Preview

Prince Andrei Sparknotes

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
558 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Prince Andrei Sparknotes
Throughout this section, Tolstoy investigates the origins of patriotism and national identity. Although many of the characters vigorously support the Russian cause, their reasoning for doing so are diverse. Prince Andrei hopes to achieve a gratifying career and get away from his wife; dreamy Nikolai glamorizes battle; Ippolit Kuragin wants opportunities to pick up women. None of these characters seem to be moved by nationalist feelings - all of them volunteered for the war due to self-interest or misconceptions.

The most patriotic character we see in this section seems to be Bilibin, and he isn’t even a Russian patriot. In his time as a diplomat, he seems to have become loyal to Austria, often using “we” to refer to the Austrians and siding with them against Prince Andrei in Brünn. Bilibin’s patriotic feelings are not for the country where he was born, but for the country where he has lived and made his career since he was sixteen. In the same way that war is a social equalizer, patriotism is not as rigid as each country would like to believe, but rather is a malleable concept as dependent on an individual’s desires as on his homeland. …show more content…
In addition to the subplot about Telyanin stealing the purse, Prince Andrei witnesses someone is flogged for stealing, and one anonymous soldier accuses another of stealing (Pg. 197). Although the perpetrators are always people of relatively low rank (Telyanin is a low-ranking lieutenant, and the rest are foot soldiers), there is a loose parallel with the scuffle over the Bezukhov inheritance in Part 1. Tolstoy seems to suggest that although stealing may be more overt in the lower classes, it stems from basic qualities of human nature that are also present in the nobility. By transposing this theme into such a markedly different setting, Tolstoy continues to explore his theme of presenting the highest and lowest realms of humanity, here finding interesting
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Leo Tolstoy's The Death Of Ivan Ilyich
    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Leo Tolstoy's The Death Of Ivan Ilyich

    Tolstoy uses” The Death of Ivan Ilyich” to illustrate to his readers the undesirable consequences of living a life as Ivan Ilyich did. The theme of the story is lies and deceit. Ivan Ilyich made decisions centered on the thoughts and perceptions of what others thought. He also placed much emphasis on monetary benefits during making decisions. The closer Ilyich becomes with his own mortality, he grasps that he had wasted everything that was pure and meaningful in his life for acceptance, work, and money. The theme of lies and deceit is portrayed throughout the book. “Ivan Ilych wanted to weep, wanted to be petted and cried over, and then his colleague Shebek would come, and instead of weeping and being petted, Ivan Ilyich would assume a serious, severe, and profound air, and by force of habit would express his opinion on a decision of the Court of Cassation and would stubbornly insist on that view. This falsity around him and within him did more than anything else to poison his last days” (Tolstoy 760). Leo Tolstoy’s use of point of view and imagery in ‘The Death of Ivan Ilych’ illustrates inner turmoil between living for their own satisfaction and living for the approval of others…

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Ivan Ilyich Thesis
    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ivan Ilyich Thesis

    1. Tolstoy describes Ivan Ilyich’s desire to conform to the standards of his society and his belief that he was leading right life.…

    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ivan Ilyich
    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ivan Ilyich

    Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich shares the often scary and sudden subject of death and its relation to life. Tolstoy goes about this topic by sharing the life and death of Ivan Ilyich. Ivan finds himself in physical and psychological agony as his last days wane away. Throughout his sickness, he experiences realizations that make him question his entire life and previous goals. The story of the Ivan’s death are riddled with messages about life and happiness. The three major messages are the important of time, life continuing after death, and possessions and social rank in relation to quality of life.…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Fyodor Dostoevsky The Grand Inquisitor Analysis
    • 1429 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Fyodor Dostoevsky The Grand Inquisitor Analysis

    In 1880, 19th century writer Fyodor Dostoevsky published one of the most famous novels in world literature called The Brothers Karamazov. Many honor this work as a representation of humanity’s struggles and sins, but Dostoevsky also incorporates what he believed to be the most fundamental issues of his time. His works are formed in the context of a religious consciousness that hold criticisms in direct relation to Russia’s affiliation with the West, as well as the analysis of Orthodox culture. Enlisting the views of Nikolaĭ Berd︠i︡aev and John Moran, this essay will provide a partial moral and historical evaluation of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s parable The Grand Inquisitor within his book The Brother’s Karamazov, but will primarily provide an analysis…

    • 1429 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Symbolism In Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime
    • 1695 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Symbolism In Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime

    To begin, St. Petersburg serves as a symbol of the corrupt state of society and its influence on Raskolnikov’s actions. For instance, in the first pages of Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov describes the atmosphere of St. Petersburg as “terribly hot [...] with an intolerable stench from the taverns, especially numerous in that part of the city, and the drunkards kept running into even though it was a weekday, completed the loathsome and melancholy coloring of the picture” (Dostoevsky 4). In this case, the imagery of the dirty and disorient city of St. Petersburg is a symbol for the current state of society; imperfect, unequal, and full of corruption. The dysfunctional society of St. Petersburg clearly takes a toll on Raskolnikov, as he quickly finds himself poverty-stricken. In a corrupt society where the wealthy thrive and the poor suffer, he has no choice but to resort to crime in order to make ends meet. Similarly, Raskolnikov’s theory of the extraordinary versus the ordinary serves as a symbol of the imbalance of power in society. For instance, social inequality becomes increasingly apparent as Raskolnikov…

    • 1695 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Violence In Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime
    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Role Of Violence In Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime

    Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel, Crime and Punishment, riddles its characters with physical, sexual, and psychological violence. Thomas C. Foster asserts in the chapter “More than it’s Going to Hurt You: Concerning Violence” of How to Read Literature like a Professor that no violence exists for its own sake; Rather, violence is useful in contributing to the novel’s overall message. Crime and Punishment is powerful demonstrating the control of conscience, guilt and otherwise, over the life of man. Quite typically violence erupts due to a sick combination of id and ego. The relationship between Semyon Zaharovitch Marmeladov, a town drunk of St. Petersburg, and his children and spouse, Katerina Ivanovna, is built upon a myriad of violence catalyzed by guilt. This relationship is the quintessence of lives tyrannized by guilt resulting in a vicious circle of ferocity.…

    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To What Extent Would You Consider the Failure of the Provisional Government and the Success of the Bolsheviks in October 1917 to Be a Direct Consequence of Russia’s Involvement in World War 1?
    • 1616 Words
    • 7 Pages

    To What Extent Would You Consider the Failure of the Provisional Government and the Success of the Bolsheviks in October 1917 to Be a Direct Consequence of Russia’s Involvement in World War 1?

    Russia’s involvement in World War One had been a topic of much bitterness within Russia for a number of years and continued to be a source of much resentment. The working class and peasantry had suffered greatly, thousands of soldiers had been lost in the war and a general feeling of military humiliation overcame Russia with the army beginning to desert the government, unwilling to fight for territory when people simply wanted peace. Domestically, practically every family had lost a loved one as a result of war and the resentment amongst the people towards the Provisional Government grew swiftly and unforgivingly.…

    • 1616 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    How Does Raskolnikov's View Of Room
    • 1310 Words
    • 6 Pages

    How Does Raskolnikov's View Of Room

    People often judge others based on physical appearances, such as what they wear or how they style their hair. The style and condition of their home and room can also reveal their character, as homes are the place where people spend most of their time. In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel titled Crime and Punishment, translated by David McDuff, the author includes descriptions of rooms to influence the reader’s interpretation of the characters. Specifically, Dostoevsky reveals the characters by describing the furnishing and size of the rooms of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, the protagonist, Sonya Marmeladov, the prostitute, Alyona Ivanovna, the pawnbroker, and Porfiry Petrovitch, the police inspector. In Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky reveals…

    • 1310 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Death Of Ivan Ilyich Essay
    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Death Of Ivan Ilyich Essay

    In “The Death of Ivan Ilyich,” the author Leo Tolstoy attempts to describe the social status of Russia in the 19th century. Tolstoy uses realistic writing techniques to vividly and profoundly depict the inner feeling of a dying man by describing the protagonist’s words and behavior. Through narrating the death of one ordinary official, he exposed hypocrisy, indifference, and lack of faith between man and man. Tolstoy shows that people always pursue decorum and propriety, but they reject the idea of death and avoid talking other bad things which be identified as impolite. Everywhere in this story, the reader can see that all the characters except Gerasim spent their time running after fame and money. Ivan Ilyich also desires for decorum, propriety, and pleasantness during his whole life. One image that…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Ivan Ilyich Suffering
    • 1371 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Ivan Ilyich Suffering

    The author of this story, Leo Tolstoy, based some of his perspective in this story off of his own personal experience. In our book it notes that this story resembles his guilt of not caring for his own brother while he was dying of tuberculosis, but of thriving for his own literary fame (739). The story is written during the realism era in literature. The period of realism entailed literature that spoke of the true lives of ordinary middle class citizens. It spoke in much detail of the characters themselves, rather than the surroundings or plot of the story.…

    • 1371 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Leo Tolstoy's 'The Death Of Ivan Ilyich'
    • 1023 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Leo Tolstoy's 'The Death Of Ivan Ilyich'

    Ivan Ilyich was always a working man, often choosing his profession over his family. He would “distance himself…while cultivating the best circles among the judiciary and wealthy gentry of the town”(Tolstoy 169). Tolstoy explains how Ivan’s incessant pursuit of success eventually leads him down a road of misery and loneliness. At first Ivan’s motive was to earn money in order to live a comfortable, happy life with his family, but this changed when his quest for power overtook him. He completely shut out his family and focused solely on advancing in his profession. Ivan Ilyich simply traded one family for another. His love for his actual family had faded and was reincarnated into a love for success. By showing the grim result of Ivan’s choices, Tolstoy gives his readers a good idea of what can happen if they were to follow the same…

    • 1023 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Prince and the Cold War
    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Prince and the Cold War

    The Cold War was one of the most significant events of European history because it caused a split in Europe that divided the continent into Western Europe, the capitalists, and Eastern Europe, the communist Soviets. During the Cold War, many different European leaders took different approaches on holding a country down and protecting it from the Soviets, or joining the Soviets. In the novel, The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli, advice is given to a prince for governing a principality, or a nation, and maintaining a strong nation that will not be conquered. Much of his advice can be seen in the actions of a multitude of European leaders during the Cold War, but there are some leaders that did not follow Machiavelli’s advice and was still able to maintain the nation that he ruled. One of these leaders is Mikhail Gorbachev.…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Overcoat
    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Overcoat

    For many centuries, social injustice has occurred in society such as inequality between social classes and corrupt government which has affected many people. [Preface] In the text “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol deals with the theme of social realism in 19th century East-European literature. [Main idea] The author wants to portray the realistic social, political and personal issues that relate to the struggles of class and the outcomes of the society’s social structure. [Thesis] The author explores corruption in society, status and class anxiety, and government and bureaucratic incompetence. The author refers to symbolism and metaphor.…

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How to Become a True Russian
    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How to Become a True Russian

    The personality of Russians is a particularly interesting subject. Russians contrast themselves with the materialistic culture of the West and define themselves in terms of spirituality and their “Russian soul.” Russian national character was explored by outstanding novelists and came to be used by historians and political scientists as part of the explanation for Russia’s history.…

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Cherry Orchard: Social Change
    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Cherry Orchard: Social Change

    As Lopakhin remembers Madame Ranevsky’s charitable act fifteen years prior, he stumbles on the word “peasant.” He says he was a peasant, but in retrospect, he is still a peasant. Lopakhin undergoes a significant class change within his society during his lifespan. He starts as a poor serf and by the end of the play he ends up being the owner of the estate at which he worked for most of his life. He is the epitome of a successful newly freed serf, but he is still self conscious of his class status. Although he considers himself a “rich man,” he is still a peasant at heart. He has fancy clothes and an estate, but is not literate or well traveled. He humbly points out the he “can’t make head or tail of [the book he is reading.]” Lopakhin has changed, his lifestyle has changed, his wardrobe has changed, but he carries the personas of a peasant. Lopakhin is excited for the family’s homecoming, but deep down he knows things have become different. He no longer works for the family and his only ties to Madame Ranevsky are through memories of his past…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics