One of the unique and ingenious writers known throughout the world is “the great hope of Russian literature”, a man who tried to rethink life, understand its laws and solve secrets. Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy had a special view of the world order, including the theory of the role of man in history and his significance in the context of eternity. In the novel "War and Peace" this concept was embodied in the generals of two great armies. The comparative characteristics of Kutuzov and Napoleon (a table with brief conclusions on the topic will be presented below) allows you to fully reveal the writer’s attitude to the question: “Can one person make history?”
The life and work of L. N. Tolstoy
The life of Lev Nikolaevich is rich in events. His youth passed in St. Petersburg, where he was one of the main start-ups and a famous rake. Then fate threw him into the Crimean War, after which the writer returned to the capital again. Here, having already matured and seen a lot, he begins to collaborate with the journal Sovremennik, closely communicating with the editorial staff (N. A. Nekrasov, A. N. Ostrovsky, I. S. Turgenev). Tolstoy publishes Sevastopol Stories, where he paints pictures of the war he underwent. Then he travels around Europe and remains very unhappy with her.
In 1956, he resigned and began the life of a landowner in Yasnaya Polyana. He marries, is engaged in farming and writes his most famous novels and novels: War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Sunday, Kreutzer Sonata.
Tolstoy died in 1910 at the railway station.
The novel "War and Peace"
The epic novel describes the events of the time of the Napoleonic war (1805–1812). The work was a huge success both in Russia and in Europe. “War and Peace” is an artistic canvas that has no analogues in literature. Tolstoy managed to portray all social classes, beginning with emperors and ending with soldiers. An unprecedented evolution of characters and the integrity of images, each hero appears as a living, full-blooded person. The writer managed to feel and convey all the facets of the psychology of the Russian people: from sublime impulses to the ruthless, almost animalistic moods of the crowd.
The image of Kutuzov, closely connected with Russia and its people, turned out to be amazing. The opposite of him is the narcissistic and selfish Napoleon. These characters will be considered in detail.
The role of personality in history: Kutuzov and Napoleon
Tolstoy, always praising the greatness and power of the Russian people, showed in his novel that it was he who had won the war. Moreover, a sense of nationality formed the basis of the main assessment of the actions of the characters in the novel. Therefore, Kutuzov - a commander and an outstanding military man - appears as one of the Russian people, he is not so much a person as a part of the country. It is in unity with the people that guarantee the victory of Kutuzov.
Opposite to him is Napoleon, who separated himself from the world, imagines almost God. The differences between these characters are illustrated in more detail by the comparative characteristics of Kutuzov and Napoleon (the table is located below). However, it can already be said that, according to Tolstoy, a person who decided to change the world alone is doomed to defeat.
The image of Kutuzov
Tolstoy portrayed Kutuzov in the novel as a kind of old man, who knows life well and understands what lies ahead. He knows that the battle of Austerlitz will be lost, and calmly talks about it. He falls asleep at the council, perfectly understanding what all the conversations will lead to in the end. Kutuzov feels the beating of life, understands its laws. His inaction turns into folk wisdom, his actions are guided by intuition.
Kutuzov is a commander, but all his actions are subordinated to the great will of history itself, he is its "slave." But only in this way, having taken a wait-and-see attitude, one could win. It was this idea of Tolstoy embodied in the character of Kutuzov.
The image of Napoleon
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte is the exact opposite of Kutuzov. Unlike the whole personality of the Russian general, Tolstoy depicts the French emperor in two guises: a man and a commander. As a commander, Napoleon is talented, has rich experience and knowledge of military affairs.
But for Lev Nikolaevich the main thing is precisely the human component, spiritual qualities, psychological characteristics. It is in this respect that the writer debunkes the romantic image of the enemy commander. Already in the description, Napoleon’s appearance shows the author’s attitude: “small”, “fat”, unremarkable, a pose and an egoist.
Napoleon is the emperor of France, but he has little power over his country, he sees himself as the ruler of the world, considers himself superior to others. The desire for possession consumed him, he is morally poor and incapable of feeling, loving, rejoicing. Napoleon goes on corpses to his goal, because it justifies any means. “Winners are not judged,” is his motto.
Comparative characteristics of Kutuzov and Napoleon: table
| Kutuzov | Napoleon |
| Appearance |
| Affectionate, mocking look; corners of lips and eyes are wrinkled from a meek smile; expressive facial expressions; confident gait. | Short, puffy and overweight figure; thick thighs and stomach; a feigned, sweet, and unpleasant smile; fussy gait. |
| Character |
| He does not exalt his merits and does not flaunt them; does not hide his feelings, sincere; patriot. | Boastful, selfish, full of pride; extolling his merits; cruel and indifferent to others; the Conqueror. |
| Behavior |
| It is always clearly and simply explained; does not leave the troops and participates in all key battles. | Keeps away from hostilities; on the eve of the battle, he always makes long pathos before the soldiers. |
| Mission |
| The salvation of Russia. | Conquer the whole world and make it the capital of Paris. |
| Role in history |
| He believed that nothing depended on him; He did not give specific orders, but always agreed with what was being done. | He considered himself a benefactor, but all his orders were either already executed long ago or were not executed because they could not be executed. |
| Attitude towards soldiers |
| He was affectionate with the soldiers and showed sincere concern for them. | Indifferent to the soldiers, does not show any sympathy for them; their fate was indifferent to him. |
| Conclusion |
| Brilliant commander; spokesman for patriotism and high morality of the Russian people; patriot; wise politician. | Executioner; invader; all his actions are directed against people. |
Table generalization
The comparative characteristics of Kutuzov and Napoleon (the table is presented above) is based on the opposition of individualism and nationality. Only a man who imagines himself superior and better than others could start a bloody war in order to achieve his selfish goals. Such a character cannot become a hero, therefore Tolstoy, with his humanism and faith in folk wisdom, draws him negatively and repulsively. Appearance, gait, manners, even the character of Napoleon - all this is a consequence of his desire to show himself to be superman.
Kutuzov, wise, calm, seemingly inactive, carries all the power of the Russian people. He does not make decisions - he follows the course of events. He does not try to create a story - he obeys it. In this humility lies his spiritual and moral strength, which helped win the war.
Conclusion
Incredible national power concluded L. N. Tolstoy in his novel "War and Peace." A brief description of this power is given on the example of the image of Kutuzov, which is opposed to the spiritually poor Napoleon, who does not understand his people. The great Russian commander and the French emperor embodied two principles: creative and destructive. And, of course, the humanist Tolstoy could not give Napoleon any positive feature. Like he could not denigrate the image of Kutuzov. The heroes of the novel have little in common with real historical figures. But Lev Nikolaevich created them in order to illustrate his historical concept.