"War and Peace". People's thought in the novel by Leo Tolstoy. Heroes, images

Tolstoy managed to reflect all aspects of Russia's life of the 19th century in his epic "War and Peace". The idea of the people in the novel is highlighted especially brightly. The image of the people in general is one of the basic and semantic. Moreover, it is the national character that is the subject of the image in the novel. And the national character can be understood only from the description of the everyday life of the people, its view of humanity and the world, moral judgments, errors and prejudices.

The image of the people

Tolstoy included in the concept of "people" not only soldiers and peasants, but also a nobility that had a similar view of spiritual values and peace. It was this idea that the author laid the foundation for the epic "War and Peace". People's thought in the novel is therefore embodied through all people united by language, history, culture and territory.

From this point of view, Tolstoy is an innovator, since before him in Russian literature there was always a clear boundary between the peasant class and the nobility. In order to illustrate his point, the writer turned to very harsh times for the whole of Russia - the Patriotic War of 1812.

The only confrontation is the struggle of the best people of the nobility, united with people from the people, with military and bureaucratic circles, who are not capable of performing feats, nor sacrificing for the sake of protecting the Fatherland.

Picture of the life of ordinary soldiers

Paintings of life of peoples in peacetime and wartime are widely represented in Tolstoy's epic "War and Peace". People's thought in the novel, however, manifested itself most clearly during the Patriotic War, when all residents of Russia were required to demonstrate perseverance, generosity and patriotism.

Despite this, descriptions of folk scenes appear in the first two volumes of the novel. This is an image of Russian soldiers, when they participated in foreign campaigns, fulfilling their duty to the Allies. For ordinary soldiers who left the people, such campaigns are incomprehensible - why defend not their land?

Scary pictures draw Tolstoy. The army is starving, since the allies it supports do not supply provisions. Unable to look at how the soldiers suffer, officer Denisov decides to fight off food from someone else's regiment, which adversely affects his career. In this act, the spiritual qualities of a Russian person are manifested.

"War and Peace": the idea of the people in the novel

As noted above, the fate of Tolstoy's heroes from among the best noblemen is always connected with the people's life. Therefore, the "people's thought" passes through the whole work in a red thread. So, Pierre Bezukhov, having taken prisoner, learns the truth of life, which opens to him the usual peasant man. And it consists that the person is unfortunate, only when in its or his life there is a surplus. For happiness you need a little.

At the Austerlitz field Andrei Bolkonsky feels his connection with the people. He grabs a flagpole without hoping that they will follow him. But the soldiers, seeing the standard bearer, rush into battle. The unity of ordinary soldiers and officers gives the army an unprecedented strength.

The house in the novel "War and Peace" is of great importance. But we are not talking about decoration and furniture. The image of the house embodies the family values. Moreover, the whole of Russia is the home, the whole nation is one big family. That's why Natasha Rostova drops her property and gives them to the wounded.

It is in this unity that Tolstoy sees the true strength of the people. The force that could win in the war of 1812.

Images of people from the people

On the first pages of the novel, the writer creates images of individual soldiers. This is the batman Denisov Lavrushka with his rascal temper, and the merry fellow Sidorov, hilariously imitating the French, and Lazarev, who received from Napoleon's order.

However, the house in the novel "War and Peace" occupies a key place, so most of the heroes from among the common people can be found in the descriptions of peacetime. Here there is another serious problem of the 19th century - the burdens of serfdom. Tolstoy depicts how the old prince Bolkonsky, deciding to punish the barman Philip, who forgot the master's order, gave it to the soldiers. And Pierre's attempt to facilitate the life of his serfs ended with nothing, since the manager deceived the count.

Folk labor

Many of the problems characteristic of Tolstoy's work raise the epic "War and Peace". The theme of labor as one of the main for the writer was no exception. Work is inextricably linked with the people's life. Moreover, Tolstoy uses it to characterize the characters, as it attaches great importance to this. Idleness in the writer's understanding speaks of a morally weak, insignificant and unworthy person.

But work is not just a duty, it's a pleasure. So, the traveling Danila, participating in the hunt, gives this business to the end, he shows himself a real connoisseur and in a fit of excitement even screams at the Count of Rostov.

The old valet Tikhon before merged with his office, that without words he understands his master. And the courtyard Anisya is praised by Tolstoy for his generosity, quick-temperedness and good nature. For her, the house of the owners is not a strange and hostile place, but a native and close one. A woman loves her work with love.

Russian people and war

However, a quiet life ended, and the war began. Transformed and all the images in the novel "War and Peace". All the heroes, both low and high class, are united by a single feeling of "the internal heat of patriotism." This feeling becomes a national feature of the Russian people. It made him capable of self-sacrifice. The very self-sacrifice that decided the outcome of the war and so amazed the French soldiers.

Another difference between the Russian troops and the French is that they do not play the war. For the Russian people this is a great tragedy, in which there can be nothing good. Unknown to the Russian soldiers is the enjoyment of the battle or the joy of the forthcoming war. But at the same time everyone is ready to give his life. There is no cowardice here, soldiers are ready for death, because their duty is to protect their homeland. Only the one who can "feel less sorry" can win, - so Andrei Bolkonsky expressed the popular thought.

Peasant mood in the epic

The theme of the people is shrill and bright in the novel "War and Peace". At the same time, Tolstoy does not attempt to idealize the people. The writer depicts scenes that indicate the spontaneity and inconsistency of peasant moods. A good example is the Boguchar riot, when peasants, after reading French leaflets, refused to let Princess Mary out of the estate. The peasants are capable of the same self-interest as the nobles like Boris Drubetsky or Berg, who are eager to win the rank thanks to the war. The French promised money, and they obeyed them already. However, when Nicholas Rostov ordered to stop the excesses and connect the instigators, the peasants obediently obeyed his order.

On the other hand, when the French began to advance, the people left their homes, destroying their acquired property so that it would not be left to their enemies.

People's Power

Nevertheless, the epic "War and Peace" was exposed to the best national qualities. The essence of the work is just to depict the true strength of the Russian people.

In the fight against the French, the Russians, despite everything, were able to maintain high moral qualities. Tolstoy saw the greatness of the nation not in the fact that it can conquer the neighboring nations with the help of weapons, but in the fact that such a nation can preserve justice, humanity and merciful attitude to the enemy even in the most difficult times. An example of this is the episode of the rescue of the French captain Rambal.

Tikhon Scherbaty and Platon Karataev

If you analyze the novel "War and Peace" by chapters, then these two heroes will certainly attract attention. Tolstoy, including them in the narrative, wished to show the interrelated and at the same time opposite sides of the national Russian character. Compare these characters:

Platon Karataev is a good-natured and dreamy soldier who is accustomed to obeying fate without complaint.

Tikhon Shcherbaty is an intelligent, resolute, courageous and active peasant who will never reconcile himself to fate and will actively oppose it. He himself went to the soldiers and was famous for having killed more than all the French.

In these characters, embodied two sides of the Russian character: submission, patience on the one hand and an uncontrollable desire to fight - on the other.

It is believed that the most brilliant manifestation of the Shcherbatov beginning in the novel, however, Karatai's wisdom and long-suffering did not stand aside.

conclusions

Thus, the people are the main active force in War and Peace. According to Tolstoy's philosophy, one person can not change history, only the strength and desire of the people are capable of it. Therefore, Napoleon, who decided to reshape the world, lost the power of an entire nation.