is known that the fate of this hero was the basis of the whole novel's concept.
After reading the novel, we understand that Pierre Bezukhov is one of Tolstoy's favorite characters. During the course of the narrative, the image of this hero undergoes significant changes, his development, which is a consequence of his spiritual quest, the search for the meaning of life, some of his highest, enduring ideals. Leo Tolstoy focuses on sincerity, childish gullibility, kindness and purity of his hero's thoughts. And we cannot fail to notice these qualities, fail to appreciate them, despite the fact that at first Pierre is presented to us as a lost, weak-willed, unremarkable young man.
Fifteen years of Pierre's life pass before our eyes. There were many temptations, mistakes and defeats on his way, but there were also many achievements, victories, overcoming. Pierre's life path is a continuous search for a worthy place in life, an opportunity to benefit people. Not external circumstances, but an internal need to improve oneself, to become better - this is Pierre's guiding star.
The problems raised by Tolstoy in the novel War and Peace are of universal human significance. His novel, according to Gorky, is "a documentary presentation of all the quests that a strong person undertook in the 19th century in order to find a place and business for himself in the history of Russia" ...
