Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Volume II, Book II, Chapter XIII

Andrei and Pierre drive up to Bald Hills, and once there Andrei insists that Pierre meet Marya's "people of God". They are afraid of the old prince, but they stay with Marya, wanderers who make pilgrimage and beg. Andrei kind of makes fun of them, one a feminine young man and the other an old woman.
The old woman tells a story of a pilgrimage and seeing the virgin drip oil, as well as a man who loses his sight and has it restored for speaking against the miracle. Pierre says it's a trick and the woman gets offended and almost leaves. Pierre assures her he was just joking.
It's interesting to see regular people in this, who provide a background for so much of the story. They are always there, but we're mostly concerned with the nobility. And interesting as well to see how important religion is, but still even in 1805 there are people, like Andrei and Pierre, who reject it.

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