Plato karatayev in captivity. The philosophy of life of Platon Karataev

Chapter XII

After the execution, Pierre was separated from the other defendants and left alone in a small, ruined and filthy church.

Before evening, a non-commissioned officer with two soldiers entered the church and announced to Pierre that he was forgiven and was now entering the prisoners of war barracks. Not understanding what was being said to him, Pierre got up and went with the soldiers. He was led to the booths built at the top of the field of charred planks, logs and boards and led into one of them. In the darkness, twenty different people surrounded Pierre. Pierre looked at them, not understanding who these people were, why they were and what they wanted from him. He heard the words that were spoken to him, but did not draw any conclusion or application from them: he did not understand their meaning. He himself answered what was asked of him, but did not understand who was listening to him and how, his answers would be understood. He looked at faces and figures, and they all seemed equally meaningless to him.

From the moment Pierre saw this terrible murder committed by people who did not want to do it, it was as if the spring on which everything was held and seemed alive was suddenly pulled out in his soul, and everything fell into a heap of senseless rubbish. In him, although he did not realize himself, faith in the improvement of the world, in the human world, in his own soul, and in God was destroyed. This state was experienced by Pierre before, but never with such force as now. Before, when such doubts were found on Pierre, these doubts had their own guilt as a source. And in the very depths of his soul Pierre then felt that from that despair and those doubts there was salvation in himself. But now he felt that it was not his fault that had caused the world to collapse in his eyes, leaving only meaningless ruins. He felt that it was not in his power to return to faith in life. People were standing around him in the darkness: surely, they were very interested in something about him. They told him something, asked about something, then they took him somewhere, and he finally found himself in the corner of the booth next to some people, talking from different sides, laughing.

And now, my brothers ... the same prince who (with special emphasis on the word who) ... - said a voice in the opposite corner of the booth.

Sitting silently and motionless against the wall on the straw, Pierre opened and closed his eyes. But as soon as he closed his eyes, he saw before him the same terrible, especially terrible in its simplicity, the face of a factory worker and the faces of involuntary killers, even more terrible in their concern. And he again opened his eyes and stared senselessly in the darkness around him.

Next to him sat, bent over, a small man, whose presence Pierre noticed at first by the strong smell of sweat that separated from him with every movement. This man was doing something in the dark with his legs, and, in spite of the fact that Pierre did not see his face, he felt that this man was constantly looking at him. Looking closely in the darkness, Pierre realized that this man was taking off his shoes. And the way he did it interested Pierre.

Unwinding the strings that tied one leg, he neatly rolled the strings and immediately took up the other leg, glancing at Pierre. While one hand was hanging the string, the other was already beginning to unwind the other leg. Thus, neatly, round, arguing, without slowing down one after the other movements, taking off his shoes, the man hung his shoes on the pegs driven over his heads, took out a knife, cut something off, folded the knife, put it under the headboard and, sitting better, hugged his raised knees with both hands and stared straight at Pierre. Pierre felt something pleasant, soothing, and round in these controversial movements, in this well-arranged household in the corner, in the smell of even this man, and he, without taking his eyes off, looked at him.

Have you seen much of a need, sir? A? - said the little man suddenly.

And such an expression of affection and simplicity was in the man's melodious voice that Pierre wanted to answer, but his jaw trembled and he felt tears. The little man at the same second, not giving Pierre time to show his embarrassment, spoke in the same pleasant voice.

Eh, falcon, don't grieve, ”he said with that tender, melodious affection with which old Russian women talk. - Do not grieve, friend: endure an hour, but live a century! That's it, my dear. And we live here, thank God, there is no offense. There are good and bad people too, ”he said, and, still speaking, with a flexible movement, he bent down on his knees, got up and, clearing his throat, went somewhere.

Look, rogue, she has come! - Pierre heard at the end of the booth the same gentle voice. - She came, rogue, she remembers! Well, well, maybe. - And the soldier, pushing away from himself the dog that was jumping towards him, returned to his place and sat down. He had something wrapped in a rag in his hands.

Here, eat, master, ”he said, again returning to his former respectful tone and unwrapping and serving Pierre a few baked potatoes. - There was a soup at dinner. And the potatoes are important!

Pierre had not eaten all day, and the smell of potatoes struck him as unusually pleasant. He thanked the soldier and began to eat.

Well, is that so? - smiling, said the soldier and took one of the potatoes. - And that's how you are. He took out a folding knife again, cut the potatoes into equal two halves in his palm, sprinkled salt from a rag and brought it to Pierre.

The potatoes are important, ”he repeated. You eat like this.

It seemed to Pierre that he had never eaten food tastier than this.

No, it's all right for me, - said Pierre, - but why did they shoot these unfortunates! .. The last twenty years.

Tts, tts ... - said the little man. `` A sin, a sin ... '' he added quickly, and as if his words were always ready in his mouth and accidentally flew out of him, he continued: `` Well, sir, you are so in Moscow remained?

I didn't think they would come so soon. I stayed by accident, ”said Pierre.

But how did they take you, falcon, from your house?

No, I went to the fire, and then they grabbed me, tried for an arsonist.

Where there is judgment, there is no truth, ”the little man put in.

How long have you been here? - asked Pierre, chewing on the last potato.

What am I? That Sunday they took me out of the hospital in Moscow.

Soldiers of the Absheron Regiment. He was dying of fever. We were not told anything. There were twenty of ours. And they did not think, did not guess.

Well, are you bored here? - Pierre asked.

It's not boring, falcon. Call me Plato; The nickname of Karataev, - he added, apparently in order to make it easier for Pierre to address him. - They nicknamed the falcon in the service. How not to get bored, falcon! Moscow is the mother of cities. How not to get bored watching this. Yes, the worm gnaws the cabbage, and before that you disappear: that's how the old people used to say, '' he added quickly.

How, how did you say? - asked Pierre.

What am I? - asked Karataev. “I say: not by our mind, but by God's judgment,” he said, thinking that he was repeating what had been said. And immediately he continued: - How do you, sir, have estates? And is there a house? So a full cup! And is there a mistress? Are the old parents alive? - he asked, and although Pierre did not see in the dark, he felt that the soldier's lips were curled up with a restrained smile of affection, while he asked this.

He was apparently upset that Pierre had no parents, especially a mother.

Wife for advice, mother-in-law for hello, but no dearer dear mother! - he said. - Well, are there any kids? - he continued to ask. Pierre's negative answer again, apparently, upset him, and he hastened to add: - Well, people are young, God willing, there will be. If only in the council to live ...

But now it doesn't matter, ”Pierre said involuntarily.

Oh, dear man you are, - objected Plato. - Never give up money and prison. - He sat down better, cleared his throat, apparently preparing for a long story. “So, my dear friend, I still lived at home,” he began. - Our patrimony is rich, there is a lot of land, the peasants live well, and our house, thank you God. Father himself went out to mow. We lived well. The Christians were real. It happened ... - and Platon Karataev told a long story about how he went to a strange grove behind the forest and got caught by the watchman, how he was flogged, tried and sent to the soldiers. “Well, falcon,” he said in a voice changing from a smile, “they thought grief, but joy! My brother would have to go, if it were not my sin. And the younger brother has five guys himself - and, look, I have one soldier left. There was a girl, and even before the soldiery, God cleaned up. I came on leave, I tell you. I look - they live better than before. The yard is full of bellies, women are at home, two brothers are working. One Mikhailo, the youngest, is at home. Father says: “All children are equal to me, he says: no matter what finger you bite, everything hurts. And if Plato had not been shaved then, Mikhailo would have gone. " He called us all - believe me - he put us in front of the image. Mikhailo, he says, come here, bow at his feet, and you, woman, bow, and your grandchildren bow. Got it? is talking. That's it, my dear friend. Rock is looking for a head. And we are all judging: sometimes not good, sometimes not okay. Our happiness, my friend, is like water in delirium: if you pull it out, it puffs up, and when you pull it out, there’s nothing. So that. - And Plato sat on his straw.

After a pause for some time, Plato got up.

Well, I'm tea, do you want to sleep? - he said and quickly began to be baptized, saying:

Lord Jesus Christ, Nikola the pleaser, Frol and Lavra, Lord Jesus Christ, Nikola the pleaser! Frola and Lavra, Lord Jesus Christ - have mercy and save us! - he concluded, bowed to the ground, got up and, sighing, sat down on his straw. - That's it. Lay it down, God, with a stone, lift it up in a ball, - he said and lay down, pulling on his overcoat.

What prayer did you read? - asked Pierre.

Huh? - said Plato (he was already asleep). - Read what? I prayed to God. Don't you pray?

No, and I pray, - said Pierre. - But what did you say: Frola and Lavra?

But what about, - Plato answered quickly, - a horse festival. And you need to feel sorry for the cattle, - said Karataev. - See, rogue, curled up. I got hot, you daughter of a bitch, ”he said, feeling the dog at his feet, and, turning again, immediately fell asleep.

Outside could be heard crying and screaming somewhere in the distance, and fire could be seen through the cracks of the booth; but the booth was quiet and dark. Pierre did not sleep for a long time and with open eyes lay in the darkness in his place, listening to the measured snoring of Plato, who was lying next to him, and felt that the previously destroyed world was now with a new beauty, on some new and unshakable foundations, erected in his soul ...

Chapter XIII

In the booth, which Pierre entered and in which he spent four weeks, there were twenty-three prisoners of war, three officers and two officials.

All of them then seemed in a fog to Pierre, but Platon Karataev remained forever in Pierre's soul the most powerful and dear memory and the personification of everything Russian, kind and round. When the next day, at dawn, Pierre saw his neighbor, the first impression of something round was fully confirmed: the whole figure of Plato in his French overcoat belted with a rope, in a cap and bast shoes, was round, his head was completely round, his back, chest, shoulders , even the arms that he wore, as if always about to hug something, were round; a pleasant smile and large brown tender eyes were round.

Platon Karataev should have been over fifty years old, judging by his stories about campaigns in which he participated as a longtime soldier. He himself did not know and could not in any way determine how old he was; but his teeth, bright white and strong, which all rolled out in their two semicircles when he laughed (which he often did), were all good and whole; not a single gray hair was in his beard or hair, and his whole body had the appearance of suppleness, and especially firmness and endurance.

His face, despite the fine, round wrinkles, had an expression of innocence and youth; his voice was pleasant and melodious. But the main feature of his speech was spontaneity and controversy. He apparently never thought about what he said and what he would say; and from this there was a particularly compelling persuasiveness in the speed and fidelity of his intonations.

His physical strength and agility were such at the beginning of his captivity that he did not seem to understand what fatigue and illness were. Every day in the morning and in the evening he, lying down, said: "Lay down, Lord, with a stone, lift it up with a ball"; in the morning, getting up, always shrugging his shoulders in the same way, said: "I lay down - curled up, got up - shook myself." And indeed, as soon as he lay down to immediately fall asleep with a stone, and it was worth shaking himself so that immediately, without a second of delay, to take up some business, as children, getting up, take up toys. He knew how to do everything, not very well, but not bad either. He baked, boiled, sewed, planed, made boots. He was always busy and only at night allowed himself to talk, which he loved, and songs. He sang songs, not like songwriters who know that they are being listened to, but he sang like birds sing, apparently because he needed to make these sounds as much as it is necessary to stretch or disperse; and these sounds were always subtle, gentle, almost feminine, mournful, and his face was very serious at the same time.

Having been captured and overgrown with a beard, he apparently threw away from himself everything that was put on him, alien, soldier, and involuntarily returned to the old, peasant, folk way.

A soldier on vacation - a shirt made of trousers, - he used to say. He was reluctant to talk about his time as a soldier, although he did not complain, and often repeated that he had never been beaten throughout his service. When he spoke, he mainly recounted from his old and, apparently, dear memories of the “Christian”, as he pronounced, peasant life. The sayings that filled his speech were not those mostly obscene and brisk sayings that the soldiers say, but they were those folk sayings that seem so insignificant, taken separately, and which suddenly acquire the meaning of deep wisdom when they are spoken by the way. Often he said the exact opposite of what he had said before, but both were true. He loved to speak and spoke well, adorning his speech with affectionate and proverbs, which, it seemed to Pierre, he himself invented; but the main charm of his stories was that in his speech the events were the simplest, sometimes the very ones that Pierre saw without noticing them, acquired the character of solemn goodness. He loved to listen to fairy tales told in the evenings (all the same) by one soldier, but most of all he loved to hear stories about real life. He smiled happily, listened to such stories, inserting words and asking questions that tended to grasp the goodness of what he was told. Affection, friendship, love, as Pierre understood them, Karataev did not have any; but he loved and lived lovingly with everything with which life brought him, and especially with a person - not with some famous person, but with those people who were before his eyes. He loved his mongrel, loved his comrades, the French, loved Pierre, who was his neighbor; but Pierre felt that Karataev, in spite of all his affectionate tenderness towards him (with which he involuntarily paid tribute to Pierre's spiritual life), would not for a moment be upset at being separated from him. And Pierre began to feel the same feeling for Karataev.

Platon Karataev was for all the other prisoners the most ordinary soldier; his name was Sokolik or Platosha, they good-naturedly mocked him, sent him for parcels. But for Pierre, as he appeared on the first night, an incomprehensible, round and eternal personification of the spirit of simplicity and truth, so he remained forever. Platon Karataev knew nothing by heart, except for his prayer. When he spoke his speeches, he, starting them, did not seem to know how he would end them.

When Pierre, sometimes struck by the meaning of his speech, asked to repeat what he had said, Plato could not remember what he said a minute ago, just as he could not in any way say to Pierre his favorite song in words. There was: "darling, birch and nauseous to me," but the words did not come out any meaning. He did not understand and could not understand the meaning of words taken separately from speech. His every word and every action was a manifestation of an activity unknown to him, which was his life. But his life, as he himself saw it, had no meaning as a separate life. It made sense only as a part of the whole, which he constantly felt. His words and actions poured out of him as evenly, necessary and directly as the smell is separated from the flower. He could not understand either the price or the meaning of a single action or word.

"War and Peace" turns out to be people. Through the heroes, the author broadcasts his own thoughts and ideals, trying to convey to the reader the eternal truths on which his philosophy is built. The image of Platon Karataev appeared in the work for a reason. The hero's statements contain incredible wisdom and principles proclaimed by the author.

Character creation history

Platon Karataev is a Russian soldier from the Absheron regiment, with whom he spent a month in captivity. The hero remained in the memory of the nobleman a strong impression from this period of his life. Plato is a collective image of the Russian peasant, reflecting the philosophy of the people. Tolstoy introduces the character into unusual conditions for him, in which a person's spirituality is clearly visible. The name of the hero means "powerful, strong", and this is how the writer sees the Russian people.

The soldier is filled with love for those around him, regardless of the hardships of the war. In contrast, he does not take out his anger on others and pity people. Plato does not ignore even a stray dog. With words, he lightens the souls of people. His compassion and goodwill become medicine. Plato turned out to be the focus of harmony and submission to divine will. He is faithful to Christian ideals and does not share Bezukhov's pessimism.

The role of the hero in the work is great. Although Plato became a short-acting character, he instills in Pierre's soul an awareness of the meaning of life and faith in God.

Biography of Paton Karataev

The character appears in several chapters of the novel, but leaves an indelible impression on the main character of the work. Thanks to him, Bezukhov's fate is changing. The reader meets Karataev when the hero is in difficult life conditions. The peasant is 50 years old. He comes from simple illiterate peasants, so the man does not know his exact age. The character's wisdom, his theories about happiness, worldview and position in life are based solely on the experience of past years. Despite this, he displays a mind that surpasses the mind of any bourgeois.

Constantly faced with difficulties and problems, Platon Karataev has more experience than Pierre, and this conquers him. He lives in a world of utopia, spreading kindness and sincerity to everyone around him. His appearance disposes, and optimism brings a smile. A short man with a bright smile, flexible and neat, hardly resembles a peasant.

The characterization of the hero is complemented by his story. Almost nothing is known about the young years, since the formation of the hero is of little interest to the author. Karataev is represented by an integral personality. The man was married and had a daughter, but the girl died when he left for the service. No other facts about his family are given, although it is clear that she was not poor. Accidentally caught in the clearing of someone else's forest, Plato fell into the ranks of the soldiers and worries about being far from home.

Thanks to a good attitude towards others, the peasant finds a common language with everyone. It is not known whether he always was like this or whether life's difficulties influenced his spiritual makeup. Perhaps the death of his daughter or imprisonment were turning points that opened his eyes to the truth.

"War and Peace"

The meeting between Platon Karataev and Pierre Bezukhov takes place in a prisoner barrack. Shocked by the shooting of people, Bezukhov loses faith in humanity. In the barracks, Plato and Pierre are sitting side by side. A simple peasant and an aristocrat found themselves in the same conditions Plato noticed Pierre's depressed state and supported the aristocrat. He shared baked potatoes and gave advice, which Bezukhov often recalled later.

Karataev convinced the count that the main goal was the desire to survive and withstand. The peasant taught this to Bezukhov, contributing to the inner transformation of the hero. The soldier daily influenced Pierre's personal transformation with every act, kind word or even fleeting affection given to a stray dog.

In the terrible conditions of captivity, Karataev's health deteriorated. After spending a long time in the hospital with a severe cold, the man did not have time to recover from it. In captivity, the body weakened and the disease returned. The French, uninterested in the treatment of the prisoners, did not pay attention to Plato's condition. The man was in a fever. The French shot him before leaving the camp.

The death of the hero was predictable and justified: having influenced the consciousness of the protagonist, the character fulfilled his destiny and left the plot of the novel.

• The characteristic of Platon Karataev is often compared with the description of the image of Tikhon Shcherbaty. The characters had similar features, but differed in the way they thought. Shcherbaty did not show the sincerity for which Karataev was famous, therefore the author's sympathies are on the side of the latter. The humanist Tolstoy, describing the story of the character, translated his beliefs through him.
• For the author, war is a terrible accomplishment, a manifestation of cruelty and heartlessness. Preaching love, faith in people, morality and mercy, he found no excuses for the war. Painting pictures of the battle at Borodino, the death of a teenager Petit and, Tolstoy evokes compassion and sympathy in the hearts of readers. Platon Karataev is an image that personifies the philosophy of Tolstoy.

The novel "War and Peace"

• "War and Peace" often becomes the literary basis for films. In the silent paintings of Pyotr Chardynin of 1913 and 1915, the character is absent. Yakov Protazanov also did not pay attention to him in his tape. John Mills portrayed a Russian peasant in the 1956 film by King Widor. Mikhail Khrabrov played Karataev in the picture in 1967. Harry Locke portrayed the hero in the television series John Davis in 1972, and embodied Karataev in the film by Robert Dornhelm in 2007. Actor Adrian Rawlins played a peasant in the 2016 television series directed by Tom Harper.

Quotes

Tolstoy put sayings and sayings into the mouth of Platon Karataev. The man's speech translates popular wisdom in simple words.

“You suffer for an hour, but you live your whole life. Everything ends at some point. "

Such a parting word was given by a Russian soldier, expecting a better fate and hoping for divine execution. He sincerely believed that the hardships he experienced were given from above, that God would not send more than Plato could bear.

"Not by our mind, but by God's judgment"

He spoke, not complaining of sorrow and turmoil. The all-consuming hope in God freed a man from anger and negativity.

Karataev understood that whining and pessimism would be of no use. They only lead to degradation. Not intending to feel sorry for himself, he supported those around him:

"Weep for illness - God will not give death."

Believing in the unpredictability of fate, the hero gave a covenant:

"Never give up money and prison."

A difficult and full of hardships peasant life to the soul of Karataev. He yearned for the village, where any business was argued, and for the family. Happiness for him consisted of simple trifles, and he did not take great hopes seriously:

"Happiness is like water in delirium: you pull - it puffs up, but pull out - there is nothing"

"War and Peace"

tenacious Tikhons Chipped, but also "tenderly melodious" Platons Karataevs, bearers of life-giving love and kindness, without which the world became "meaningless rubbish." They return faith in the value of life and bring light to the souls of people who have been broken by senseless cruelty, and thus save them morally. The Karataevs' mission is great. The post-war activities of Pierre Bezukhov became possible only after gaining the inner harmony that he experienced in captivity. It is impossible to agree with V. Kamyanov that the meeting between Pierre and Karataev turned out “in a spiritual and especially intellectual respect - a strip of passive contemplation”.

"Platon Karataev remained forever in Pierre's soul the most powerful and dear memory and the personification of everything Russian, kind and round," "an incomprehensible, round and eternal personification of the spirit of simplicity and truth." Pierre understood this “round” in Karataev, as calmness and completion, as agreement with himself, complete peace of mind and complete inner freedom. “And it was at this very time that he received that calmness and self-satisfaction for which he had vainly sought before. For a long time in his life he sought from different sides this peace of mind, agreement with himself, that which so struck him in the soldiers in the Battle of Borodino - he looked for this in philanthropy, in Freemasonry, in the scattering of secular life, in wine, in heroic deeds self-sacrifice, in romantic love for Natasha; he sought it through thought, and all these searches and attempts deceived him.

". This "tranquility", that is, complete moral freedom, he found living among the people, soldiers and prisoners. It is this “tranquility,” that is, the deepest inner peace, that makes Pierre Bezukhov spiritually related to the people. The feeling in oneself of the precious gift of inner freedom, Tolstoy shows, is conditioned by the coincidence of life circumstances: “Pierre learned not with his mind, but with his whole being, with his life that man was created for happiness, that happiness is in himself, in satisfying natural human needs, and that all unhappiness comes not from lack, but from excess. " According to the writer, "the excess of the comforts of life destroys all the happiness of satisfying needs." The moral and psychological states of Pierre Bezukhov, torn from the usual conditions of an idle lordly life, are associated with a feeling of inner spiritual freedom. These states are clearly not covered by the influences of the external social historical world: "The more difficult his position became, the more terrible the future was, the more independent from the position in which he was, joyful and reassuring thoughts, memories and ideas came to him." Pierre Bezukhov accepted the mental health of the people, agreement with himself, the ability to spiritually overcome circumstances. The defenders of Russia have shown moral strength and civic courage. Again the "secret" of the connection of the consciousness of freedom with the law of necessity, the meeting of external and internal determinants is revealed.

"Latent warmth of patriotism", devotion to the motherland, inseparability from it. If in the aristocratic salon of Anna Pavlovna Sherer the Russian hero, due to his simplicity and enthusiasm, seemed to be something unusual for the place, then among the soldiers he was perceived as a hero: “Those very properties of him, which in the light in which he lived before, were for him, not harmful, then shy - his strength, disregard for the comforts of life, absent-mindedness, simplicity, here, between these people, gave him the position of almost a hero. And Pierre felt that this look obliged him. "

desired inner freedom. Then, throughout the rest of his life, "Pierre thought with delight and talked about this month of captivity, about those irreversible, strong and joyful feelings and, most importantly, about that complete peace of mind, about perfect inner freedom that he experienced only at that time." The turning point experienced in captivity is reduced to "a new, untested feeling of joy and strength of life."

“Almost the extreme limits of deprivation that a person can endure”, with all his being comes to an understanding of life as the highest good and possible harmony on earth. Life in his perception is love, that is, God: “And again someone, whether he himself or someone else,” said to him in a dream: “Life is everything. Life is God. Everything moves and moves, and this movement is God. And as long as there is life, there is the enjoyment of the self-consciousness of the deity. Love life, love God. The hardest and most blessed of all is to love this life in your suffering, in the innocence of suffering. " The writer conveys the dialectic of life itself in this depiction of Pierre Bezukhov's severe physical suffering, which, however, led him to life-affirmation.

years Tolstoy wrote in his diary: “I have always considered life the greatest blessing for which one cannot be grateful enough. The longer I live and the closer I come to death, the more the consciousness of this good becomes stronger and stronger in me. " Pierre's philosophical reflections in a dream are close to Tolstoy, which is also confirmed by the content of his philosophical treatises and, above all, Confessions. Here Tolstoy rejected speculative philosophy with its assertion that "the world is something infinite and incomprehensible," the pessimistic answers of the "wise" (Socrates, Buddha, Schopenhauer), who considered life to be nonsense. To all these abstract abstract conclusions, as well as the inescapable longing of the "idle", he opposed the spiritual culture of the patriarchal Russian peasant and completely shared his naive faith and optimistic recognition of life as an absolute value, a timeless value of man. He preferred the "faith" of Russian toilers-peasants to the "reason" of the wise.

The question of the meaning of life was decided by Tolstoy from a religious and moral standpoint. Life for him is meaningless and absurd if it is devoid of absolute spiritual content, and becomes an expression of higher wisdom, expediency, if it is illuminated by higher consciousness. If a person's mind and he himself are the result of "temporary random cohesion of particles," then life is meaningless and therefore good in this case loses its power. Therefore, Tolstoy's moral teaching about man and the norms of his behavior is inextricably linked with the solution of a philosophical question. In the treatise What is My Faith? Tolstoy writes on this issue as follows; “The teaching of Christ, like any religious teaching, contains two sides:

the explanation of why people need to live this way and not otherwise is a metaphysical teaching. One is the effect and together the cause of the other. " The unity of the "metaphysical" and "moral" teachings about human life is affirmed.

On the pages of the novel "War and Peace" even seemingly secondary characters appear for a reason. The characteristic of Platon Karataev occupies an important place. Let's try to remember what this hero was like.

Pierre Bezukhov's meeting with Platon Karataev

The characterization of Platon Karataev in the great work of L. N. Tolstoy begins from the moment of his acquaintance with Pierre. This meeting takes place in a difficult life period for Bezukhov: he managed to avoid execution, but saw the death of other people. The protagonist lost his faith in the possibility of improving the world and in God. A native of the "Platosha" people helps Pierre to overcome this turning point in his life.

People's philosopher

Platon Karataev, whose characteristic is the topic of this article, is a person who was able to introduce Pierre Bezukhov to the folk principle and the wisdom of ordinary people. He is a real philosopher. It is no coincidence that L.N. Tolstoy gave Karataev the name Plato. His speech is full of folk sayings, from this seemingly ordinary soldier breathes wise calm.

The meeting with Platon Karataev became for Pierre one of the most significant in his life. Even after many years, the already aging Bezukhov evaluates his actions and thoughts according to the principles that he learned for himself, communicating with this casual acquaintance.

Round start

The characteristic of Platon Karataev, which develops in our view, is very unusual thanks to the figurative speech of the author. Tolstoy mentions the "round" and controversial movements of the popular philosopher. Platon Karataev's arms are folded as if he were going to hug something. His kind brown eyes and a pleasant smile sink into the soul. In all his appearance, in his movements, there was something soothing and pleasant. Platon Karataev was a participant in a large number of military campaigns, but when he was captured, he abandoned everything "soldier's" and returned to the warehouse of a native of the people.

Why exactly does Tolstoy endow his hero with roundness of movements? Probably, Lev Nikolaevich emphasizes by this the peaceful nature of Platon Karataev. Modern psychologists say that a circle is usually preferred to draw by soft, charming, flexible people who are mobile and relaxed at the same time. The circle is a symbol of harmony. It is not known whether the author of the great novel knew about this, but intuitively he, of course, felt it. The characteristic of Platon Karataev is an unconditional confirmation of the life wisdom of Tolstoy.

Platoshi's speech

It can tell a lot about a hero like Platon Karataev. "War and Peace" is a characteristic of the psychological world of the characters, since in this novel Tolstoy pays a lot of attention to the peculiarities of the language and behavior of those about whom he wants to tell in more detail.

The first words with which our hero turned to Bezukhov are filled with simplicity and affection. Platon Karataev's speech is melodious, it is permeated with folk sayings and sayings. His words not only reflect his own thoughts, but also express folk wisdom. “To endure an hour, but to live a century,” said Platon Karataev.

The characterization of this character is impossible without mentioning his story about a merchant who was sentenced to hard labor for someone else's crime.

The speech of Platon Karataev, his statements are a reflection of the ideas of the Christian faith about humility and justice.

About the meaning of life

The characterization of Platon Karataev in the novel "War and Peace" is given by the author in order to show a different type of person, not like Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky. This simple soldier, unlike the aforementioned main characters, does not reflect on the meaning of life, he just lives. Platon Karataev is not afraid of death, he believes that a higher power controls his life. This hero looks at his life not as something separate, but as a part of the whole. The essence of karataev's nature is the love he feels for everything in the world.

In conclusion, it should be said that Leo N. Tolstoy, having created the image of Platon Karataev, wanted to show how important a person is not in himself, but as a member of society who realizes common goals. Only by participating in public life can you realize your desires. This is the only way to achieve harmony. All this became clear to Pierre after meeting Platon Karataev. In accordance with this idea, I would like to add that this one, of course, is interesting to us in itself. However, it is much more important what role he played in the life of Pierre Bezukhov. Thanks to this meeting, the main character was able to find inner harmony and harmony with the world and people.

The image of Platon Karataev is a spiritual folk principle, boundless harmony, which is given only through faith in God, in his will for everything that happens in life. This hero loves everyone around, even the French, to whom he was captured. Through conversations with the "folk philosopher" Pierre Bezukhov comes to understand that the meaning of life is to live, realizing the divine origin of everything that happens in the world.

So, we have characterized Platon Karataev. This is a native of the people who managed to bring into the life of the main character, Pierre Bezukhov, an understanding of the wisdom of ordinary people.