Childhood (1805)
The childish face of a thirteen-year-old teenager is not distinguished by feminine tenderness. The pointed features of dark cheeks, black curls that fall to one side, mischievous moving eyes and lace panties - all together indicate that the period of childhood is already behind, but growing up has not begun. An active girl, accustomed to noisy fun among her brothers and sisters, tries to become the center of attention of others on her name day.
Little Natalia’s healthy blush and cheerful mood reflect the care of her mother and father. Spoiled by loving parents, a fidget can open its mouth wide and roar loudly like a child. This does not stop the young heart from pounding at the sight of a kissing couple; the girl tries to repeat the interesting experience with the young officer. It’s in vain that mother boasts to her friend Drubetskaya that she controls the impulses and desires of her own children.
Natasha behaves with dignity with the young man, despite the fact that she forces Boris to touch lips. The young man, under pressure from the birthday girl, confesses his love to her. So Boris Drubetskoy and Natalya Rostova vow to be together and unite in marriage as soon as the bride turns 16 years old, confirming her majority.
Youth (1809)
At seventeen, adults allowed their daughter to wear a long dress, and for the first time she attended a real social ball. The muslin white fabric of the clothes, decorated with large pink bows, gave the girl’s image grace and airiness. Her grace seemed timid, this was the beauty of her thin figure, smoothly twirling in the dance.
The beauty attracted the attention of the widower Bolkonsky. An experienced adult man fell in love with natural, lively, fresh and pure Natasha. One waltz changed both of their lives. Prince Bolkonsky was known as the best gentleman in dancing; he twirled easily and naturally. Natasha waltzed in public for the first time, in the presence of the imperial couple, but she completely trusted the strong and kind hands of the man. The feeling that gripped Andrei after the music died down is called youth; he felt much younger, stronger, freer from everything he had experienced earlier.
During the second round, the prince openly showed mercy to the young lady; even the mistakes in the French language, heard in pronunciation, seemed childishly naive and joyful to Bolkonsky. Sitting next to her, he listened to her simple thoughts, from which emanated the warmth of inner happiness, not distorted by human malice and everyday life. This was the main feature of Natasha’s character, Andrei understood this and decided that Rostova would become his wife. The thought came on its own, not as a result of analysis and work on oneself. The prince realized that he wanted to be close to this unique woman for the rest of his life.
Men in the life of Natasha Rostova
For the first time, the girl chose Boris Drubetsky as her partner; at thirteen years old, the young officer in a cadet uniform was seen by her as a model of courage. Sister Sonya was in love with Kolenka, Natasha really wanted to fall in love. It was a choice out of teenage necessity. In addition, I really wanted to taste the taste of a kiss, but there was no one else suitable nearby. Teenage prank.
When Natasha met Andrei, her heart was filled with the delight of the first ball. Success turned her head, popularity fell in an avalanche of joy, and Bolkonsky was nearby throughout the evening, ensuring balance in the girl’s soul. Despite the fact that the gentleman turned out to be much older, Rostova was able to feel the unity of their aspirations and worldview.
As often happens in human society in all centuries, among all nations, this couple was separated by people, society, society, where it is so important that marriage be concluded in a socially beneficial manner. Andrei had to leave the woman dear to his heart, announcing his engagement, for a year.
Anatol Kuragin burst into the heroine's life as a seducer, an experienced womanizer and an expert on the female soul. Anyone who has not been hostage to a girl’s inexperience, who does not know how difficult it is sometimes to resist psychological influence without any preparation or support, only he will condemn seventeen-year-old Natasha. Plutonic passion, fueled by a deliberately vile plan, can lead to despair, suicide, and escape. As a result, the engagement to Bolkonsky was terminated.
Psychological portrait of Natasha Rostova
« Now I understand her..."
(Psychological portrait of Natasha Rostova)
Natasha Rostova is a narcissistic, fickle girl who requires special attention - that’s the initial opinion I had about this heroine. When we started studying the novel, I told the teacher with firm confidence: “I will talk about anyone, but not about Natasha. She betrayed Andrei Bolkonsky, she has no forgiveness.” My friends argued with me, but the textbook said that Natasha is my favorite heroine
L. N. Tolstoy. There were too many questions that needed answers, because I had to defend my point of view.
Now I understand how wrong I was. My project “Psychological Portrait of Natasha Rostova” allowed me to get acquainted with the history of the development of the psychological portrait in Russian literature of the 19th century, discover the secret of the heroine’s name, study the biography of Tatyana Bers-Kuzminskaya, the prototype of Natasha Rostova, and the writer himself.
I was convinced that in the novel “War and Peace” L.N. Tolstoy used the first type of psychological portrait: he emphasized the correspondence of the heroine’s appearance to her inner world, showed us that a person’s appearance is a mirror of his soul, especially if this person is open, sincere, unable and unwilling to pretend. But in order to accurately, in accordance with the truth of life, depict the experiences of other people, it is necessary to study your own. Tolstoy used this method, never tired of observing the movements of his soul throughout his life and recording them in his diaries.
Continuing the traditions of A.S. Pushkin, who was the first to move away from a pictorial portrait to a psychological one, the writer draws our attention to those details of the heroine’s appearance that carry information about thoughts, feelings, experiences and moods. At one time, M. Gorky noted this amazing gift of Tolstoy, his ability to create accurate psychological portraits, and N.G. Chernyshevsky, with extraordinary insight, emphasized the enormous role of the author’s introspection in psychological analysis.
To create a psychological portrait of Natasha, I turned to the work of M.Yu. Lermontov, who, along with L. Tolstoy, F.M. Dostoevsky, A.P. Chekhov, is a follower of the Pushkin tradition. In my opinion, the chapter “Maksim Maksimych” from the novel “A Hero of Our Time” gives us an example of a psychological portrait of Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin, where the internal qualities of the character can be seen through his external appearance.
Psychological portrait of Natasha Rostova
Initially, it is difficult to understand what is happening in the heroine’s soul after the act she has committed. Did Natasha really want to hurt her loved one? It seemed that she was not aware of her guilt and enjoyed the fact that all her close people felt sorry for her and reassured her. But, in fact, Natasha understood that with her rash act she had hurt a loved one. The sincere feeling of repentance, which did not leave her until her reconciliation with Prince Andrei, revealed to me all the secrets of her image: a subtle soul and a vulnerable heart that never wished harm to anyone.
The first time we meet Natasha “at that sweet age when the girl is no longer a child, and the child is not yet a girl.” “Big mouth”, “shining black eyes”, “black curls tumbling back” and a constant smile on her face reveal to us the inner world of the main character of the novel. She is full of life, feelings, ready to enjoy every moment and believe in a happy future. The flushed, “birthday-radiant” Natasha struck me with her sincerity: radiant eyes, full of light, kindness, childish innocence, illuminated everything around. She was still far from secular society, did not know what lies and hypocrisy were, and with every part of her heart she loved everyone who surrounded her. Marya Dmitrievna gives an exact description of the thirteen-year-old girl, calling her “Cossack” and “potion-girl.” And Natasha seems to be trying to live up to these definitions all the time: she runs, screams loudly, hugs her “mom and dad,” and attracts everyone’s attention. According to Tolstoy, she was ugly. Here the author does not pay any attention to the details of clothing (we casually read about small legs in lace pantaloons), he is only interested in how the heroine behaves. It seems that even now, on the first pages of the novel, he admires her. After all, Natasha was not at all afraid of looking bad, either because she considered herself quite nice, or because rash actions were characteristic of her age.
In the second volume, the author takes the heroine through many trials that will radically change her life in the future. We see a matured Natasha, she is 15 years old, but in the eyes of the author she remains the same sweet and simple girl, a kind of guardian angel for those around her. Many episodes of the novel talk about how she inspires people, makes them better, kinder, and returns their love to life. It was Natasha’s “desperately animated” eyes that helped Nikolai Rostov, who came home on vacation in 1806, to forget at least for a while about the war and feel happy for the first time in a year and a half. It seems to me that the choice of the heroine’s name is dictated by its meaning. The fact is that the name “Natasha” in its modern translation means “Christmas, born on Christmas” (from the Latin Natalis Domini). Throughout the novel we find confirmation that the heroine lives not with her mind, but with her heart. She still does not know how and does not want to hide her feelings: without hesitation, she hugs Denisov, squeals with joy and laughs loudly. This, in my opinion, was the main feature of Tolstoy’s beloved heroine: she knew how to fully feel every moment of her life, love life and give this love to others. When Prince Andrey first sees Natasha in Otradnoye, he sincerely does not understand why she can be so happy. But this meeting gives him the right to love life.
At her first ball, Natasha looked reserved; her majestic manners and posture seemed to indicate that she was ready for such a solemn event. But, in fact, she was overwhelmed with feelings, her eyes betrayed the girl’s confusion, she, of course, was afraid of looking worse than others. She was wearing a white smoky dress that emphasized her young breasts. Natasha felt the attention of others, but still expected something more.
She wanted to have fun and dance all evening, because she had no equal in this. The frightened look, the lowered thin hands emphasized the heroine’s excitement, everything indicated that she was waiting for a gentleman. Finally, Natasha’s desperate face caught the eye of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. Immersed in a light dance, she suddenly came to life, and her face lit up with a grateful smile. The observant prince immediately noted that the girl’s eyes and smile expressed her inner happiness.
The feelings that arose between Prince Andrei and Natasha made the young heroine very wary. For her it was a special world, new and unknown, experiences affected her manners and behavior: clasped hands pressed to her heart, her voice trembles, her gaze is distant. Hearing the long-awaited words of love from Bolkonsky, Natasha began to cry. Internally, she could not come to terms with this news, did not believe in what was happening, she was happy, but not for long.
The long separation of the young people made itself felt. Frown brows, compressed lips, uncontrollable tears - everything indicated that the girl was having a hard time withstand- ing separation. Natasha already knew Andrei very little, and six months later she began to be afraid of him and the unknown that awaited her ahead. She became unsure of herself, was sad, was afraid to forget Andrei, and could not find a place for herself. At this difficult time, she needed the support of her loved one, his presence nearby. But fate decreed otherwise.
I believe that it was the visit to the Bolkonskys that pushed Natasha to further action. Monotonous obligatory letters irritated the girl, she was tired of waiting. And this “warm” welcome from her lover’s father made her more wary and alienated her from Andrei, no matter how much she tried to convince herself of this. She wore her best dress with dignity, but with tears in her throat she endured the humiliation.
Natasha clearly feels uncomfortable in the theater: she crumples the poster and watches the stage indifferently. Anatoly Kuragin's attention seems to bring her back to life. After communicating with him, she tries to fight the feeling that has arisen. The heroine is confused and bashful, but at the same time she is pleased by Anatole’s presence. He seems like a person you can trust. She still does not understand that Anatole did not take her seriously, the whole performance he staged was just a game.
Why did she decide so quickly that she loved Anatole? Of course, at first glance it seems that she has no excuse, and if she lacked support, she could turn to Pierre for advice. But we are talking about a young, inexperienced girl who just wants to be loved not in words, but in reality. The test of separation for a year was beyond the strength of this fragile girl. Anatole simply happened to be nearby, intoxicated her with what she lacked - beautiful words about love, and Natasha, in difficult times, succumbed to temptation.
After breaking up with Bolkonsky, the girl changed a lot: she completely gave up singing and spent all her time in church. The way she reproached herself for what she had done, asked God for forgiveness, felt guilty for any joy, justified her. But she couldn't completely let go of her action. For this, she needed a conversation with Prince Andrei.
After the news that Prince Andrei was wounded and was in the Rostov transports, Natasha became not herself. She thought only about him, longed to meet him. The heroine's mechanical movements, fixed gaze, and silence indicated that she had already made a decision. A touching meeting, tears of happiness and repentance, two loving hearts... and again Natasha’s “shining eyes”.
True love still won, the heroine realized that all this time Andrei lived in her heart. It was this feeling that did not allow her to let him go, forgive herself, forget everything that happened. The girl tenderly cared for her beloved, atoning for her guilt before him and before herself. This helped her move on with her life happily...
Over the years, she has changed, becoming the complete opposite of that young girl who craved social evenings and attention to herself. She devoted herself entirely to her family, becoming a loving mother and wife. Her eyes were filled with calm softness and clarity, and she herself was “neither sweet nor amiable.” The smoothness of her movements, unhurriedness, and measured speech indicated that she had finally found her place in life, where she felt comfortable and cozy.
Elena Gribova, 10th grade student
Teacher: Komova O.N.
Finding meaning in life in marriage
Andrei suffered the tragic fate of a warrior, a defender of the fatherland. Grief and pain of loss would break the girl. A friend was nearby, a person with moral virtues, looking for family warmth. Pierre Bezukhov and Natasha were united by disappointment in people (the betrayal of Helen and Anatole), the events of the war they experienced, and moral guidelines. Children are the most valuable thing this couple could give to the world.
Natalya gave birth to three daughters and a son in her marriage to Count Bezukhov. The woman became a model of motherhood, so immersed in family concerns that the author himself condemned her for inattention to her appearance. Maybe Leo Tolstoy wanted readers to argue with him, defending the bright image of his mother. Raising children is a labor-intensive, continuous process that consumes all personal time.
Centuries have passed, the heroine Natasha Rostova has become a symbol of femininity; all girls who read the novel “War and Peace” for the first time want to be like her.
Option 1: Briefly
(337 words) Natasha Rostova is one of the main characters in the epic novel War and Peace. Throughout the entire work, L.N. Tolstoy shows the process of transforming a cheerful and lively girl into a wise, worthy woman.
At first, the reader sees her as an unattractive, awkward teenager, but a playful and mischievous girl. She dances with Andrei Bolkonsky and fills his soul with liveliness, which is unique to her and which sets her apart from the rest. Natasha is very natural. There are many things that bring her closer to ordinary people: a love of folk dances and songs, admiration of nature. Her words about the starry sky in Otradnoye were remembered by Bolkonsky for a long time. The girl is still very young and naive, and that is the only reason why Anatol Kuragin, skilled in seduction, temporarily takes possession of her thoughts. Unfortunately, this destroys her relationship with Bolkonsky. But is it possible to blame the heroine? Inexperience in high society, the Kuragins' focus on playing with her feelings, youth - all this affects her behavior with Anatole. However, Natasha is not afraid to admit that she was wrong. She herself felt strong excitement and heaviness next to the seducer. But this mistake helps to strengthen her character. So, she became more responsible in choosing her friends.
The heroine is very caring and sympathetic. She takes care of her sick mother, and then of the dying Bolkonsky. She donates the reins meant for her family's belongings to wounded soldiers and doesn't understand how anyone can not do it. Bitter shocks turn into illness for Natasha. But she gradually emerges from a difficult situation as a different person, and Pierre Bezukhov, her faithful childhood friend, provides her support. The girl realizes that she has romantic feelings towards him, and eventually agrees to become his wife.
At the end, Tolstoy describes Natasha as his ideal wife and mother - “a beautiful, strong and fertile female” who from now on devotes all her time to her husband and children. From now on, the heroine does not have the same fire and charm, but she has a goal - to care for her loved ones, look after her children and household, and serve her husband. She turned out to be a very demanding but faithful wife, and her marriage to Pierre was long and happy.
Of course, many will condemn Natasha for such changes, but the girl, whose meaning in life has always been to give love and care to loved ones, fulfills her destiny by devoting herself to her family.
