Chapter Summaries: Dole: Pierre realizes his danger. Fascinated. Prince Vasili's tactics. Ellen's name-day. The Princess Kuragina. Prince Vasili the life of the company. His anecdote of Sergyei Kuzmitch Vyazmitinof and the Imperial rescript. Ellen and Pierre. Young love and its aloofness. Pierre absent-minded. Prince Vasili brings the affair to a crisis. "Je vous aime." Pierre married.
Briggs: Pierre is trapped into a fashionable but loveless marriage.
Translation:
II. In the month of November of the year 1805 Prince Vasiliy was going for revision in four provinces. He arranged for himself this appointment so that to visit at the same time his disturbed estates, and seize with himself (in the location of his regiment) his son Anatole, and with him together call on Prince Nikolay Andreyevich Bolkonsky and from that marry his son to the daughter of this rich old man. Yet before the departure and these new cases, Prince Vasiliy needed to solve the affairs with Pierre, whom, really, at the latter time spent the whole day at home, i.e. at Prince Vasiliy’s, at whom he lived and was ridiculous, thrilled and stupid (as should be the fallen in love) in the presence of Elen, but all the more did not make an offer. “This is all perfect, but all had to be at the end,”329 — he said to himself in the time of the morning, Prince Vasiliy with a sigh of sadness, realizing that Pierre, with so many obliged to him (well, yes Christ with him!), had not really well arrived at this case. “Youth... frivolity... well, yes God with him, — thought Prince Vasiliy, with pleasure feeling his kindness: —I need to, need to place the ending.330 After tomorrow is Lyolin name day, I will call some, and should he not understand, what he should do, that now is my business. Yes, my business. I am —a father!” Pierre one and a half months after the evening at Anna Pavlovna’s and the ensuing for him sleepless, excited night, in which he decided that marriage to Elen would be misfortune, and that he needed to avoid her and leave, Pierre after this decision did not cross against Prince Vasiliy and with horror felt that every day he more and more in the eyes of people binded with her, that he may not in any way return to his still look at her, that he may not rip off from her, that this was terrible, but that he should bundle up with her their fate. Maybe, he could abstain, but this day did not pass, so at Prince Vasiliy’s (who seldom had a reception) there was not an evening, in which there was no Pierre, should he not want to upset common pleasure and to deceive the expectations of all. Prince Vasiliy in those rare minutes, when he had been at home, passing by Pierre, jerked him behind the arm downwards, absent-mindedly placing for him for a kiss of his shaved, wrinkled cheek and spoke “until tomorrow,” or “to dinner, but that I not see you there,” or “I am staying for you” and so on yet despite that, how, when Prince Vasiliy stayed for Pierre (as he spoke this), he did not speak with him two words, Pierre did not feel it in his forces to deceive his expectations. He everyday spoke to himself all one and another: “I need to again, finally, understand her and to give myself a report: who is she? Was I mistaken before or now I am mistaken? No, she is not stupid; no, she is a beautiful girl! — he spoke to himself sometimes. — Never has she been mistaken, never has she said something stupid. She speaks little, yet that what she says is always simple and it is clear. So she is not stupid. Never was she embarrassed or not embarrassed. So she is not a bad woman!” Often it happened with her to begin to reason, thinking out loud, and any time she answered him in this shortly, but by the way she said a remark, showing that she was not interested in this, or in a silent smile and look that more noticeably only showed Pierre her superiority. She was right, recognizing all reasoning as nonsense in comparison with this smile. She turned to him always with a joyful, trusting, to him alone related smile, in which was something more significant than what was in her general smile, always adorning her face. Pierre knew that all waited only for him to, finally, say one word, to step over through a famous hell, and he knew that he early or late would step across it; but that incomprehensible horror covered him in the one thought about this scary step. A thousand times in the continuation of the one and a half months, in the time which he felt himself all farther and farther retracted in that frightened missing of himself, Pierre spoke to himself: “Yes what is this? I need determination! Don’t I have it?” He wanted to decide, but with horror felt that it was not in him at this case that determination which he knew in himself and which really was in him. Pierre belonged to the number of those people that are strong only when they feel themselves quite pure. But from the day, as he controlled that feeling of willingness, which he experienced above the snuffbox at Anna Pavlovna’s, the unconscious feeling of these guilty aspirations paralyzed his determination. On the name day of Elen, Prince Vasiliy had a dinner of small society people, the most loved ones, as said the princess, relatives and friends. To all these relatives and friends was the given feeling that on this day, the fate of the lady of the name day should be decided. The visitors were sitting for dinner. Princess Kuragin, the massive, beautiful, representative woman sat in the master’s location. By both sides of her were sitting the most honorable visitors — an old general, his wife, and Anna Pavlovna Sherer; at the end of the desk were sitting the less eldery and honorary visitors, and there again were sitting the homeworkers, Pierre and Elen, — nearby. Prince Vasiliy did not have dinner: he laughed around the desk, in a fun location of spirit, sitting down to this and that, and to another from the guests. To each he spoke with a careless and pleasant word, excluding Pierre and Elen, whose presence he did not notice, it seemed. Prince Vasiliy revived all. Brightly burning wax candles, shining silver and crystal glassware, outfits giving gold and silver epaulets; around the table scurrying about servants in red caftans; was heard the sounds of knives, glasses, plates and the sounds of busy speech of several talking around this table. It was heard how an old chamberlain at one end assured an old baroness of their fiery love for her and her laugh; from another — the story about a failure of that Marya Viktorovna. At the middle of the table Prince Vasiliy focused around himself as a listener. He talked to a lady, with a playfully smile on his lips, lately — on Wednesday — a meeting of the state council, in which was received and read by Sergey Kuzmich Vyazmitinov, the new Petersburg military general-governor, a famous then rescript of Sovereign Aleksandr Pavlovich from the army, in which the sovereign, turning to Sergey Kuzmich, saying that from all parties he gets statements about the devotion of the people, and that the statements of Petersburg were especially nice to him, that he was proud of the honor be the head of such a nation and will try be worthy of it. This rescript began with the words: Sergey Kuzmich! To all parties reach before me gossip and etc. — So the same and not gone farther than “Sergey Kuzmich?” — asked alone the lady. — Yes, yes, or onto, — was the response of the laughing Prince Vasiliy. — “Sergey Kuzmich... to all parties. To all parties, Sergey Kuzmich…” poor Vyazmitinov could in no way go onwards. A few times he was accepted again for the letter, yet only would he say Sergey... sobbing... Ku...zmi...ch — tears... and to all parties drowned out by sobs, and farther he not could go. And again the handkerchief, and again “Sergey Kuzmich, to all parties,” and tears... so that now he was asked to read another. — Kuzmich... to all parties... and tears... — repeated someone laughing. — Do not be evil, — threatening with a finger, from another end of the table, spoke Anna Pavlovna , —He is such a nice person, our kind Vyazmitinov...331 All extremely laughed. At the top honorary end of the table all were, it seemed, happy and under the influence of the most institutional of lively moods; only Pierre and Elen were silently sitting nearby almost at the lower end of the table; on the face of both a restrained radiant smile, not dependent from Sergey Kuzmich, — a smile of bashfulness before their own feelings. What would be said and would be laughed and joked by others, as would be appetizingly eaten and rhine wine, saute, ice cream, as would be avoiding to look at this couple, as would be seeming indifferent, inattentive to them, felt that, by occasionally throwing at them views, that anecdote about Sergey Kuzmich, laughter, and food — all was feigned, all forces of attention of this society were addressed only at this couple — Pierre and Elen. Prince Vasiliy submitted the sobbing Sergey Kuzmich and at this time went around to look at his daughter; and at that time as he laughed, the expression on his face said: “So, so, all is going okay; now all will be decided.” Anna Pavlovna threatened him for notre bon Viasmitinoff (our kind Vyazmitinov), but in her eyes, which caught a glimpse at this moment to Pierre, Prince Vasiliy was reading greetings from his future son-in-law and happy daughter. The old princess, offering with a sad sigh wine to her neighbor and angrily looking at her daughter, by this sigh as if saying: “Yes, now we have nothing more left, as to drink sweet wine, my pretty; now while this youth is so cocky and defiantly happy”. “And for the stupidity of all that I am telling, as if this is interesting to me, — thought the diplomat, looking at the happy faces of the lovers — here this is happiness!” Among those insignificantly small, artificial interests which tied up this society, the horrible simple feeling of aspirations of the beautiful and healthy young men and women to each other. And this human feeling suppressed all and soared above all their artificial babble. Jokes were gloomy, news uninteresting, revitalization — obviously fake. Not only they, but the lackeys, serving behind the table, it seemed, felt the same and forgot the orders of service, peeping at the beauty Elen with her shining face and on the red, thick, happy and anxious face of Pierre. It seemed the lights of the candles focus was only on these two happy faces. Pierre felt that he was the lone center, and this position pleased and embarrassed him. He was found in the condition of a human in-depth in some occupation. He saw nothing clearly, not understanding and not hearing. Only occasionally, suddenly, flashed into his soul fragmentary thoughts and impressions of reality. “So really all is over! — he thought. — And so this is all made? So fast! Now I know that not for her alone, not for myself alone, but for all this must inevitably happen. They all so wait for this, so sure that this will be that I cannot deceive them. Yet how is this? I do not know; but will, indispensable will!” thought Pierre, looking at these shoulders, the most brilliant beside his eyes. Suddenly he became ashamed by something. He was awkward, how he alone took the attention of all, that he was lucky in the eyes of others, that he with his ugly face was Paris, possessing Elena. “But, rightly, this is always so and so needs to be, — he comforted himself. — And, however, what again did I do for this? When was this started? From Moscow I went together with Prince Vasiliy. Here still nothing was. Then, from what again I was not staying with him? Then I played with her in cards and raised her reticule, drove with her to roll. When again did this start, when was all this made?” And here sat beside her groom; hearing, seeing, feeling her close, her breaths, her movements, her beauty. That suddenly to him it seemed that this was not her, but he himself was so unusually handsome because of those watching so at him, and he, happy in the common surprise, straightened his chest, lifting his head and rejoicing in his happiness. Suddenly some voice, that familiar voice, is heard and spoke to him how that is for a different time. Yet Pierre was so busy that he did not understand what was spoken to him. — I ask you, when you received a letter from Bolkonsky, — repeated for a third time Prince Vasiliy. — How you are scattered, my sweet. Prince Vasiliy smiled, and Pierre saw that all were smiling at him and at Elen. “Well, what the same, if you all know,” Pierre spoke to himself. “Well, what the same? This really is”, and he himself smiled his meek, children’s smile, and Elen smiled. — When again did you receive it? From Olmutz? — repeated Prince Vasiliy, to him as if he needed this to know for a decision of argument. “And if I can speak and think about these nothings?” thought Pierre. — Yes, from Olmutz, — he responded with a sigh. From dinner Pierre led his lady for others into the living room. The visitors began to disperse and some were leaving, not saying goodbye to Elen. As if not wishing to rip her off from her serious lessons, some approached in a moment and rather quickly departed, forbidding her to accompany themselves. The diplomat sadly kept silent, exiting from the living room. He presented all the vanity of his diplomatic career in comparison with the happy Pierre. The old general angrily grunted at his wife, when she asked him about the condition of his legs. “What an old fool, —he thought. — Here Elen Vasilevna at 50 years-old will be a beauty.” — It seems that I can congratulate you, — whispered Anna Pavlovna to the princess and kissed her hard. — Would it not be for my migraine, I would stay. The princess answered with nothing; she was tormented by envy at the happiness of her daughter. Pierre in the time of the conducted guests long stayed alone with Elen in the little living room, where they sat down. He often and before in the last one and a half months, stayed alone with Elen, yet never spoke to her about love. Now he felt that this was necessary, but he could in no way decide in this last step. He was ashamed; to him it seemed, that here, beside Elen, he took the place of another. “Not for you is this happiness, — spoke to him that inner voice. — This is a happiness for those, in whom there is no understanding of what is in you.” Yet the need was to say something, and he began talking. He asked her whether she was happy with the night. She, as always, with simplicity answered him that the current name day was for her alone of the most pleasant. Some of the nearest relatives still stayed. They were sitting in the big living room. Prince Vasiliy with lazy steps came up to Pierre. Pierre got up and said that now it was late. Prince Vasiliy strictly and interrogatively looked at him, as if that, what he said, was so weird that it could not be heard. Yet following behind that expression severity changed, and Prince Vasiliy yanked Pierre downwards behind the arm, planted him and affectionately smiled. — Well, what, Lelya? — he turned immediately again to his daughter with that careless tone of habitual tenderness, which parents assimilated, from childhood caressing their children, but which Prince Vasiliy was only guessing through imitation of other parents. And he again turned to Pierre: — Sergey Kuzmich, to all parties, — he spoke, unfastening the upper button of his vest. Pierre smiled, but by his smile it was seen that he understood that the anecdote of Sergey Kuzmich did not interest Prince Vasiliy in this time; and Prince Vasiliy got that Pierre understood this. Prince Vasiliy suddenly mumbled something and got out. Pierre saw that even Prince Vasiliy was embarrassed. The view of embarrassment in this old societal man touched Pierre; he turned back to Elen — and she, it seemed, was embarrassed and her look said: “What the same, you yourself to blame.” “I need to inevitably step over, but I cannot, I cannot,” thought Pierre, and began talking again about the visitors, about Sergey Kuzmich, asking, in what consisted this anecdote, as he himself had not heard it. Elen with a smile answered that she too did not know it. When Prince Vasiliy entered into the living room, the princess quietly spoke with an elderly lady about Pierre. — Sure, this is a very brilliant party, but happiness, my pretty... — Marriages take place in heaven,332 — answered the elderly lady. Prince Vasiliy, as to not give a listen, passed to the further corner and sat down on the sofa. He closed his eyes as if dozing off. His head fell, and he woke up. —Alina, — said he to his wife, — look at what are they are doing.333 The princess came up to the door, walked past it with a significant, indifferent look and peeked in the living room. Pierre and Elen so the same were sitting and talking. — All the same, — she answered to her husband. Prince Vasiliy frowned, wrinkled his mouth to the side, his cheeks hopped with his intrinsic unpleasant, rude expression; he, shaking himself, got up, threw backwards his head and with decisive steps, going past, passed into the little living room. His fast steps happily came up to Pierre. The face of the prince was so unusually solemn that Pierre, scared, got up at seeing him. — Thank God! — he said. — My wife told everything to me! — he hugged one hand of Pierre, the other — his daughter. — My friend Lelya! I am very, very glad. — his voice trembling. — I loved your father... and she will be a nice wife to you... And God bless you!... He hugged his daughter, then again Pierre and kissed him with his senile mouth. His tears, really, wetted his cheeks. — Princess, again come here, — he screamed. The princess exited and cried too. The elderly lady too wiped off her handkerchief. Pierre was kissed, and he a few times kissed the hand of beautiful Elen. In some time they again were left alone. “All this must be so and could not be otherwise, — thought Pierre, — therefore there is nothing to ask, whether this is okay or bad. Okay, because that it is definite, and not the former painful doubt.” Pierre silently held the hand of his bride and watched her rising and descending beautiful chest. — Elen! — he said out loud and stopped. “What is the so special saying in these cases,” he thought, but could in no way remember, what so was spoken in these cases. He looked at her face. She moved nearer to him. Her face blushed. — Ah, take this off...as this... — she pointed out at the glasses. Pierre stripped off his glasses, and his eyes were in excess of the general oddities of the eyes of people with removed glasses, and his eyes looked scared and interrogatively. He wanted to bend down above her hand and to kiss her; but she with the quick and rude movement of her head intercepted his lips and brought them with her own. Her face struck Pierre with its changed, unpleasant and bewildered expression. “Now it is already late, all is over; yes and I love her,” thought Pierre. — I love you!334 — he said, remembering that what was needed to speak in these cases; but these words were heard so poorly that he had become ashamed for himself. In one and a half months he was married and settled, as it is said, the happy owner of a beautiful wife and a million, in the big Petersburg newly trimmed house of Count Bezuhov. 329. “Tout ça est bel et bon, mais il faut que ça finisse,” (“This is all well and good, but that has to be finished,”) 330. mais il faut, que ça finisse (but that has to be finished) 331. c’est un si brave et excellent homme notre bon Viasmitinoff... (He is such a brave and excellent man, our good Viasmitinoff...) 332. — sure, c’est un parti très brillant, mais le bonheur, ma chère... — Les mariages se font dans les cieux, (sure, it's a very brilliant party, but happiness, my dear...
Briggs: Pierre is trapped into a fashionable but loveless marriage.
Translation:
II. In the month of November of the year 1805 Prince Vasiliy was going for revision in four provinces. He arranged for himself this appointment so that to visit at the same time his disturbed estates, and seize with himself (in the location of his regiment) his son Anatole, and with him together call on Prince Nikolay Andreyevich Bolkonsky and from that marry his son to the daughter of this rich old man. Yet before the departure and these new cases, Prince Vasiliy needed to solve the affairs with Pierre, whom, really, at the latter time spent the whole day at home, i.e. at Prince Vasiliy’s, at whom he lived and was ridiculous, thrilled and stupid (as should be the fallen in love) in the presence of Elen, but all the more did not make an offer. “This is all perfect, but all had to be at the end,”329 — he said to himself in the time of the morning, Prince Vasiliy with a sigh of sadness, realizing that Pierre, with so many obliged to him (well, yes Christ with him!), had not really well arrived at this case. “Youth... frivolity... well, yes God with him, — thought Prince Vasiliy, with pleasure feeling his kindness: —I need to, need to place the ending.330 After tomorrow is Lyolin name day, I will call some, and should he not understand, what he should do, that now is my business. Yes, my business. I am —a father!” Pierre one and a half months after the evening at Anna Pavlovna’s and the ensuing for him sleepless, excited night, in which he decided that marriage to Elen would be misfortune, and that he needed to avoid her and leave, Pierre after this decision did not cross against Prince Vasiliy and with horror felt that every day he more and more in the eyes of people binded with her, that he may not in any way return to his still look at her, that he may not rip off from her, that this was terrible, but that he should bundle up with her their fate. Maybe, he could abstain, but this day did not pass, so at Prince Vasiliy’s (who seldom had a reception) there was not an evening, in which there was no Pierre, should he not want to upset common pleasure and to deceive the expectations of all. Prince Vasiliy in those rare minutes, when he had been at home, passing by Pierre, jerked him behind the arm downwards, absent-mindedly placing for him for a kiss of his shaved, wrinkled cheek and spoke “until tomorrow,” or “to dinner, but that I not see you there,” or “I am staying for you” and so on yet despite that, how, when Prince Vasiliy stayed for Pierre (as he spoke this), he did not speak with him two words, Pierre did not feel it in his forces to deceive his expectations. He everyday spoke to himself all one and another: “I need to again, finally, understand her and to give myself a report: who is she? Was I mistaken before or now I am mistaken? No, she is not stupid; no, she is a beautiful girl! — he spoke to himself sometimes. — Never has she been mistaken, never has she said something stupid. She speaks little, yet that what she says is always simple and it is clear. So she is not stupid. Never was she embarrassed or not embarrassed. So she is not a bad woman!” Often it happened with her to begin to reason, thinking out loud, and any time she answered him in this shortly, but by the way she said a remark, showing that she was not interested in this, or in a silent smile and look that more noticeably only showed Pierre her superiority. She was right, recognizing all reasoning as nonsense in comparison with this smile. She turned to him always with a joyful, trusting, to him alone related smile, in which was something more significant than what was in her general smile, always adorning her face. Pierre knew that all waited only for him to, finally, say one word, to step over through a famous hell, and he knew that he early or late would step across it; but that incomprehensible horror covered him in the one thought about this scary step. A thousand times in the continuation of the one and a half months, in the time which he felt himself all farther and farther retracted in that frightened missing of himself, Pierre spoke to himself: “Yes what is this? I need determination! Don’t I have it?” He wanted to decide, but with horror felt that it was not in him at this case that determination which he knew in himself and which really was in him. Pierre belonged to the number of those people that are strong only when they feel themselves quite pure. But from the day, as he controlled that feeling of willingness, which he experienced above the snuffbox at Anna Pavlovna’s, the unconscious feeling of these guilty aspirations paralyzed his determination. On the name day of Elen, Prince Vasiliy had a dinner of small society people, the most loved ones, as said the princess, relatives and friends. To all these relatives and friends was the given feeling that on this day, the fate of the lady of the name day should be decided. The visitors were sitting for dinner. Princess Kuragin, the massive, beautiful, representative woman sat in the master’s location. By both sides of her were sitting the most honorable visitors — an old general, his wife, and Anna Pavlovna Sherer; at the end of the desk were sitting the less eldery and honorary visitors, and there again were sitting the homeworkers, Pierre and Elen, — nearby. Prince Vasiliy did not have dinner: he laughed around the desk, in a fun location of spirit, sitting down to this and that, and to another from the guests. To each he spoke with a careless and pleasant word, excluding Pierre and Elen, whose presence he did not notice, it seemed. Prince Vasiliy revived all. Brightly burning wax candles, shining silver and crystal glassware, outfits giving gold and silver epaulets; around the table scurrying about servants in red caftans; was heard the sounds of knives, glasses, plates and the sounds of busy speech of several talking around this table. It was heard how an old chamberlain at one end assured an old baroness of their fiery love for her and her laugh; from another — the story about a failure of that Marya Viktorovna. At the middle of the table Prince Vasiliy focused around himself as a listener. He talked to a lady, with a playfully smile on his lips, lately — on Wednesday — a meeting of the state council, in which was received and read by Sergey Kuzmich Vyazmitinov, the new Petersburg military general-governor, a famous then rescript of Sovereign Aleksandr Pavlovich from the army, in which the sovereign, turning to Sergey Kuzmich, saying that from all parties he gets statements about the devotion of the people, and that the statements of Petersburg were especially nice to him, that he was proud of the honor be the head of such a nation and will try be worthy of it. This rescript began with the words: Sergey Kuzmich! To all parties reach before me gossip and etc. — So the same and not gone farther than “Sergey Kuzmich?” — asked alone the lady. — Yes, yes, or onto, — was the response of the laughing Prince Vasiliy. — “Sergey Kuzmich... to all parties. To all parties, Sergey Kuzmich…” poor Vyazmitinov could in no way go onwards. A few times he was accepted again for the letter, yet only would he say Sergey... sobbing... Ku...zmi...ch — tears... and to all parties drowned out by sobs, and farther he not could go. And again the handkerchief, and again “Sergey Kuzmich, to all parties,” and tears... so that now he was asked to read another. — Kuzmich... to all parties... and tears... — repeated someone laughing. — Do not be evil, — threatening with a finger, from another end of the table, spoke Anna Pavlovna , —He is such a nice person, our kind Vyazmitinov...331 All extremely laughed. At the top honorary end of the table all were, it seemed, happy and under the influence of the most institutional of lively moods; only Pierre and Elen were silently sitting nearby almost at the lower end of the table; on the face of both a restrained radiant smile, not dependent from Sergey Kuzmich, — a smile of bashfulness before their own feelings. What would be said and would be laughed and joked by others, as would be appetizingly eaten and rhine wine, saute, ice cream, as would be avoiding to look at this couple, as would be seeming indifferent, inattentive to them, felt that, by occasionally throwing at them views, that anecdote about Sergey Kuzmich, laughter, and food — all was feigned, all forces of attention of this society were addressed only at this couple — Pierre and Elen. Prince Vasiliy submitted the sobbing Sergey Kuzmich and at this time went around to look at his daughter; and at that time as he laughed, the expression on his face said: “So, so, all is going okay; now all will be decided.” Anna Pavlovna threatened him for notre bon Viasmitinoff (our kind Vyazmitinov), but in her eyes, which caught a glimpse at this moment to Pierre, Prince Vasiliy was reading greetings from his future son-in-law and happy daughter. The old princess, offering with a sad sigh wine to her neighbor and angrily looking at her daughter, by this sigh as if saying: “Yes, now we have nothing more left, as to drink sweet wine, my pretty; now while this youth is so cocky and defiantly happy”. “And for the stupidity of all that I am telling, as if this is interesting to me, — thought the diplomat, looking at the happy faces of the lovers — here this is happiness!” Among those insignificantly small, artificial interests which tied up this society, the horrible simple feeling of aspirations of the beautiful and healthy young men and women to each other. And this human feeling suppressed all and soared above all their artificial babble. Jokes were gloomy, news uninteresting, revitalization — obviously fake. Not only they, but the lackeys, serving behind the table, it seemed, felt the same and forgot the orders of service, peeping at the beauty Elen with her shining face and on the red, thick, happy and anxious face of Pierre. It seemed the lights of the candles focus was only on these two happy faces. Pierre felt that he was the lone center, and this position pleased and embarrassed him. He was found in the condition of a human in-depth in some occupation. He saw nothing clearly, not understanding and not hearing. Only occasionally, suddenly, flashed into his soul fragmentary thoughts and impressions of reality. “So really all is over! — he thought. — And so this is all made? So fast! Now I know that not for her alone, not for myself alone, but for all this must inevitably happen. They all so wait for this, so sure that this will be that I cannot deceive them. Yet how is this? I do not know; but will, indispensable will!” thought Pierre, looking at these shoulders, the most brilliant beside his eyes. Suddenly he became ashamed by something. He was awkward, how he alone took the attention of all, that he was lucky in the eyes of others, that he with his ugly face was Paris, possessing Elena. “But, rightly, this is always so and so needs to be, — he comforted himself. — And, however, what again did I do for this? When was this started? From Moscow I went together with Prince Vasiliy. Here still nothing was. Then, from what again I was not staying with him? Then I played with her in cards and raised her reticule, drove with her to roll. When again did this start, when was all this made?” And here sat beside her groom; hearing, seeing, feeling her close, her breaths, her movements, her beauty. That suddenly to him it seemed that this was not her, but he himself was so unusually handsome because of those watching so at him, and he, happy in the common surprise, straightened his chest, lifting his head and rejoicing in his happiness. Suddenly some voice, that familiar voice, is heard and spoke to him how that is for a different time. Yet Pierre was so busy that he did not understand what was spoken to him. — I ask you, when you received a letter from Bolkonsky, — repeated for a third time Prince Vasiliy. — How you are scattered, my sweet. Prince Vasiliy smiled, and Pierre saw that all were smiling at him and at Elen. “Well, what the same, if you all know,” Pierre spoke to himself. “Well, what the same? This really is”, and he himself smiled his meek, children’s smile, and Elen smiled. — When again did you receive it? From Olmutz? — repeated Prince Vasiliy, to him as if he needed this to know for a decision of argument. “And if I can speak and think about these nothings?” thought Pierre. — Yes, from Olmutz, — he responded with a sigh. From dinner Pierre led his lady for others into the living room. The visitors began to disperse and some were leaving, not saying goodbye to Elen. As if not wishing to rip her off from her serious lessons, some approached in a moment and rather quickly departed, forbidding her to accompany themselves. The diplomat sadly kept silent, exiting from the living room. He presented all the vanity of his diplomatic career in comparison with the happy Pierre. The old general angrily grunted at his wife, when she asked him about the condition of his legs. “What an old fool, —he thought. — Here Elen Vasilevna at 50 years-old will be a beauty.” — It seems that I can congratulate you, — whispered Anna Pavlovna to the princess and kissed her hard. — Would it not be for my migraine, I would stay. The princess answered with nothing; she was tormented by envy at the happiness of her daughter. Pierre in the time of the conducted guests long stayed alone with Elen in the little living room, where they sat down. He often and before in the last one and a half months, stayed alone with Elen, yet never spoke to her about love. Now he felt that this was necessary, but he could in no way decide in this last step. He was ashamed; to him it seemed, that here, beside Elen, he took the place of another. “Not for you is this happiness, — spoke to him that inner voice. — This is a happiness for those, in whom there is no understanding of what is in you.” Yet the need was to say something, and he began talking. He asked her whether she was happy with the night. She, as always, with simplicity answered him that the current name day was for her alone of the most pleasant. Some of the nearest relatives still stayed. They were sitting in the big living room. Prince Vasiliy with lazy steps came up to Pierre. Pierre got up and said that now it was late. Prince Vasiliy strictly and interrogatively looked at him, as if that, what he said, was so weird that it could not be heard. Yet following behind that expression severity changed, and Prince Vasiliy yanked Pierre downwards behind the arm, planted him and affectionately smiled. — Well, what, Lelya? — he turned immediately again to his daughter with that careless tone of habitual tenderness, which parents assimilated, from childhood caressing their children, but which Prince Vasiliy was only guessing through imitation of other parents. And he again turned to Pierre: — Sergey Kuzmich, to all parties, — he spoke, unfastening the upper button of his vest. Pierre smiled, but by his smile it was seen that he understood that the anecdote of Sergey Kuzmich did not interest Prince Vasiliy in this time; and Prince Vasiliy got that Pierre understood this. Prince Vasiliy suddenly mumbled something and got out. Pierre saw that even Prince Vasiliy was embarrassed. The view of embarrassment in this old societal man touched Pierre; he turned back to Elen — and she, it seemed, was embarrassed and her look said: “What the same, you yourself to blame.” “I need to inevitably step over, but I cannot, I cannot,” thought Pierre, and began talking again about the visitors, about Sergey Kuzmich, asking, in what consisted this anecdote, as he himself had not heard it. Elen with a smile answered that she too did not know it. When Prince Vasiliy entered into the living room, the princess quietly spoke with an elderly lady about Pierre. — Sure, this is a very brilliant party, but happiness, my pretty... — Marriages take place in heaven,332 — answered the elderly lady. Prince Vasiliy, as to not give a listen, passed to the further corner and sat down on the sofa. He closed his eyes as if dozing off. His head fell, and he woke up. —Alina, — said he to his wife, — look at what are they are doing.333 The princess came up to the door, walked past it with a significant, indifferent look and peeked in the living room. Pierre and Elen so the same were sitting and talking. — All the same, — she answered to her husband. Prince Vasiliy frowned, wrinkled his mouth to the side, his cheeks hopped with his intrinsic unpleasant, rude expression; he, shaking himself, got up, threw backwards his head and with decisive steps, going past, passed into the little living room. His fast steps happily came up to Pierre. The face of the prince was so unusually solemn that Pierre, scared, got up at seeing him. — Thank God! — he said. — My wife told everything to me! — he hugged one hand of Pierre, the other — his daughter. — My friend Lelya! I am very, very glad. — his voice trembling. — I loved your father... and she will be a nice wife to you... And God bless you!... He hugged his daughter, then again Pierre and kissed him with his senile mouth. His tears, really, wetted his cheeks. — Princess, again come here, — he screamed. The princess exited and cried too. The elderly lady too wiped off her handkerchief. Pierre was kissed, and he a few times kissed the hand of beautiful Elen. In some time they again were left alone. “All this must be so and could not be otherwise, — thought Pierre, — therefore there is nothing to ask, whether this is okay or bad. Okay, because that it is definite, and not the former painful doubt.” Pierre silently held the hand of his bride and watched her rising and descending beautiful chest. — Elen! — he said out loud and stopped. “What is the so special saying in these cases,” he thought, but could in no way remember, what so was spoken in these cases. He looked at her face. She moved nearer to him. Her face blushed. — Ah, take this off...as this... — she pointed out at the glasses. Pierre stripped off his glasses, and his eyes were in excess of the general oddities of the eyes of people with removed glasses, and his eyes looked scared and interrogatively. He wanted to bend down above her hand and to kiss her; but she with the quick and rude movement of her head intercepted his lips and brought them with her own. Her face struck Pierre with its changed, unpleasant and bewildered expression. “Now it is already late, all is over; yes and I love her,” thought Pierre. — I love you!334 — he said, remembering that what was needed to speak in these cases; but these words were heard so poorly that he had become ashamed for himself. In one and a half months he was married and settled, as it is said, the happy owner of a beautiful wife and a million, in the big Petersburg newly trimmed house of Count Bezuhov. 329. “Tout ça est bel et bon, mais il faut que ça finisse,” (“This is all well and good, but that has to be finished,”) 330. mais il faut, que ça finisse (but that has to be finished) 331. c’est un si brave et excellent homme notre bon Viasmitinoff... (He is such a brave and excellent man, our good Viasmitinoff...) 332. — sure, c’est un parti très brillant, mais le bonheur, ma chère... — Les mariages se font dans les cieux, (sure, it's a very brilliant party, but happiness, my dear...
- Marriages are made in heaven,)
333. Aline allez voir ce qu’ils font (Aline go see what they're doing)
334. Je vous aime! (I love you!)
Time: November of 1805. Six weeks after the evening at Anna Pavlovna's and the following night. Also the day after tomorrow, Helene's name-day. Six weeks later.
Mentioned: Wednesday
Location: the house of Prince Vasili. The St. Petersburg house of the Counts Bezukhi.
Mentioned: Vasili's ruined estates (neglected estates in Maude, Garnett, and Mandelker. disordered estates in Pevear and Volkhonsky.), where Anatol's regiment was located, Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky's, Rhine, Moscow, Olmutz
Pevear and Volkhonsky Notes: Vassily does not see Pierre as acting properly by failing to propose to Helene. Pierre felt more bound to her every day because, as with his career choice, he is indecisive and is having the choice made for him, still caught in the contradiction. Now, caught where he has to cross a terrible invisible line, not unlike the one we saw between the two armies. “That frightening abyss.” “Pierre was one of those people who are strong only when they feel themselves perfectly pure,” definitely a contrast from Andrei or Nikolai. Prince Vassily is now the one playing host, being merry to everyone else. Back to talking about politics and war like the opening Pavlovna party.
Time: November of 1805. Six weeks after the evening at Anna Pavlovna's and the following night. Also the day after tomorrow, Helene's name-day. Six weeks later.
Mentioned: Wednesday
Location: the house of Prince Vasili. The St. Petersburg house of the Counts Bezukhi.
Mentioned: Vasili's ruined estates (neglected estates in Maude, Garnett, and Mandelker. disordered estates in Pevear and Volkhonsky.), where Anatol's regiment was located, Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky's, Rhine, Moscow, Olmutz
Pevear and Volkhonsky Notes: Vassily does not see Pierre as acting properly by failing to propose to Helene. Pierre felt more bound to her every day because, as with his career choice, he is indecisive and is having the choice made for him, still caught in the contradiction. Now, caught where he has to cross a terrible invisible line, not unlike the one we saw between the two armies. “That frightening abyss.” “Pierre was one of those people who are strong only when they feel themselves perfectly pure,” definitely a contrast from Andrei or Nikolai. Prince Vassily is now the one playing host, being merry to everyone else. Back to talking about politics and war like the opening Pavlovna party.
The Sergei Kuzmich story seems incomprehensible.
“The feeling for some reason was...that the anecdote about Sergei Kuzmich, and the laughter, and the food
were all a pretense, and all the power of attention of the entire company was directed only at this couple…”
were all a pretense, and all the power of attention of the entire company was directed only at this couple…”
“Pierre felt that he was the center of everything, and this position delighted and embarrassed him”
“But surely it always happens that way and must be so”
“The diplomat was sadly silent as he left the drawing room. He was thinking about all the vanity of his diplomatic
career compared with Pierre’s happiness.”
career compared with Pierre’s happiness.”
“The princess said nothing in reply; she was tormented by envy of her daughter’s happiness.”
“This happiness is not for you,” some innter voice was telling him (Pierre)”.
Prince Vassily only imitates being affectionate with his child.
I really think the imitation, the societal through the motions aspect of emotions and behavior is especially
striking in this chapter.
striking in this chapter.
The key thing is that Vassily takes the action, proposes for Pierre and Pierre doesn’t buck against it.
“All this had to be so and could not be otherwise,” thought Pierre, “therefore there’s no point in asking whether
it is good or bad. It’s good because it’s definite, and there’s no more of the old tormenting doubt.””
it is good or bad. It’s good because it’s definite, and there’s no more of the old tormenting doubt.””
She looks unpleasant when they kiss and she makes him take his glasses off.
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 *):
First mentions are underlined. Final appearance denoted by *):
Prince Vasili
Anatol (could argue he is just a mention, since he is only in the first paragraph and does nothing and does not seem to
be at the party)
Prince Nikolai Andreyevitch Bolkonsky
Princess Mariya (not by name, but only by being Prince Bolkonsky’s daughter)
Pierre
Ellen (also “Lyolina”, as in Dole. “Lelya” in Maude. Wiener, Garnett, and Bell don’t use this name. Also “Elena Vasilyevna”
in Dole and Dunnigan. “Elena Vassilyevna” in Garnett. “Helen Vassilievna” in Bell. Briggs, Edmonds, and Maude do not use
this name. Also called “Lyolya” in Dole and Mandelker. Wiener, Garnett, and Bell do not use this fourth name. Maude uses
“Lelya” again.)
Anna Pavlovna Scherer
Alina Kuragina (as in Dole. previously just Vasili’s wife. “Aline” is her first name in Briggs, Edmonds, and Dunnigan. )
Marya Viktorovna (Bell offers an alternative reading in “Maria Victorovna” “Mary Viktorovna” in Maude.)
Sergyei Kuzmitch Vyazmitinof (as in Dole. “Sergei Kuzmich Vyazmitinov” in Edmonds, Dunnigan, and Mandelker. “Sergyey
Kuzmich Vyazmitinov” in Wiener. “Serguei Kousmitch Viasmitinow” in Bell. “Sergey Kuzmich Vyazmitinov” in Maude and Briggs.
“Sergey Kuzmitch Vyazmitinov” in Garnett. Pavlovna also calls him “Viazmitinof”, as in Dole. Garnett, Dunnigan, and Briggs
do not differentiate between versions of his name, this latter one being the French one)
Czar Alexander (“Emperor Alexander Pavlovitch” here, as in Dole. “....Pavlovich” in Edmonds and Wiener. Just “Emperor
Alexander” in Mandelker, Maude, and Bell (who also calls him Czar, bucking the other translations by using two different titles
in the mention).
The diplomat
Prince Andrei (just “Bolkonsky”)
Count Bezukhoi (just “father”)
(Party guests: an old general and his wife, an aged chamberlain, aged baroness, auditors, ladies, including one specific lady
who asks Vasilli a question during his anecdote, and servants)
who asks Vasilli a question during his anecdote, and servants)
(Paris and Helen of Troy are referenced but should not be considered characters)
Abridged Versions: Dole puts a line break before the last paragraph to help go with the time skip.
Gibian: End of chapter 1.
Gibian: End of chapter 1.
Fuller: The information about all the other guests, as well as the Sergyei Kuzmitch Vyazmitinof anecdote are all cut. Most of the
party itself that doesn’t concern Pierre and Helene directly is cut.
party itself that doesn’t concern Pierre and Helene directly is cut.
Komroff: Some of Pierre’s early inner monologuing is gone. But the rest of the chapter seems preserved.
Kroptokin: A lot of the early chapter Vassily thoughts are removed. All the Sergyei Kuzmitch Vyazmitinof stuff is cut, a lot of the
party, though the Andrei reference is kept. Uses same Dole line break before chapter ends.
party, though the Andrei reference is kept. Uses same Dole line break before chapter ends.
Bromfield: Same and chapter 1 ends.
Simmons: The Vasili set up of the chapter is condensed and the Sergei Kuzmich anecdote is missing. End of chapter 1.
Simmons: The Vasili set up of the chapter is condensed and the Sergei Kuzmich anecdote is missing. End of chapter 1.
Edmundson: Act One Scene 15: This is a Anna Pavlovna soiree where Helene is brought to Pierre's attention. Vasili openly talks
about his plan to get Pierre married to Helene with Anna. Napoleon again shows up for Pierre to talk to instead of having an internal
monologue. Vasili intervenes and the scene ends with the Je vous aime.
Additional Notes: Garnett: “Tolstoy often signals morally suspect motives, behavior, or character traits by a character’s use of
tobacco in its various forms.”
tobacco in its various forms.”
“Count Vyazmitinov (1749-1819) was general of the infantry, vice president of the Council of War in 1802, minister of war, and
from 1805-1811 military governor-general of St. Petersburg.”
Bloom/Jones: Page 160: (French) “it is the language in which Pierre proposes to Helene, the language in which Helene
addresses Natasha at the opera. For Andrey, it is not only Natasha’s gaiety and shyness that are a mark of her naturalness,
but her mistakes in French.”
Rancour-Laferriere: Page 50: “Even her name suggests that she will not be faithful: in Greek myth Helen of Troy had left her
husband Menelaus for the handsome young Paris.”
Page 88: “Tolstoy generally avoids making a ‘big deal’ of Pierre’s vision problem except in passages dealing with the marriage
to Helene.”
from 1805-1811 military governor-general of St. Petersburg.”
Bloom/Jones: Page 160: (French) “it is the language in which Pierre proposes to Helene, the language in which Helene
addresses Natasha at the opera. For Andrey, it is not only Natasha’s gaiety and shyness that are a mark of her naturalness,
but her mistakes in French.”
Rancour-Laferriere: Page 50: “Even her name suggests that she will not be faithful: in Greek myth Helen of Troy had left her
husband Menelaus for the handsome young Paris.”
Page 88: “Tolstoy generally avoids making a ‘big deal’ of Pierre’s vision problem except in passages dealing with the marriage
to Helene.”
No comments:
Post a Comment