Peace in War

Peace in War

“Can this be death?” thought Prince Andrew, looking with a quite new, envious glance at the grass, the wormwood, and the streamlet of smoke that curled up from the rotating black ball. “I cannot, I do not wish to die. I love life – I love this grass, this earth, this air…” He thought this, and at the same time remembered that people were looking at him.
-Book Ten, Chapter 36, page 722

He remembered Natasha as he had seen her for the first time at the ball in 1810, with her slender neck and arms and with a frightened happy face ready for rapture, and love and tenderness for her, stronger and more vivid than ever, awoke in his soul. He now remembered the connection that existed between himself and this man who was dimly gazing at him through tears that filled his swollen eyes [Anatole]. He remembered everything, and ecstatic pity and love for that man overflowed his happy heart.
Prince Andrew could no longer restrain himself and wept tender loving tears for his fellow men, for himself, and for his own and their errors.
“Compassion, love of our brothers, for those who love us and for those who hate us, love of our enemies; yes, that love which God preached on earth and which Princess Mary taught me and I did not understand – that is what made me sorry to part with life, that is what remained for me had I lived. But now it is too late. I know it!”
-Book Ten, Chapter 37, page 726

It has proved quite ironic that the moments of greatest peace and harmony in War and Peace through Book XI have occurred in the midst of exterior battle or inner turmoil. For example, Nicholas stands in awe of the beauty of nature during his first battle, Andrew contemplates the lofty sky as he lies wounded in battle, and Pierre gazes at the comet of 1812 after he confesses his devotion to Natasha. Keeping these passages in mind and incorporating the passages above about Prince Andrew, what is Tolstoy suggesting about peace and happiness?

These scenes clearly suggest a strong correlation between respect for the beauty of nature and peace. Tolstoy uses a language of spiritual awakening in each of these men’s experiences, such as the “lofty sky”, “uplifted soul”, and “new life”. Nicholas even emits a prayer after he is amazed by the beautiful scenery surrounding the battleground.

The repetition of these similar passages throughout the text indicates that Tolstoy is drawing upon the greater theme that the humble man emerges triumphant. He takes great care in describing the battle at Borodino to remark that the French had every military advantage and forced the Russians to retreat past Moscow, but the Russians gained a “spiritual” victory after this battle. He also describes the church procession from Borodino and Kutuzov’s devotion to the icon of the Holy Virgin Mother. Could Tolstoy be indicating that man can only find peace and thus happiness when he humbles himself to recognize a greater force in the universe and his own trivialness?

As Prince Andrew lies wounded for the second time, how does he take the mental leap from acknowledging his love and respect for the earth to understanding that compassion is the key to life? Could Tolstoy be suggesting that such a spiritual awakening is what leads to inner peace? His reconciliation with Anatole is one of the most moving passages in the novel because Anatole seems to be completely undeserving of forgiveness, but Andrew ends up weeping for Anatole’s errors. Andrew also states that Princess Mary tried to teach him the great lesson of compassion for his fellow men. Presuming that Tolstoy is trying to bring inner peace to the humble man, the man that is able to keep perspective of his own significance in relation to God and the universe, then it would follow that Princess Mary, the teacher of this compassion and the most religious-minded character, would attain the most happiness and inner peace at the end of the novel. Does Tolstoy accredit Princess Mary with this virtue? Is she rewarded for her sacrifices and humility?

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