Analysis of the episode “Conversation between Prince Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre in Bogucharovo before the Battle of Borodino” (based on L.N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”) (School essays). Andrei Bolkonsky's date with Pierre Bezukhov in Bogucharovo Prince Andrei and Pierre on the ferry

meeting of Pierre Bezukhov and Prince Andrei on the ferry from the novel War and Peace, what significance did this meeting have for the prince? and got the best answer

Answer from GALINA[guru]
Returning from a southern trip, Pierre visits his friend Bolkonsky at his estate Bogucharovo.
After Austerlitz, Prince Andrei firmly decided not to serve anywhere. All his worries are focused on his son.
Pierre notices the “extinct, dead look” of his friend, his detachment.
Pierre's enthusiasm, his new views contrast sharply with Bolkonsky's skeptical mood; Prince Andrei believes that neither schools nor hospitals are needed for the peasants, and that serfdom should be abolished not for the peasants - they are accustomed to it - but for the landowners, who are corrupted by unlimited power over other people.
In Bogucharovo, an important conversation takes place between friends on a ferry.
Pierre hears from the lips of Prince Andrei words full of deep disappointment in everything, disbelief in the high purpose of man, in the possibility of receiving joy from life. Bezukhov adheres to a different point of view; his thoughts are directed towards the eternal: “On earth... there is no truth; but in the world... there is a kingdom of truth, and we are now the children of the earth, and forever the children of the whole world.” This is how he now imagines the purpose of life: ! “You have to live, you have to love, you have to believe.” This conversation left a deep imprint on the soul of Prince Andrei. Under her influence, his spiritual revival begins again, albeit slowly. For the first time after Austerlitz, he saw the high and eternal sky, and “something that had long fallen asleep, something better that was in him, suddenly woke up joyfully and youthfully in his soul.”
For Bolkonsky, from the meeting with Pierre, a new life began (internally).

Reply from 3 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: the meeting of Pierre Bezukhov and Prince Andrei on the ferry from the novel War and Peace, what significance did this meeting have for the prince?

you can find in "War and Peace" an episode when Bolkonsky drives somewhere in winter and sees an old oak tree that reminds him
On guardianship matters, Prince Andrei needs to see the district leader, Count Ilya

In his epic “War and Peace” by L. Tolstoy managed to create unique images, focusing on the formation of heroes as individuals, spiritual development everyone. Tolstoy showed how the most vital impressions or events turn out to be decisive, causing instant changes in the hero’s life position, in his idea of ​​the world and himself in this world. The writer made a discovery in literature, which was later called Tolstoy’s “dialectics of the soul.”

Tolstoy distinguishes two main states in human soul: what makes a person a person, her moral essence, stable and unchanging, and unreal, what society imposes (secular etiquette, the desire for career growth and maintaining external decency). “The history of the soul” is the name of the process during which a person goes through ups and downs and, having gotten rid of unnecessary “fuss,” as a result, becomes real. Such a hero is the most important for the author, therefore Tolstoy strives to feel and show a person at the most crucial moments of his life.

For example, like this turning point for Pierre Bezukhov the year is 1812, especially his time in captivity. It was then, having suffered various hardships, that Pierre learned to truly appreciate life. There, having met with Platon Karatevim, he comes to the conclusion that all human misfortunes arise “not because of a lack, but because of an excess.” Karataev lives in complete harmony with the whole world. He has a desire to change environment, remake it in accordance with some abstract ideals. He feels part of a single natural organism, lives easily and joyfully, which significantly influences Pierre Bezukhov’s worldview. Thanks to Plato and other soldiers, Pierre joins folk wisdom and achieves inner freedom and peace.

Of all the heroes of the novel “War and Peace,” Bezukhov, in my opinion, can be called a truth-seeker. Pierre is an intellectual person, looking for answers to the main moral, philosophical, social questions, trying to find out what the meaning of human existence is. Tolstoy's hero is kind, selfless, selfless. He is far from material interests, because he has an amazing ability not to be “infected” by meanness, greed and other vices of the society that surrounds him. And yet, only the feeling of belonging to the people, the awareness of a common national disaster as a personal grief opens up new ideals for Pierre. Soon Bezukhov finds long-awaited happiness next to Natasha, whom he secretly loved all his life, even from himself.

A deep internal rebirth occurs with Andrei Volkonsky. Andrey's conversation with Pierre on the ferry, the meeting with the old oak tree, the night in Otradnoye, his love for Natasha, the second wound - all these events cause dramatic changes in his spiritual state. Similar changes occur with Natasha Rostova, and with her brother Nikolai, and with Maria - all of Tolstoy’s favorite heroes go a long way before getting rid of everything artificial that they had, and finally finding themselves.

In my opinion, it is no coincidence that in the novel all the author’s favorite heroes make tragic mistakes. Obviously, it is important for the writer to see how they atone for their guilt, how they themselves realize these mistakes.

Prince Andrei goes to the War of 1805 because he is tired of small talk, he is looking for something real. Volkonsky, like his idol Napoleon, really wants to find “his Toulon.” However, the dream and real life differ noticeably, especially when Prince Andrei finds himself on the battlefield. Andrei Volkonsky, like Napoleon at the Battle of Arcoli, picked up the banner on the field of Austerlitz and led his troops. But this flag, in his dreams so proudly fluttered above his head, in reality turned out to be just a heavy and uncomfortable stick: “Prince Andrei again grabbed the banner and, dragging it by the pole, fled with the battalion.” Tolstoy also denies the concept of a beautiful death, so even the description of the hero’s wound is given in a very harsh form: “As if, with a strong cue, one of the nearby soldiers, as it seemed to him, hit him in the head. It was a little painful, and most importantly, unpleasant...” War is meaningless, and the author does not accept the desire to be like Napoleon, the man who decided it. This is probably why the already wounded Prince Andrei, lying on the battlefield, sees a high, clear sky above him - a symbol of truth: “How come I haven’t seen this high sky before? And how happy I am that I finally recognized him. So, everything is deception, everything is deception, except this endless sky.” Prince Andrei refuses his chosen path, glory and the symbol of this glory - Napoleon. He finds other values: the happiness of simply living, seeing the sky - being.

The hero recovers and returns to the family estate. He goes to his family, to his “little princess”, from whom he once fled and who is about to give birth. However, Lisa dies during childbirth. Andrei's soul is in turmoil: he suffers from guilt in front of his wife. Prince Andrei confesses to Pierre: “I know only two real misfortunes in life: remorse and illness. And happiness is only the absence of these two evils.” Under Austerlitz, the hero understood the great truth: infinite value is life. But misfortune in life can be not only illness or death, but also a restless conscience. Before the battle, Prince Andrei was ready to pay any price for a moment of glory. But when his wife died, he realized that Toulon was not worth the life of a loved one. After a conversation on the ferry with Pierre Vezukhova about the meaning of existence, about the purpose of man, Andrei finally feels that he is open to people. Apparently, this is why Natasha Rostova appears in his life, whose natural inner beauty is capable of reviving Volkonsky’s soul with new feelings.

Conversation between Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky on the ferry.

In the happiest state of mind, returning from his southern trip, Pierre fulfilled his long-standing intention - to call on his friend Bolkonsky, whom he had not seen for two years.

At the last station, having learned that Prince Andrei was not in Bald Mountains, but in his new separated estate, Pierre went to see him.

Bogucharovo lay in an ugly, flat area, covered with fields and felled and uncut spruce and birch forests. The manor's yard was located at the end of a straight line, along the main road of the village, behind a newly dug, full-filled pond, with the banks not yet overgrown with grass, in the middle of a young forest, between which stood several large pines.

The manor's courtyard consisted of a threshing floor, outbuildings, stables, a bathhouse, an outbuilding and a large stone house with a semicircular pediment, which was still under construction. A young garden was planted around the house. The fences and gates were strong and new; under the canopy stood two fire pipes and a barrel painted green; the roads were straight, the bridges were strong, with railings. Everything bore the imprint of neatness and thrift. The servants who met, when asked where the prince lived, pointed to a small new outbuilding standing at the very edge of the pond. Prince Andrei's old uncle, Anton, dropped Pierre out of the carriage, said that the prince was at home, and led him into a clean small hallway.

Pierre was struck by the modesty of the small, although clean, house after those brilliant conditions in which last time he saw his friend in St. Petersburg. He hurriedly entered the still pine-smelling, unplastered small room and wanted to move on, but Anton tiptoed forward and knocked on the door.

- Well, what’s there? – a sharp, unpleasant voice was heard.

“Guest,” answered Anton.

“Ask me to wait,” and I heard a chair being pushed back. Pierre walked quickly to the door and came face to face with the frowning and aged Prince Andrei, who was coming out to him. Pierre hugged him and, raising his glasses, kissed him on the cheeks and looked at him closely.

“I didn’t expect it, I’m very glad,” said Prince Andrei. Pierre said nothing; He looked at his friend in surprise, without taking his eyes off. He was struck by the change that had taken place in Prince Andrei. The words were affectionate, a smile was on Prince Andrei’s lips and face, but his gaze was dull, dead, to which, despite his apparent desire, Prince Andrei could not give a joyful and cheerful shine. Not only did his friend become thinner, paler, and more mature; but this look and the wrinkle on his forehead, expressing long concentration on one thing, amazed and alienated Pierre until he got used to them.

When meeting after a long separation, as always happens, the conversation could not be established for a long time; they asked and answered briefly about things that they themselves knew should have been talked about at length. Finally, the conversation began to dwell little by little on what had been said fragmentarily before, on questions about past life, about plans for the future, about Pierre's travels, about his activities, about the war, etc. That concentration and depression that Pierre noticed in the look of Prince Andrei was now expressed even more strongly in the smile with which he listened to Pierre, especially then when Pierre spoke with animated joy about the past or the future. It was as if Prince Andrei would have wanted, but could not, take part in what he was saying. Pierre began to feel that enthusiasm, dreams, hopes for happiness and goodness in front of Prince Andrei were indecent. He was ashamed to express all his new, Masonic thoughts, especially those renewed and excited in him by his last journey. He restrained himself, was afraid to be naive; at the same time, he irresistibly wanted to quickly show his friend that he was now a completely different, better Pierre than the one who was in St. Petersburg.

“I can’t tell you how much I experienced during this time.” I wouldn't recognize myself.

“Yes, we have changed a lot, a lot since then,” said Prince Andrei.

- Well, what about you? - asked Pierre. – What are your plans?

- Plans? – Prince Andrey repeated ironically. - My plans? - he repeated, as if surprised at the meaning of such a word. - Yes, you see, I’m building, I want to move completely by next year...

Pierre silently peered intently into Andrei's aged face.

“No, I’m asking,” said Pierre, but Prince Andrei interrupted him:

- But what can I say about me... tell me, tell me about your journey, about everything you did there on your estates?

Pierre began to talk about what he had done on his estates, trying as much as possible to hide his participation in the improvements he had made. Prince Andrei several times suggested to Pierre what he was telling, as if everything that Pierre had done was a long-known story, and he listened not only not with interest, but even as if ashamed of what Pierre was telling.

Pierre felt awkward and even difficult in the company of his friend. He fell silent.

“Well, here’s the thing, my soul,” said Prince Andrei, who, obviously, was also hard and shy with his guest, “I’m here in bivouacs, I came just to look.” And now I’m going back to my sister. I'll introduce you to them. “Yes, you seem to know each other,” he said, obviously entertaining the guest with whom he now felt nothing in common. - We'll go after lunch. Now do you want to see my estate? “They went out and walked around until lunch, talking about political news and mutual acquaintances, like people who are not very close to each other. With some animation and interest, Prince Andrei spoke only about the new estate and construction he was organizing, but even here, in the middle of the conversation, on the stage, when Prince Andrei was describing to Pierre the future location of the house, he suddenly stopped. “However, there’s nothing interesting here, let’s go have lunch and leave.” “At dinner the conversation turned to Pierre’s marriage.

“I was very surprised when I heard about this,” said Prince Andrei.

Pierre blushed the same way he always blushed at this, and hastily said:

“I’ll tell you someday how it all happened.” But you know it's all over, and forever.

- Forever? - said Prince Andrei. – Nothing happens forever.

– But do you know how it all ended? Have you heard about the duel?

- Yes, you went through that too.

“The one thing I thank God for is that I didn’t kill this man,” said Pierre.

- Why? - said Prince Andrei. – It’s even very good to kill an angry dog.

- No, killing a person is not good, it’s unfair...

- Why is it unfair? – repeated Prince Andrei. – What is fair and unfair is not given to people to judge. People have always been mistaken and will continue to be mistaken, and in nothing more than in what they consider just and unjust.

“It is unfair that there is evil for another person,” said Pierre, feeling with pleasure that for the first time since his arrival, Prince Andrei became animated and began to speak and wanted to express everything that made him what he was now.

– Who told you what evil is for another person? he asked.

- Evil? Evil? - said Pierre. – We all know what evil is for ourselves.

“Yes, we know, but the evil that I know for myself, I cannot do to another person,” said Prince Andrei, becoming more and more animated, apparently wanting to express to Pierre his new view of things. He spoke French. – Je ne connais dans la vie que maux bien réels: c’est le remord et la maladie. Il n'est de bien que l'absence de ces maux. To live for yourself, avoiding only these two evils, that is all my wisdom now.

– What about love for one’s neighbor, and self-sacrifice? - Pierre spoke. - No, I cannot agree with you! To live only in such a way as not to do evil, so as not to repent, this is not enough. I lived like this, I lived for myself and ruined my life. And only now, when I live, at least try (Pierre corrected himself out of modesty) to live for others, only now I understand all the happiness of life. No, I don’t agree with you, and you don’t mean what you say. “Prince Andrei silently looked at Pierre and smiled mockingly.

“You’ll see your sister, Princess Marya.” You’ll get along with her,” he said. “Perhaps you are right for yourself,” he continued, after a brief silence, “but everyone lives in their own way: you lived for yourself and you say that you almost ruined your life by doing this, and you only knew happiness when you began to live for others.” But I experienced the opposite. I lived for fame. (After all, what is glory? the same love for others, the desire to do something for them, the desire for their praise.) So I lived for others and not almost, but completely ruined my life. And since then I have become calm, as if I live for myself.

- How can you live for yourself? – Pierre asked, getting excited. – What about your son, sister, father?

“Yes, it’s still the same me, it’s not others,” said Prince Andrei, “but others, neighbors, le prochain, as you and Princess Marya call it main source error and evil. Le prochain are those Kyiv men of yours to whom you want to do good.

And he looked at Pierre with a mockingly defiant gaze. He apparently called Pierre.

“You’re kidding,” Pierre said, becoming more and more animated. - What kind of error and evil can there be in the fact that I wanted (very little and poorly fulfilled), but wanted to do good, and at least did something? What evil can it be that unfortunate people, our men, people just like us, growing up and dying without another concept of God and truth, like an image and meaningless prayer, will be taught in the comforting beliefs of a future life, retribution, reward, consolation ? What evil and delusion is it that people die from illness without help, when it is so easy to help them financially, and I will give them a doctor, and a hospital, and a shelter for an old man? And isn’t it a tangible, undoubted blessing that a man, a woman and a child have no rest day and night, and I will give them rest and leisure?.. - said Pierre, hurrying and lisping. “And I did it, at least poorly, at least a little, but I did something for this, and not only will you not disbelieve me that what I did is good, but you will also not disbelieve me, so that you yourself do not think so.” . “And most importantly,” Pierre continued, “I know this, and I know it correctly, that the pleasure of doing this good is the only true happiness in life.

“Yes, if you put the question like that, then that’s a different matter,” said Prince Andrei. - I build a house, plant a garden, and you are a hospital. Both can serve as a pastime. But what is fair, what is good - leave it to the one who knows everything, and not to us, to judge. Well, you want to argue,” he added, “come on.” “They left the table and sat on the porch, which served as a balcony.

“Well, let’s argue,” said Prince Andrei. “You say schools,” he continued, bending his finger, “teachings and so on, that is, you want to take him out of his animal state and give him moral needs,” he said, pointing to a man who took off his hat and walked past them. . But it seems to me that the only possible happiness is animal happiness, and you want to deprive it of it. I envy him, and you want to make him me, but without giving him my mind, my feelings, or my means. Another thing you say is to make his job easier. But in my opinion, physical labor is the same necessity for him, the same condition of his existence, as mental labor is for you and me. You can't help but think. I go to bed at three o’clock, thoughts come to me, and I can’t sleep, I toss and turn, I don’t sleep until the morning because I’m thinking and I can’t help but think, just as he can’t help but plow and mow; otherwise he will go to the tavern or become ill. Just as I cannot bear his terrible physical labor and die in a week, so he cannot bear my physical idleness, he will get fat and die. Third, what else did you say?

Prince Andrey bent his third finger.

- Oh, yes. Hospitals, medicines. He has a stroke, he dies, and you bleed him, cure him, he will be crippled for ten years, a burden for everyone. It is much calmer and easier for him to die. Others will be born, and there are so many of them. If you were sorry that your extra worker was missing, the way I look at him, otherwise you want to treat him out of love for him. But he doesn't need that. And besides, what kind of imagination is there that medicine has ever cured anyone... Kill! - So! - he said, frowning angrily and turning away from Pierre.

Prince Andrei expressed his thoughts so clearly and distinctly that it was clear that he had thought about this more than once, and he spoke willingly and quickly, like a man who had not spoken for a long time. His gaze became more animated the more hopeless his judgments were.

- Oh, this is terrible, terrible! - said Pierre. “I just don’t understand how you can live with such thoughts.” The same moments came over me, it happened recently, in Moscow and on the road, but then I sink to such a degree that I don’t live, everything is disgusting to me, most importantly, myself. Then I don’t eat, I don’t wash... well, what about you...

“Why not wash your face, it’s not clean,” said Prince Andrei. – On the contrary, you should try to make your life as pleasant as possible. I live and this is not my fault, therefore, I need to live until death somehow better, without interfering with anyone.

– But what motivates you to live? With such thoughts you will sit motionless, doing nothing.

– Life doesn’t leave you alone anyway. I would be glad to do nothing, but, on the one hand, the nobility here has awarded me the honor of being elected leader; I got away with violence. They could not understand that I did not have what was needed, that I did not have that well-known good-natured and concerned vulgarity that was needed for this. Then there was this house that had to be built in order to have our own corner where we could be calm. Now the militia.

– Why don’t you serve in the army?

- After Austerlitz! - Prince Andrey said gloomily. - No, I humbly thank you, I promised myself that I would not serve in the active Russian army. And I won't. If Bonaparte had stood here, near Smolensk, threatening the Bald Mountains, then I would not have served in the Russian army. Well, that’s what I told you,” Prince Andrei continued, calming down. “Now the militia, father, is the commander-in-chief of the third district, and the only way for me to get rid of service is to be with him.”

- So you are serving?

- I serve. – He was silent for a moment.

- So why do you serve?

- But why? My father is one of the most remarkable people of his century. But he is getting old, and he is not only cruel, but he is too active. He is terrible for his habit of unlimited power and now this power given by the sovereign to the commander-in-chief over the militia. If I had been two hours late two weeks ago, he would have hanged the protocol officer in Yukhnov,” said Prince Andrei with a smile. “So I serve because, besides me, no one has influence on my father, and here and there I will save him from an act from which he would suffer later.”

- Oh, well, you see!

“Yes, mais ce n’est pas comme vous l’entendez,” continued Prince Andrei. “I did not and do not wish the slightest good to this bastard protocol officer who stole some boots from the militia; I would even be very pleased to see him hanged, but I feel sorry for my father, that is, again for myself.

Prince Andrei became more and more animated. His eyes sparkled feverishly as he tried to prove to Pierre that his actions never contained a desire for good to his neighbor.

“Well, you want to free the peasants,” he continued. - This is very good; but not for you (you, I think, did not detect anyone and did not send them to Siberia) and even less for the peasants. If they are beaten, flogged and sent to Siberia, then I think that it is no worse for them. In Siberia he leads the same bestial life, and the scars on his body will heal, and he is as happy as he was before. And this is necessary for those people who are perishing morally, making repentance for themselves, suppressing this repentance and becoming rude because they have the opportunity to execute right or wrong. This is who I feel sorry for and for whom I would like to free the peasants. You may not have seen it, but I have seen how good people, brought up in these traditions of unlimited power, over the years, when they become more irritable, become cruel, rude, know this, cannot resist and become more and more unhappy.

Prince Andrei said this with such enthusiasm that Pierre involuntarily thought that these thoughts were suggested to Andrei by his father. He didn't answer him.

- So this is who and what you feel sorry for - human dignity, peace of conscience, purity, and not their backs and foreheads, which, no matter how much you cut, no matter how much you shave, will still remain the same backs and foreheads.

- No, no, and a thousand times no! “I will never agree with you,” said Pierre.

"War and Peace" is one of those great works that you can reflect on endlessly, as Tolstoy examines human life from different angles. This novel raises highly moral issues that concern people in conditions of war and peace.

A feature of Tolstoy’s epic novel is the so-called “episode nature”. The author seems to give separate pictures in the mass of events. Changing episodes is similar to changing frames in a movie - this achieves the integrity of the entire work. All episodes of “War and Peace” are not random; each of them provides a characterization of either a hero, or a political situation, or war and military operations. This creates the vitality and realism of the novel.

I would like to dwell in more detail on the episode in which Pierre Bezukhov comes to Bogucharovo to visit his friend Andrei Bolkonsky. This episode is key to understanding life principles heroes, their positions and aspirations. Returning from a southern trip, Pierre Bezukhov fulfills his “long-standing intention - to call on his friend Bolkonsky, whom he has not seen for two years.”
At first, the meeting between the two men was cold, “the conversation could not be established for a long time,” but a conversation began between the interlocutors about what evil is and what its meaning is. According to Andrei Bolkonsky, “there are only two real misfortunes in life: remorse and illness, and happiness is only the absence of these two evils.” You need to live for yourself and try to avoid these phenomena.
Pierre does not accept this idea: “To live only in such a way as not to do evil, so as not to repent, this is not enough. I lived like this, I lived for myself and ruined my life. And only now, when I live, or at least try to live for others, only now I understand all the happiness of life.”

Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre do not understand each other when Bezukhov says that one should help one’s neighbors, people who are poor and suffering. What does it matter when a person can do something to another, but does not? And the main pleasure is “to do good, for good is the only true happiness in life.” Andrei Bolkonsky, reflecting on this idea, comes to a completely different conclusion, which completely contradicts Pierre's reasoning. Bolkonsky is confident that “the only possible happiness is animal happiness,” which a man possesses, and which can be deprived by giving these “happy” people moral needs.
In this episode, Andrei appears as a more unhappy person than people who suffer need. “I live and it’s not my fault, therefore, I need to live until I die somehow better, without interfering with anyone,” - here Bolkonsky’s skepticism and rejection of reality is manifested. According to this hero, people whose existence is meaningless and bestial cannot evoke pity. These people are not worthy of attention; here we cannot talk about good and evil in general, because a man does not know how to think, and therefore, truly suffer. You need to turn only to those people “who are perishing morally, making repentance for themselves, suppressing this repentance and becoming rude because they have the opportunity to execute right or wrong.”
Andrey does not see the true meaning of life, this is his tragedy. He doesn’t understand everything that Pierre says. Bezukhov realizes that Bolkonsky is deeply unhappy and wants to help him. Andrei's soul does not want to accept the truth of Pierre, who feels that “there is a kingdom of truth throughout the world.” This kingdom is omnipresent, and its name is God. “If there is a God and there is a future life, then there is truth, there is virtue; and man's highest happiness consists in striving to achieve them. You have to live, you have to love, you have to believe,” says Pierre. Bezukhov’s emotional mood nevertheless changed Andrei’s internal state, drowning out the pain of Bolkonsky, who had been trying to deny life itself for a long time: “...Coming off the ferry, he looked at the sky, which Pierre pointed out to him, and for the first time after Austerlitz he saw that high , the eternal sky, which he saw while lying on the Field of Austerlitz, and something that had long fallen asleep, something better that was in him, suddenly woke up joyfully and youthfully in his soul.”

In my opinion, the words of Pierre Bezukhov also reveal author's position, because L.N. Tolstoy saw happiness in life itself and in every moment - a step towards the truth and towards God. This episode is not at all accidental in the novel. The state in which Bolkonsky finds himself after Austerlitz greatly oppresses him and does not give him any repose; he abandons past ideals and aspirations, but does not acquire new ones. Hence his deep disappointment in life.
The meeting with Bezukhov to some extent changes his passive attitude towards the world around him: “The meeting with Pierre was for Prince Andrei the era from which, although in appearance it was the same, but in the inner world his new life began.”