Critical Analysis of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

As long as life is still alive, nothing can make life difficult

Recently, I often see a sentence on the Internet:

"2022 could be the worst year of the past decade and the best year of the next decade."

The epidemic that lasted for 27 months has completely disrupted people's life rhythm;

The abrupt Russian-Ukrainian conflict had a significant effect on the world economy;

The accidental crash of China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 destroyed 132 families in an instant...

We don't know how long the dark night will be revealed, and when the light will shine.

But the plight of life has never been unique to any era.

Leo Tolstoy created the masterpiece "War and Peace" more than 150 years ago.

This novel takes the Russo-French War in 1812 as the background and tells the impermanence and life and death behind the war.

Even today, it is still praised by many writers and readers as "the greatest work in world literature".

Someone said: 

"After reading "War and Peace", it is impossible to live a bad life."

Maybe this enduring story will give you the strength to overcome all obstacles and hardships.

01

Only by being calm can we turn the situation around 

In 1805, a grand ball was held in Petersburg, the capital of Russia.

During the dinner, Prince Andrew and Count Pierre hit it off, chatted happily, and became good friends.

Andre was ambitious and wanted to show off his goals on the battlefield even though he had just married and his wife was just pregnant.

He placed his wife in a manor, let his family take care of him, and then enlisted in the army without hesitation.

Pierre inherited a large inheritance and thus won the favor of the noble lady Helen.

He was attracted by Helen's beautiful appearance and married her into the door without knowing her.

However, the two people who seemed to have got what they wanted to be found that life was not what they imagined.

Andre quickly adapted to life on the battlefield, and couldn't wait to go into battle to kill the enemy and defend the honor of imperial power.

But with the surrender of the Allies to the French army, Russia was in a dangerous situation.

The officers fled secretly, and the troops were defeated in successive battles. Andre was seriously injured on the battlefield and was also captured by the enemy.

He managed to return to his hometown alive, but his wife died of dystocia, leaving him only a son.

But Andre didn't go around complaining about his pain, nor did he get depressed and give up on himself.

He went to live in the country for two years while reading various books extensively and actively implementing farm reform measures.

He also liberated hundreds of serfs, paid for midwives to help peasant women deliver babies, and hired priests to teach children how to read.

On the other hand, Count Pierre found that Helen was just beautiful, empty-headed, and unfaithful to marriage.

She often flirts with other men, and the affair spreads all over the city, causing Pierre to lose face.

Pierre proposed to break up with Helen and took out most of his property to compensate the other party.

Unexpectedly, because Helen was sociable and popular, as a victim, he was criticized by everyone for not being generous and being too ruthless.

But Pierre did not argue with others one by one, nor did he brood over his wife's injury.

He insisted on giving kindness to the people around him. When someone was in financial trouble, he would lend money to the other party without hesitation;

When someone encountered confusion in life, he also tried his best to comfort and enlighten him.

Andre and Pierre, good friends, both encountered their own troughs in life.

But they both settled down and did their best to get rid of the pain in their hearts and gained the respect and love of the outside world.

Jia Pingwa said:

"In a person's life, whether it is suffering or happiness; whether it is gained or lost.

The most important thing is that there must be no moonlight in the clear spring in the heart. "

On the long road of life, it is inevitable to encounter ravines and step on mud.

However, the more difficult the situation is, the more it tests a person's character.

Those who find life difficult tend to make a fuss when they hear the news, and make a big fuss when they encounter setbacks.

If you disturb other people's minds and your own position, things will only get worse.

Only when you can hold your breath and climb over the cliff alone can you see more magnificent scenery?

After life improved, Andre met romantic love.

At a ball, he met Natasha, Count Rostov's daughter.

The youthful vigor of this 17-year-old girl rekindled his enthusiasm.

Like most people who fall in love, Andre was radiant and cheerful every day.

When he proposed to his father to marry Natasha, his father felt that she was still a girl and asked the marriage to be postponed for at least one year.

Andre was full of joy, believing that their love could pass the test of time.

Unexpectedly, Natasha, who was still young, couldn't stand loneliness at all.

She betrayed Andre under the temptation of a married man and broke off the engagement on her own initiative.

When Andre learned about it, he was both angry and sad.

But he understands that no matter whether he continues to entangle the other party or indulges in the pain of losing love, this relationship cannot be restored.

He, therefore, made the decision to concentrate on his work and requested permission to reenlist from the head of the Russian army.

After returning to the army, he devoted himself to the war, understanding the fortifications of the camp, and analyzing the internal situation of the army.

Andre's diligent and responsible work attitude has won the respect of the officers and has many followers.

On the other hand, Pierre encountered the Waterloo of his life.

As the war intensified, the Russian army decided to retreat and Napoleon occupied Moscow.

Seeing the civilians and nobles evacuating one after another, Pierre felt sad and had the idea of ​​assassinating Napoleon.

Unexpectedly, on the way to the assassination, he encountered a big fire.

In order to rescue the little girl trapped in the fire, he, unfortunately, became a prisoner of the French army.

During his captivity, he was locked in a dilapidated and small shed together with more than 20 soldiers. They didn't have enough food or warm clothes every day, their bodies were dirty, and their hair was covered with lice.

Pierre, who was well-clothed and well-fed since he was a child, did not complain like others.

He is proficient in French, extremely powerful, and always helps his companions solve their troubles.

He communicated with soldiers from low-level backgrounds, asking them about things he didn't understand in the past.

He also always maintains inner peace, often sitting alone, rethinking his life.

His calmness and indifference in adversity made the French army and other prisoners respect him.

This experience also changed Pierre from being obese and indecisive to being strong, resolute, and courageous.

Even in the quagmire, Andre and Pierre did not give up on themselves but became stronger.

as the saying goes:

"A good life is made through hard work. If you don't want to live through it and always want to escape, then life will only get worse and worse."

The current general environment is increasingly depressed, and troubles and setbacks continue to hit like a tide.

Complaining again and again and shrinking, will only fall into a more terrible abyss;

Only by being patient and accumulating energy silently can we seize the opportunity to rise into the sky.

Make sufficient preparations in the dormancy, strengthen yourself in the precipitation, and finally deal a severe blow to the tribulation and turn fate into victory.

The war turned the bustling city into a rubble field and claimed countless lives.

Under the fierce enemy artillery fire, Andre was unfortunately hit in the abdomen by a grenade.

On the way to the hospital, he reunited with Natasha who was about to leave Moscow.

Facing the juncture of life and death, both of them let go of their grievances, and their relationship became closer again.

Natasha took the initiative to take care of Andre and stayed by his side day and night.

Although his high fever persisted, his injuries became more and more serious, and he lost consciousness due to excessive pain from time to time.

But in the last days of his life, he was surrounded by love and gained unprecedented peace and happiness.

But Natasha, who was not deeply involved in the world, only had heart-piercing pain in her heart.

After Andre passed away, Natasha received the bad news that her younger brother died in battle.

She was in so much pain that she couldn't think of food and drink every day, she washed her face with tears and soon became emaciated to the point of being out of shape.

At this time, she met Pierre who escaped from death.

Pierre's appearance and mental state are completely new, which makes Natasha feel good.

With the support of their families, they naturally fell in love and started a family.

After marriage, Natasha gave all her enthusiasm and love to her husband and children;

Pierre also loves his wife and is obedient to her.

Natasha kept the family thrifty, never interfered with Pierre's work, and encouraged him to study knowledge, making him the most knowledgeable nobleman in the area.

Pierre is considerate and gentle communicates with Natasha on everything, and brings gifts to everyone in the family every time he travels.

The careful management of the husband and wife has allowed the wealth of the family to accumulate more and more, and life has become better and better.

The depression caused by past relationships, the pain caused by the cruel war, and the shock caused by life and death are all soothed by the warm secular fireworks.

After going through hardships, they finally had a happy ending like in a fairy tale.

There are times when people are in desperate situations, but there is no such thing as an absolute road. As long as you endure it, you will eventually see a bright future.

Someone on the Internet once asked: 

"How do you survive when you are about to fail?"

One answer is succinct:

"As long as life is still alive, nothing can make life difficult."

Crawling forward in the impermanent world is the fate that everyone cannot escape.

Perhaps right now, you are experiencing the darkest:

The epidemic continues to rage, and I have not been able to reunite with my family for several years;

Unable to start work for a long time, being overwhelmed by car loans and mortgages;

If the industry says nothing, there will be nothing, and if you want to open a physical store, you will face the risk of bankruptcy at any time...

How can there be a rainy day that never clears?

As Leo Tolstoy said:

"Remember, the more critical and difficult the situation, the more determined, positive, and decisive it needs to be, and the more inaction the more harmful it is."

Hold your breath in hard times, accumulate energy silently in the trough, swallow all the bitterness, and finally get the sweetness of life.

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