Secular society as depicted by Tolstoy. What is a secular society? Concept and description (based on the novel "War and Peace")
In the novel "War and Peace" Tolstoy created a true and complete picture of Russian life in the first quarter of the 19th century. During this period in Russia the main public role played by nobles, so a significant place in the novel is given to the description of secular society. It should be noted that high society at that time was represented mainly by two metropolitan societies, quite different from each other: St. Petersburg and Moscow.
St. Petersburg is the capital, a cold, inhospitable city, on par with European cities. The St. Petersburg high society is a special world with its own laws, customs, morals, the intellectual center of the country, oriented towards Europe. But the first thing that catches your eye when describing relationships in this society is unnaturalness. All representatives of high society are accustomed to playing roles imposed on them by society or taken by them voluntarily; it is not for nothing that Prince Vasily is compared to an actor in the novel.
One of the main types of pastime for members of high society were social receptions at which news, the situation in Europe and much more were discussed. It seemed to the new person that everything being discussed was important, and all those present were very smart and thoughtful people, seriously interested in the subject of the conversation. In fact, there is something mechanical and indifferent in these techniques, and Tolstoy compares those present in the Scherer salon to a talking machine. An intelligent, serious, inquisitive person cannot be satisfied with such communication, and he quickly becomes disillusioned with the world. However, the basis of a secular society is made up of those who like such communication and for whom it is necessary. Such people develop a certain stereotype of behavior, which they transfer to their personal, family life. Therefore, in their relationships in the family there is little cordiality, more practicality and calculation. A typical St. Petersburg family is the Kuragin family.
Moscow secular society appears to us completely different, which, however, is still similar in some ways to St. Petersburg. The first image of Moscow light in the novel is the description of the name day in the Rostov house. The morning reception of guests is reminiscent of social receptions in St. Petersburg: discussion of news, although not on a global scale, but local, feigned feelings of surprise or indignation, but the impression immediately changes with the appearance of children, who bring spontaneity, happiness, and causeless fun into the living room. At dinner with the Rostovs, all the qualities inherent in the Moscow nobility are manifested: hospitality, cordiality, nepotism. Moscow Society In many ways, it resembles one big family, where everyone knows everything, where they forgive each other’s small weaknesses and can publicly scold each other for mischief. Only in such a society could a figure like Akhrosimova appear, and Natasha’s outburst be condescendingly appreciated. Unlike the St. Petersburg nobility, the Moscow nobility is closer to the Russian people, their traditions and customs. In general, Tolstoy’s sympathies, apparently, are on the side of the Moscow nobility; it is not for nothing that his favorite heroes, the Rostovs, live in Moscow. And although the writer cannot approve of many of the traits and morals of Muscovites (gossiping, for example), he does not focus on them. In his depiction of secular society, Tolstoy actively uses the technique of “detachment,” which allows him to look at events and characters from an unexpected point of view. Thus, when describing an evening at Anna Pavlovna Scherer’s, the writer compares the salon with a spinning workshop, illuminating the social reception from an unexpected angle and allowing the reader to penetrate into the essence of the relationships at it. The French language in the speech of the heroes is also a technique of “detachment,” making it possible to more fully create the image of a secular society that at that time spoke mainly French.
1. “War and Peace” is an epic novel.
2. The concept and history of the work.
3. Petersburgers and Muscovites in the novel.
4. The significance of the work for understanding the society of the 19th century.
What are passions? - after all, sooner or later their sweet illness
Disappears at the word of reason; And life, as you look around with cold attention -
Such an empty and stupid joke...
M.Yu.Lermontov
“War and Peace” by L. N. Tolstoy is one of greatest works, included in the world classics of literature. A long and painstaking work was carried out on the novel. The writer began it in 1863, and finished it only six years later - in 1869. During this time, the novel underwent multiple corrections and was rewritten several times, almost from scratch.
The intention of the novel can be judged from the following letter addressed to A.I. Herzen and dated 1861: “I started a novel about four months ago, the hero of which should be the returning Decembrist ... in 56 to Russia with his wife, son and daughter and trying on his strict and somewhat ideal view of the new Russia...” However, the original idea expanded and changed over time (Tolstoy’s diary entry): “Involuntarily, I moved from the present to 1825, the era of errors and misfortunes of my hero, and left what I started. But even in 1825, my hero was already a mature, family man. To understand him, I needed to travel back to his youth, and his youth coincided with the glorious era of 1812 for Russia. Another time I abandoned what I had started and began to write from the time of 1812, the smell and sound of which are still audible and dear to us... The third time I returned back out of a feeling that may seem strange... I was ashamed to write about our triumph in the fight against Bonaparte's France, without describing our failures and our shame. So, having returned from 1856 to 1805, from now on I intend to take not one, but many of my heroines and heroes through the historical events of 1805, 1807, 1812, 1825 and 1856.”
In this novel, also called an epic novel, the author managed to thoroughly accurately, vividly and at the same time interestingly convey the life of the Russian nobility of the first half of the 19th century. A significant role is also given to the description of secular society, at that time divided into two “camps” that are very different from each other and constantly warring with each other - Moscow and St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg, which was the capital city at that time, is still distinguished to this day by its austere and cold beauty. He is unfriendly, unapproachable and beautiful. It is on a par with European cities, since it itself is a window to Europe. The high society of St. Petersburg is a special, closed and isolated world with its own laws and orders. The morals and customs of the members of this society are oriented towards European traditions. But the first, striking difference between such people is the extreme unnaturalness of their thoughts, words, and gestures. Representatives of this circle are too accustomed to the fact that going out into society is a game where you have to keep your face and you cannot show sincere emotions and feelings. It is no coincidence that Prince Vasily, who is directly related to this category of people, is repeatedly compared to an actor.
The main and favorite form of intellectual pastime of St. Petersburg society is the so-called salons. They held conversations about everything and nothing at the same time: they discussed acquaintances, politicians and emperors, news of war and culture. Naturally, the communication was conducted “at the highest level” and it might seem to an unfamiliar person that the things discussed by these people were very important and serious, and that the people talking were well-read and smart. However, this is not so, because it is no coincidence that the author himself compares one of these salons of Madame Scherer to a “talking machine.” There is something indifferent, mechanical in these techniques, acting without emotion according to a program set by the operator.
Such a pastime cannot satisfy an intelligent, inquisitive and lively person - there is too little soul and really important words in it. However, the people who form the basis of this society need such entertainment. For such salon regulars, this manner of behavior and communication extends to family life, devoid of warmth and understanding and filled with mechanical, cold calculation. A typical St. Petersburg family is the Kuragin “clan”.
Moscow society is presented completely differently. Despite some similarities with St. Petersburg, Moscow nobles arouse great reader sympathy. The first mention of Moscow high society is a description of the Rostov house. The morning reception of guests, dedicated to the name day, on the one hand, resembles gatherings at Scherer’s - the same gossip, as well as empty talk and discussion of important matters. The scale of conversations is smaller, as is less feigned surprise and deceit, which completely disappears from the room with the arrival of children. Children bring with them happiness, spontaneity, light and purity, and adults begin to enjoy life with them.
At the reception, the main qualities of Moscow high society are fully revealed - cordiality, family, hospitality. Moscow society resembles one big family with common troubles and joys. Here everyone knows about everyone and forgives each other’s minor sins, although they may scold each other publicly. Thus, Natasha Rostova’s outburst, which is natural for Moscow, will be absolutely unacceptable in St. Petersburg society. The Moscow world is closer to the people, remembers and honors their traditions. The author’s sympathies lie with the Muscovites; it’s not for nothing that the Rostovs live in Moscow. And although Muscovites also have shortcomings (the same gossip), Tolstoy does not focus on them.
When depicting secular society, the author constantly resorts to the technique of “detachment,” which allows one to look at the characters from a new, previously unexamined side. Likewise, the French language in the speech of the heroes is the same technique of “detachment”, which makes it possible to more accurately convey the thoughts and emotions of society. He spoke mainly French and German.
The epic novel was created already in the second half of the 19th century, that is, the author could not be a witness to the time period he described and used the works of writers and historical documents. It is for this reason that the depiction of society in the work is both traditional and revolutionary new. Thanks to the masterfully created characters of the heroes and correctly described details of social life, the novel “War and Peace” became a kind of encyclopedia of the Russian nobility of the first quarter of the 19th century.
SECULAR SOCIETY IN THE PICTURE OF L. N. TOLSTOY. L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” was created during the rapid social development of Russia. Democratic revolutionaries became widely known and attracted the attention of all progressive intelligentsia. In Russia, a struggle broke out between liberal nobles and revolutionary democrats. Leo Tolstoy was not a member of revolutionary societies, but always defended the positions of the patriarchal peasantry, forever breaking with the noble class. The great writer had reasons for this - mainly, it seems to me, of a moral nature. For a long life in noble nest and after observing the life of ordinary people for just as long, the great writer was still able to identify for himself an environment where true human values could exist - the people. After such a choice, these inert, degenerate, satiated people in brilliant clothes no longer meant much to the writer. He focused his attention on people of spirit. But noble society was always the subject of his caustic criticism.
In the novel, the writer reflected his most intimate thoughts about noble society, and especially sharply opposed metropolitan nobility, the so-called secular society.
At the very beginning of the novel, the author introduces the reader to a typical representative of high society, Anna Pavlovna Sherer. This is a cunning and dexterous woman who has formed a circle of high society, “in which there is nothing truthful, simple and natural. Everything is saturated through and through with lies, falsehood, callousness and hypocrisy.”
The person closest to Anna Pavlovna is Prince Vasily Kuragin. He is the head of the family of the famous Kuragin family and one of the successful businessmen of that time. It should be noted that the writer felt special hostility and contempt for people like Kuragin.
So, Prince Vasily - socialite, careerist and egoist. He strives to become the heir of a dying rich nobleman - Count Bezukhov. But this dream did not come true. The entire inheritance of the old count, according to his will, passed to his illegitimate son, Pierre Bezukhov. Prince Vasily immediately realized that by marrying Pierre to his daughter Helen, he would become a rich father-in-law. Having arranged this wedding, he dreams of another. He had a dream of finding a home for his son Anatoly. In his mind, this means marrying him profitably. The Kuragins go to Prince Bolkonsky to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. But old Bolkonsky quickly figured out Prince Vasily’s selfish plans and refused Anatoly, who didn’t care. Anatole does not have strong moral principles, just as his father and sister Helen do not have them.
Helen's only virtue is beauty. When she walks through the hall, the dazzling whiteness of her shoulders attracts the gaze of all the surrounding men. Helen began to shine especially brightly with her splendor and beauty in the world after her marriage. She never missed a single ball and was a welcome guest everywhere. Pierre was the complete opposite of her in character and felt an ever-increasing hostility towards his wife. Naturally, he was indifferent to Helen’s behavior, he was not even jealous of her. He well defined its essence: “Where you are, there is debauchery.”
But let's return to the Kuragins. It must be said that they stopped at nothing to achieve their goals. This is Anatole. Not loving Natasha Rostova, he does everything possible to win her hand. To do this, Anatole decided to put on a performance of ardent love and take her secretly from her parents’ house, so to speak, in the best romantic traditions.
But the performance fails. Seeing that the girl understood his intentions, he leaves for the active army to avoid the caustic talk of the world.
The second son of Prince Vasily, Ippolit, is exactly the same rake and fop. But to characteristic features Hippolytus must also be added to his mental limitations, which makes his actions especially ridiculous.
Using the example of the Kuragin family, Tolstoy depicted typical representatives of the world, for whom personal interests were always above all else.
Both Boris Drubetskoy and Berg belong to the light. The goal of their life is to always be in the spotlight of the world, to be able to get a “cushy place”, have a rich wife, create a brilliant career and get to the “top”.
The writer also makes it clear that the main representatives of the world are the king himself, his retinue, the military and civil administration. The Emperor grants the nobles all possible privileges in rights. I want to complete this series of secular society with Arakcheev - a serviceable, cruel, executive guardian of order, or rather, the well-being of secular society.
In Tolstoy's novel, secular society exists as a background against which the events of real, lofty, tragic and have a wonderful life Russian people and the best representatives of the nobility.
The multifaceted prose canvas created by Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy is a true picture of the life of the Russian people in the first quarter of the 19th century. The volume of the work and the scale of the description characteristically evoke the multifaceted problems of the novel. One of the problems that is solved by L.N. Tolstoy is the study of the moral essence of secular society in the novel “War and Peace”.
Artistic technique of opposition
One of the main artistic techniques used by the author is opposition. This catches your eye even before reading the epic novel, because this technique already emphasizes the title of the work. Through a parallel image based on the opposition of war and peace, Lev Nikolaevich depicts actual problems the era of the early 19th century, human vices and virtues, the values of society and the personal dramas of the heroes.
The technique of contrast affected not only the image plans, but also the images. In the novel, the author created images of war and peace. If the author depicts the war through battles, the characters of commanders, officers and soldiers, then the world personifies the image of Russian society in the first decades of the 19th century.
In describing the characteristic secular world in the novel “War and Peace,” the author does not deviate from his stylistic manner, which is characterized not only by philosophical digressions, where one can trace author's assessment of the events described, but also Comparative characteristics phenomena, images, spiritual qualities. This is how the author depicts representatives of the two main cities of the Empire – St. Petersburg and Moscow – in a hidden contrast.
Characteristics of metropolitan society in the novel
During the historical period described in the work, St. Petersburg was the capital of the Russian Empire, with a pretentious society characteristic of such a high rank. St. Petersburg is a city characterized by architectural splendor combined with cold gloominess and inaccessibility. The author transfers his unique character to St. Petersburg society.
Social events, balls, receptions are the main events for representatives of the capital's secular society. It is there that political, cultural and secular news are discussed. However, behind the external beauty of these events, it is clear that representatives of the nobility do not care or care at all about these topics, nor the opinions of their interlocutors, nor the outcome of conversations and meetings. The exposure of true and false beauty, the essence of metropolitan society is revealed in the novel from the first price in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer.
St. Petersburg high society in the novel plays familiar roles, speaks only about what is customary to talk about, and acts as expected. Using the example of the Kuragin family, who are characteristic representative metropolitan society, the author, with undisguised disappointment and irony, emphasizes the theatricality, affectation and cynicism of the social life of St. Petersburg and its representatives. Only those who are inexperienced or who have lost interest in role-playing find the approval of the author on the pages of the novel, through whose lips the author gives his assessment: “Drawing rooms, gossip, balls, vanity, insignificance - this is a vicious circle from which I cannot get out.”
Description of Moscow social life and its representatives
For the first time, the author introduces the reader to the customs and atmosphere of the Moscow nobility at the morning reception of the Rostov family. At first glance, it may seem that the social picture of Moscow is not much different from the society of the Northern capital. However, the conversations of representatives of the nobility are no longer so generalized and empty; in them one can also hear personal opinions, disputes and discussions, which indicates the sincerity of their views, true concern for the fate of their region and the state as a whole. At social events there is a place for children's pranks and good-natured laughter, sincere amazement, simplicity and directness of thoughts and actions, trust and forgiveness.
At the same time, one should not assume that Tolstoy, who undoubtedly sympathizes with Moscow society in the novel, idealizes it. On the contrary, he emphasizes many of his qualities that do not find approval from the author, such as envy, ridicule, passion for gossip and discussion of other people's private lives. However, creating an image of the secular society of Moscow, the author identifies it with characteristic both positive and negative traits inherent in the Russian people.
The role of the image of secular society in the novel
One of the main issues that underlies the work and my essay on the topic “Secular society in the novel “War and Peace”” is the essence of the Russian people, with all its versatility, shortcomings and advantages. In the novel, Tolstoy’s goal was to show, without embellishment and flattery, the true face of society at the beginning of the 19th century, in order to depict against its background the essence of the Russian soul and the main national values, such as home, family and state.
The image of society serves not only as a force that shapes views, opinions, principles of thinking and ideals of behavior, but also as a background for the expression of outstanding personalities, thanks to whose high moral qualities and heroism the war was won, which largely affected the future fate of the state.
Work test
All the heroes of the novel “War and Peace” (both fictional characters and historical figures) are grouped and assessed by Tolstoy depending on the degree of their closeness or distance from the people. This single principle of characterizing and evaluating the entire set characters(and there are more than five hundred of them in the novel) allowed the writer to bring together the image of people from very different social strata and different individual destinies.
The main accusation that Tolstoy makes against the St. Petersburg secular society, which leads a “ghostly”, artificial life, is isolation from the people, especially in times of terrible trials. “War and Peace” begins with a description of an evening in Anna Pavlovna Scherer’s salon, where the capital’s nobility gathers. In itself, the comparison of the evening with a spinning workshop (“Spindles made noise evenly and incessantly from different sides”) was quite accurate and definitely expressed the author’s attitude to the world of falsehood and emptiness, to that artificial life, which is characterized by mechanism and deadness. The thought of old Prince Bolkonsky about European politics: “some kind of puppet comedy” - takes on a generalized meaning.
L.N. Tolstoy puts forward certain criteria with the help of which he determines the value of the human personality: a person’s attitude to his homeland, people, nature, the ability for introspection, depth of experience, moral quest. Representatives of secular society do not stand the test of humanity. The environment of the Kuragins and others like them (Adolf Berg, Boris Drubetskoy and Rostopchin with his pseudo-patriotism) is distinguished precisely by their lifelessness, puppetry, hostility towards everything truly human, natural, and finally, simply decent. Vasily Kuragin tried to rob Pierre, his son, Anatole, involved Pierre in scandalous stories, and he brought a lot of grief to Marya Bolkonskaya and Natasha Rostova. Pierre had every reason to say, turning to Helen and referring not only to her alone, but to the entire secular world that she embodied: “...where you are, there is debauchery, evil...”.
The basic principle of Tolstoy’s depiction of negative characters is static, lack of movement, and depth of experience. Their moral world is always primitive, devoid of intellectual richness and moral attractiveness; they are not given a living perception of nature (none of them are depicted outside city houses, social evenings, balls, etc.). Thus, already in “War and Peace,” that “tearing off of all and every mask” begins, which will become especially characteristic of Tolstoy’s subsequent work. Elaborated poses, unchanging smiles, and acting were common both for habitual visitors to Anna Pavlovna’s salon and for Napoleon.
The motifs of puppetry and play as signs of unnaturalness and artificiality are heard especially clearly in the episodes where we are talking about how Natasha, who has just returned from the village and has not yet had time to get used to the conventions of secular society, visits the opera house. Tolstoy describes an opera performance, seen as if through her eyes, that is, from the point of view of a natural person: “... then some other people came running and began to drag away that girl who was previously in a white dress, and now in a blue dress. They didn’t drag her away right away, but sang to her for a long time, and then they dragged her away...” It is here, in the theater,
Natasha meets Anatole and becomes infatuated with him. The atmosphere of artificiality, falsehood, when the shameful, illegal turns out to be permitted and ordinary (“Naked Helen sat next to her ...”), deprives Natasha of simple, natural human ideas, her guidelines have shifted, and what would have been impossible for her moral sense just recently, is now becoming quite acceptable.
Tolstoy does not accept a life concerned only with “ghosts, reflections”, devoid of truly human values. And it is characteristic that representatives of the secular world, hated by the author, gradually occupy less and less space in the development of the action, in the end almost completely disappearing from the pages of the novel.
Unexpectedly, Helen dies from a strange and mysterious illness; nothing is said in the epilogue about the Kuragins and Scherer, Berg and Drubetsky. Napoleon is also forgotten. Everything dark, selfish, negative goes away, goodness, light, openness and naturalness win. Heroines of the epic novel “Tolstoy’s moral sensitivity,” writes E. A. Maimin, “forces him to portray heroes - both positive and negative - in the light of his ideal. He does not like those of his heroes who lack life and a unique personality.
In 1867, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy completed work on the work “War and Peace”. Speaking about his novel, Tolstoy admitted that in War and Peace he “loved popular thought.” The author poetizes simplicity, kindness, morality...
“War and Peace” is a Russian national epic, which reflected the character of a great people at the moment when its historical destinies were being decided. Tolstoy, trying to cover everything that he knew and felt at that time, gave in the novel a set of life, morals,...
Natasha Rostova is the central female character in the novel “War and Peace” and, perhaps, the author’s favorite. Tolstoy presents us with the evolution of his heroine over the fifteen-year period of her life, from 1805 to 1820, and over more than one and a half thousand...
Without knowing Tolstoy, one cannot consider oneself to know the country, one cannot consider oneself a cultured person. A.M. Bitter. The last page of the novel by L.N. has been turned. Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”... Whenever you close a book you have just read, you are left with a feeling...
