- a novel that gradually transformed from a once-conceived work about the Decembrist into a brilliant epic about the courageous feat of the nation, about the victory of the Russian spirit in the battle with Napoleonic army. As a result, a masterpiece was born, where, as he himself wrote, the main idea was the idea of the people. Today, in an essay on the topic: “People's Thought,” we will try to prove this.
The author believed that the work would be good if the author fell in love main idea. Tolstoy was interested in popular thought in his work War and Peace, where he depicted not just the people and their way of life, but showed the fate of the nation. At the same time, the people for Tolstoy are not only peasants, soldiers and peasants, they are also nobles, officers, and generals. In a word, the people are all people taken together, all of humanity, driven by a common goal, one cause, one purpose.
In his work, the writer remembers that history is most often written as the history of individual individuals, but few people think about driving force in history, which is the people, the nation, the spirit and will of the people that unite together.
In the novel War and Peace, popular thought
For each hero, the war with the French became a test, where Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov, Natasha, Petya Rostov, Dolokhov, Kutuzov, Tushin, and Timokhin all played their role in the best possible way. And most importantly, they showed themselves ordinary people, who organized separate small partisan detachments and crushed the enemy. People who burned everything so that nothing would fall to the enemy. People who gave their last to Russian soldiers to support them.
The offensive of the Napoleonic army revealed in people best qualities, where the men, forgetting about their grievances, fought side by side with their masters, defending their Motherland. It was the people's thought in the novel War and Peace that became the soul of the work, uniting the peasantry with the best part of the nobility with one cause - the fight for the freedom of the Motherland.
Patriotic people, among whom were poor peasants, nobles, and merchants - this is the people. Their will clashed with the French will. She faced and showed real strength, because people fought for their land, which could not be given to the enemy. The people and the formed partisan detachments became a cudgel people's war, which did not give Napoleon and his army a single chance of victory. Tolstoy wrote about this in his brilliant novel War and Peace, where the main idea was the folk one.
Composition. “People's Thought” in Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”
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Essay on the topic: The image of Napoleon in Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”
True and false in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"
Patriotic theme in L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”
A short essay-reasoning on literature for grade 10 on the topic: “War and Peace: Popular Thought”
The tragic war of 1812 brought many troubles, suffering and torment, L.N. Tolstoy did not remain indifferent to turning point of his people and reflected it in the epic novel “War and Peace”, and its “grain”, according to L. Tolstoy, is Lermontov’s poem “Borodino”. The epic is also based on the idea of reflecting the national spirit. The writer admitted that in “War and Peace” he loved “popular thought.” Thus, Tolstoy reproduced “ swarm life", proving that history is made not by one person, but by the whole people together.
According to Tolstoy, it is useless to resist natural course events, it is useless to try to play the role of the arbiter of the destinies of humanity. Otherwise, the participant in the war will fail, as was the case with Andrei Bolkonsky, who tried to take control of the course of events and conquer Toulon. Or fate will doom him to loneliness, as happened to Napoleon, who fell in love with power too much.
During the Battle of Borodino, on the outcome of which much depended for the Russians, Kutuzov “did not make any orders, but only agreed or disagreed with what was offered to him.” This seemingly passivity reveals the deep intelligence and wisdom of the commander. Kutuzov’s connection with the people was a victorious feature of his character; this connection made him the bearer of “people's thought.”
Tikhon Shcherbaty is also folk image in the novel he is also a hero of the Patriotic War, although he is a simple man not at all connected with military affairs. He himself voluntarily asked to join Vasily Denisov’s detachment, which confirms his dedication and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of the Fatherland. Tikhon fights off four Frenchmen with only one ax - according to Tolstoy, this is the image of the “club of the people’s war.”
But the writer does not stop at the idea of heroism, regardless of rank, he goes further and wider, revealing the unity of all humanity in the War of 1812. In the face of death, all class, social, and national boundaries between people are erased. Everyone is afraid to kill; Everyone as one does not want to die. Petya Rostov is worried about the fate of the French boy who was captured: “It’s great for us, but what about him? Where did they take him? Did you feed him? Did you offend me?" And it seems like this is the enemy of the Russian soldier, but at the same time, even in war, you need to treat your enemies humanely. French or Russian - we are all people in need of mercy and kindness. In the War of 1812, such a thought mattered as never before. It was adhered to by many heroes of “War and Peace” and, first of all, L.N. himself. Tolstoy.
Thus, Patriotic War 1812 went down in the history of Russia, in its culture and literature as a significant and tragic event for the entire people. It revealed true patriotism, love for the Motherland and a national spirit that never broke, but only grew stronger, giving impetus to a great victory, for which we still feel pride in our hearts.
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Composition
L. N. Tolstoy's epic "War and Peace" tells about the glorious events of the past, recreating typical features era early XIX century. In the center of the image is the Patriotic War of 1812, which united the population of Russia in a single patriotic impulse, forced people to cleanse themselves of everything superficial and random and to realize with all clarity and acuteness eternal human values. The Patriotic War of 1812 helped Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov find the lost meaning of life, forget about their personal problems and experiences. The crisis situation in the country, caused by the rapid advance of Napoleonic troops into the depths of Russia, revealed their best qualities in people and made it possible to take a closer look at the man who was previously perceived by the nobles only as an obligatory attribute of the landowner’s estate, whose lot was hard peasant labor. Now, when a serious threat of enslavement loomed over Russia, the men, dressed in soldiers' greatcoats, having forgotten their long-standing sorrows and grievances, together with the "gentlemen" courageously and steadfastly defended their homeland from a powerful enemy. Commanding a regiment, Andrei Bolkonsky for the first time saw patriotic heroes in serf slaves, ready to die to save the fatherland. In these main human values, in the spirit of “simplicity, goodness and truth,” Tolstoy sees “folk thought,” which constitutes the soul of the novel and its main meaning. It is she who unites the peasantry with the best part of the nobility with a single goal - the fight for the freedom of the fatherland. Therefore, I think that by the word “people” Tolstoy understood the entire patriotic population of Russia, including the peasantry, the urban poor, the nobility, and the merchant class.
The novel is replete with numerous episodes depicting the varied manifestations of patriotism by Russian people. Of course, love for the fatherland, the willingness to sacrifice one’s life for it, is most clearly manifested on the battlefield, in direct confrontation with the enemy. Describing the night before the Battle of Borodino, Tolstoy draws attention to the seriousness and concentration of the soldiers who clean their weapons in preparation for battle. They refuse vodka because they are ready to consciously enter into battle with a powerful enemy. Their feeling of love for the Motherland does not allow reckless drunken courage. Realizing that this battle could be the last for each of them, the soldiers put on clean shirts, preparing for death, but not for retreat. While courageously fighting the enemy, Russian soldiers do not try to look like heroes. Drawing and pose are alien to them, in their simple and sincere love there is nothing ostentatious about the Motherland. When, during the Battle of Borodino, “one cannonball blew up the ground two steps away from Pierre,” the broad, red-faced soldier innocently confesses to him his fear. “She won’t have mercy. She’ll smack her guts out. You can’t help but be afraid,” he said laughing. "But the soldier, who was not at all trying to be brave, died soon after this short dialogue, like tens of thousands of others, but did not give up and retreated. However, the patriotism of the Russian people is manifested not only in battle. After all, not only that part of the people who were mobilized into the army took part in the fight against the invaders.
"Karps and Vlas" did not sell hay to the French even for good money, but burned it, thereby undermining the enemy army. The small merchant Ferapontov, before the French entered Smolensk, asked the soldiers to take his goods for free, since if “Raceya decided,” he himself would burn everything. Residents of Moscow and Smolensk did the same, burning their houses so that they would not fall to the enemy. The Rostovs, leaving Moscow, gave up all their carts to transport the wounded, thus completing their ruin. Pierre Bezukhov invests huge amounts of money in the formation of a regiment, which he takes for his own support, while he himself remains in Moscow, hoping to kill Napoleon in order to behead the enemy army.
A huge role in the final destruction of the enemy was played by the peasantry, which organized partisan detachments that fearlessly exterminated the Napoleonic army in the rear. The most striking and memorable is the image of Tikhon Shcherbaty, who stands out in Denisov’s detachment for his unusual daring, dexterity and desperate courage. This man, who at first fought alone against the “miroders” in his native village, attached to Denisov’s partisan detachment, soon became the most useful person in the detachment. Concentrating in this hero the typical features of the Russian folk character. Tolstoy shows in the novel a different type of man in the image Platon Karataev, whom Pierre Bezukhov met in French captivity. What struck Pierre with this inconspicuous round man, who managed to restore his faith in people, goodness, love, justice? Probably due to his humanity, kindness, simplicity, indifference to hardships, and a sense of collectivism. These qualities contrasted sharply with the arrogance, selfishness and careerism of the high society of St. Petersburg. Platon Karataev remained for Pierre the most precious memory, “the personification of everything Russian, good and round.”
We see that Tolstoy, drawing contrasting images of Tikhon Shcherbaty and Platon Karataev, concentrated the main qualities in each of them Russian people, who appears in the novel in the person of soldiers, partisans, servants, peasants, and the urban poor. There is an episode when about twenty thin, exhausted shoemakers, who were deceived by the master, are in no hurry to leave Moscow. Having responded to the calls of Count Rastopchin, they want to enroll in the Moscow militia to defend the ancient capital.
The true feeling of love for the motherland is contrasted with the ostentatious, false patriotism of Rostopchin, who, instead of fulfilling the duty assigned to him - to take everything valuable from Moscow - worried the people with the distribution of weapons and posters, since he liked the “beautiful role of the leader of popular feeling.” At a time when the fate of Russia was being decided, this false patriot dreamed only of a “heroic effect.” When huge amount people sacrificed their lives to save their homeland, the St. Petersburg nobility wanted only one thing for themselves: benefits and pleasures. All these people “caught rubles, crosses, ranks,” using even such a disaster as war for their own selfish purposes. A bright type of careerist is given in the image of Boris Drubetsky, who skillfully and deftly used connections and the sincere goodwill of people, pretending to be a patriot, in order to move up the career ladder. The problem of true and false patriotism posed by the writer allows us to broadly and comprehensively paint a picture of military everyday life and express our attitude to the war.
The aggressive, aggressive war was hateful and disgusting to Tolstoy, but, from the point of view of the people, it was fair and liberating. The writer's views are revealed in realistic paintings depicting blood, death, suffering, and in the contrasting comparison of the eternal harmony of nature with the madness of people killing each other. Tolstoy often puts his own thoughts about the war into the mouths of his favorite heroes. Andrei Bolkonsky hates it because he understands that its main goal is murder, which is accompanied by treason, theft, robbery, drunkenness, that is, war reveals the basest instincts in people. During the Battle of Borodino, Pierre realizes with horror that many of those people who look at his hat with surprise are doomed to wounds and death.
Thus, Tolstoy’s novel affirms the anti-human essence of war, when the death of tens of thousands of people becomes the result of the ambitious plans of one person. This means that we see here a combination of the writer’s humanistic views with the thought of the national dignity of the Russian people, their power, strength, and moral beauty.
If suddenly the ants attack together,
They will overpower a lion, no matter how fierce he is.
The epic novel “War and Peace” is the largest work of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, covering the life of all strata of society before and after the War of 1812. It shows the ups and downs of the characters, but the main character is the people. Of the many themes of the novel, the author devotes special attention"folk thought".
L.N. Tolstoy asked the question: “What moves history: the people or the individual?” And throughout the entire novel, history is created and influenced by the people. It is the unity of the Russian people, based on love and affection for native land, helped them defeat the French army. Anger for the disturbed calm and peaceful life, killed relatives and the devastation of the country motivated them during the battles. People tried in every possible way to help, to prove themselves, forgetting about everything that was holding them back, and were ready to stand up to the death for the Fatherland. War is made up of small deeds that make a big difference.
By performing them, they show the most important quality of the people - patriotism, which, according to L.N. Tolstoy, can be true and false. Owners true patriotism is the Rostov family, Tikhon Shcherbaty, Kutuzov, Tushin, Pierre Bezukhov, Marya Bolkonskaya. The author also contrasts them with other heroes of the novel, whose society is filled with hypocrisy and falsehood.
For example, during the move of the Rostov family from besieged Moscow, all things were collected on carts. At this moment, the wounded soldiers ask for help. And Natasha, begging her parents, asked to leave carts for the needy wounded. Of course, they could have taken the chance and saved their property, but a sense of duty, compassion and responsibility took over.
But there are people who are not at all interested in the lives of the suffering population.
A careerist, Berg was only interested in fashion and craved money. Even during a fire in Smolensk, he does not think about putting it out, but is looking for benefits in buying new furniture.
Pierre Bezukhov, who became the heir of the wealthy Count Bezukhov, equips the regiment entirely with inherited money. He could have spent it for personal purposes: at festivities and balls, but he acted nobly, helping the people. And the salon A.P. Scherer, on the contrary, does nothing. As usual, their conversations are full of gossip and empty talk about the war. The fine for using French words in speech could not help the people. Therefore their patriotism is false.
During the rebellion of the Bogucharov men, Marya Bolkonskaya did not succumb to the temptation to remain under the wing of the French: she did not want to feel like a traitor. Helen Kuragina commits a completely different act. In difficult times for the country, she changes her faith and wants to marry Napoleon, the enemy of the people.
Not only the upper strata of society contributed to the victory. For example, the peasant Tikhon Shcherbaty of his own free will joins Denisov’s partisan detachment, which indicates his concern. Becomes the most active, catching the most “tongues” and doing the hardest work. Boris Drubetskoy shows cowardice by remaining in the headquarters of Kutuzov’s opponent, Bennigsen. Despite all their hatred of their enemies, the Russians show humanism towards the captured French. “They are people too,” says Tikhon Shcherbaty.
The state of the army and the course of the war depend on the supreme commander-in-chief - Kutuzov. Unlike the narcissistic and indifferent Napoleon, Kutuzov is a very simple person and close to the people. He only monitors the spirit of the army, inspiring them only with news of victorious battles. He treats the army like his own children and acts as a “father” who shows care. He sincerely feels sorry for the people. It is with a good commander that the army becomes interested in winning with all its might.
War, bursting into peaceful life, shows the true face of each person and tears off masks. Possessing false patriotism and general insensitivity, someone will run and hide, making themselves a hero only in words. And someone with a real desire to help rushes into battle, no matter what. Each of them contributes something of their own to achieve the people's goal. Those who have true patriotism do this not for show, but for the sake of the land that their fathers and grandfathers once defended. And giving it up without a fight is shameful. All these people become a single whole, a people’s “club” that wages only a war of liberation. Because someone else's land is of no use - you need to defend your Fatherland. And this can only be done by uniting, having real feelings and concern for the future of the people and the country.
The main idea of the 19th century was search and explanation national consciousness. Naturally, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy could not help but become interested in this problem. So, “folk thought” in Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”.
There are two forms of consciousness in the novel, these are: intellectual and this very, popular consciousness. A representative of the first consciousness was, for example, Andrei Bolkonsky. He always asked the question “Why?”, he was eager to remake this world to one degree or another. The representative of the people's consciousness was Platon Karataev (he even spoke in sayings), and then Pierre Bezukhov (he did not disdain to eat from the same cauldron with the soldiers, but Bolkonsky could not bathe with everyone, he had a dislike for the people, he was by itself). Plato is met by Pierre in captivity of the French. Before this meeting, Pierre was in a mental crisis.
What place does Plato occupy in the system of images? He has no distinctive features, as he is a representative of the swarm structure. Karataev-exclusively collective image. His description is replete with circular features. The circle is a symbol of completeness and perfection, also circle is a simple figure. This simplicity really lives in Plato. He accepts life as it is, for him all issues are initially resolved. Tolstoy himself believed that swarm consciousness is better than intellectual consciousness. Platon Karataev is not afraid of death, because it is natural for him... a common phenomenon of nature. The dog feels this free love, and therefore is attracted to Plato.
It’s interesting to look at Pierre Bezukhov’s dream while in captivity. He dreams of a ball consisting of drops, and a drop is visible, which either rises outward or sinks back into the depths. A person also rises to understand something, but return or separation is inevitable. In this situation, only family and simplicity return, this is the key to attraction (this attraction is also visible in Pierre Bezukhov, a Andrei Bolkonsky didn’t have it). If you break away, you'll die.
Let's think about how intellectual consciousness and popular consciousness relate to each other. Tolstoy usually does not explore heroes and problems, he simply explains them. But not all questions found their answer in Tolstoy. The author still could not fully explain the idea of the people. Tolstoy and Dostoevsky took literature into the section of ethnophilosophy, but no one followed them further.
The popular thought is:
1) national character,
2) the soul of the people.
Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy embodies the idea of a nation in the image of Platon Karataev. This idea reveals that the people's consciousness is not opposed to the ideas of war and peace, this idea is simply outside the other. This is not a confrontation. Even when Plato died, no one turned around, because because of the death of one person nothing will happen (according to the swarm consciousness). There should be no unnecessary suffering and worries. That is why it is impossible to simplify the scheme of the novel to a banal triangle (Napoleon-Kutuzov-Platon Karataev).
