This week’s reading and discussion largely focused on the emotional and philosophical highest highs and lowest lows of two characters—Pierre and Prince Andrei. We have caught them at that turbulent and experimental stage that often meets us right after having gone through a major turn point in life. Pierre has joined Freemasonry and has started practicing it in the “Pierre way” of doing things. Prince Andrei has been living at Bald Hills while trying to cope with the death of his wife, as well as the death of his dreams of being a ‘great man,’ all the while caring for his newborn son. They have developed new philosophies on how to live life, and both of them even come together to discuss their views. Somehow, nature—the sky, an oak tree, the river—seems to be a huge part of that discussion.
Pierre and Prince Andrei’s Views on Serfdom and Living Life
Back to our discussion, a participant made the observation that Pierre and Prince Andrei have “taken a journey in their thinking.” Pierre has tried to practice the freemason duty of bettering society, and he has done so by trying to help his serfs—albeit “ineptly” as many observed! There were quite a few explanations for this. Pierre, being illegitimate, lacks the training and experience to run an estate. He seems to have “a lack of focus in his inability to commit to something, whether a spiritual or earthly activity.” He doesn’t completely grasp the rules and ideals set by Freemasonry and even botches up the improvements he tries to make to his estate along Freemasonry’s philosophies. Despite his failures, many felt that “Pierre is still likeable”—even Count Bolkonsky likes him! He has good intentions but isn’t too good at leading social change. Even as his steward cheats and lies to him, Pierre, nonetheless, has still developed a lively spirituality that is more his own that one of Freemasonry. During his conversation with Prince Andrei on the ferry, he claims that “If there is a God and an afterlife, then there is truth and there is goodness; and man’s greatest happiness lies in struggling to achieve them. We must live, love, and believe that our life is not only here and now on this little patch of earth, but we have lived before and shall live forever out there in the wholeness of things.” Pierre points to the sky, and Prince Andrei again thinks about its loftiness—a reminder of Austerlitz. Pierre’s comment momentarily lifts Prince Andrei from his depression and catalyzes an “inner change.”
Prior to this point, Prince Andrei had been quite opposed to Pierre’s new philosophies. As Pierre tried to work hard to help his serfs (but ultimately fails to accomplish anything effective), Prince Andrei enveloped himself “in isolationism and a pessimistic outlook,” which “seemed to have made him the happier man,” as a participant noted. “Prince Andrei intellectualizes whereas Pierre intuits,” someone put it. For Pierre, it seems good and natural to try and help his serfs, but Prince Andrei, by logic, concludes that helping them is pointless. Prince Andrei decides that it’s better “not to do anything that was meant to do good to his neighbor.” Many in the discussion noted that such thoughts are somehow in his character—his father seems to have been a huge influence on Prince Andrei regarding running estates and how to treat serfs. Prince Andrei is certainly more experienced than Pierre—by having his father to show him how to handle things as well as being well read in these kinds of affairs. He seems to have a stronger grasp on the realities of reform, unlike Pierre’s “grand dreams” to simply do good for the serfs. Someone made the great observation that “Andrei's point of hoping to do no harm shows awareness of unintended consequences, whereas Pierre is full of hope and change but has no understanding of the system he is trying to change.” At the same time, one noted, “Even though Pierre is not sophisticated enough, perhaps, to appreciate the difficulties of his ideals, at least he has them and pursues them! I see merit in that.” Even Prince Andrei sees merit in that! Pierre’s words right before he points to the sky deeply affect Prince Andrei, and they lift him, at least a little bit, out of his pessimistic depression.
Pierre’s Effect on Prince Andrei
During this point in the novel, we find Pierre and Prince Andrei in opposite moods. Pierre is beaming with his new philosophies and newfound spirituality, but Prince Andrei is “depressed and withdrawn from life” due to the loss of his wife. He’s so depressed that he’s even lackluster in greeting Pierre, who was once that face in which Prince Andrei found relief among the Petersburg circles and crowds. Why does Prince Andrei meet his old friend so coldly? He seems to be a changed man. Austerlitz changes Prince Andrei’s perspective, quite literally: staring at the sky wounded on the ground, the war and Napoleon seem small. He decides that he wants to make things up with Lise, but her death keeps him from reconciling things with her. His depression seems less linked to a deep-seated need to contribute to Russian society, than being linked to his inability to erase the guilt of causing Lise’s dying expression facial expression, “Why did you do this to me?” from his conscience. On one level, as someone pointed out, “he realized that he probably loved her more then he thought he did,” but on another level, he feels torn that he couldn’t express that to her before she died and that he couldn’t help her in a time of crisis. Prince Andrei decides to reject outside life—life in society, life serving in the war—from a certain shame he feels after realizing that his dreams to be like Napoleon hurt Lise so much. He couldn’t become a ‘great man,’ and he was deprived of the chance for changing for the better in the way that he wanted to after Lise died. Prince Andrei is burdened by both guilt and disappointment in being unable to accomplish his goals. Prince Andrei criticizes Pierre for living for others as being the same as his old desire to be loved by everyone like Napoleon (which is contradictory). Pierre’s fresh-faced enthusiasm to break into the world and improve the lives of others goes against Prince Andrei’s philosophy of isolating oneself in order to minimize hurting others.
As someone noted, “Prince Andrei, even though he argued with Pierre, picked up on some of Pierre’s ideas.” They may have differed in opinion about how and why serfs should be liberated and how to run their estates, but Pierre’s words on love, connection, wholeness, and the afterlife influence Prince Andrei. He seems to be attracted to “childlike” people—Pierre and Natasha. It’s also interesting how Prince Andrei has the connection of the sky with each of them—Pierre pointing to the sky on the ferry and Natasha marveling at the night sky through the window above his room. These instances inspire Prince Andrei to connect with the world again, at first in small ways like wanting Natasha to know him, but then in larger contexts like when he becomes involved in working with Speransky. The mighty oak illustrates Prince Andrei’s change in perspective—at first its leafless branches reminded Prince Andrei of his own loneliness and inability to thrive, but then after, he sees the oak in full blossom, and he again has hope in life. His spirit is rejuvenated after talking to Pierre on the ferry and overhearing Natasha marvel at the moon and the night sky. A participant made the great point that the oak tree scene shows that “Prince Andrei renewed his desire to rejoin ‘civilization’ and pursue the possibility of love and happiness.” The sky at Austerlitz, Lise’s expression at her death, Pierre at the ferry, and Natasha looking at the moon are described in the novel as “the best moments of Prince Andrei’s life.” They are moments, as someone observed, “when he feels rather than intellectualizes.” These are also moments when Prince Andrei lived in the moment, which some called “the power of now.” At these moments, Prince Andrei stopped to see what was really going on, to see what was happening around him, rather than being distracted by thinking about the past mistakes and regrets or philosophizing about the future. These “now” moments end up being his most life affirming experiences.
Switching Places
By the start of Part III, Pierre and Prince Andrei seem to have switched places—Prince Andrei is the one who seems rejuvenated as a new man, whereas Pierre no longer finds solace in Freemasonry and falls into depression. Instead of finding a new idol in the military sphere, Prince Andrei looks up to Speransky in creating reforms in Russia. He has a certain “showmanship,” but many found him to be “another empty soul with intellect but no insight” “just another politician,” with “puffy white hands that supposedly hold the destiny of Russia in them.” Another Napoleon! Sara pointed out some a little historical context—Speransky was gotten rid of, and his reforms didn’t take hold during Alexander I’s reign. His eyes are flat and lifeless like mirrors. He has “an insistence on reason and an arrogant belief in the infallibility of his own gifts.” He seems to be outside the “now.” Prince Andrei senses this and eventually drops his fixation on Speransky and reforming Russia because of his new love for Natasha. Prince Andrei, Natasha, and Pierre seem connected in their attraction to the flux of life—in their instinctual way of making decisions and their constant search for moments to feel alive. In the discussion someone noted that Pierre, Prince Andrei, and Natasha “have a constant sense of the present but seldom have an awareness of its importance.”
What’s Going to Happen Next?
A few predictions those in discussion made of what may be coming up in War and Peace: Some people thought that there might be a good outcome for Pierre, but not for Prince Andrei—“because he seems to have a darker character.” Perhaps “the liaison between Natasha and Prince Andrei won’t be long lasting or successful,” someone pointed out. Many thought that Pierre will continue to drift, since thus far “he can’t stick to something long enough to have any lasting results.” As for Helene and Pierre, “things must be over between them—she will not change and he does not have it in him to change for her in the way she would want.” Sara assured us that the best is yet to come!
See you all next Wednesday!
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