Study Questions & Essay Topics
Study Questions
1.
War
and Peace is a historical novel. Tolstoy made great efforts
to ensure the accuracy of his facts and dates, and the characters
of Tsar Alexander I, Napoleon, Speranski, and other dignitaries
generally respect historical factuality. Yet almost all the important
and interesting characters in the novel are fictional. Why does
Tolstoy merge fact and fiction in this fashion?
2. Early in the
novel, Tolstoy takes great care in depicting two pairs of childhood
sweethearts: Nicholas and Sonya, and Natasha and Boris. As the love
stories in the novel are key, we expect these two relationships
to blossom and develop over time, and to culminate finally in marriage.
Yet oddly, neither does. Why does Tolstoy set up these two pairs
so carefully, only to drive them apart in the end?
3. Tolstoy was
fully aware that Napoleon's
1812 invasion of
Russia would be a subject dear to the hearts of patriotic Russian
readers. Though
War and Peace depicts a Russian
victory, the novel is not nearly as patriotic as it could be. Indeed,
at times Tolstoy even makes an effort to downplay the patriotic
dimension of his story. Why does he choose a historical moment brimming
with nationalistic potential, but then refuse to trumpet a patriotic
message?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Why is Pierre initially satisfied
with Freemasonry as a framework for meaning in his life, but then
ultimately disappointed? What does Pierre's later spiritual development provide
that the Masons could not offer?
2. Andrew seems to love Natasha
genuinely, yet he obeys his father by waiting a year to marry. Andrew's
duty to respect his father's wishes does not seem to fully explain
his decision, as he defies his father on other occasions. Does Andrew
use his father's command as an excuse for stalling Natasha? If so, why
is Andrew conflicted about marrying her?
3. Tolstoy characterizes General
Kutuzov as an admirable leader who is wise, devout, humble, and
patient. But near the end of War and Peace, Kutuzov
loses support and is widely criticized. Why does Tolstoy make this
great leader into a neglected and unappreciated figure at the end
of the novel?
4. Though the Kuragin family
is highly successful in the early parts of the novel, the family's
fortunes turn sour by the end, as Helene and Anatole meet untimely
deaths. What is the significance of Tolstoy's representation of
the sudden shift in the Kuragin fortunes?
5. At the beginning of the novel,
Natasha is a bold, lively girl with a passion for life. By the end,
however, Tolstoy emphasizes her stodginess—even dullness—and her
careless disregard for her personal appearance. Is the final image
of Natasha as a Russian matron a positive development, or a deterioration
from her earlier liveliness?
