War and peace biography of Pierre. The moral quest of Pierre Bezukhov in the novel by L.N.

The writer combined in him the best human qualities, showed through the prism of world-scale events the personal experiences of the character, the spiritual development of the personality.

After finishing "War and Peace", Lev Nikolayevich said that he was ready to spend his whole life writing a novel, if only it would resonate in the hearts of his compatriots, so that the work would be addressed both after 20 years and after 30. The dreams of the author of the epic came true: after a century and a half The novel makes readers all over the world think about the meaning of life.

Novel "War and Peace"

Leo Tolstoy approached the creation of another imperishable work with inherent pedantry. "War and Peace" is five thousand sheets of drafts and seven years of hard work. The author, in an attempt to find the truth about the war, spent months studying documents, books and magazines about the events of 1812, even visited the battlefields in Borodino.

At first, the writer was going to create a novel about an exiled Decembrist, where the action takes place in the middle of the 19th century, then he changed his mind and returned 25 years ahead, then pushed back the framework to the beginning of the war with, and finally stopped at 1805.

The great artistic creation also went down in history as a new literary format. Lev Nikolayevich stubbornly searched for an unusual type of presentation, as a result he presented to the reading world a genre that had not yet existed - an epic novel that united dozens of destinies in the light of significant historical events.

Next to the central characters, the prose writer settled Pierre Bezukhov. The illegitimate son of Count Kirill Bezukhov, after 10 years spent abroad, returned to his native land. The reader meets the young man in the salon of Anna Scherer - this is Pierre's first appearance in the world. Society with disgust and irony looks at the naive bastad with his ridiculous appearance, manners and straightforward statements.

After the death of his father, Pierre Bezukhov inherits and acquires the status of an enviable groom, strikes in revelry and revelry. Soon he says goodbye to his bachelor life, taking Elena Kuragina, known as Helen, as his wife. The mistake in choosing a life partner is obvious - a stupid, prudent lady, moreover, is not distinguished by chastity, cheating on her husband right and left.

A shock for Pierre is the news of a love affair with a friend Fyodor Dorokhov. Only a duel can protect honor, in which the clumsy and harmless Bezukhov, forced by the laws of society to shoot himself, miraculously wounded his opponent. Living with Helen Kuragina is no longer bearable, and the young man is at odds with his wife.

From the very beginning, Lev Nikolayevich presents the character as a restless person who is trying to answer eternal questions about the meaning of life, purpose, love and hate. Spiritual quests are gaining momentum after treason and a duel, as a result, Pierre is fond of Freemasonry. But here, too, disappointment awaits: instead of higher motives, Bezukhov reveals the true goals of the movement - to rise in society, take possession of "uniforms and crosses", and have a good time in fashionable salons.

The events of 1812, which destroyed the ideals of the hero, help to recover from the experienced personal drama. Pierre Bezukhov sees the heroism of soldiers in the war and also follows their example, discovering courage, courage and the ability to sacrifice in his soul. The Battle of Borodino clearly shows Pierre how ordinary people defend their native land without much thought about the meaning of life.

Bezukhov decides to stay in the occupied capital, naively believing that he will kill Napoleon. But he is captured, where a fateful acquaintance with the peasant Platon Karataev happens.

The wisdom and high spirituality of a soldier changes Pierre's attitude to life and society. Surprisingly, only in captivity does the hero find peace, accept himself and the shortcomings of others: he understands “not with his mind, but with his whole being, with his life, that a person was created for happiness, that happiness is in himself, in satisfying natural human needs.”

However, a simple path to the complete acceptance of being is not for Pierre, he sees a way out in the moral renewal of society and decides to join the ranks of a secret organization. On the love front, fate presents Pierre with a gift - reciprocal feelings and a happy family life. Although before the couple reunited, years passed.

For the first time, Pierre saw a 13-year-old girl with an open and trusting soul visiting the Rostovs. For a very long time, Bezukhov treated her like a child, watching with interest the development and formation of a personality. Natasha, betrothed to a close friend of Pierre, betrayed her fiancé, almost escaping with Kuragin, Helen's brother, who had seduced her. The betrayal shocks Bezukhov, besides, he feels some involvement in the fall of the heroine, because he was still married to Helen.

But soon the girl woke up from the spell of Kuragin and plunged into a pool of strong emotions. Bezukhov supported Natasha - and through these sufferings he examined the pure soul of the heroine. Feelings arose gradually, only after the death of Bolkonsky, communicating with Rostova, he realized that he was full of love for this pure, high being. At the end of the novel, Natasha Rostova accepts a marriage proposal from Pierre Bezukhov, and years later the couple raise four children.

Image

Leo Tolstoy could not decide on the name of one of the key characters in the novel. Before becoming Pyotr Kirillovich Bezukhov, his “passport data” changed three times: in the sketches he appeared as Prince Kushnev, then Pyotr Medynsky, then Arkady Bezukhy. And when the author conceived a work about the Decembrists, the hero bore the name Pyotr Lobazov. Moreover, Pierre does not have a specific prototype, as the writer admitted, the character is in many ways similar to himself.

In the appearance of the hero there is no aristocracy. Readers get acquainted with a well-fed young man with a cropped head and glasses - in a word, nothing remarkable. A sullen, somewhat stupid face, sometimes with the expression of a guilty person, is instantly changed by a smile - then Pierre even becomes handsome. The absurdity of the image, absent-mindedness causes ridicule from the environment. However, observant people notice a timid, but intelligent look.

Pierre Bezukhov - illustration for the book "War and Peace"

Tolstoy concluded in the character all the best characteristics, making him a standard for all time. Brilliant education, kindness, willingness to rush to help, nobility, innocence and gullibility - from the first pages Bezukhov evokes sympathy. He doesn’t even hate his opponent in a duel, on the contrary, he justifies Dorokhov - who knows, perhaps Pierre could have been in the place of his wife’s lover.

The novel reflects the evolution of the character of Pierre Bezukhov. From a naive and driven person, he turns into a self-sufficient person. The character manages to come to inner harmony.

Screen adaptations

They tried to transfer the novel of the great Russian writer to the screen back in the era of silent films. The viewer saw the first picture directed by Pyotr Chardynin in 1913. By the middle of the century, the film version of the epic was successfully presented by the Americans - the film received three nominations for the Oscar and the Golden Globe Award.

The Soviet authorities decided to give an answer to foreigners, entrusting the director with a case of "national importance". It took six years and 18 million rubles to create the picture. As a result - the main prize of the Moscow International Film Festival and "Oscar".

"War and Peace" inspired the film industry to create two series. The first was released on the BBC channel in 1972, the script of which was written for 20 episodes. The production of the 2007 television version brought together several countries - Russia, Germany, France, Italy and Poland. And after almost 10 years, the BBC corporation again took up the matter, revealing to the world, which includes six episodes.

• 1913 - "War and Peace" (dir. Pyotr Chardynin)
• 1915 - "Natasha Rostova" (dir. Pyotr Chardynin)
• 1956 - "War and Peace" (dir. King Vidor)
• 1967 - "War and Peace" (dir. Sergei Bondarchuk)
• 1972 - "War and Peace" (dir. John Davis)
• 2007 - "War and Peace" (dir. Robert Dornhelm)
• 2016 - "War and Peace" (dir. Tom Harper)

actors

The magnificent picture of King Vidor, based on Tolstoy's novel, brought together brilliant actors. The role of Pierre Bezukhov went to Henry Fonda, although they planned to shoot. But the man flatly refused to join the company on the set in the image of Natasha Rostova. Later, the actress said that it was difficult to get used to such a difficult role.

Sergei Bondarchuk could not decide who to give the role of Countess Rostova to. The master of the cinema was brought a ballerina - a tender and fragile girl, but a blonde, while Tolstoy's heroine has dark hair. Lyudmila did not pass the audition, but got a second chance. On the screens, viewers see the actress in a wig. Bastard Bezukhov was performed by the director himself, and the charming friend of Andrei Bolkonsky played.

In the 1972 series, the restless hero was presented, so convincingly that the actor was awarded a BAFTA award.

The authors of the television series "War and Peace" in 2007 allowed themselves to deviate from the storyline of the work of the Russian classic, changing some points. So, Helen Kuragina died from a terrible disease (in the book, the consequences of an abortion led to death), and in the duel Nikolai Rostov acted as Pierre's second (in fact, he was the opponent's assistant). Yes, and Natasha Rostova in performance is not similar to the image described in the novel.

(Andrey Bolkonsky) and (Natasha Rostova). And he demonstrated the evolution of the character of Pierre Bezukhov.

Quotes

"We all know what evil is for ourselves"

“How easy, how little effort is needed to do so much good,” thought Pierre, “and how little we care about it!”

“We can only know that we know nothing. And this is the highest degree of human wisdom.”

“A person cannot own anything while he is afraid of death. And whoever is not afraid of her, everything belongs to him.

“The main thing is to live, the main thing is to love, the main thing is to believe”

“You are the kind of people who come to people when they are happy to spoil their mood”

One of the brightest masterpieces in Russian prose is the epic novel War and Peace. The four-volume work, which is distinguished by the diversity of plot lines, an extensive system of characters, the number of which reaches five hundred heroes, is primarily not only a reflection of historical reality, but a novel of ideas. To the final version of the work, Tolstoy followed the path of ideological and plot searches, which is also reminiscent of the image of Pierre Bezukhov in Tolstoy's "War and Peace".

Ideological searches of the author and the hero

Initially, Lev Nikolayevich did not plan to write the history of this character, creating him in the form of a Decembrist fighting for civil equality and freedom. However, gradually, in the course of comprehending historical events and writing the novel, Tolstoy's ideological orientation is changing. At the end of the work, we clearly see that the true essence of the mission of the active hero is not in the struggle, but in gaining spiritual harmony and personal happiness through rapprochement with the people. Tolstoy reflected his ideological search through the image of the main character - Pierre Bezukhov.

The development of the image of Pierre Bezukhov

At the beginning of the work, the hero is opposed to his contemporary high society, in which insincerity, flattery, and superficiality dominate. The young Bezukhov from the first pages of the novel appears as an open and honest person who, at all costs, is trying to find the truth and his calling in life - such is the characterization of Pierre in Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace".

Suddenly rich, Pierre becomes a victim of his own financial situation and falls into the fetters of an unhappy marriage. Marrying Helen Kuragina made Pierre disillusioned with the spirituality and purity of the institution of marriage and family. Pierre still does not give up. He tries to find his place in life in order to do good, to help people, to feel his need for society. He believes that he will definitely find his just cause: “I feel that besides me, spirits live above me and that there is truth in this world.” These aspirations became the reason for the hero's entry into the ranks of the Masonic movement. Imbued with the ideas of equality and fraternity, mutual assistance and self-sacrifice, Pierre shares the views of Freemasonry with high ideological passion. However, this period of his life brought disappointment. The hero again finds himself at a crossroads.

Whatever he did or thought was caused by the desire to carry out activities that are useful for society, for Russia. The war of 1812 was his chance to finally do the right thing and serve his people. The protagonist of the novel "War and Peace" Pierre Bezukhov, with the same passion and zeal, lights up with the idea of ​​​​sharing the fate of his people and contributing his all possible help for the common victory. To this end, he organizes the regiment and fully finances its provision.

Not being a military man, Pierre cannot directly participate in hostilities, but the role of a passive observer is also not nice for such an active hero. He decides that it is he who needs to carry out the most important mission, which will save Russia from the French invaders. Desperate Pierre is planning an assassination attempt on Napoleon himself, whom he once considered his idol. Following the lead of his ardent ideas, Bezukhov does not think about the possible consequences. In the end, his plan failed, and the hero himself was captured.

Awareness of the essence of true human happiness

It's time for another disappointment. This time the hero is completely disappointed in faith in people, in kindness, in the possibility of mutual assistance and friendship. However, the meeting and conversation with Platon Karataev completely changes his worldview. It was this simple soldier who had the maximum impact on the change in the views of the hero. The simplicity and a certain primitiveness of Karataev's speech managed to reveal all the spiritual wisdom and value of human life more than intricate Masonic treatises.

Thus, Pierre's stay in captivity became decisive in the formation of his civil and personal consciousness. Finally, Pierre realizes that the essence of happiness was in fact so simple and always on the surface, while he was looking for its meaning in philosophical depths, personal suffering, striving for action. The hero realized that true happiness is to have the opportunity of spiritual and physical freedom, to live a simple life in unity with his people. “There is truth, there is virtue; and the highest happiness of man consists in striving to achieve them. The realization of such simple human values ​​finally led the main character to peace of mind, inner harmony and personal happiness.

Implementation of the idea of ​​the novel by the hero

At the end of his ideological quest, the author rewards Pierre with a life in the atmosphere of a real family idyll. The hero enjoys peace and happiness, surrounded by the care of his beloved wife and the happy voices of four children. The image of Pierre Bezukhov is the personification of the hero, through whose spiritual and ideological searches and the path of their realization, the main idea of ​​the work is revealed.

As we can see, like Pierre Bezukhov, the author himself renounces his original convictions. So, at the heart of the novel "War and Peace" the main idea was not the service of civic duty or participation in social movements. The main idea of ​​​​the work and my essay on the topic: The image of Pierre Bezukhov in the novel "War and Peace" is in the image of the ideal of human happiness in the family circle, in life in one's native land, in the absence of war, in unity with one's people.

Artwork test

In which the author paid special attention to the image of Pierre Bezukhov, since this is a key character. It is he who we will now consider, revealing the characteristics of Pierre Bezukhov. In particular, thanks to this hero, Tolstoy was able to give readers an understanding of the spirit of the time when the events described took place, to show the era. Summary of "War and Peace" also read on our website.

Of course, in all colors we will not be able to describe in this article the character traits, essence and full characteristics of Pierre Bezukhov, because for this you need to carefully follow all the actions of this hero throughout the epic, but it is quite possible to briefly get a general idea. The year is 1805, and a noble Moscow lady is holding a secular reception. This is Anna Pavlovna Sherer. Pierre Bezukhov, an illegitimate son from the family of a Moscow nobleman, also appears at this reception. The secular public is indifferent to him.

Although Pierre studied abroad, he feels uncomfortable in Russia, cannot find a worthwhile job, and from this he plunged into an idle life. What does this way of life mean for a young man of that time? At that time, the image of Pierre Bezukhov is overshadowed by drinking parties, idleness, revelry and very dubious acquaintances, which leads to the expulsion of Pierre. Yes, you have to leave the capital and move to Moscow.

In high society, Pierre is also of little interest, he is annoyed by what kind of people he sees in these circles. More precisely, their nature is unpleasant to him: they are petty, hypocritical and all completely selfish. Is it really, Pierre thinks, that life should please this? Is there a deeper meaning, something important and significant that gives the fullness of happiness?

Pierre himself is a soft-bodied and dubious person. It is easy to subordinate him to someone else's influence, to make him doubt his actions. He himself does not even notice how quickly he is taken captive by the idle Moscow life - riotous and windy. When Pierre's father, Count Bezukhov, dies, the son inherits the title and the entire fortune, after which society instantly changes its attitude towards him. We are considering the image of Pierre Bezukhov. How did these events affect him? For example, Vasily Karugin is eager to marry a young man Helen, his daughter. Although Kuragin can be called an eminent and influential person, communication with this family did not bring anything good for Pierre, and the marriage turned out to be extremely unhappy.

We see how the characteristic of Pierre Buzukhov is revealed here. The young beauty Helen is insidious, dissolute and deceitful. Pierre sees the essence of his wife and believes that his honor has been violated. In a rage, he goes on madness, which almost plays a fatal role in his life. But, nevertheless, after a duel with Dolokhov, Pierre remains alive, and everything ends only with a wound that the offender receives.

Pierre is looking for himself

More and more thoughts of the young count are focused around the meaning of his life. How does he manage her? Pierre is confused, everything seems to him disgusting and meaningless. The hero sees perfectly well that there is something great, deep and mysterious, in comparison with the stupid social life and drinking bouts. But he lacks the knowledge and fortitude to figure it out and direct his life in the right direction.

Here, reflecting on what is actually the characteristic of Pierre Bezukhov, let's think - after all, a young and rich count could live recklessly for his own pleasure, without worrying about anything. But Pierre can't do that. This means that this is not a superficial person, but a deeply thinking person.

freemasonry

In the end, Pierre breaks up with his wife, gives Helen a considerable part of his entire fortune and returns to St. Petersburg. On the way, Pierre meets a man from whom he learns that some people understand the operation of the laws of life and know the true purpose of man on earth. Considering the image of Pierre Bezukhov at that time, it is clear that his soul is simply exhausted, and he is deeply entangled in life. Therefore, hearing about the brotherhood of Masons, it seems to him that he is saved and now another life will begin.

In St. Petersburg, Pierre undergoes ceremonies, and now he is a member of the Masonic fraternity. Life changes its color, the hero opens up new views and another world. While he has no doubts about what the Freemasons say and teach, some aspects of the new way of life still look bleak and incomprehensible. Pierre Bezukhov, whose characterization we are now considering, continues to search for himself, to search for the meaning of life, to think about his destiny.

Trying to give relief to the people

Soon Pierre Bezukhov comes to an understanding of a new idea: an individual person will not be happy if he is surrounded by destitute and deprived of any rights people. And then Pierre tries to improve the life of the common people, to give relief to the peasants.

Such attempts cause an unusual reaction, because Pierre is met with incomprehension and surprise. Even some of the peasants, to whom Pierre's activities were directed, cannot accept the new way of life. What a paradox! Looks like Pierre is doing something wrong again! Thanks to these actions, the image of Pierre Bezukhov is revealed more and more, but for him this is another disappointment. He feels depressed, and hopelessness sets in again, because after deceiving the manager, the futility of his efforts becomes obvious.

The characterization of Pyotr Bezukhov would not be completely complete if we did not consider what began to happen to the hero after Napoleon came to power, as well as the details of the battle of Borodino and captivity. But read about this in the article "Pierre Bezukhov in the novel War and Peace". Now we will pay attention to one more key moment in the image of this hero.

Pierre Bezukhov and Natasha Rostova

Pierre becomes more and more attached to Natasha Rostova, his feelings for her become deeper and stronger. Especially, this becomes obvious to the hero himself after he understands: in difficult moments of life, it is this woman who occupies all his thoughts. He tries to figure out why. Yes, this sincere, intelligent and spiritually rich woman literally captivates Pierre. Natasha Rostova also experiences similar feelings, and their love becomes mutual. In 1813, Pierre Bezukhov married Natasha Rostova.

Rostova has the main dignity of a woman, as Leo Tolstoy shows. She can love sincerely, lastingly. She respects the interests of her husband, understands and feels his soul. The family is shown here as a model, thanks to which it is possible to maintain internal balance. It is a cell that influences the whole society. There will be a healthy family, there will be a healthy society.

In conclusion, considering the characterization of Pierre Bezukhov, let's say that he nevertheless found himself, felt happiness, understood how to find harmony, but how many explorations, troubles and mistakes had to be endured for this!

We are glad that this article was useful to you. Even if you have not yet read the novel "War and Peace" in full, everything is ahead, and when you read it, pay special attention to the image of Pierre Bezukhov, the protagonist of the great epic of Leo Tolstoy.

L. N. Tolstoy is a writer of enormous, worldwide scale, since the subject of his research was man, his soul. For Tolstoy, man is part of the universe. He is interested in what path the human soul goes in striving for the high, ideal, in striving to know oneself.

Pierre Bezukhov is an honest, highly educated nobleman. This is a spontaneous nature, capable of keenly feeling, easily excited. Pierre is characterized by deep thoughts and doubts, the search for the meaning of life. His life path is complex and tortuous. At first, under the influence of youth and the environment, he makes many mistakes: he leads a reckless life of a secular reveler and loafer, allows Prince Kuragin to rob himself and marry his daughter Helen. Pierre shoots himself in a duel with Dolokhov, breaks with his wife, is disappointed in life. He hates the widely recognized lies of secular society, and he understands the need to fight.

At this critical moment, Pierre falls into the hands of the freemason Bazdeev. This "preacher" deftly sets up before the gullible count the nets of a religious and mystical society that called for the moral improvement of people and their unification on the basis of brotherly love. Pierre understood Freemasonry as a doctrine of equality, brotherhood and love. This helped him to direct his forces to the improvement of the serfs. He liberated the peasants, established hospitals, shelters and schools.

The war of 1812 makes Pierre ardently get down to business again, but his passionate appeal to help the Motherland causes general dissatisfaction among the Moscow nobility. He fails again. However, seized with a patriotic feeling, Pierre equips a thousand militia with his own money and remains in Moscow himself to kill Napoleon: “either die, or stop the misfortunes of all of Europe, which, according to Pierre, came from Napoleon alone.”

An important stage on the path of Pierre's searches is his visit to the Borodino field at the time of the famous battle. He understood here that history is created by the most powerful force in the world - the people. Bezukhov approvingly perceives the wise words of the soldier: “They want to pile on all the people, one word - Moscow. They want to make one end." The sight of lively and sweaty militia men, with loud laughter and talking, working on the field, "acted on Pierre more than anything that he had seen and heard so far about the solemnity and significance of the present moment."

If Pierre’s closer rapprochement with ordinary people occurs after a meeting with a soldier, a former peasant, Platon Karataev, who, according to Tolstoy, is a particle of the masses. From Karataev, Pierre gains peasant wisdom, in communication with him "finds that calmness and contentment with himself, to which he vainly sought before."

The life path of Pierre Bezukhov is typical for the best part of the noble youth of that time. It was from such people that the iron cohort of the Decembrists was made up. They have much in common with the author of the epic, who was faithful to the oath given to him in his youth: “In order to live honestly, one must tear, get confused, fight, make mistakes, start and quit again, and start again and quit again and always fight and lose. And peace is spiritual meanness.

And so his image is extremely important to us. In this article, we will look at Pierre Bezukhov through the prism of three events or chains of different incidents: this is Napoleon's accession to the throne, the Battle of Borodino and we will talk about captivity. You can also read more on our website.

The arrival of Napoleon

France was in a state of anxiety and uncertainty about the future. The whole of high society was absorbed in these thoughts, and the fact that Napoleon came to power greatly influenced the minds of young and old people. The youth admired the image of the great commander, many considered him a model. When we talk about Pierre Bezukhov in the novel "War and Peace", it is worth saying that he was also delighted with what Napoleon did, his personality and his talent, and it was difficult for Pierre to understand why there were people who prevented the emperor from creating a great revolution .

At one time, Pierre even wanted to take an oath in order to stand on the side of Napoleon, but this never happened. Imaginable exploits and achievements for the benefit of the revolutionary movement of France had to collapse in Pierre's soul. In 1812, when the ideals were lost, Pierre began to despise Napoleon and even hated him. Instead of adoring this person, Pierre decided that he himself must destroy this enemy, whose tyrannical rule brought only trouble to his native land. If you look at this hero of Tolstoy at that moment, we can say that Pierre Bezukhov in the novel "War and Peace" is a man obsessed with the desire to deal with Napoleon. Moreover, he believed that by doing this he would fulfill his mission on earth, and here it is - his destiny.

Pierre in the Battle of Borodino

In 1812, the Patriotic War broke out, and all the foundations of society broke down. Of course, all this also affected Pierre, who had previously led a completely aimless and wild life. Now, in order to serve the Motherland, Pierre left everything and went to fight. And how the personality of Pierre Bezukhov changes here in the novel "War and Peace"! He searched for himself so much, vainly rushed about in search of meaning in life, and then he had the opportunity to get close to soldiers who came from ordinary people, to give life a different assessment. And in many respects this became possible thanks to the Battle of Borodino.

The soldiers were mostly real patriots, and this was not false or feigned. They were ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the fatherland, and Pierre saw all the horrors of the war and the mood of ordinary soldiers. Pierre suddenly begins to understand the issues that have tormented him for so long. It turns out that everything is so clear. And Pierre Bezukhov wants, following the unfamiliar feeling that has appeared, to breathe deeply and give life with all his heart.

Pierre Bezukhov in the novel "War and Peace" - captured

Leo Tolstoy continues to show the formation of Pierre's personality, and what happens to him next fully tempers him and forms a mature outlook on life. Pierre Bezukhov is captured, and the French interrogate him, leaving his life. However, some other prisoners are executed, and Pierre nearly goes insane afterward. Bezukhov's meeting with a man named Platon Karataev helps the hero find harmony in his soul.

Although the hut is cramped, physical pain in the body and oppressive feelings, Pierre Bezukhov suddenly realizes that he is really a happy person. Something changed in his heart, he overestimated his ideals and took a different look at everything around. As a result, the French also kill Platon Karataev, who gave Pierre the opportunity to look at life correctly. The hero suffers madly, and soon the partisans free him from captivity.

We remind you that you can read the full description of Pierre. And in this article we examined the topic: Pierre Bezukhov in the novel "War and Peace".