Tolstoy believed that a work can be good only when the writer loves his main idea in it. In War and Peace, the writer, by his own admission, loved "people's thought". It lies not only and not so much in the depiction of the people themselves, their way of life, but in the fact that every positive hero of the novel ultimately connects his fate with the fate of the nation.

The crisis situation in the country, caused by the rapid advance of the Napoleonic troops into the depths of Russia, revealed in people their best qualities, made it possible to take a closer look at that peasant, who was previously perceived by the nobles only as an obligatory attribute of the landowner's estate, whose lot was hard peasant labor. When a serious threat of enslavement hung over Russia, the peasants, dressed in soldier's greatcoats, forgetting their long-standing sorrows and grievances, together with the "masters" courageously and staunchly defended their homeland from a powerful enemy. Commanding a regiment, Andrei Bolkonsky for the first time saw patriotic heroes in the serfs, ready to die for the sake of the fatherland. These main human values, in the spirit of "simplicity, goodness and truth", according to Tolstoy, and represent the "folk thought", which is the soul of the novel and its main meaning. It is she who unites the peasantry with the best part of the nobility with a single goal - the struggle for the freedom of the Fatherland. The peasantry, organizing partisan detachments fearlessly exterminating the French army in the rear, played a huge role in the final destruction of the enemy.

By the word "people" Tolstoy understood the entire patriotic population of Russia, including the peasantry, the urban poor, the nobility, and the merchant class. The author poetizes the simplicity, kindness, morality of the people, contrasts them with falsehood, the hypocrisy of the world. Tolstoy shows the dual psychology of the peasantry on the example of two of its typical representatives: Tikhon Shcherbaty and Platon Karataev.

Tikhon Shcherbaty stands out in the Denisov detachment with his unusual prowess, dexterity and desperate courage. This peasant, who at first fought alone with the "world leaders" in his native village, having attached himself to Denisov's partisan detachment, soon became the most useful person in the squad. Tolstoy concentrated in this hero the typical features of the Russian folk character. The image of Platon Karataev shows a different type of Russian peasant. With his humanity, kindness, simplicity, indifference to hardships, a sense of collectivism, this inconspicuous "round" peasant managed to return to Pierre Bezukhov, who was captured, faith in people, goodness, love, justice. His spiritual qualities opposed to arrogance, selfishness and careerism of the highest St. Petersburg society. Platon Karataev remained for Pierre the most precious memory, "the personification of everything Russian, kind and round."

In the images of Tikhon Shcherbaty and Platon Karataev, Tolstoy concentrated the main qualities of the Russian people, who appear in the novel in the person of soldiers, partisans, courtyards, peasants, and the urban poor. Both heroes are dear to the writer's heart: Plato as the embodiment of "everything Russian, kind and round", all those qualities (patriarchy, gentleness, humility, non-resistance, religiosity) that the writer highly valued in the Russian peasantry; Tikhon - as the embodiment of a heroic people who rose to fight, but only at a critical, exceptional time for the country (Patriotic War of 1812). Tolstoy treats the rebellious moods of Tikhon in peacetime with condemnation.

Tolstoy correctly assessed the nature and goals of the Patriotic War of 1812, deeply understood the decisive role of the people defending their homeland from foreign invaders in the war, rejecting official assessments of the war of 1812 as the war of two emperors - Alexander and Napoleon. On the pages of the novel, and especially in the second part of the epilogue, Tolstoy says that until now the whole history has been written as the history of individuals, as a rule, tyrants, monarchs, and no one has thought about what is the driving force of history. According to Tolstoy, this is the so-called “swarm principle”, the spirit and will of not one person, but of the nation as a whole, and how strong the spirit and will of the people are, certain historical events are so likely. IN Patriotic war Tolstoy, two wills collided: the will of the French soldiers and the will of the entire Russian people. This war was fair for the Russians, they fought for their homeland, so their spirit and will to win turned out to be stronger than the French spirit and will. Therefore, the victory of Russia over France was predetermined.

The main idea determined not only the artistic form of the work, but also the characters, the assessment of its heroes. The War of 1812 became a frontier, a test for all goodies in the novel: for Prince Andrei, who feels an unusual upsurge before the Battle of Borodino, believes in victory; for Pierre Bezukhov, all of whose thoughts are aimed at helping to expel the invaders; for Natasha, who gave the carts to the wounded, because it was impossible not to give them away, it was shameful and disgusting not to give them back; for Petya Rostov, who takes part in the hostilities of a partisan detachment and dies in a fight with the enemy; for Denisov, Dolokhov, even Anatole Kuragin. All these people, having discarded everything personal, become a single whole, participate in the formation of the will to win.

The theme of guerrilla warfare occupies a special place in the novel. Tolstoy emphasizes that the war of 1812 was indeed a people's war, because the people themselves rose up to fight the invaders. The detachments of the elder Vasilisa Kozhina and Denis Davydov were already active, and the heroes of the novel, Vasily Denisov and Dolokhov, are creating their own detachments. Tolstoy calls a cruel, life-and-death war "a cudgel people's war":" The cudgel of the people's war rose with all its formidable and majestic strength, and, without asking anyone's tastes and rules, with stupid simplicity, but with expediency, without analyzing anything, rose, fell and nailed the French until everything died invasion". In the actions of the partisan detachments of 1812, Tolstoy saw the highest form of unity between the people and the army, which radically changed the attitude towards the war.

Tolstoy glorifies the "club of the people's war", glorifies the people who raised it against the enemy. "Karpy and Vlasy" did not sell hay to the French even for good money, but burned it, thereby undermining the enemy army. The small merchant Ferapontov, before the French entered Smolensk, asked the soldiers to take away his goods for free, because if "Raseya decided", he would burn everything himself. The inhabitants of Moscow and Smolensk did the same, burning their houses so that they would not get to the enemy. The Rostovs, leaving Moscow, gave up all their carts for the removal of the wounded, thus completing their ruin. Pierre Bezukhov invested heavily in the formation of a regiment, which he took on his support, while he himself remained in Moscow, hoping to kill Napoleon in order to decapitate the enemy army.

“And the benefit of that people,” wrote Lev Nikolayevich, “who, not like the French in 1813, having saluted in accordance with all the rules of art and turned the sword over with the hilt, gracefully and courteously hand it over to the generous winner, but the benefit of that people who, in a moment of trial, without asking about how others acted according to the rules in similar cases, with simplicity and ease he picks up the first club that comes across and nails it until in his soul the feeling of insult and revenge is replaced by contempt and pity.

The true feeling of love for the Motherland is opposed by the ostentatious, false patriotism of Rastopchin, who, instead of fulfilling his duty - to take everything of value out of Moscow - excited the people with the distribution of weapons and posters, as he liked the "beautiful role of the leader of the people's feelings." At an important time for Russia, this false patriot only dreamed of a "heroic effect." When a huge number of people sacrificed their lives to save their homeland, the Petersburg nobility wanted only one thing for themselves: benefits and pleasures. A bright type of careerist is given in the image of Boris Drubetskoy, who skillfully and deftly used connections, sincere goodwill of people, pretending to be a patriot, in order to move up the career ladder. The problem of true and false patriotism, posed by the writer, allowed him to paint a broad and comprehensive picture of military everyday life, to express his attitude to the war.

Aggressive, predatory war was hateful and disgusting to Tolstoy, but, from the point of view of the people, it was just, liberating. The views of the writer are revealed both in realistic paintings saturated with blood, death and suffering, and in contrasting the eternal harmony of nature with the madness of people killing each other. Tolstoy often puts his own thoughts about the war into the mouths of his favorite heroes. Andrei Bolkonsky hates her, because he understands that her main goal is murder, which is accompanied by treason, theft, robbery, and drunkenness.

The main idea of ​​the 19th century was the search and explanation of the people's consciousness. Naturally, Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy could not but become interested in this problem as well. So, "people's thought" in Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace".

There are two forms of consciousness in the novel, these are: intellectual and this very thing, people's consciousness. The representative of the first consciousness was, for example, Andrei Bolkonsky. He was always asking the question "Why?", he was burning with the desire to remake this world in one way or another. The representative of the people's consciousness was Platon Karataev (he even spoke in proverbs), and then Pierre Bezukhov (he did not disdain to eat with soldiers from the same boiler, but Bolkonsky could not swim with everyone, he had a dislike for the people, he was by itself). Plato meets Pierre as a prisoner of the French. Before this meeting, Pierre was in a mental crisis.

What place does Plato occupy in the system of images? He has no distinctive features, as he is a representative of the swarm structure. Karataev is an exceptionally collective image. His description is replete with round features. The circle is a symbol of completeness and perfection, also a circle is a simple figure. This simplicity really lives in Plato. He accepts life as it is, for him all issues are initially resolved. Tolstoy himself believed that swarm consciousness is better than intellectual consciousness. Platon Karataev is not afraid of death, because it is natural for him ... a common natural phenomenon. The dog feels this free love, therefore it is attracted to Plato.

It is interesting to look at the dream of Pierre Bezukhov in captivity. He dreams of a ball consisting of drops, and a drop is visible, which then rises outward, then plunges back into the depths. A person also rises in order to understand something, but a return or separation is inevitable here. In this situation, only family and simplicity return, this is a guarantee of attraction (this attraction is also visible in Pierre Bezukhov, and Andrey Bolkonsky didn’t have it). If you break away, death.

Let's think about how the intellectual consciousness and the people's consciousness relate to each other. Tolstoy usually doesn't explore characters and issues, he just explains them. But not all questions were answered by Tolstoy. The author still could not finally explain the people's thought. Tolstoy and Dostoevsky took literature to the section of ethnophilosophy, but no one followed them further.

The idea of ​​the people is:

1) national character,

2) the soul of the people.

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy embodies the idea of ​​a nation in the image of Platon Karataev. This idea reveals that the people's consciousness is not an opposition between the idea of ​​war and peace, this idea is simply outside the other. This is not a confrontation. Even when Plato died, no one turned around, because because of the death of one person, nothing will happen (according to the swarm consciousness). There should be no unnecessary suffering and worries. Therefore, it is impossible to simplify the scheme of the novel to a banal triangle (Napoleon-Kutuzov-Platon Karataev).

It is no coincidence that Tolstoy changed the name "All is well that ends well." He realized that nothing ends. These heroes are just a link in history ... they are part of this popular consciousness.

“I tried to write the history of the people,” the words of L.N. Tolstoy about his novel War and Peace. This is not just a phrase: the great writer really depicted in the work not so much individual heroes as the whole people as a whole. "The thought of the people" determines in the novel both Tolstoy's philosophical views, and the depiction of historical events, specific historical figures, and the moral assessment of the actions of the characters.
"War and Peace", as Yu.V. Lebedev, "this is a book about different phases in the historical life of Russia." At the beginning of the novel "War and Peace" there is a disunity between people at the family, state and national levels. Tolstoy shows the tragic consequences of such confusion in the Rostov-Bolkonsky family spheres and in the events of the 1805 war, lost by the Russians. Then another historical stage in Russia opens, according to Tolstoy, in 1812, when the unity of people triumphs, "the thought of the people." "War and Peace" is a multi-component and integral narrative about how the beginnings of egoism and disunity lead to disaster, but they meet with opposition from the elements of "peace" and "unity" rising from the depths of people's Russia. Tolstoy urged "to leave alone the kings, ministers and generals", and to study the history of peoples, "infinitely small elements", since they play a decisive role in the development of mankind. What is the power that drives the nations? Who is the creator of history - the individual or the people? The writer asks such questions at the beginning of the novel and tries to answer them with the whole course of the story.
The great Russian writer argues in the novel with the cult of the outstanding historical personality. This cult relied heavily on the teachings of the German philosopher Hegel. According to Hegel, the closest conductors of the World Reason, which determines the fate of peoples and states, are great people who are the first to guess what is given to understand only to them and is not given to understand the human mass, the passive material of history. These views of Hegel were directly reflected in the inhumane theory of Rodion Raskolnikov ("Crime and Punishment"), who divided all people into "rulers" and "trembling creatures." Leo Tolstoy, like Dostoevsky, “saw in this teaching something godlessly inhuman, fundamentally contrary to Russian moral ideal. Tolstoy does not have an exceptional personality, but the life of the people as a whole turns out to be the most sensitive organism that responds to hidden meaning historical movement. The vocation of a great man lies in the ability to listen to the will of the majority, to the "collective subject" of history, to folk life».
Therefore, the attention of the writer is attracted primarily by the life of the people: peasants, soldiers, officers - those who make up the very basis of it. Tolstoy "poeticizes in "War and Peace" the people as a whole spiritual unity of people, based on strong, centuries-old cultural traditions ... The greatness of a person is determined by the depth of his connection with the organic life of the people."
Leo Tolstoy on the pages of the novel shows that the historical process does not depend on whim or bad mood one man. It is impossible to predict or change the direction of historical events, since they depend on everyone and no one in particular.
We can say that the will of the commander does not affect the outcome of the battle, because not a single commander can lead tens and hundreds of thousands of people, but it is the soldiers themselves (i.e. the people) who decide the fate of the battle. “The fate of the battle is decided not by the orders of the commander-in-chief, not by the place on which the troops stand, not by the number of guns and killed people, but by that elusive force called the spirit of the army,” writes Tolstoy. Therefore, Napoleon did not lose battle of Borodino or Kutuzov won it, and the Russian people won this battle, because the "spirit" of the Russian army was immeasurably higher than the French.
Tolstoy writes that Kutuzov was able to "guess so correctly the meaning of the people's meaning of events", i.e. "guess" the whole pattern of historical events. And the source of this brilliant insight was the "people's feeling" that the great commander carried in his soul. It was the understanding of the popular nature of historical processes that allowed Kutuzov, according to Tolstoy, to win not only the Battle of Borodino, but the entire military campaign and fulfill his mission - to save Russia from the Napoleonic invasion.
Tolstoy notes that not only the Russian army opposed Napoleon. “The feeling of revenge that lay in the soul of every person” and of the entire Russian people gave rise to a guerrilla war. “The guerrillas destroyed the great army in parts. There were small, prefabricated, foot and horse parties, there were peasant and landowner parties, unknown to anyone. He was the head of the party, a deacon who took several hundred prisoners a month. There was an elder, Vasilisa, who beat a hundred Frenchmen. The "club of the people's war" was raised and lowered on the heads of the French until the entire invasion died.
This people's war originated shortly after the Russian troops left Smolensk and continued until the very end of hostilities in Russia. Napoleon was not expected by a solemn reception with the keys to the surrendered cities, but by fires and peasant pitchforks. The "hidden warmth of patriotism" was in the soul not only of such people's representatives as the merchant Ferapontov or Tikhon Shcherbaty, but also in the soul of Natasha Rostova, Petya, Andrei Bolkonsky, Princess Mary, Pierre Bezukhov, Denisov, Dolokhov. All of them, in the moment of a terrible test, turned out to be spiritually close to the people and, together with them, ensured victory in the war of 1812.
And in conclusion, I would like to emphasize once again that Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" is not an ordinary novel, but an epic novel, in which human destinies and the fate of the people are reflected, which have become the main object of study for the writer in this great work.

Before you is a magnificent essay on Russian literature on the topic “THOUGHT OF THE PEOPLE” in the novel by L. N. Tolstoy “WAR AND PEACE”. The essay is designed for students in grade 10, but it can also be used by students of other classes in preparation for the lessons of the Russian language and literature.

"THE PEOPLE'S THOUGHT" in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "WAR AND PEACE"

Tolstoy is one of the greatest writers Russia. He lived during peasant unrest, and therefore he was captured by all the most important questions of the era: about the development of Russia, about the fate of the people and their role in history, about the relationship between the people and the nobility. Tolstoy decided to look for answers to all these questions in the study of events early XIX century.

According to Tolstoy, the main reason for the Russian victory in 1812 was this " folk thought ”, this is the unity of the people in the struggle against the conqueror, his huge unshakable strength that has risen, dormant for a time in the souls of people, which, with its bulk, overturned the enemy and forced him to flee. The reason for the victory was also in the justice of the war against the conquerors, in the readiness of every Russian to stand up for the defense of the Motherland, in the people's love for their fatherland. Historical figures and inconspicuous participants in the war, the best people Russia and money-grubbers, careerists pass through the pages of the novel " War and Peace". It has over five hundred actors. Tolstoy created many unique characters and showed us a lot of people. But these hundred people Tolstoy does not imagine as a faceless mass. All this huge material is connected with a single thought, which Tolstoy defined as folk thought «.

The Rostov and Bolkonsky families differ from each other in their class position and in the atmosphere that reigned in their homes. But these families are united by a common love for Russia. Let us recall the death of the old Prince Bolkonsky. Last words his were about Russia: " Russia is dead! Ruined!". He worried about the fate of Russia and the fate of all Russian people. All his life he served only Russia, and when his death came, all his thoughts, of course, were turned to the Motherland.

Consider Petya's patriotism. Petya went to war very young and did not spare his life for the fatherland. Let's remember Natasha, who is ready to give up all valuables only because she wants to help the wounded. In the same scene, Natasha's aspirations are contrasted with those of the careerist Berg. Only the best people of Russia could perform feats during the war. Neither Helen, nor Anna Pavlovna Sherer, nor Boris, nor Berg could perform feats. These people were not patriotic. All their motives were selfish. During the war, following the fashion, they stopped speaking French. But does this prove their love for Russia?

The Battle of Borodino is the culminating moment in Tolstoy's work. Tolstoy confronts almost all the heroes of the novel at the Battle of Borodino. Even if the characters are not on the Borodino field, their fates completely depend on the course of the war of 1812. The battle is shown through the eyes of a non-military man - Pierre. Bezukhov considers it his duty to be on the battlefield. Through his eyes we see the rallying of the troops. He is convinced of the correctness of the words of the old soldier: “ All the people want to pile on ". Unlike the battle of Austerlitz, the participants in the battle of Borodino understood the goals of the war of 1812. The writer believes that the coincidence of millions of reasons helps to win. Thanks to the desires of ordinary soldiers, commanders, militias and all other participants in the battle, the moral victory of the Russian people became possible.

Tolstoy's favorite heroes - Pierre and Andrei - are also participants in the Battle of Borodino. Bezukhov deeply feels folk character wars of 1812. The patriotism of the hero is cast in very concrete deeds: equipping the regiment, monetary donations. The turning point in Pierre's life is his stay in captivity and acquaintance with Platon Karataev. Communication with an old soldier leads Pierre to " agree with oneself “, simplicity and integrity.

The war of 1812 is the most important milestone in the life of Andrei Bolkonsky. Andrei abandons his military career and becomes the commander of a jaeger regiment. Deeply understands Andrei Kutuzov, a commander who sought to avoid unnecessary sacrifices. During the Battle of Borodino, Prince Andrei takes care of his soldiers and tries to get them out of the shelling. Andrey's dying thoughts are imbued with a sense of humility:

“Love your neighbors, love your enemies. Love everything, love God in all manifestations.

As a result of the search for the meaning of life, Andrei was able to overcome his selfishness and vanity. Spiritual searches lead the hero to moral enlightenment, to natural simplicity, to the ability to love and forgive.

Leo Tolstoy draws the heroes of the partisan war with love and respect. And one of them Tolstoy showed more close-up. This man is Tikhon Shcherbaty, a typical Russian peasant, as a symbol of the avenging people fighting for their homeland. He was " the most helpful and brave man "in the detachment of Denisov," his weapons were a blunderbuss, a pike and an ax, which he owned as a wolf owns teeth ". In the joy of Denisov, Tikhon occupied an exceptional place, " when it was necessary to do something especially difficult and impossible - to turn a wagon out of the mud with a shoulder, to pull a horse out of the swamp by the tail, saddle it and climb into the very middle of the French, walk fifty miles a day - everyone pointed, chuckling, at Tikhon ". Tikhon feels a strong hatred for the French, so strong that he can be very cruel. But we understand his feelings and sympathize with this hero. He is always busy, always in action, his speech is unusually fast, even his comrades speak of him with affectionate irony: “ Well, slick », « eka beast ". The image of Tikhon Shcherbaty is close to Tolstoy, who loves this hero, loves all the people, highly appreciates "people's thought" . In the novel "War and Peace" Tolstoy showed us the Russian people in all its strength and beauty.

Two small essays - on the same topic. A bit ironic-compiled, on the "C grade", but quite seriously))). One - half a page on the Unified State Examination, the second - a page - for adults, up to 15 years old - do not read at the risk of filling your head with porridge ...

Option 1.

The main theme of the novel "War and Peace" is "people's thought". L. N. Tolstoy shows not only the panorama of people's life, but also the soul of the people, its depth and grandeur. The writer contrasts the cold prudent secular life- the simple, natural life of the peasants, truly righteous and happy.People from the people deeply absorbed the wisdom of the Creator and the wisdom of nature. There is nothing ugly in nature, everything is beautiful in it, and everything has its place. The heroes of the novel are tested by this folk wisdom, which is personified in the work by Platon Karataev.

Tolstoy's favorite heroine, Natasha, turns out to be truly popular. One has only to remember how she danced to the uncle's guitar, and, "raised by a French emigrant" in "silk and velvet", was able to understand everything "that was in every Russian person." In communication with Russian soldiers, Pierre Bezukhov also finds the meaning and purpose of life, realizing the falsity of his previous attitudes. Forever he remains grateful to Platon Karataev, whom he met in captivity from the French, a Russian soldier who preaches kindness and love of life.

Tolstoy draws images of the emperors Napoleon and Alexander, the Moscow governor Count Rostopchin. In their attitude towards the people, these people strive to rise above it, to become higher, they strive to control the people's element, therefore their actions are doomed. Kutuzov, on the contrary, feels himself a participant in the life of the people, he does not lead the movement of the masses, but only tries not to interfere with the accomplishment of genuine historical event. This, according to Tolstoy, is the true greatness of the individual.

Tolstoy sang the winner of the war - the Russian people. A people with great moral strength, carrying with them simple harmony, simple kindness, simple love. Carrying the truth. And you need to live with him in unity in order to heal your soul and create a new happy world.

Option 2.

The thought of the people in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy War and Peace

The main theme of the novel "War and Peace" is "people's thought". The people are not a faceless crowd, but a completely reasonable unity of people, the engine of history. But these changes are not made consciously, but under the influence of some unknown, but powerful "swarm force". According to Tolstoy, an individual person can also influence history, but on condition that he merges with the general mass, without contradicting it, “naturally”.

Tolstoy presents a metaphor for the world of people - a ball that Pierre sees in a dream - “a living oscillating ball that has no dimensions. The entire surface of the sphere consisted of drops tightly compressed together. And these drops all moved, moved, and then merged from several into one, then from one they were divided into many. Each drop tried to spill out, to capture the greatest space, but others, striving for the same, squeezed it, sometimes destroyed it, sometimes merged with it.

The composition of the novel is built in such a way that each of the characters is tested for compatibility with this ball, for the ability to “merge”. So, Prince Andrei - turns out to be unviable, "too good." He shudders at the mere thought of swimming in a dirty pond with the soldiers of his regiment, and he dies from the fact that he cannot afford to fall to the ground in front of a spinning grenade in front of the soldiers standing under fire ... this is “shameful”, But on the other hand, Pierre can in horror to run, fall and crawl across the Borodino field, and after the battle, eat the “rubble” with a spoon licked by a soldier ... It is he, fat Pierre, who is able to master the spherical “wisdom” given to him by the “round” Platon Karataev, remains unharmed - everywhere - and in a duel, and in the heat of the battle of Borodino, and in a fight with the armed French, and in captivity ... And it is he who is viable.

The most sincere episodic characters are the merchant Ferapontov, who burns his house so that the enemy does not get it, and the Moscow residents who leave the capital simply because it is impossible to live in it under Bonaparte, and the peasants Karp and Vlas, who do not give hay to the French, and that the Moscow lady, who left Moscow with her black-tailed pugs and pugs back in June from the consideration that “she is not Bonaparte’s servant”, all of them, according to Tolstoy, are active participants in the people’s, “swarm” life, and act in this way not out of their own moral choice, but in order to to do their part of the common "swarm" business, sometimes without even realizing their participation in it.

And the popular principle of “naturalness” is also interesting - the healthy flees from the sick, happiness - from misfortune. Natasha quite "naturally" cannot wait for her beloved Prince Andrei "a whole year!", And falls in love with Anatole; the captive Pierre absolutely “naturally” cannot help the weakened Karataev and leaves him, because, of course, Pierre “was too scared for himself. He acted as if he hadn't seen his eyes." And he sees in a dream: “Here is life,” the old teacher said ... “God is in the middle, and each drop seeks to expand in order to reflect Him in the largest size. And it grows, merges, and shrinks on the surface, goes into the depths and emerges again ... - said the teacher. “Here he is, Karataev, here he spilled and disappeared.”

Tolstoy's ideal - Platon Karataev - loves everyone equally, with humility accepts all life's hardships and even death itself. Platon Karataev brings to Pierre folk wisdom, absorbed with mother's milk, located on subconscious level understanding. "Every word of his and every action was a manifestation of an activity unknown to him, which was his life. It made sense only as a particle of the whole, which he constantly felt ... He could not understand the value and meaning of a single action or word ". Approaching this ideal - and Kutuzov, whose task is not to interfere with the action of the "swarm".

All the fullness and richness of personal feelings and aspirations, no matter how sublime and ideal they are for a person in Tolstoy's world, leads only to one thing - to merging with the "general" folk, whether during life or after death. This is how Natasha Rostova dissolves in motherhood, in the elements of the family as such.

The element of the people acts as the only possible force in the war. "The cudgel of the people's war rose with all its formidable and majestic strength and, without asking anyone's tastes and rules, with stupid simplicity, but with expediency, without understanding anything, rose, fell and nailed the French until the whole invasion perished.» .

Tolstoy deserved to be called the "Red Count". The "club" he poetized soon with the same "stupid simplicity", "without asking anyone's tastes and rules" defeated the "landlords and nobles", and "merged" all the remaining workers and peasants into a single "crystal ball" ... into a single swarm)

This is really a prophet...