Thursday, May 6, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Volume II, Book II, Chapter XIV
Short chapter. Marya tells Pierre that he should take Andrei with him, that staying at the house is doing him no good, and isn't good for his temperment. Pierre talks with the old prince, who humors Pierre's belief that and end to war is possible. After Pierre leaves, they talk about him and only say good things.
Everyone loves Pierre, and Pierre loves everyone (except his wife and her family - he's getting smartly cautious at this point).
Everyone loves Pierre, and Pierre loves everyone (except his wife and her family - he's getting smartly cautious at this point).
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.
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.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Volume II, Book II, Chapter XII
Andrei is coming around. Pierre asks him in the carriage to Bald Hills why he believes what he does. Pierre tells him of the masons and feeling something larger than himself - there's a good analogy of a ladder that we see that goes from plants to man, and why would we suppose that it doesn't go deeper than the plants and larger than us.
Andrei is mourning his wife. It's clear he has some guilt and hoped to absolve himself but instead watched her die. Heart-wrenching.
They speak for a long while, and for just a moment Andrei's heart opens up, and "for the first time since Austerlitz saw that high, eternal sky he had seen as he lay on the battlefield, and something long asleep, something that was best in him, suddenly awakened joyful and young in his soul."
It goes away as soon as he gets back in the house, but he touches it. Maybe not all is lost.
And all this before genetics, really. I was thinking that they didn't know what we do about universes, or the even smaller parts that make everyone of us. What would have Tolstoy made of that, that we are made of small universes ourselves, working together in one large being. Dust swept up into consciousness, perhaps. Multiple universes.
Andrei is mourning his wife. It's clear he has some guilt and hoped to absolve himself but instead watched her die. Heart-wrenching.
They speak for a long while, and for just a moment Andrei's heart opens up, and "for the first time since Austerlitz saw that high, eternal sky he had seen as he lay on the battlefield, and something long asleep, something that was best in him, suddenly awakened joyful and young in his soul."
It goes away as soon as he gets back in the house, but he touches it. Maybe not all is lost.
And all this before genetics, really. I was thinking that they didn't know what we do about universes, or the even smaller parts that make everyone of us. What would have Tolstoy made of that, that we are made of small universes ourselves, working together in one large being. Dust swept up into consciousness, perhaps. Multiple universes.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Volume II, Book II, Chapter XI
Well, as I said, quite a chapter.
Pierre notices that Andrei is a bit down in the dumps, and has lost his sparkle. They speak as if they're mere acquaintances. Even when Andrei starts to talk about his plan for the house, he stops abruptly and says they should just go to dinner.
Over dinner the fireworks start a bit. Andrei finally gets passionate when confronted with Pierre's ideas about helping others being the greatest good. Andrei does not agree, even when it's pointed out that he's helping his sister, his son, and his father. To Andrei they are not separate from him. He explains his philosophy to Pierre.
He contradicts Pierre's beliefs about helping people and that there are definite evils. He believes remorse and illness are the only two evils. Otherwise, he is not equipped to define evils for anyone else. Also, he refutes Pierre's ideas of helping the poor with an age-old argument: they're animals. For them they need to work as much as he needs to think, and he couldn't trade with their labor anymore than they could for his. Educate them? What for? And hospitals? If they're lame or kept alive past their time they're a burden to the family.
Wow. Andrei's a little bitter. It all the arguments their have ever been against reform from the wealthy or powerful. Interestingly, he would like to see the peasants freed for a different reason - absolute power corrupts. If a peasant is whipped the welts heal, but those given unlimited power end up becoming "cruel, coarse, can't help themselves, and become more and more unhappy." Wow.
The chapter ends thus:
"So there is what and whom to be sorry for -- human dignity, peace of conscience, purity, and not their backs and heads, which, however much you may whip them and shave them,, will remain the same back and heads"
"No, no, a thousand times no! I'll never agree with you," said Pierre.
It looks like Andrei is following in his father's foot steps.
Pierre notices that Andrei is a bit down in the dumps, and has lost his sparkle. They speak as if they're mere acquaintances. Even when Andrei starts to talk about his plan for the house, he stops abruptly and says they should just go to dinner.
Over dinner the fireworks start a bit. Andrei finally gets passionate when confronted with Pierre's ideas about helping others being the greatest good. Andrei does not agree, even when it's pointed out that he's helping his sister, his son, and his father. To Andrei they are not separate from him. He explains his philosophy to Pierre.
He contradicts Pierre's beliefs about helping people and that there are definite evils. He believes remorse and illness are the only two evils. Otherwise, he is not equipped to define evils for anyone else. Also, he refutes Pierre's ideas of helping the poor with an age-old argument: they're animals. For them they need to work as much as he needs to think, and he couldn't trade with their labor anymore than they could for his. Educate them? What for? And hospitals? If they're lame or kept alive past their time they're a burden to the family.
Wow. Andrei's a little bitter. It all the arguments their have ever been against reform from the wealthy or powerful. Interestingly, he would like to see the peasants freed for a different reason - absolute power corrupts. If a peasant is whipped the welts heal, but those given unlimited power end up becoming "cruel, coarse, can't help themselves, and become more and more unhappy." Wow.
The chapter ends thus:
"So there is what and whom to be sorry for -- human dignity, peace of conscience, purity, and not their backs and heads, which, however much you may whip them and shave them,, will remain the same back and heads"
"No, no, a thousand times no! I'll never agree with you," said Pierre.
It looks like Andrei is following in his father's foot steps.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Volume II, Book II, Chapter XI coming....
Okay, the truth here - I had a 15 hour workday yesterday, and had pre-posted yesterday's entry. This chapter is about Pierre visiting Andrei, and it's got a lot of important stuff, and I'm just tired. So, I'll write about it tomorrow, and do a double-header. Not like I have readers I don't think, but still I don't like to disappoint myself. But I'm tired and I'd like this to really be about the chapter. So, more tomorrow and Pierre's visit with the careworn Andrei.
Volume II, Book II, Chapter X
Speaking of serfs, Pierre visits his land in Kiev.
He is trying, according to the Masonic plan, to work on his virtues. He wants to emancipate the peasants, so he gathers all his stewards and gives them new rules, about not punishing the peasants, not having women with children work, etc.
Meanwhile, he is feted the same as in Petersburg, so he doesn’t get to change much. He does not have a head for business, and his head steward, a “very stupid but cunning man” manages to make it look like he’s making changes, but it’s all cosmetic. Pierre makes nearly 500,000 a year, but almost all of it goes, and he has to borrow. The countess alone is 150,000. It’s amazing.
Tolstoy is great in this chapter illustrating how complicated these affairs are, and also Pierre’s fecklessness in carrying them out. He wants to feel good about doing good deeds, but he doesn’t have the stomach to learn what’s going on and make changes. His steward suggests, and he agrees, not knowing that the steward is not at all on his side. He’s easily duped. The steward convinces him the serfs are happy, but all he’s seen is a show, masking the abuse, people who’ve had to sell their children, the constant work, labor, and no reward. It’s sad.
Pierre truly has no clue. He comes off as simple, with a good intention, but no idea of the scope of what he owns, or what he’s up against.
He is trying, according to the Masonic plan, to work on his virtues. He wants to emancipate the peasants, so he gathers all his stewards and gives them new rules, about not punishing the peasants, not having women with children work, etc.
Meanwhile, he is feted the same as in Petersburg, so he doesn’t get to change much. He does not have a head for business, and his head steward, a “very stupid but cunning man” manages to make it look like he’s making changes, but it’s all cosmetic. Pierre makes nearly 500,000 a year, but almost all of it goes, and he has to borrow. The countess alone is 150,000. It’s amazing.
Tolstoy is great in this chapter illustrating how complicated these affairs are, and also Pierre’s fecklessness in carrying them out. He wants to feel good about doing good deeds, but he doesn’t have the stomach to learn what’s going on and make changes. His steward suggests, and he agrees, not knowing that the steward is not at all on his side. He’s easily duped. The steward convinces him the serfs are happy, but all he’s seen is a show, masking the abuse, people who’ve had to sell their children, the constant work, labor, and no reward. It’s sad.
Pierre truly has no clue. He comes off as simple, with a good intention, but no idea of the scope of what he owns, or what he’s up against.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
