Analysis of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy was a Russian novelist known for his renowned works: War and Peace and Anna Karina. His philosophy of life was that of Christian anarchism, a philosophy that distrusts all legal and political institutions of the state, and a philosophy that adheres to non-violence and pacifism.
War and Peace is a philosophical and literary work, a masterpiece that adopts the Christian view of Tolstoy’s life. The novel War and Peace contains a chronicle of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. Tolstoy’s rhetoric is persuasive and compelling. The aesthetic aspects of the work are minimal. The novel engages in the trivialities of life. War and peace has become an idiom meaning something long and thick.
The main characters of the novel are Anna Pavlona and Prince Vasily. The novel is set on the benches of an aristocratic family. Russia is invaded by Napoleon and the citizens of Russia face a troublesome situation. Pavlona and Vasily discuss the harmful effects of war.
The novel idealizes Christian beliefs and convictions. The background of the novel is based on the Sermon on the Mount. The novel translates Christ’s homily: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Christian anarchism is very prominent in the novel. Tolstoy mistrusts all state institutions. Tolstoy comments on Jesus’ temptations after fasting in the desert for forty days. Satan shows Christ all the kingdoms of the earth and tells him: I will leave everything to you, if you adore me and Christ’s answer was: ‘You will adore only God’.
The novel is a sublime epic. The literary quality of the novel cannot be praised too highly. But still, the novel deserves some praise. There is depth of psychological insight into the minds of the characters. Tolstoy uses many allusions to the Christian religions. The novel is an intellectual and psychological catharsis. One can get a sense of pathos in the novel. The novel is a classic work of realism. Tolstoy’s own autobiographical self enters the minds of the characters. The novel is lyrical and sublime. The novel tells the 18th century story of the life of the Russian people. Russia is going through a series of historic transformations. War and Peace form allegories of a narrative. The novel is an eclectic symposium of syncretism of the cultural life of the Russian aristocracy. The story of the novel is not particularly interesting. There is no suspense. The novel follows a chronological order that goes from the beginning to the end.