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January 27, 2006
Considering
WAR_AND_PEACE
Prince Bagration is recognized by
all (including Napoleon. And
Prince Andrei himself) as one of
the best Russian generals
It's widely understood that he's
not really that bright, but Prince Andrei on
he is however patient, determined; "military genius":
he's someone who gets the job done.
KUTOZOV
Compare his character to
Natasha. Despite being
young and pretty, a
talented singer and dancer, Her mother worries
she is not innundated she is heading
with suitors. toward unhappiness
because of an
She proves to be excess of *something*.
constitutionally
incapable of waiting Boris looks askance
through a whole year at the idea of
of engagement in chasing Natasha.
in isolation --
at the last moment Prince Andrei, on the
she chokes, and is other hand is unafraid
ready to start an of this surfeit; he is
affair with a attracted by it, by this
pretty obviously girl who can't bear to
worthless go off to sleep because
character. the moonlight is too
beautiful.
This whole
But perhaps business is
that's the not handled
point: in a very
convincing
How could way, a It's not implausible,
such a problem but not terribly
bright, reminiscent believeable.
intelligent of the affair
young woman in "Anna
make such Karenina".
an absurdly Natash shows very
stupid I think little of the sort
mistake? Tolstoy may of fears and
have had some rationalizations
The answer is problems with I would expect in
that she really comprehending a young woman in
does have the this sort of her situation.
fire, and the thing...
fire always How about:
dances and
burns in I bet Andrei is
unpredictable keeping himself
ways. 'entertained'
over in Europe.
Which brings us
to Napoleon's He's been married
behavior in once already,
Moscow... am I really supposed
to go through life
Tolstoy carefully knowing only one
describes Napoleon's man?
options, and makes
the point that this If he really loved
great military genius me he wouldn't have
somehow managed to stayed away for
do precisely the so long.
wrong thing.
He's such a
The thesis that sophisticated man,
Tolstoy hammers I bet he wouldn't
away at is "the even mind as long
impossiblity of as I'm discrete.
genius"...
WARRING_PIECES
But out of the parade of
characters of different
inclinations and abilities
it's not hard to percieve
a theme of "flawed genius".
Every character of
any intelligence or
sensibility has some
contrary impulses,
some lack that Except
sabotages them. Prince
Andrei.
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