Origin and appearance
Boris Trubetskoy was a representative of a noble noble family. His family became impoverished and therefore, as a child, he was taken in by distant relatives - the Rostovs - to be raised. He was the only son of his mother Anna Mikhailovna. Boris's family connection with the Rostovs was not disclosed, which means it is unknown whether he had cousins. The novel does not say anything about the father and other relatives of the young man.
Boris' godfather was Prince Kirill Bezukhov. Anna Drubetskaya, like her son, hoped that after his death they would get something. However, these hopes were not destined to come true, because all of Bezukhov’s property went to his illegitimate son Pierre .
At the beginning of the story (1805), Boris was 20 years old. He was young and handsome. The blond curls went perfectly with the delicate features of her face, whose expression was always calm. The character had thin white fingers, and his slender figure perfectly complemented his image. The man took his appearance very seriously because he understood that the first impression is always made based on how the suit looks and how good the face is. Therefore, he always carefully approached the choice of wardrobe. His uniform, tie and hairstyle were always the most fashionable - such was the need. The hair was perfectly styled, all the clothes were clean and elegant.
Personality characteristics
Boris had many positive qualities. He was very smart, could think outside the box and showed resourcefulness. This trait made itself felt during conversations - the man always knew how to find topics that were interesting to his interlocutor and attract his attention with some interesting story .
Drubetskoy knows how to make a good impression on a person, likes others and does it unintentionally. Boris has a calm disposition, he is always balanced and reserved. Sometimes this was explained by the fact that the officer did not want to leave a bad impression of himself among high-ranking people. Drubetskoy is also very neat and always takes care of his clothes, is purposeful and does everything to achieve what is necessary. At the same time, he is a diplomat by nature and always tries to find a compromise in everything and not go to extremes.
But at the same time, negative qualities also live in Boris, despite the fact that there are fewer of them, they significantly spoil the character’s image and destroy his soul. The Drubetsky family became impoverished, and from the moment Boris found himself in the Rostov house, his mother was unable to improve their financial situation. In view of this, the young man understood that as soon as he ceased to depend on the Rostovs, his financial condition would worsen. He knew that he very quickly needed to achieve financial stability and gain a foothold in society as a wealthy, promising young man:
- For this purpose, he begins to make new acquaintances and necessary connections, using his ability to please people.
- Drubetskoy is very jealous of those who are more successful and taller than him, and longs to be rich.
- Boris stopped expressing his real opinion about certain things. After all, he always tried to adapt and say what the majority thinks or a certain person wants to hear. In pursuit of approval, he has already forgotten what it is like to have his real attitude towards something.
- Boris, when communicating with people, does not pay attention to their inner world. Most often he is interested in their position in society, influence and appearance. And that’s why he marries a rich girl, whose soul he doesn’t even try to discern because of his repulsive ugliness.
At the beginning of his independent journey, Boris spent all his savings on external attributes. He tried with all his might to show his illusory wealth in order to please people.
Military service
Military service seemed to Drubetsky the most reliable and fastest way to improve his financial situation and earn the respect of the public. And that is why in 1805 Boris began his military career . At first he was a lieutenant in the Semenovsky regiment, but a year later he became an adjutant to a respected man and was transferred to headquarters.
Already in 1807, Boris joined Alexander’s retinue and secured his position. Anna Mikhailovna, the hero's mother, also participated in his promotion. She asked influential people to intercede for her son, which contributed to improving his situation.
But a real rise up the career ladder happened to Drubetsky only after he became the lover of the young princess Elena Bezukhova, née Kuragina. It was after a close relationship with her that the young officer was showered with awards and promotions.
With the outbreak of hostilities against Napoleon in 1812, a new round began in Drubetskoy’s career. He was able to gain a foothold in the army headquarters even after the removal of some commanders by Kutuzov and was firmly entrenched as Count Beningsen's adjutant.
Boris Drubetskoy in the novel War and Peace by Tolstoy, image and characterization essay
Boris Drubetsky is one of the central characters in the novel “War and Peace”.
His image is ambiguous; on the one hand, Boris’s positive qualities force readers to imitate him, and on the other, his negative character traits clearly spoil the impression. This is a “young, blond, slender, attractive officer with regular features of a beautiful face,” whose inner world is no worse than his outer one. He is a "sweet, smart, calm and firm young man." Drubetsky was not raised at home, but was taken into care by the Rostovs, due to the difficult times of his family’s financial difficulties. He is the only son of Princess Anna Mikhailovna Drubetskaya, but nothing is known about his father; he is absent from the novel. Boris had some kind of warm relationship with his godfather, Prince Bezukhov.
According to others, the young man’s career and external achievements always came first. He always seemed to be better, but this only clumsily hid his shortcomings. The main desire is to achieve financial security and consolidate your opinion of yourself as a successful person. Against this background, he wants to acquire connections that, in his opinion, will soon help him realize his cherished dream.
The fastest and easiest solution on how to achieve your goal, according to Boris, is military service. In 1805, with the rank of lieutenant, he began service in the Semenovsky regiment. After only 2 years, the guy’s career growth makes one wonder, he ends up in Alexander’s retinue as an ensign. And already in 1812 he served as an assistant to Count Bennigsen.
At this time, the storyline of his relationship with female representatives steals the spotlight. The young man always held the opinion of a successful marriage and looked at stately and already established women, disdaining young and pretty girls. If he exposed his love affair with Pierre's wife, the young Countess Bezukhova, Boris would lose the patronage and support of this woman. The young man looked for benefits in everything and in these love relationships, he managed to take advantage of the numerous connections of Elena and her lovers. After which, having decided to gain wealth by marrying Julie Karagina, Boris wants to join the Masonic Lodge.
Lies and falsehood are negative character traits, which Tolstoy wants to show by clearly demonstrating the fate of Boris Drubetsky. It is them who the author despises most and makes this the main emphasis of the novel.
Boris Drubetskoy - along with Berg, represents L.N. in the epic novel. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" is the image of a "business man". However, unlike Berg, Boris does not strive for ideality, but simply hides all his shortcomings. He tries to look better in the eyes of other people, and in every way wants to increase his importance. For this person, money is not an important thing, for him it is empty pieces of paper, but the respect of people and rank are thousands of times more important to him.
Boris Drubetskoy is a rather selfish and selfish person. He needs the people around him only for his own purposes and secret desires. He is not the kind of person who will run to the first person he meets and help in all troubles; Boris will most likely pass by without even paying attention. Drubetskoy is an insensitive, arrogant, selfish, neither grateful nor selfish person. You can remember an old friend, Countess Rostova, who tried with all her might to help the boy and his mother with money. But after she herself went bankrupt and her entire business went down the drain, and the Drubetskys, on the contrary, became rich, the countess did not receive a penny in help from her old acquaintances. It’s not that the family didn’t even deign to help the poor thing, they didn’t even pay the countess a debt in the amount of two thousand, which would have been very useful to her.
Boris Drubetskoy also tries to find benefits even in love. He thinks that in order to build a bright future and become an even more significant person in social life, he needs to find a rich aristocrat. For a long time, Boris had tender feelings for Natasha Rostova, but she did not fit the role of a rich and successful bride. For him, the best person was Julie Karagina. Thanks to his roots and excellent charisma, Boris knew how to present himself so that a woman would believe that he loved her with all his heart and soul. Boris Drubetskoy tried to behave tenderly and affectionately with her, so that everyone else considered them a beautiful and romantic couple.
Relationships with women
The young and attractive Boris in War and Peace has always attracted both young girls and mature women. Military service could not cover all of Drubetsky’s material desires, and therefore he saw a profitable marriage as almost his only opportunity to get rich. Drubetsky had several women in his life:
- Boris first fell in love with Natasha Rostova, in whose house he was raised. She was seven years younger than him, but had mutual feelings. When Boris returned from service, he again experienced strong sympathy for her, but did not give free rein to his feelings. He decided to cool his passion so as not to enter into an unprofitable alliance.
- Countess Bezukhova was Boris's mistress, thanks to whom he was able to receive promotion and recognition from society.
- The count decided to marry Julie Kuragina out of convenience.
He had all the data to become a gigolo and acquire rich and influential mistresses. But Boris refused such a fate. He understood that it was not worth risking his future and military career for the sake of some temporary money and love joys. The only possible lover for him was Elena Kuragina, the wife of Pierre Bezukhov. This union did not pose any risk to Drubetsky’s reputation, but it was quite profitable.
Pierre was a very trusting person, and Elena’s dissolute life already spoke of impunity and the possibility of influencing the people Boris needed. This relationship really became very profitable - the woman was extremely beautiful, and also had many influential lovers, whom Drubetskoy was able to contact with her help.
Soon Boris had the chance to become a rich man, which was facilitated by his marriage to Julie Kuragina. The girl, despite the well-being of her family, could well become an old maid in the future. Young men were in no hurry to marry Julie because of her unattractive appearance. Behind her imperfect appearance, they refused to see her kind heart and rich soul. Any man was ready to give up the prospect of becoming a rich and respected man, just so as not to tie the knot with Julie.
That was until Boris met the Kuragins. He dreamed so much of getting rich that he decided to take advantage of the situation. It didn’t cost the young and charming Drubetsky anything to make a girl fall in love with him. Julie was fascinated by the handsome officer and couldn't wait for him to confess his love to her and ask her to marry her. Boris understood this and proposed to her. Julie was incredibly happy and agreed to become his wife. Drubetskoy, even despite the dowry of his future wife, was not happy. The man was not pleased with her appearance and therefore he hoped that they would see each other extremely rarely.
Nevertheless, this union made Count Drubetskoy a full-fledged member of secular society. After his marriage, Boris lost the need to adapt to those around him and try to curry favor. But nevertheless, he was forced to play a loving husband in public.
Novels by Boris Drubetsky
As mentioned above, Boris had a bright, attractive appearance, which, of course, attracted the attention of the fair sex. He would have made a high-class gigolo, but Drubetskoy, who strives for financial heights, is still not one of the people who risk their reputation for money. He tries to hold everything in his hands at once: material well-being, love affairs with other people's wives, friendship with their own husbands, status in society.
Of all the women he knows, he chooses the one most suitable and convenient for him - Helen Bezukhova (Kuragina). This lady’s easy lifestyle and the presence of the necessary connections play into the hands of the cunning Boris.
It is noteworthy that Leo Tolstoy, developing the image of Boris the lover, still binds him in the novel with the bonds of legal marriage. The young man's chosen one is a girl from a very rich family - Julie Karagina. Not distinguished by external beauty, she could not find a groom. Boris masterfully charms the girl, makes her believe in the sincerity of his feelings and the seriousness of his intentions with the sole purpose of taking possession of her fortune. It is not for nothing that Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy emphasizes Drubetsky’s desire to intersect with his future wife as little as possible, since he does not love her.
Other characters
In relation to other people, Boris always tries to be neutral. He doesn’t argue with anyone, because he’s afraid of ruining the impression of influential people about himself. For those around him, he is good and sweet, but it is not always possible to adhere to this behavior.
Good relations did not work out with Nikolai Rostov. The young people were the same age, grew up together, were friends since childhood and supported each other in everything. But as he grew up, Boris became increasingly aware of his worthlessness in the circle of aristocrats and tried by any means to improve his position in society. Nikolai was completely different in character, he did not like this behavior of his friend and the men began to move away. Communication between two once friends has become difficult for each of them:
- Nikolai was irritated by Drubetsky’s resourcefulness and ostentation.
- Boris felt awkward in Rostov's company and was gnawing at the thought that his friend got everything in life without much effort only thanks to his origin.
The image of Boris Drubetsky cannot be called exclusively positive or negative - he has a lot of advantages, but the insatiable desire to become a rich and influential person greatly spoils him from the inside. A promising smart guy became a libertine and a careerist.
The position of Boris Drubetsky
Due to his position, which was not distinguished by wealth, Boris for a long time had to live with distant relatives - the Rostovs. The closer the day gets when he will need to leave, the more terrible the thought of remaining in poverty seems to him. That is why Drubetskoy is looking for any ways that will help him maintain his position and status. He immediately realizes that it is not diligence and hard work that can help him climb the social ladder, but acquaintances and connections. Possessing a pretty appearance, he uses it to make profitable acquaintances and connections.
Boris's mother plays a special role. She is ready to grovel before any more or less wealthy person, begging for some kind of help for Boris. Drubetskoy himself behaves somewhat differently - he will never beg or grovel, he prefers to influence people in other ways. But it does not prohibit the mother from doing this. Nevertheless, in tandem, the family manages to achieve a successful position in society.
Boris plans to marry Julie Karagina, who has a rich dowry and a strong position in secular society. Marriage is based entirely on convenience. The bride is well aware that Drubetskoy is marrying not her, but her condition, but accepts it. In return, she asks for images of feelings in public. Boris agrees and says the necessary words in society. Now he has no need to curry favor with anyone, because by getting married he becomes a full member of the society he was so eager to join.
