Female images in “War and Peace”: essay. Essay on the topic “female images in the novel l.n.
Leo Tolstoy had an ambivalent attitude towards women. The writer praised the role of motherhood, but doubted the ability of the weaker sex to love as passionately as men do. Women's images in the novel "War and Peace" can be divided into two categories. Important place in storyline The author assigned the works to heroines who personify folk ideals; the reader admires the virtue of Natasha Rostova and Maria Bolkonskaya. The idle lifestyle of secular ladies: Anna Pavlovna Sherer, Helen Kuragina and other representatives is condemned high society Russia at the beginning of the 19th century.
Natasha Rostova
The rich count's house was known throughout Moscow. Natasha was raised in luxury, but the girl was not spoiled by either her parents' affectionate love or their tender care. It is known that the heroine was born in 1792 and appeared before the reader as a young thirteen-year-old beauty, mistress of fate, mother, brothers and sisters.
The author calls a charming child with black eyes and an expressive mouth contour ugly, but immediately emphasizes that childish liveliness and spontaneity, together with black curls, will greatly decorate the adult girl she is about to become. After all, 13 years is a transitional age; Natasha in a blue dress looks, according to the author, fresh, rosy, and cheerful.
Without imposing strict prohibitions on the child, the mother managed to raise an honest and open girl who shared her innermost thoughts and secrets with her, cheerfully played outdoor games with her peers, but showed exquisite manners at the table. Throughout the entire storyline of the novel, the daughter carried reverent respect and love for her mother.
Natasha Rostova's youth is filled with love experiences. Teenage infatuation with Boris Drubetsky fades into oblivion. The soul is tormented by passionate feelings, characteristic of all girls over sixteen years old. In 1809, the count took his daughter out into the world for the first time; she was given an adult long dress made of white fabric, decorated with pink ribbons, and taken with him to the ball. The description of the ball is important episode plot line of the novel. Here, for the first time, Bolkonsky noticed a graceful, easily dancing girl, and mutual sympathy developed between them.
Whether it was love, both will be convinced much later. And now the young prince will yield to the arguments of his father, who insists that the daughter of Count Rostov is not a worthy match for their family. The adults will postpone the upcoming wedding of Andrei and Natasha for a year; this year will turn out to be fatal for all of Russia.
Bolkonsky leaves, leaving his beloved freedom of action, time to decide on her feelings. Or maybe it was he, a widower with an unsuccessful family experience, who needed 365 days to be convinced of the correctness of his choice. Life has divided the couple, Natasha is trying to improve relations with her future father-in-law and the groom's sister. But unsuccessfully.
Is it worth condemning the heroine for the fact that in a state of loneliness, when there is a hypothetical lover, but the future together is very illusory, she becomes interested in the persistent Anatoly Kuragin? The frivolous young man surrounded the girl with attention, increased her self-esteem, and expressed recognition of her merits. Through his annoying advances, the evil seducer Kuragin saved the young soul from inevitable depression.
Believing in Anatole's love and serious intentions, Natasha decides to run away with him. The crazy decision is prevented by the kind Sonya, who warned the adults about the planned escape. Pierre informs the would-be fugitive that the chosen one has already been considered for marriage. The moment has come for the collapse of hope for happiness, disappointment with life and a rethinking of the cruelty of the world and human destiny.
Natasha Rostova, a pure soul who believes in God, is capable of deep repentance, of re-evaluating her feelings for Bolkonsky, of Noble act, refuses her beloved, considering herself unworthy to be with him. The war will help the heroes sort out their feelings and make them find and lose each other.
The girl will find the wounded Andrei in a thick stream of retreating troops, will look after him, hold his hand in last days the life of a Russian patriot, a real officer. After the war, Natasha marries Pierre Bezukhov, she manages to express herself in her marriage. best qualities mothers and custodians of the family hearth. Leo Tolstoy considered Natasha his favorite character in the novel.
Marya Bolkonskaya
Princess Marya was born into a noble family, but the high title did not bring happiness to the girl. Since childhood, Maria was distinguished by a weak body and a small, sharp face. Leo Tolstoy calls her ugly, but attributes to her eyes the warmth and radiance emanating from a person’s virtuous soul. IN early XIX centuries, sickly pallor was not in fashion.
The ascetic-looking girl used to cry more than once; sadness gave the expression of her face a special charm. Those around her predicted a marriage of convenience only, excluding the possibility that someone would truly love the awkward princess, deprived of grace. To balance out the shortcomings in appearance, the influential father exhausted his daughter with strict upbringing and training according to a complex program compiled by himself.
The main subject of home schooling was mathematics; Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky spent many hours studying geometry. During the learning process, the father behaved harshly, demandingly and critically. The old man was impossible to please. Being devout, Marya endured everything, prayed and waited for changes in her life, for deliverance that only marriage could bring. The young woman found solace in religion.
Raised by a man, she, as often happens in such cases, valued order little, but was distinguished by restraint of judgment and knew how to find an objective assessment of what was happening around her. Princess Marya lived her life in the village; she did not strive for a different life, because she did not know what it was like to live differently. The girl helped homeless wanderers.
When Prince Vasily Kuragin sent his dissolute son Anatoly Kuragin to her as a matchmaker, she did not dare to marry an unloved man. Marya sacrifices her personal life, remains with an evil father, who over time turns into a real tyrant for his daughter.
But the War of 1812 took away her father and beloved brother Andrei. My nephew Nikolai became the meaning of life. After the war, the princess found a friend in Natasha Rostova, and she had known Pierre Bezukhov since childhood and valued him for his kind heart.
Princess Marya's love story begins with a meeting with Nikolai Rostov. The hussar rescues her from captivity by village men who wanted to hand her over to the French. The Russian officer immediately read the purity of morals and nobility of soul in the girl’s eyes. Their relationship developed against their will; they were unable to get away from each other, from the all-consuming feeling of love that unites two people.
Count Nikolai Rostov and Princess Marya Bolkonskaya will be considered a marriage before God and people. Marya became a happy woman, a devoted and faithful wife. In her image the reader will find a popular example of female virtues.
Helen Kuragina
Ellen Kuragina was beautiful woman, there were always men next to her, but Count Pierre Bezukhov became her chosen one on the advice of her father. Prince Vasily Kuragin himself initiated the wedding, wanting to provide for his daughter at the expense of the groom's inheritance. Arranged marriage is an easy game only for limited women. Helen was a bright personality, burdened with a seductive appearance, which spoiled the character of the young woman.
Black eyes with a flirtatious sparkle, a body reminiscent of the ancient grace of statues, disarmed Count Bezukhov, he was called the owner of the beauty. The characters in the novel often speak about the socialite’s smile. Helen knew how to smile that sensual smile that sends a sweet thrill through men.
Numerous diamonds emphasized the whiteness of the chic shoulders. The woman loves white outfits, which highlight the marble color of her skin, and often wears them. Her walk is majestic, it's a step gorgeous woman from high society, who knows how to behave among nobles and courtiers. The author emphasizes that everyone who saw the heroine admired her beauty. Even the balanced Andrei Bolkonsky agrees that she is pretty.
The age of Princess Kuragina remains unknown, although from indirect evidence one can guess that at a party with Anna Scherrer in 1805 we're talking about about a young girl, a graduate of the Smolny Institute, maid of honor to Her Majesty. Helen considers all of St. Petersburg her friends, only her husband speaks badly of her, trying to instill this idea in the reader.
Contrary to the opinion of her husband, those around her consider the heroine to be equally smart and beautiful. Hélène cheats on Pierre, causing his natural indignation. Therefore, Bezukhov calls her a vile, heartless, spoiled breed, hypocritical, flattering, rude, vulgar. Behind her aristocratic manners, the woman hid her depraved inclinations. Not only Pierre Bezukhov thought so.
Over time, people began to talk about Helen’s many lovers, about a vicious relationship with Boris Drubetsky. There were dirty gossip about the heroine, condemning her actions; finally, the woman accepts Catholic faith to seamlessly create new family. But a sudden illness takes the life of a young beauty. Leo Tolstoy was strict with his heroine; in her image, he showed the shortcomings of representatives of high society.
Women in the novel
Many female characters in Tolstov’s novel “War and Peace” have prototypes in the author’s real life. This is, for example, Maria Bolkonskaya (Rostova), Tolstoy based her image on his mother, Maria Nikolaevna Volkonskaya. Rostova Natalya Sr. is very similar to Lev Nikolaevich’s grandmother, Pelageya Nikolaevna Tolstoy. Natasha Rostova (Bezukhova) even has two prototypes: the writer’s wife, Sofya Andreevna Tolstaya and her sister, Tatyana Andreevna Kuzminskaya. Apparently, this is why Tolstoy creates these characters with such warmth and tenderness.
It is amazing how accurately he conveys the feelings and thoughts of people in the novel. The author subtly feels the psychology of a thirteen-year-old girl, Natasha Rostova, with her broken doll, and understands the grief of an adult woman, Countess Natalia Rostova, who lost her youngest son. Tolstoy seems to show their life and thoughts in such a way that the reader seems to see the world through the eyes of the heroes of the novel.
Despite the fact that the writer talks about the war, feminine theme in the novel “War and Peace” fills the work with life and diversity of human relationships. The novel is full of contrasts, the author constantly contrasts good and evil, cynicism and generosity with each other.
Moreover, if negative characters remain constant in their pretense and inhumanity, then goodies They make mistakes, are tormented by pangs of conscience, rejoice and suffer, growing and developing spiritually and morally.
Rostov
Natasha Rostova is one of the main figures in the novel; one feels that Tolstoy treats her with special tenderness and love. Throughout the entire work, Natasha is constantly changing. We see her first as a little lively girl, then as a funny and romantic girl, and in the end - she is already an adult mature woman, the wise, beloved and loving wife of Pierre Bezukhov.
She makes mistakes, sometimes she is mistaken, but at the same time, her inner instinct and nobility help her understand people and feel their state of mind.
Natasha is full of life and charm, so even with a very modest appearance, as Tolstoy describes, she attracts people with her joyful and pure inner world.
The eldest Natalya Rostova, the mother of a large family, a kind and wise woman, seems very strict at first glance. But when Natasha pokes her nose into her skirts, the mother “fakely angrily” glares at the girl and everyone understands how much she loves her children.
Knowing that my friend is in serious trouble financial situation, the Countess, embarrassed, gives her money. “Annette, for God’s sake, don’t refuse me,” the countess suddenly said, blushing, which was so strange considering her middle-aged, thin and important face, taking money out from under her scarf.”
With all the external freedom that she provides to the children, Countess Rostova is ready to go to great lengths for their well-being in the future. She drives Boris away from his youngest daughter, prevents the marriage of his son Nikolai with the dowry Sonya, but at the same time it is completely clear that she does all this only out of love for her children. And maternal love is the most selfless and brightest of all feelings.
Stands a little apart elder sister Natasha - Vera, beautiful and cold. Tolstoy writes: “a smile did not grace Vera’s face, as usually happens; on the contrary, her face became unnatural and therefore unpleasant.”
She is annoyed by her younger brothers and sister, they interfere with her, her main concern is herself. Selfish and self-absorbed, Vera is not like her relatives; she does not know how to love sincerely and unselfishly, like them.
Fortunately for her, Colonel Berg, whom she married, was very suited to her character, and they made a wonderful couple.
Marya Bolkonskaya
Locked in a village with an old and oppressive father, Marya Bolkonskaya appears to the reader as ugly sad girl, afraid of her father. She is smart, but not self-confident, especially since the old prince constantly emphasizes her ugliness.
At the same time, Tolstoy says about her: “the princess’s eyes, large, deep and radiant (as if rays warm light sometimes they came out of them in sheaves) were so beautiful that very often, despite the ugliness of the whole face, these eyes became more attractive than beauty. But the princess had never seen a good expression in her eyes, the expression they took on in those moments when she was not thinking about herself. Like all people, her face took on a tense, unnatural, bad expression as soon as she looked in the mirror.” And after this description, I want to take a closer look at Marya, watch her, understand what is going on in the soul of this timid girl.
In fact, Princess Marya is a strong personality with her own established outlook on life. This is clearly visible when she and her father do not want to accept Natasha, but after her brother’s death she still forgives and understands her.
Marya, like many girls, dreams of love and family happiness, she is ready to marry Anatole Kuragin and refuses marriage only for the sake of sympathy for Mademoiselle Burien. The nobility of her soul saves her from the vile and vile handsome man.
Fortunately, Marya meets Nikolai Rostov and falls in love with him. It is difficult to immediately say for whom this marriage becomes a great salvation. After all, he saves Marya from loneliness, and the Rostov family from ruin.
Although this is not so important, the main thing is that Marya and Nikolai love each other and are happy together.
Other women in the novel
In the novel “War and Peace,” female characters are depicted not only in beautiful and rainbow colors. Tolstoy also portrays very unpleasant characters. He always indirectly defines his attitude towards the characters in the story, but never speaks about it directly.
So, finding himself at the beginning of the novel in Anna Pavlovna Sherer’s living room, the reader understands how false she is with her smiles and ostentatious hospitality. Scherer “... is full of animation and impulses,” because “being an enthusiast has become her social position...”.
The flirtatious and stupid Princess Bolkonskaya does not understand Prince Andrei and is even afraid of him: “Suddenly the angry squirrel expression of the princess’s beautiful face was replaced by an attractive expression of fear that arouses compassion; She glanced from under her beautiful eyes at her husband, and on her face appeared that timid and confessing expression that appears on a dog quickly but weakly waving its lowered tail.” She does not want to change, develop, and does not see how the prince is bored with her frivolous tone, her unwillingness to think about what she says and what she does.
Helen Kuragina, a cynical, narcissistic beauty, deceitful and inhuman. Without hesitation, for the sake of entertainment, she helps her brother seduce Natasha Rostova, destroying not only Natasha’s life, but also Prince Bolkonsky’s. For all her external beauty, Helen is ugly and soulless internally.
Repentance, pangs of conscience - all this is not about her. She will always find an excuse for herself, and the more immoral she appears to us.
Conclusion
Reading the novel “War and Peace,” we plunge into the world of joys and sorrows together with the characters, are proud of their successes, and empathize with their grief. Tolstoy managed to convey all those subtle psychological nuances of human relationships that make up our lives.
Concluding the essay on the topic “Female images in the novel “War and Peace,” I would like to once again draw attention to how accurately and with what understanding of psychology the female portraits in the novel are written. With what awe, love and respect Tolstoy treats some female characters. And how mercilessly and clearly he shows the immorality and falsehood of others.
Work test
The female image in the novel “War and Peace” by L. N. Tolstoy is, one might say, the theme of a separate work. With its help, the author shows us his attitude to life, understanding of a woman’s happiness and her purpose. The pages of the book present many characters and destinies of representatives of the fair sex: Natasha Rostova, Maria Bolkonskaya, Lisa Bolkonskaya, Sonya, Helen Kuragina. Each of them is worthy of our attention and shows the attitude of the great writer towards this. So, let’s try to remember who embodies the female character in the novel “War and Peace”. We will pay attention to several heroines who appear on the pages of the work.
Natasha Rostova at the beginning of the novel
This female image in the novel “War and Peace” requires the greatest attention of the author; it is to Natasha that he devotes many pages of his creation. The heroine, of course, arouses the keenest interest of readers. At the beginning of the work she is a child, but a little later a young enthusiastic girl appears before us. We can see her gracefully twirling in a dance, smiling, looking at life as if it were a just-opened book, full of mysteries, miracles, and adventures. This is an amazingly kind and open young lady who loves the whole world and trusts it. Every day of her life is a real holiday, she is her parents' favorite. It seems that such an easy character will definitely give her a happy, carefree life with a loving husband.
She is fascinated by beauty moonlit night, she sees something beautiful in every moment. Such enthusiasm wins the heart of Andrei Bolkonsky, who accidentally overheard a conversation between Natasha and Sonya. Natasha, of course, also falls in love with him easily, joyfully, selflessly. However, her feeling has not stood the test of time; with the same readiness she accepts the courtship of Anatoly Kuragin. Andrei cannot forgive her for this, which he confesses to his friend, Pierre Bezukhov. It is difficult to blame Natasha for infidelity, because she is so young and so wants to learn more about life. This is the young female image in the novel War and Peace.
Natasha Rostova. Trials in life
However, the girl faces many trials that greatly change her character. Who knows, perhaps if Natasha had not faced life’s difficulties, she would have grown into a narcissistic egoist, thinking only about her interests and joys, unable to make her husband and children happy.
She readily undertakes to care for the dying Andrei Bolkonsky, showing herself as a completely mature, adult person.
After Andrei’s death, Natasha is very grieving and has a hard time experiencing his passing. Now we are no longer looking at a cheerful coquette, but a serious young woman who has experienced a loss.
The next blow in her life is the death of her brother Petya. She cannot indulge in grief, since her mother needs help, almost because of the loss of her son. Natasha spends day and night at her bedside, talking to her. Her gentle voice calms the countess, who has turned from a youthful woman into an old woman.
We see before us a completely different captivating female image in the novel War and Peace. Natasha Rostova is now completely different, she easily sacrifices her interests for the sake of the happiness of others. It seems as if all the warmth that her parents gave her is now poured out onto those around her.
Natasha Rostova at the end of the novel
For many, the favorite female character in the novel “War and Peace” is the image of Natasha Rostova. This heroine is loved by the author himself; it is not without reason that he pays so much attention to her. At the end of the work we see Natasha as the mother of a large family who lives by caring for loved ones. Now she does not at all resemble the young girl who was in front of us on the first pages of the work. The happiness of this woman is the well-being and health of her children and husband Pierre. Empty pastime and idleness are alien to her. She gives back with even greater force the love she received at a tender age.
Of course, Natasha is now not so graceful and beautiful, she doesn’t take very good care of herself, and wears simple clothes. This woman lives in the interests of people close to her, devoting herself entirely to her husband and children.
Surprisingly, she is absolutely happy. It is known that a person is capable only when he lives in the interests of loved ones, because loved ones are an extension of ourselves. Love for children is also love for oneself, only in a broader sense.
This is how L.N. Tolstoy described this amazing female image in the novel “War and Peace.” Natasha Rostova, it’s difficult to talk about her briefly, is the ideal woman of the writer himself. He admires her graceful youth, admires the matured heroine and makes her a happy mother and wife. Tolstoy believed that the greatest happiness for a woman is marriage and motherhood. Only then will her life be filled with meaning.
L.N. Tolstoy also shows us how different female attractiveness can be. At a young age, admiration for the world and openness to everything new certainly delight others. However, such behavior in an adult lady may seem ridiculous. Just imagine if it was not a young girl who admired the beauty of the night, but a lady of a more mature age. Most likely, she would look ridiculous. Every age has its own beauty. Caring for loved ones makes an adult woman happy, and her spiritual beauty makes others admire her.
When high school students are asked to write an essay on the topic “My favorite female character in the novel “War and Peace”,” everyone, without exception, writes about Natasha Rostova, although, if desired, of course, they could write about someone else. This once again confirms that generally accepted human values have been defined in the world for a long time, and the heroine of a novel written more than a hundred years ago still evokes sympathy.
Marya Bolkonskaya
Another favorite female character of the author in the novel “War and Peace” is Marya Bolkonskaya, Andrei Bolkonsky’s sister. Unlike Natasha, she did not have the liveliness of character and attractiveness. As Tolstoy writes about Marya Nikolaevna, she was ugly: weak body, thin face. The girl meekly obeyed her father, who wanted to develop her activity and intelligence, being confident in her daughter’s absolute unpretentiousness. Her life consisted of classes in algebra and geometry.
However, the extraordinary decoration of this woman’s face were her eyes, which the author himself calls the mirror of the soul. It was they who made her face “more attractive than beauty.” Marya Nikolaevna's eyes, large and always sad, radiated kindness. This author gives them an amazing description.
The female image in the novel “War and Peace”, embodied by Marya Nikolaevna, is an absolute virtue. From the way the author writes about her, it becomes clear how much he admires such women, whose existence is sometimes unnoticed.
Andrei Bolkonsky’s sister, like Natasha, loves her family, although she was never pampered, she was brought up in strictness. Marya tolerated her father and respected him. She couldn’t even think about discussing Nikolai Andreevich’s decisions; she was in awe of everything he did.
Marya Nikolaevna is very impressionable and kind. She is saddened by her father's bad mood, she sincerely rejoices at the arrival of her fiancé, Anatoly Kuragin, in whom she sees kindness, masculinity, and generosity.
Like any good woman, Marya, of course, dreams of children. She endlessly believes in fate, in the will of the Almighty. Bolkonsky’s sister does not dare to desire anything for herself; her noble, deep nature is incapable of envy.
Marya Nikolaevna's naivety does not allow her to see human vices. She sees in everyone a reflection of her own pure soul: love, kindness, decency.
Marya is one of those who are truly happy with the happiness of others. This smart and bright woman is simply not capable of anger, envy, revenge and other base feelings.
So, the second delightful female character in the novel “War and Peace” is Marya Bolkonskaya. Perhaps Tolstoy loves her no less than Natasha Rostova, although he does not pay so much attention to her. She is like the ideal author that Natasha will come to after many years. Having neither children nor family, she finds her happiness in giving warmth to other people.
Women's happiness of Marya Bolkonskaya
Bolkonsky’s sister was not mistaken: without wanting anything for herself, she nevertheless met a man who sincerely loved her. Marya became the wife of Nikolai Rostov.
Two, it would seem, completely different people fit each other perfectly. Each of them experienced disappointment: Marya - in Anatol Kuragin, Nikolai - in Alexander the First. Nikolai turned out to be the person who was able to increase the wealth of the Bolkonsky family, making his wife’s life happy.
Marya surrounds her husband with care and understanding: she approves of his desire to improve himself through hard work, through housekeeping and caring for the peasants.
The female character in the novel “War and Peace,” embodied by Marya Bolkonskaya, is a portrait of a real woman, accustomed to sacrificing herself for the well-being of others and being happy because of this.
Marya Bolkonskaya and Natasha Rostova
Natasha Rostova, whom we see at the beginning of the work, is absolutely not like Marya: she wants happiness for herself. Andrei Bolkonsky’s sister, like her brother, puts a sense of duty, faith, and religion first.
However, the older Natasha gets, the more she resembles Princess Marya in that she wishes happiness for others. However, they are different. Natasha's happiness can be called more down-to-earth; she lives by everyday chores and activities.
Marya is more concerned about the mental well-being of loved ones.
Sonya
The niece of Natasha Rostova's father is another female image. In the novel War and Peace, Sonya seemingly exists only to show Natasha's best qualities.
This girl, on the one hand, is very positive: she is reasonable, decent, kind, and ready to sacrifice herself. If we talk about her appearance, then she is very good. This is a slender, graceful brunette with long eyelashes and a luxurious braid.
Initially, Nikolai Rostov was in love with her, but they were unable to get married because Nikolai's parents insisted on postponing the wedding.
A girl's life is more subordinated to reason than to feelings. Tolstoy does not really like this heroine, despite all of her. He leaves her lonely.
Lisa Bolkonskaya
Liza Bolkonskaya is, one might say, a supporting heroine, the wife of Prince Andrei. In the world they call her “the little princess.” She is remembered by readers thanks to her pretty upper lip with a mustache. Lisa is an attractive person, even this small flaw gives the young woman a unique charm that is unique to her. She is good, full of vitality and health. This woman easily endures her delicate position, and everyone around her has fun watching her.
It is important for Lisa to be in society; she is spoiled, even capricious. She is not inclined to think about the meaning of life, leads the usual lifestyle for a society lady, loves empty conversations in salons and at evenings, and enjoys new outfits. Bolkonsky's wife does not understand her husband, Prince Andrei, who considers it important to benefit society.
Lisa loves him superficially, as if they were just about to get married. For her, he is a background that fits into the ideas of society ladies about what a husband should be like. Lisa doesn’t understand his thoughts about the meaning of life; it seems to her that everything is simple.
It's hard for them to be together. Andrei is forced to accompany her to balls and other social events, which becomes completely unbearable for him.
This is perhaps the simplest female character in the novel War and Peace. Liza Bolkonskaya remained unchanged from the first edition of the novel. Its prototype was the wife of one of Tolstoy’s relatives, Princess Volkonskaya.
Despite the complete lack of mutual understanding between the spouses, Andrei Bolkonsky, in a conversation with Pierre, notes that she is a rare woman with whom you can be calm about your own honor.
When Andrei leaves for the war, Lisa moves into his father's house. Her superficiality is once again confirmed by the fact that she prefers to communicate with Mademoiselle Bourrienne rather than with Princess Marya.
Lisa had a presentiment that she would not be able to survive childbirth, and so it happened. She treated everyone with love and did not wish harm to anyone. Her face spoke of this even after death.
Lisa Bolkonskaya's character flaw is that she is superficial and selfish. However, this does not prevent her from being gentle, affectionate, and good-natured. She is a pleasant and cheerful conversationalist.
However, Tolstoy treats her coldly. He does not like this heroine because of her spiritual emptiness.
Helen Kuragina
The last female character in the novel “War and Peace” is Helen Kuragina. Or rather, this is the last heroine we will write about in this article.
Of all the women who appear on the pages of this grandiose novel, Helen is certainly the most beautiful and luxurious.
Behind her beautiful appearance are selfishness, vulgarity, intellectual and spiritual underdevelopment. Helen realizes the power of her beauty and uses it.
She achieves everything she wants through her own appearance. Having become accustomed to this state of affairs, this woman stopped striving for personal development.
Helene becomes the wife of Pierre Bezukhov solely because of his rich inheritance. She does not really strive to create a strong family, to give birth to children.
The War of 1812 finally puts everything in its place. For the sake of her own well-being, Helen converts to Catholicism, while her compatriots unite against the enemy. This woman, whose image can be called “dead,” really dies.
Of course, the most beautiful female character in the novel “War and Peace” is Helen. Tolstoy admires her shoulders at Natasha Rostova’s first ball, but he interrupts her life, considering such an existence meaningless.
Lisa Bolkonskaya, Helen Kuragina and Natasha Rostova
As mentioned above, the deaths of Lisa and Helen were not accidental. They both lived for themselves, were capricious, selfish.
Let's remember what Natasha Rostova was like at the beginning of the novel. Just like Liza Bolkonskaya, she admired balls and high society.
Like Helen Kuragina, she was attracted to something forbidden and inaccessible. It was for this reason that she was going to run away with Anatole.
However, Natasha’s high spirituality does not allow her to remain forever a superficial fool and plunge, like Helen, into a depraved life. main character Romana accepts the difficulties that befall her, helps her mother, and takes care of the terminally ill Andrei.
The deaths of Lisa and Helen symbolize that passion for social events and the desire to try the forbidden should remain in youth. Maturity requires us to be more balanced and willing to sacrifice our own interests.
Tolstoy created a whole gallery of female images. He loved some of them, others not, but for some reason he included them in his novel. It is difficult to determine what is the best female character in the novel War and Peace. Even negative and unloved heroines were invented by the author for a reason. They show us human vices, the inability to distinguish what is feigned and superficial from what is truly important. And let everyone decide for themselves what the most attractive female character in the novel “War and Peace” is.
War and Peace is one of those books that cannot be forgotten. Its very name contains all of human life. And “War and Peace” is a model of the structure of the world, the universe, which is why the symbol of this world appears in Part IV of the novel (Pierre Bezukhov’s dream) - a globe. “This globe was a living, oscillating ball, without dimensions.” Its entire surface consisted of drops tightly compressed together. The drops moved and moved, now merging, now separating. Each tried to spread out, to capture the largest space, but the others, shrinking, sometimes destroyed each other, sometimes merged into one. “This is life,” said the old teacher who once taught Pierre geography. “How simple and clear this is,” thought Pierre, “how I couldn’t have known this before.”
“How simple and clear it all is,” we repeat, rereading our favorite pages of the novel. And these pages, like drops on the surface of a globe, connecting with others, form part of a single whole. So, episode by episode, we move towards the infinite and eternal, which is human life. But the writer Tolstoy would not have been a philosopher Tolstoy if he had not shown us the polar sides of existence: life in which form predominates, and life that contains the fullness of content. It is from these Tolstoy ideas about life that we will consider female images, in which the author highlights their special purpose - to be a wife and mother.
For Tolstoy, the world of family is the basis human society, where a woman plays a unifying role. If a man is characterized by an intense intellectual and spiritual search, then a woman, having a more subtle intuition, lives by feelings and emotions.
The clear contrast between good and evil in the novel was naturally reflected in the system of female images. The contrast of internal and external images as a favorite technique of the writer is indicative of such heroines as Helen Kuragina, Natasha Rostova and Marya Bolkonskaya.
Helen is the embodiment of external beauty and internal emptiness, fossilization. Tolstoy constantly mentions her “monotonous”, “unchanging” smile and “antique beauty of her body”; she resembles a beautiful soulless statue. Helen Scherer enters the salon “noisily wearing her sick white robe, decorated with ivy and moss,” as a symbol of soullessness and coldness. It is not for nothing that the author does not mention her eyes, while Natasha’s “brilliant”, “shining” eyes and Marya’s “radiant” eyes always attract our attention.
Helen personifies immorality and depravity. The entire Kuragin family are individualists who do not know any moral standards, living according to the inexorable law of fulfilling their insignificant desires. Helen marries only for her own enrichment. She constantly cheats on her husband, since the animal nature prevails in her nature. It is no coincidence that Tolstoy leaves Helen childless. “I’m not such a fool as to have children,” she says blasphemous words. Helene, in front of the whole society, is busy organizing her personal life while she was still Pierre’s wife, and her mysterious death due to the fact that she is entangled in her own intrigues.
Such is Helen Kuragina with her disdainful attitude towards the sacrament of marriage, towards the duties of a wife. It is not difficult to guess that Tolstoy embodied the worst feminine qualities in her and contrasted her with the images of Natasha and Marya.
One cannot help but say about Sonya. The peaks of Marya’s spiritual life and the “peaks of feeling” of Natasha are inaccessible to her. She is too down to earth, too immersed in everyday life. She is also given joyful moments of life, but these are only moments. Sonya cannot compare with Tolstoy’s favorite heroines, but this is rather her misfortune than her fault, the author tells us. She is a “barren flower,” but perhaps the life of a poor relative and the feeling of constant dependence did not allow her to blossom in her soul.
One of the main characters in the novel is Natasha Rostova. Tolstoy draws Natasha in development, he traces Natasha's life in different years, and, naturally, her feelings and her perception of life change over the years.
We first meet Natasha when this little thirteen-year-old girl, “black-eyed, with a big mouth, ugly, but alive,” runs into the living room and runs into her mother. And with her image the theme of “living life” enters the novel. What Tolstoy always appreciated in Natasha was the fullness of life, the desire to live interestingly, fully and, most importantly, every minute. Overflowing with optimism, she strives to keep up with everything: to console Sonya, childishly declare her love for Boris, argue about the type of ice cream, sing the romance “The Key” with Nikolai, and dance with Pierre. Tolstoy writes that “the essence of her life is love.” It combines the most valuable qualities of a person: love, poetry, life. Of course, we don’t believe her when she “in all seriousness” tells Boris: “Forever... Until my death.” “And, taking him by the arm, with a happy face she quietly walked next to him into the sofa.”
All of Natasha’s actions are determined by the demands of her nature, and not by rational choice, so she is not just a participant in a certain privacy for it belongs not to one family circle, but to the world of universal movement. And perhaps Tolstoy had this in mind when he spoke about the historical characters in the novel: “Only unconscious activity bears fruit, and the person playing a role in a historical event never understands its significance. If he tries to understand it, he is struck by its futility.” She, without trying to understand his role, thereby already defines it for herself and for others. “The whole world is divided for me into two halves: one is she, and there everything is - happiness, hope, light; the other half is everything where she is not, there is all despondency and darkness,” Prince Andrei will say four years later. But while she is sitting at the birthday table, she looks at Boris with a childish look of love. “This same look of hers sometimes turned to Pierre, and under the gaze of this funny, lively girl he wanted to laugh, not knowing why.” This is how Natasha reveals herself in unconscious movement, and we see her naturalness, that quality that will constitute an unchanging property of her life.
Natasha Rostova's first ball became the place of her meeting with Andrei Bolkonsky, which led to a clash of their life positions, which had a huge impact on both of them.
During the ball, she is not interested in either the sovereign or all the important persons to whom Peronskaya points out; she does not pay attention to court intrigues. She is waiting for joy and happiness. Tolstoy clearly distinguishes her from everyone present at the ball, contrasting her with secular society. Enthusiastic, transfixed with excitement, Natasha is described by L. Tolstoy with love and tenderness. His ironic remarks about the adjutant-manager asking everyone to step aside “somewhere else,” about “some lady,” about the vulgar fuss around the rich bride present us with a petty and false world, while Natasha among all of them is shown as the only natural being. Tolstoy contrasts the lively, ebullient, always unexpected Natasha with the cold Helen, a secular woman who lives according to established rules and never commits rash acts. “Natasha’s bare neck and arms were thin and ugly in comparison with Helen’s shoulders. Her shoulders were thin, her breasts were vague, her arms were thin; but Helen already had a varnish on her from all the thousands of glances sliding over her body,” and this makes it seem vulgar. This impression is strengthened when we remember that Helen is soulless and empty, that in her body, as if carved from marble, lives a stone soul, greedy, without a single movement of feeling. Here Tolstoy’s attitude towards secular society is revealed, Natasha’s exclusivity is once again emphasized.
What did the meeting with Andrei Bolkonsky give to Natasha? As a truly natural being, although she did not think about it, she strove to create a family and could find happiness only in the family. The meeting with Prince Andrei and his proposal created the conditions for achieving her ideal. As she prepared to start a family, she was happy. However, happiness was not destined to last long. Prince Andrei strove for Natasha, but did not understand her, he did not have a natural instinct, so he postponed the wedding, not understanding that Natasha should love constantly, that she should be happy every minute. He himself provoked her betrayal.
Portrait characteristics make it possible to expose the main qualities of her character. Natasha is cheerful, natural, spontaneous. The older she gets, the faster she turns from a girl into a girl, the more she wants to be admired, to be loved, to be the center of attention. Natasha loves herself and believes that everyone should love her, she says about herself: “What a charm this Natasha is.” And everyone really admires her, loves her. Natasha is like a ray of light in a boring and gray secular society.
Emphasizing Natasha’s ugliness, Tolstoy asserts: it’s not a matter of external beauty. The riches of her inner nature are important: talent, the ability to understand, to come to the rescue, sensitivity, subtle intuition. Everyone loves Natasha, everyone wishes her well, because Natasha herself does only good to everyone. Natasha lives not with her mind, but with her heart. The heart rarely deceives. And although Pierre says that Natasha “doesn’t deign to be smart,” she was always smart and understood people. When Nikolenka, having lost almost the Rostovs’ entire fortune, comes home, Natasha, without realizing it, sings only for her brother. And Nikolai, listening to her voice, forgets about everything about his loss, about the difficult conversation with his father that awaits him, he only listens to the wonderful sound of her voice and thinks: “What is this?.. What happened to her? How is she singing these days?.. Well, Natasha, well, my dear! Well, mother." And Nikolai is not the only one who is enchanted by her voice. After all, Natasha’s voice had extraordinary merits. “In her voice there was that virginity, pristineness, that ignorance of one’s own strengths and that still undeveloped velvet, which were so combined with the shortcomings of the art of singing that it seemed that it was impossible to change anything in this voice without spoiling it.”
Natasha understands Denisov very well, who proposed to her. She desires him and understands that “he didn’t mean to say it, but he accidentally said it.” Natasha has an art that is not given to everyone. She knows how to be compassionate. When Sonya roared, Natasha, not knowing the reason for her friend’s tears, “opened her big mouth and became completely bad, roared like a child... and only because Sonya was crying.” Natasha’s sensitivity and subtle intuition “didn’t work” only once. Natasha, so smart and insightful, did not understand Anatoly Kuragin and Helen and paid dearly for the mistake.
Natasha is the embodiment of love, love is the essence of her character.
Natasha is a patriot. Without thinking, she gives all the carts to the wounded, leaving things behind, and does not imagine that she could do anything differently in this situation.
The Russian people are close to Natasha. She loves folk songs, traditions, music. From all this we can conclude that the passionate, lively, loving, patriotic Natasha is capable of feats. Tolstoy makes it clear to us that Natasha will follow the Decembrist Pierre to Siberia. Isn't this a feat?
We meet Princess Marya Bolkonskaya from the first pages of the novel. Ugly and rich. Yes, she was ugly, and even very bad-looking, but this was in the opinion of strangers, distant people who hardly knew her. All those few who loved her and were loved by her knew and caught her beautiful and radiant gaze. Princess Marya herself did not know all his charm and strength. This gaze itself illuminated everything around with the light of warm love and tenderness. Prince Andrei often caught this look on himself, Julie recalled in her letters the meek, calm look of Princess Marya, which, according to Julie, was missing from her, and Nikolai Rostov fell in love with the princess precisely for this look. But when she thought about herself, the sparkle in Marya’s eyes dimmed and went somewhere deep into her soul. Her eyes became the same: sad and, most importantly, frightened, making her ugly, sickly face even uglier.
Marya Bolkonskaya, daughter of General-in-Chief Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky, lived constantly on the Bald Mountains estate. She had no friends or girlfriends. Only Julie Karagina wrote to her, thereby bringing joy and variety to the dull, monotonous life of the princess. The father himself raised his daughter: he gave her algebra and geometry lessons. But what did these lessons give her? How could she understand anything, feeling the gaze and breath of her father above her, whom she feared and loved more than anything in the world. The princess respected him and was in awe of him and of everything his hands had done. The main consolation and, perhaps, teacher was religion: in prayer she found peace, help, and a solution to all problems. All the complicated laws human activity focused for Princess Marya on one simple rule - a lesson in love and self-affirmation. She lives like this: she loves her father, brother, daughter-in-law, her companion, the Frenchwoman Mademoiselle Burien. But sometimes Princess Marya catches herself thinking about earthly love, about earthly passion. The princess is afraid of these thoughts like fire, but they arise, arise because she is a person and, be that as it may, a sinful person, like everyone else.
And so Prince Vasily comes to Bald Mountains with his son Anatoly to woo. Probably, in her secret thoughts, Princess Marya had long been waiting for just such a future husband: handsome, noble, kind.
Old Prince Bolkonsky invites his daughter to decide her own fate. And, probably, she would have made a fatal mistake by agreeing to the marriage if she had not accidentally seen Anatole hugging Mademoiselle Burien. Princess Marya refuses Anatoly Kuragin, refuses because she decides to live only for her father and her nephew.
The princess does not accept Natasha Rostova when she and her father come to meet the Bolkonskys. She treats Natasha with some internal hostility. She probably loves her brother too much, values his freedom, is afraid that some completely sensitive woman might lead him away, take him away, win his love. And the terrible word “stepmother”? This alone already inspires hostility and disgust.
Princess Marya in Moscow asks Pierre Bezukhov about Natasha Rostova. “Who is this girl and how do you find her?” She asks to tell “the whole truth.” Pierre feels "Princess Marya's ill will towards her future daughter-in-law." She really wants “Pierre to disapprove of Prince Andrei’s choice.”
Pierre doesn't know how to answer this question. “I absolutely don’t know what kind of girl this is, I just can’t analyze her. She’s charming,” says Pierre.
But this answer did not satisfy Princess Marya.
“Is she smart? - asked the princess.
Pierre thought about it.
“I think not,” he said, “but yes.” She doesn’t deign to be smart.”
“Princess Marya again shook her head disapprovingly,” notes Tolstoy.
All Tolstoy's heroes fall in love. Princess Marya Bolkonskaya falls in love with Nikolai Rostov. Having fallen in love with Rostov, the princess transforms during a meeting with him so that Mademoiselle Bourrienne almost does not recognize her: “chest, feminine notes” appear in her voice, and grace and dignity appear in her movements. “For the first time, all that pure spiritual inner work that she had lived until now came out” and made the heroine’s face beautiful. Finding herself in a difficult situation, she accidentally meets Nikolai Rostov, and he helps her cope with the intractable peasants and leave Bald Mountains. Princess Marya loves Nikolai not at all the way Sonya loved him, who constantly needed to do something and sacrifice something. And not like Natasha, who needed her loved one to just be there, smile, rejoice and speak loving words to her. Princess Marya loves quietly, calmly, happily. And this happiness is increased by the consciousness that she finally fell in love, and fell in love with a kind, noble, honest man.
And Nikolai sees and understands all this. Fate more and more often pushes them towards each other. A meeting in Voronezh, an unexpected letter from Sonya, releasing Nikolai from all obligations and promises made by Sonya: what is this if not the dictates of fate?
In the fall of 1814, Nikolai Rostov married Princess Marya Bolkonskaya. Now she has what she dreamed of: a family, a beloved husband, children.
But Princess Marya did not change: she was still the same, only now Countess Marya Rostova. She tried to understand Nikolai in everything, she wanted, really wanted to love Sonya but could not. She loved her children very much. And she was very upset when she realized that something was missing in her feelings for her nephew. She still lived for others, trying to love them all with the highest, Divine love. Sometimes Nikolai, looking at his wife, was horrified by the thought of what would happen to him and his children if Countess Marya died. He loved her more than life itself, and they were happy.
Marya Bolkonskaya and Natasha Rostova become wonderful wives. Not everything in Pierre’s intellectual life is accessible to Natasha, but in her soul she understands his actions and strives to help her husband in everything. Princess Marya captivates Nicholas with spiritual wealth, which is not given to his simple nature. Under the influence of his wife, his unbridled temper softens, for the first time he realizes his rudeness towards men. Harmony family life, as we see, is achieved where husband and wife seem to complement and enrich each other, making up a single whole. In the Rostov and Bezukhov families, mutual misunderstandings and inevitable conflicts are resolved through reconciliation. Love reigns here.
Marya and Natasha are wonderful mothers. However, Natasha is more concerned about the health of the children, and Marya penetrates into the child’s character and takes care of his spiritual and moral education.
Tolstoy endows the heroines with the most valuable qualities, in his opinion - the ability to subtly feel the mood of loved ones, share other people's grief, and selflessly love their family.
A very important quality of Natasha and Marya is naturalness, artlessness. They are not able to play a predetermined role, do not depend on the opinions of strangers, and do not live according to the laws of the world. At her first big ball, Natasha stands out precisely because of her sincerity in expressing her feelings. Princess Marya, at the decisive moment of her relationship with Nikolai Rostov, forgets that she wanted to remain aloof and polite, and their conversation goes beyond the scope of small talk: “the distant, impossible suddenly became close, possible and inevitable.”
Despite the similarity of their best moral qualities, Natasha and Marya are, in essence, completely different, almost opposite natures. Natasha lives excitedly, seizes every moment, she does not have enough words to express the fullness of her feelings, the heroine enjoys dancing, hunting, and singing. She in highest degree endowed with love for people, openness of soul, and a talent for communication.
Marya also lives by love, but there is a lot of meekness, humility, and self-sacrifice in her. She often rushes in thoughts from earthly life to other spheres. “The soul of Countess Marya,” writes Tolstoy in the epilogue, “strove for the infinite, eternal and perfect, and therefore could never be at peace.”
Leo Tolstoy saw the ideal of a woman, and most importantly, a wife, in Princess Marya. Princess Marya does not live for herself: she wants to make and does make her husband and children happy. But she herself is happy, her happiness consists in love for her neighbors, their joy and well-being, which, however, should be the happiness of every woman.
Tolstoy resolved the issue of a woman’s place in society in his own way: a woman’s place in the family. Natasha has created a good, strong family; there is no doubt that good children will grow up in her family, who will become full-fledged members of society.
In Tolstoy's work, the world appears multifaceted; here there is a place for the most diverse, sometimes opposing characters. The writer conveys to us his love for life, which appears in all its charm and completeness. And looking at the female characters in the novel, we are once again convinced of this.
“How simple and clear it all is,” we are once again convinced, turning our gaze to the globe, where there are no longer drops destroying each other, but they have all merged together, making up one big and bright world, as at the very beginning - in the Rostov house . And in this world remain Natasha and Pierre, Nikolai and Princess Marya with the little Prince Bolkonsky, and “we must be as close as possible and more people to join hand in hand to resist the common catastrophe.
Literature
1. Newspaper “Literature” No. 41, p. 4, 1996
2. Newspaper “Literature” No. 12, pp. 2, 7, 11, 1999
3. Newspaper “Literature” No. 1, p. 4, 2002
4. E. G. Babaev “Leo Tolstoy and Russian journalism of his era.”
5. “The best exam essays.”
6. 380 best school essays.”
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L. Tolstoy created great picture, where he described the problems of war, as well as peace. Female characters in the novel “War and Peace” reveal the inner side of social vicissitudes. There is a global war - when peoples and countries are at war, there are local wars - in the family and within a person. The same is true with the world: peace is between states and emperors. People also come to peace in personal relationships; a person comes to peace by trying to resolve internal conflicts and contradictions.
Prototypes of female characters in the epic novel “War and Peace”
Leo Tolstoy was inspired by the people who surrounded him in Everyday life. There are other examples from the biographies of writers that indicate that authors, when creating a work, borrow features for book heroes at real personalities.
For example, Marcel Proust did this - French writer. His characters are a synthesis of the traits that people around the author possessed. In the case of L. Tolstoy, female characters in the epic “War and Peace” are also written out, thanks to the appeal to women from the writer’s social circle. Let's give examples: the character of Maria Bolkonskaya, the sister of Andrei Bolkonsky, L. Tolstoy created, inspired by the personality of Maria Volkonskaya (the writer's mother). Another, no less lively and vibrant female character is Countess Rostova (the eldest), based on the author’s grandmother, Pelageya Tolstoy.
However, some characters have several prototypes at the same time: Natasha Rostova, already familiar to us, for example, as literary hero, It has common features with the writer’s wife, Sofia Andreevna Tolstoy, as well as Sofia’s sister, Tatyana Andreevna Kuzminskaya. The fact that the prototypes of these characters were close relatives of the writer explains the warmth and tender attitude of the author towards the characters he created.
Leo Tolstoy showed himself to be a subtle psychologist and expert human souls. The writer understands equally well the pain of young Natasha Rostova when the girl’s doll breaks, but also the pain of a mature woman, Natalya Rostova (the eldest), who is experiencing the death of her son.
The title of the novel says that the writer constantly turns to contrasts and oppositions: war and peace, good and evil, masculine and feminine. It seems to the reader (due to stereotypes) that war is a man’s business, and home and peace, accordingly, are women’s business. But Lev Nikolaevich demonstrates that this is not so. For example, Princess Bolkonskaya shows courage and masculinity when she defends her family estate from the enemy and buries her father.
Note that the division of characters into positive and negative is also based on contrast. However, negative heroes remain endowed negative traits throughout the novel, and positive characters undergo internal struggle. The writer calls this struggle a spiritual quest, and shows that positive heroes come to spiritual growth through hesitation, doubt, pangs of conscience... A difficult path awaits them.
Let us dwell in more detail on the characteristics of young Natasha and Countess Rostova, as well as on the figure of Maria Bolkonskaya. But before that, let’s briefly turn to the image of Andrei Bolkonsky’s wife.
Lisa Bolkonskaya
Lisa is a character who balanced the inherent gloom and depression of Prince Andrei. In society, Andrei was perceived as a closed and silent person. Even the prince’s appearance hinted at this: dry and elongated features, a heavy gaze. His wife had a different appearance: a lively princess, short in stature, who constantly fussed and minced with small steps. With her death, Andrei lost his balance and began new stage spiritual quest of the prince.
Helen Kuragina
Helen is Anatole’s sister, written as a depraved, selfish character. Kuragina is interested in entertainment, she is young, narcissistic and flighty. However, she is frivolous and does not show patriotic feelings, continuing to lead her usual way of life in Moscow, captured by Napoleon’s troops. Helen's fate is tragic. An additional tragedy in her life is brought by the fact that she was never able to break out of the vicious circle of low morality.
Natasha Rostova
Younger Rostov, of course, is one of the central female characters. Natasha is beautiful and sweet, at first she is characterized by naivety and frivolity. Prince Andrei, having fallen in love with her, understands that there is an abyss between them life experience. This thought of the prince is justified when Natasha succumbs to a fleeting infatuation with Anatoly Kuragin.
The reader may be interested in observing how Natasha's image changes: at first - a small, lively, funny and romantic girl. Then - at the ball - the reader sees her as a blossoming girl. Finally, during the retreat from Moscow, Natasha shows her patriotism, empathy and compassion. Rostova's maturity awakens when she takes care of the dying Andrei Bolkonsky. At the end - Natasha becomes wise and loving wife and mother, although she loses some of her former beauty.
Natasha is no stranger to mistakes: this is her passion for Kuragin. Spiritual improvement and deepening inner world connected with Natasha’s relationship with Prince Andrei. Calm and harmony come to the heroine when she marries Pierre Bezukhov.
Natasha is characterized by empathy and mercy. The girl feels people's pain and sincerely tries to help those who need help. During the war, Natasha realizes that material values- nothing compared to human life. Therefore, she sacrifices her family property to save the wounded soldiers. The girl throws things off the cart and transports people in this way.
Natasha is beautiful. However, her beauty comes not from physical data (of course, also outstanding), but from her soulfulness and inner world. Rostova's moral beauty is a bud that at the end of the novel turns into a rose.
Countess Rostova (senior)
Countess Natalya, as a mother, tries to appear strict and serious. But she shows herself to be a loving mother, who only feigns anger and annoyance at the excessive sentimentality of her children.
Countess Rostova depends on the rules accepted in society. Breaking these rules is awkward and difficult for her, but Natalya does this if close relatives or friends need help. For example, when Annette, her friend, found herself in a difficult situation, the Countess, embarrassed, asked her to accept the money - this was a sign of attention and help.
The Countess raises her children in freedom and liberty, but this is only an appearance: in fact, Natalya cares about the future of her sons and daughters. She doesn't want her son to marry a homeless woman. The eldest Rostova is doing everything to break up the emerging relationship between her youngest daughter and Boris. Thus, a strong feeling of maternal love is one of the main qualities of Countess Rostova.
Vera Rostova
Sister of Natasha Rostova. In Lev Nikolaevich’s narrative, this image is always in the shadows. However, Vera did not inherit the smile that adorned Natasha’s face, and therefore, Lev Nikolaevich notes, the girl’s face seemed unpleasant.
Vera is described as a selfish nature: the eldest Rostova does not like her brothers and sister, they irritate her. Vera loves only herself. The girl marries Colonel Berg, who was similar to her in character.
Marya Bolkonskaya
Andrei Bolkonsky's sister is a strong character. A girl lives in a village, all her steps are controlled by an evil and cruel father. The book describes a situation when Marya, wanting to look beautiful, puts on makeup and dresses up in a masaka-colored dress. The father is dissatisfied with her outfit, expressing despotism towards his daughter.
Dear readers! We invite you to familiarize yourself with Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy.
Marya is an ugly, sad, but deeply thinking and intelligent girl. The princess is characterized by uncertainty and tightness: her father always says that she is not good-looking and is unlikely to get married. What attracts attention to Marya’s face are her large, radiant and deep eyes.
Marya is the opposite of Vera. Altruism, courage and patriotism, as well as responsibility and fortitude distinguish this woman from War and Peace. The female characters in the novel “War and Peace” have something in common - they are strong personalities.
Princess Bolkonskaya initially rejects Rostova (the youngest), but after the loss of her father and brother, the princess’s attitude towards Natasha changes. Marya forgives Natasha for breaking Andrei's heart by being carried away by Anatoly Kuragin.
The princess dreams of happiness, family and children. Having fallen in love with Anatole Kuragin, the girl refuses the vile young man, because she feels sorry for Madame Burien. Thus, Marya expresses nobility of character and sympathy for people.
Later, Marya meets Nikolai Rostov. This connection is beneficial for both: Nikolai, having married the princess, helps the family with money, because the Rostovs lost a fair share of their fortune during the war. Marya sees in Nikolai salvation from the burden of a lonely life.
A high society lady who embodies the falsehood and hypocrisy often found in salons.
Thus, Leo Tolstoy portrays both good and bad female characters in the epic War and Peace, making the work a separate world.