Chapter Summaries: Dole: The Russians crossing the bridge. Nesvitsky on the bridge. Scraps of soldier talk. The German household. Denisof on the bridge. Military repartees.
Briggs: Incidents on the crowded bridge.
Translation:
VII. Above the bridge now flew two enemy shots, and on the bridge was a crush. In the middle of the bridge, tearing down from his horse, pressing his thick body to the railing, stood Prince Nesvitsky. He, laughing, looked around backwards at his Cossack, who with two horses stood about a few steps behind him. Only that Prince Nesvitsky wanted to move forward, as more soldiers and wagons were pushing to him and again pressed him to the railing, and he stayed doing nothing, as he smiled. — What are you doing, my brother! — said the Cossack to the cart soldier with a wagon, pushing into the crowd with most of the wheels, horses and infantry, — What are you doing! No, so that to wait: you see, the general is driving through. But the cart, not turning attention to the name General, shouted at the soldier, jamming the road: — Hey! Countrymen! Hold to the left, wait! But the countrymen, crowding together shoulder from shoulder, clinging bayonets and not interrupting, moved by the bridge in one solid mass. Seeing behind the railing downwards, Prince Nesvitsky saw the quick, noisy, low waves of the Enns, which, merging, rippled and bent over about the piles of the bridge, distilling into another. Looking on the bridge, he saw the same monotonous living waves of soldiers, cords, shakos with covers, backpacks, bayonets, long guns and from under the shakoes faces with broad cheekbones, sunken cheeks and carefree tired expressions and moving legs by coach on the sticky mud boards of the bridge. Sometimes between the monotonous waves of soldiers, as spattered the white foam on the waves of the Enns, squeezed through the officer in a cloak, with his excellent soldier physiognomy; sometimes, as silver curling by the river, carried away by the bridge were waves of infantry on foot, a hussar, a valet or an inhabitant; sometimes, as a log floating on the river, surrounded by all parties, swam by the bridge a company or an officer, imposed to the front or a covered in leather wagon. — You see, they are as a dam burst, — hopelessly stopping, said the Cossack. — How much more is there? — A million without one! — winkingly speaking close in torn greatcoats a merry soldier and hiding behind him passed a different, old soldier. — So he (he — the enemy) now by the bridge will fry, — spoke the gloomy old soldier, turning to his friend, — forget the bother. And the soldier passed. Behind him a different soldier rode in a wagon. — Where, damn, are the footcloths stuffed? — spoke the valet, running following behind the wagon and rummaging in its backside. And these passed with the wagon. Behind by these went funny and, apparently, drunk soldiers. — So he hit him, that sweet person, blazing that butt in most of his teeth... — happily spoke one soldier in a highly submerged greatcoat, widely swinging his hand. — That’s it, that sweet ham, — was the response of another with laughter. And they had passed, so that Nesvitsky did not find out, who was stroked in the teeth and why they carried off ham. — You are in a hurry! How he let it cool, so and think, all interrupt, — spoke the noncommissioned officer angrily and reproachfully. — How it will fly by past me, uncle, that cannon ball, — spoke, barely holding on from laughter, from a huge mouthed young soldier, — I so measured. Right, by God, so I got scared, trouble! — spoke this soldier, as if showing off how he got scared. And these passed. Behind them followed by a wagon, unlike everything passing before. This was a German trailer with a couple, loaded, it seemed, with the whole house; behind a trailer which carried the Germans, was tied a beautiful, multicolored, with a huge udder, cow. On a feather bed sat a woman with a kid at her breast, an old woman and a young, crimson, healthy German girl. It was seen that by special approval were these evicted residents passing. The eyes of all the soldiers turned to the women, and, while the wagon drove, they moved step for step, and all the remarks of the soldiers related only to the two women. All the faces were almost one in that same smile and obscene thoughts about these women. — See, that sausage also gets out! — Sell the mother, — hitting on the last syllable, spoke another soldier, turning to the German, who lowered his eyes, angrily and scaredly walking, surrounded by the steps. — You are so clean! What the hell! — Here would you stand by him, Fedotov! — I have seen, brother! — What are you? — asked the infantry officer, eating an apple, also half smiling and looking at the beautiful girl. The German closed his eyes, showing that he did not understand. — You want, take for yourself, — spoke the officer, giving the girl the apple. The girl smiled and took. Nesvitsky, as all formerly on the bridge, did not lower his eye from the women while they didn’t drive through. When they drove through, again went such the same soldiers, with such the same conversations, and, finally, all stopped. As often is, in the departure on the bridge the horses hesitated at the company wagon, and all the crowd had to wait. — And what happened? There is no order! — said the soldiers. — What are you? Damn! Not this so that to wait. Worse than this is how he will set the bridge on fire. You see, and that officer is pinned, — said from different parties in the stopped crowd, looking around each other, and all huddled forward to exit. Looking back below the bridge at the water of the Enns, Nesvitsky suddenly heard a still new for him sound, fast approaching... something large and something flopping in the water. — You see, what beats! — strictly said the close standing soldier, looking back at the sound. — Encouraging, if it soon passes, — said another restlessly. The crowd again set off. Nesvitsky got that this was a cannon ball. — Hey, Cossack, serve the horse! — he said. — Well, you! Keep away! Get out! The road! He with a big effort got to the horses. Not ceasing to shout, he set off forward. The soldiers shrunk, so if to give him the road; but again more pressed on him so that they crushed his leg, and the nearest were not to blame because of how they were crushed still stronger. — Nesvitsky! Nesvitsky! You mug! — was heard at this time in a hoarse voice from the back. Nesvitsky turned back and saw at fifteen steps separated from him the living mass of moving infantry, red, black, shaggy, and in a cap on the back of his head and in a well done draped over shoulder jacket Vaski Denisov. — You lead them to hell, devils give the road, — shouted Denisov, apparently found in a fit of fervor, glistening and driving his own black as coal eyes in excited whites and waving unbrokeningly a scabbard saber, which he held in such the same red as his face, bare little hand. — Eh! Vasya! — was the response of the happy Nesvitsky. — And what are you doing? — The squadron cannot take it, — shouted Vaska Denisov, viciously opening his white teeth, spurring his beautiful black Bedouin, which, blinking with its ears against the bayonets into which it bumped, snorting, squirting around itself, foaming from the mouthpiece, ringing, beating hooves on the boards of the bridge and, it seemed, was ready to jump over the railing of the bridge, would it be allowed by the rider. — What is this? Like rams! Exactly and exactly like rams! Away... give the road!... stop there! You wagon, damn! I’ll chop with the saber! — he shouted, really taking out his saber and waving it from head to head. The soldiers with scared faces squeezed to each other, and Denisov joined Nesvitsky. — What you are not already drunk now? — said Nesvitsky to Denisov, when he drove to him. — And drunk time not given! — was the response of Vaska Denisov. — The whole day is there, here carrying the regiment. A fight — so fight. But damn knows what! — How you are a dandy now! — looking around at his new gown and shabrack, said Nesvitsky. Denisov smiled, took out from the sabretache a handkerchief, spreading the smell of perfume, and put it to the nose of Nesvitsky. — Cannot be going in this business! Shaved, teeth cleaned and scented. The cunning figure of Nesvitsky, followed by the Cossack, and the determination of Denisov, waving a saber and frantically screaming, acted so that they squeezed through on that side of the bridge and stopped the infantry. Nesvitsky found in departure the colonel, to which he needed to deliver the order, and, carrying out his commission, went backwards. Clearing the road, Denisov stopped at the entry of the bridge. carelessly holding back his bursting and feet beating stallion, he watched on and moved towards the squadron. By the boards of the bridge were heard the transparent sounds of hooves, as if the galloping of a few horses, and the squadron, with the officers ahead, four men in a row, stretched out by the bridge and beginning to exit on that side. The stopping infantry soldiers, crowding in the trampled bridge mud, with that special unfriendly feeling of alienation and ridicule, with how they usually met various delivery troops, looked at the clean, dapper hussar, harmoniously passing by them. — Smart guys! Only would be in the Podnovinsk! — What from them is good! Only for show and to lead! — spoke another. — Infantry, not dust! — joked a hussar, from whom the horse below, having played, splashed mud at the infantryman. — Would you have been chased away with a knapsack for two transitions, those shoelaces would get used to it, — wiping with a sleeve mud from his face, spoke the infantryman; — But that is not a person, but a bird that sits! — That would you, Zikin, be put on a horse with your dexterity, — joked the corporal above a thin, twisting from the weight of a knapsack, soldier. — Cudgel between your feet taking you where your horse will, — responded the hussar.
Time: see previous chapter
Locations: the bridge over the Enns
Mentioned: German, Podnovinskoe Avenue (Podnovinsky in Bell, Garnett, and Mandelker (who adds fairgrounds). Podnovinskoye in Dole. Just the fair in Dunnigan.)
Pevear and Volkhonsky notes:
Briggs: Incidents on the crowded bridge.
Translation:
VII. Above the bridge now flew two enemy shots, and on the bridge was a crush. In the middle of the bridge, tearing down from his horse, pressing his thick body to the railing, stood Prince Nesvitsky. He, laughing, looked around backwards at his Cossack, who with two horses stood about a few steps behind him. Only that Prince Nesvitsky wanted to move forward, as more soldiers and wagons were pushing to him and again pressed him to the railing, and he stayed doing nothing, as he smiled. — What are you doing, my brother! — said the Cossack to the cart soldier with a wagon, pushing into the crowd with most of the wheels, horses and infantry, — What are you doing! No, so that to wait: you see, the general is driving through. But the cart, not turning attention to the name General, shouted at the soldier, jamming the road: — Hey! Countrymen! Hold to the left, wait! But the countrymen, crowding together shoulder from shoulder, clinging bayonets and not interrupting, moved by the bridge in one solid mass. Seeing behind the railing downwards, Prince Nesvitsky saw the quick, noisy, low waves of the Enns, which, merging, rippled and bent over about the piles of the bridge, distilling into another. Looking on the bridge, he saw the same monotonous living waves of soldiers, cords, shakos with covers, backpacks, bayonets, long guns and from under the shakoes faces with broad cheekbones, sunken cheeks and carefree tired expressions and moving legs by coach on the sticky mud boards of the bridge. Sometimes between the monotonous waves of soldiers, as spattered the white foam on the waves of the Enns, squeezed through the officer in a cloak, with his excellent soldier physiognomy; sometimes, as silver curling by the river, carried away by the bridge were waves of infantry on foot, a hussar, a valet or an inhabitant; sometimes, as a log floating on the river, surrounded by all parties, swam by the bridge a company or an officer, imposed to the front or a covered in leather wagon. — You see, they are as a dam burst, — hopelessly stopping, said the Cossack. — How much more is there? — A million without one! — winkingly speaking close in torn greatcoats a merry soldier and hiding behind him passed a different, old soldier. — So he (he — the enemy) now by the bridge will fry, — spoke the gloomy old soldier, turning to his friend, — forget the bother. And the soldier passed. Behind him a different soldier rode in a wagon. — Where, damn, are the footcloths stuffed? — spoke the valet, running following behind the wagon and rummaging in its backside. And these passed with the wagon. Behind by these went funny and, apparently, drunk soldiers. — So he hit him, that sweet person, blazing that butt in most of his teeth... — happily spoke one soldier in a highly submerged greatcoat, widely swinging his hand. — That’s it, that sweet ham, — was the response of another with laughter. And they had passed, so that Nesvitsky did not find out, who was stroked in the teeth and why they carried off ham. — You are in a hurry! How he let it cool, so and think, all interrupt, — spoke the noncommissioned officer angrily and reproachfully. — How it will fly by past me, uncle, that cannon ball, — spoke, barely holding on from laughter, from a huge mouthed young soldier, — I so measured. Right, by God, so I got scared, trouble! — spoke this soldier, as if showing off how he got scared. And these passed. Behind them followed by a wagon, unlike everything passing before. This was a German trailer with a couple, loaded, it seemed, with the whole house; behind a trailer which carried the Germans, was tied a beautiful, multicolored, with a huge udder, cow. On a feather bed sat a woman with a kid at her breast, an old woman and a young, crimson, healthy German girl. It was seen that by special approval were these evicted residents passing. The eyes of all the soldiers turned to the women, and, while the wagon drove, they moved step for step, and all the remarks of the soldiers related only to the two women. All the faces were almost one in that same smile and obscene thoughts about these women. — See, that sausage also gets out! — Sell the mother, — hitting on the last syllable, spoke another soldier, turning to the German, who lowered his eyes, angrily and scaredly walking, surrounded by the steps. — You are so clean! What the hell! — Here would you stand by him, Fedotov! — I have seen, brother! — What are you? — asked the infantry officer, eating an apple, also half smiling and looking at the beautiful girl. The German closed his eyes, showing that he did not understand. — You want, take for yourself, — spoke the officer, giving the girl the apple. The girl smiled and took. Nesvitsky, as all formerly on the bridge, did not lower his eye from the women while they didn’t drive through. When they drove through, again went such the same soldiers, with such the same conversations, and, finally, all stopped. As often is, in the departure on the bridge the horses hesitated at the company wagon, and all the crowd had to wait. — And what happened? There is no order! — said the soldiers. — What are you? Damn! Not this so that to wait. Worse than this is how he will set the bridge on fire. You see, and that officer is pinned, — said from different parties in the stopped crowd, looking around each other, and all huddled forward to exit. Looking back below the bridge at the water of the Enns, Nesvitsky suddenly heard a still new for him sound, fast approaching... something large and something flopping in the water. — You see, what beats! — strictly said the close standing soldier, looking back at the sound. — Encouraging, if it soon passes, — said another restlessly. The crowd again set off. Nesvitsky got that this was a cannon ball. — Hey, Cossack, serve the horse! — he said. — Well, you! Keep away! Get out! The road! He with a big effort got to the horses. Not ceasing to shout, he set off forward. The soldiers shrunk, so if to give him the road; but again more pressed on him so that they crushed his leg, and the nearest were not to blame because of how they were crushed still stronger. — Nesvitsky! Nesvitsky! You mug! — was heard at this time in a hoarse voice from the back. Nesvitsky turned back and saw at fifteen steps separated from him the living mass of moving infantry, red, black, shaggy, and in a cap on the back of his head and in a well done draped over shoulder jacket Vaski Denisov. — You lead them to hell, devils give the road, — shouted Denisov, apparently found in a fit of fervor, glistening and driving his own black as coal eyes in excited whites and waving unbrokeningly a scabbard saber, which he held in such the same red as his face, bare little hand. — Eh! Vasya! — was the response of the happy Nesvitsky. — And what are you doing? — The squadron cannot take it, — shouted Vaska Denisov, viciously opening his white teeth, spurring his beautiful black Bedouin, which, blinking with its ears against the bayonets into which it bumped, snorting, squirting around itself, foaming from the mouthpiece, ringing, beating hooves on the boards of the bridge and, it seemed, was ready to jump over the railing of the bridge, would it be allowed by the rider. — What is this? Like rams! Exactly and exactly like rams! Away... give the road!... stop there! You wagon, damn! I’ll chop with the saber! — he shouted, really taking out his saber and waving it from head to head. The soldiers with scared faces squeezed to each other, and Denisov joined Nesvitsky. — What you are not already drunk now? — said Nesvitsky to Denisov, when he drove to him. — And drunk time not given! — was the response of Vaska Denisov. — The whole day is there, here carrying the regiment. A fight — so fight. But damn knows what! — How you are a dandy now! — looking around at his new gown and shabrack, said Nesvitsky. Denisov smiled, took out from the sabretache a handkerchief, spreading the smell of perfume, and put it to the nose of Nesvitsky. — Cannot be going in this business! Shaved, teeth cleaned and scented. The cunning figure of Nesvitsky, followed by the Cossack, and the determination of Denisov, waving a saber and frantically screaming, acted so that they squeezed through on that side of the bridge and stopped the infantry. Nesvitsky found in departure the colonel, to which he needed to deliver the order, and, carrying out his commission, went backwards. Clearing the road, Denisov stopped at the entry of the bridge. carelessly holding back his bursting and feet beating stallion, he watched on and moved towards the squadron. By the boards of the bridge were heard the transparent sounds of hooves, as if the galloping of a few horses, and the squadron, with the officers ahead, four men in a row, stretched out by the bridge and beginning to exit on that side. The stopping infantry soldiers, crowding in the trampled bridge mud, with that special unfriendly feeling of alienation and ridicule, with how they usually met various delivery troops, looked at the clean, dapper hussar, harmoniously passing by them. — Smart guys! Only would be in the Podnovinsk! — What from them is good! Only for show and to lead! — spoke another. — Infantry, not dust! — joked a hussar, from whom the horse below, having played, splashed mud at the infantryman. — Would you have been chased away with a knapsack for two transitions, those shoelaces would get used to it, — wiping with a sleeve mud from his face, spoke the infantryman; — But that is not a person, but a bird that sits! — That would you, Zikin, be put on a horse with your dexterity, — joked the corporal above a thin, twisting from the weight of a knapsack, soldier. — Cudgel between your feet taking you where your horse will, — responded the hussar.
Time: see previous chapter
Locations: the bridge over the Enns
Mentioned: German, Podnovinskoe Avenue (Podnovinsky in Bell, Garnett, and Mandelker (who adds fairgrounds). Podnovinskoye in Dole. Just the fair in Dunnigan.)
Pevear and Volkhonsky notes:
“enemy”
Again, more emphasis on the fatness of Nesvitsky.
A mass of soldiers that they need to get on the other side, but they won’t budge or make room. “Monotonous living waves of soldiers...carefree, weary faces”. Nature language in how they go along like “waves” or “logs”.
“It’s like a dam burst” the Cossack says.
Snippets of conversations that the reader nor Nesvitsky can piece together.
Just as the nuns are subject to sexual assault, the women civilians passing by are as well. “All the soldiers’ faces bore virtually one and the same smile of indecent thoughts about these women.”
The horses are the next obstacle that draw attention from the soldiers and the reader/narrator. Their “As often happens” moment confuses the characters.
Denisov shows up and compares the soldiers to sheep: “like sheep! Just like sheep!” He, threatening his fellow soldiers. But it is not all chaos, as Denisov and Nesvitsky essentially stop and have a conversation about drinking, clothes,
and going into action.
and going into action.
The fracturedness of class and branches of the military emphasized here. That infantryman versus hussar argument that Berg brings up in a much different context to Shinshin at the Rostov party seems worth revisiting.
Characters (characters who do not appear, but are mentioned are placed in italics. First appearances are in Bold. First mentions are underlined. Final appearance denoted by *):
Prince Nesvitsky (and his horse, called a “Bedouin”. The Cossack refers to him as “general”)
A Cossack (“his Cossack” and his horse)
Soldier driving a baggage wagon (as in Dole and Dunnigan, “in charge of a waggon-load” in Garnett, “a driver...his wagon” in Briggs, “convoy-soldier with a wagon” in Mandelker, Maude, and Edmonds (no hyphen). The Cossack calls
him “boy” in Dole, Edmonds, and Briggs, “friend” in Wiener, “there” in Bell, “lad” in Garnett and Dunnigan, “Brother” in Mandelker)
jolly soldier in a torn overcoat (as in Dole. “.....coat” in Dunnigan. “merry….” in Wiener. “Wag in the ranks” in Bell. “Cheerful soldier in a torn coat” in Garnett. “Soldier in a torn coat...cheerfully” in Briggs. “Waggish soldier in a torn coat”
in Mandelker and Maude. “Cheerful soldier in a torn great-coat” in Edmonds.)
Old Tambof soldier (as in Dole, no reference to “Tambof” in Wiener, Bell, or Garnett. No reference to it in Russian text, but his dialogue in accented and nearly unintelligible in direct translation, so Dole put that differentiation in there to
highlight this)
Soldier riding on a baggage wagon (as in Dole. Briggs and Dunnigan omit “baggage.” “sitting on a cart” in Mandelker, Maude, and Edmonds.)
A denshchik (as in Dole. “Officer’s servant” in Wiener, “military servant” in Bell. “Orderly” in Garnett, Mandelker, and Briggs.)
Soldier who wore the collar of his overcoat turned up (as in Dole. The one who mentions the hitting of the gun into the teeth. “His greatcoat well tucked up” in Dunnigan, Mandelker, and Maude, “tucked-up greatcoat” in Briggs, and
“his greatcoat tucked up round his waist” in Edmonds. “His coat pulled out over his belt” in Wiener. “His hood was up” in Bell. Garnett just cuts the detail)
The other (as in Dole, Bell, and Garnett. “Another” in Wiener. “Another one” in Briggs)
A non-commissioned officer (as in Dole and Dunnigan (no hyphen in the latter). “NCO” in Briggs. “A sergeant” in Mandelker, Maude, and Edmonds. “Under-officer” in Wiener. “Sub-altern” in Bell)
A young soldier with a monstrous mouth (as in Dole. “....enormous…” in Wiener, Dunnigan, and Mandelker. “....huge…” in Garnett and Briggs. Mouth detail omitted in Bell.)
A German (driving the Vorspann with the “handsome brindled cow, with an enormous udder”, as in Dole. Maude just calls the Vorspann a “cart”.
Woman
Baby (or “babe” as in Wiener.)
Old granny (as in Dole and Edmonds, “older woman” in Briggs, “old woman” in Mandelker, Maude, and Dunnigan)
Young healthy-looking German girl (as in Dole, Edmonds (omitting “looking”), and Wiener, “with flaming red cheeks.” Just “handsome, rosy-cheeked” in Bell, Garnett being the same, other than using “good-looking”. “Young, rather
pretty” in Briggs. “Healthy” with no emphasis on attractiveness or youth in Mandelker and Dunnigan.)
Another soldier (who wants to have the “little woman” sold to him.)
Fyedotof (as in Dole. “Fedotow” in Bell. “Fedotov” in Garnett, Mandelker, and Briggs. Could technically be “another soldier” above, as it is an unnamed and undifferentiated soldier saying the name of a soldier who isn’t pointed out
by the narrator.)
An infantry officer (the one eating the apple.)
Vaska Denisof (also called “Vasya” by Nesvitsky in Dole and Wiener)
The colonel (that Nesvitsky was supposed to deliver the message to)
A hussar
Infantry-man (as in Dole. No hyphen in Briggs, Dunnigan and Mandelker. Verbally spars with the hussar)
Zikin (a “little soldier” who seems to be having a hard time carrying his “knapsack.” Who the corporal that mocks him is is unclear and thus I’m not separating him)
(because of the mass of different soldiers and fracturedness of conversations, the soldiers are really hard to track here and different interpretations could be made about who is who here.)
Abridged Versions: No chapter break in Bell.
Gidian: Line break instead of chapter break.
Gidian: Line break instead of chapter break.
Fuller: cuts the German family and the soldiers yelling that there is no order is whittled down. Denisov and Rostov connection is quickly explained (because I think he had been cut until now in Fuller). The section ends, with a line
break, after Nesvitsky finds the colonel, cutting the argument between the infantry and hussars.
break, after Nesvitsky finds the colonel, cutting the argument between the infantry and hussars.
Komroff: The Cossack yelling early in the chapter is cut, the first dialogue after description being “They’re like a river bursting…” The dialogue of the soldiers is also condensed and combined, undifferentiating them and heightening
the mess. Some of it, like the soldier who was laughing about being scared, is removed entirely, getting to the German family much quicker. The chaos between the German family, with the additional soldier yelling and cannonball,
and Denisov is removed. This section is shortened and their extraneous conversation is removed. The section also ends, with a line break, after Nesvitsky finds the colonel.
the mess. Some of it, like the soldier who was laughing about being scared, is removed entirely, getting to the German family much quicker. The chaos between the German family, with the additional soldier yelling and cannonball,
and Denisov is removed. This section is shortened and their extraneous conversation is removed. The section also ends, with a line break, after Nesvitsky finds the colonel.
Kropotkin: Entire chapter is cut.
Bromfield: Chapter 7: Really the same until the argument at the end, where a new character, “young Peronsky, the finest horseman in the regiment” is introduced. The argument between hussars and infantry men plays out the same.
Simmons: Entire chapter is cut.
Simmons: Entire chapter is cut.
Additional notes:
Rey: Page 225: "The infantry still remained the pillar of the Russian army, but the cavalry, and especially the artillery, provided with more efficient weapons, saw their role strengthened"
Rey: Page 225: "The infantry still remained the pillar of the Russian army, but the cavalry, and especially the artillery, provided with more efficient weapons, saw their role strengthened"
The last two chapters really portray the Russian military in an exceptionally negative manner (the entirety of the part, or perhaps the entirety of the first half of the novel seems to do this as well, detailing the problems not only with the command and officers, but the lower ranked soldiers as well) with threats of rape and possession of women (the lack of women and its effect on the soldiers' is explored later on in the novel with the doctor's wife), violence or threats of violence against native peoples, a clear division and rivalry between the infantry and cavalry, and general chaos and disorganization. This extremely negative portrayal of the military certainly doesn't jive well with Pierre's realization that being a "simple soldier" after Borodino (and then his relationship with Platon later on) is what would bring him happiness (of course, you could argue that his "realization" is wrong, just like his "realization" about Anatole's happy, worry-free life before he learns about what has happened between him and Natasha. However, I don't think we can safely say this, since his realization about Anatole is immediately proved wrong and his realization about the "simple soldier" is never rebutted). But, perhaps Tolstoy would agree and say this is the point, since after all, the entire campaign of 1805 (and then 1806-1807) is demonstrated to be futile and a losing effort, while the defense of Russia in 1812 is shown much differently (especially when you look at the last few "war" chapters in the novel, where the soldiers are shown to be cheerful and realize that the French are people too (Dolokhov, who doesn't seem to share this view, leaves the novel, while Denisov, who takes prisoners, stays in the book). Later Tolstoy, the more specifically pacifist and anti-military (though the arguments are all in this novel as well) Tolstoy, may agree with this view of the military more than how he showed the army later in the novel.
No comments:
Post a Comment