OHHHHH PIERRE!!!
"It was as if the thread of the chief screw which held his life together were stripped, so that the screw could not get in or out, but went on turning uselessly in the same place." This line from page 303 tears on my heart strings a bit. Pierre has been a favorite of mine since the beginning of War and Peace, but bad things just keep on happening to him. He is, quite possibly, the most unlucky fellow to ever inherit a large fortune, and I cannot help but feel sad for Pierre whenever anything bad happens to him, regardless of whether or not he may have brought it upon himself.
Some may view Pierre as a common sense-deprived idiot that deserves everything he gets. One might argue that if Pierre is only going to think with body parts other than his head, he deserves Helene and her scandalous ways. There is also the infamous bear incident to back up this point, and the fact that Pierre chose to go out with his rowdy friends after telling Andrew he wouldn't certainly doesn't help his case. In times like these when it is easy to jump on the "Pierre is a total idiot" train, one must take care to remember that Pierre IS a good person and he always has good intentions. He does his best to please others, and while his common sense (or lack thereof) may hinder this on occasion, he doesn't deserve to be cheated on by Helene, and certainly not to be treated as he is by the rest of the aristocracy. Nearly all of Pierre's more questionable actions (i.e. shooting Dolokhov and the bear-policeman scandal) were the result of something bad happening first to Pierre or someone else egging him on to do something bad.
Pierre is easily persuaded, but that doesn't necessarily make him a bad person. I think I am rooting for Pierre so hard because he very much reminds me of myself. Just like me, Pierre is a kindhearted, passionate person, who just so happens to have a bit less common sense than most. He does not deserve many of the misfortunes that befall him, and Pierre is worthy of your sympathy as well as your good opinion.
Ah Liz, your faith in humanity is admirable :) You make a good point in saying that "Pierre does his best to please others," but I think this is one of his tragic flaws. I don't believe Pierre is a bad person, but I do believe he is very naïve about the world around him. As much as becoming a Freemason was a rash and perhaps misguided decision, I think it will do Pierre some good to have a firm set of beliefs for a while.
ReplyDeleteI'm rooting for Pierre with you girl!
Lizzzzzzzie! I agree with you about his becoming a Freemason. He may have new people to boss him around, but at least they are more kindhearted people than before. I also agree with you that aiming to please others all of the time can be a flaw (on occasion at least).
DeleteThanks Lizzie!
Liz, I feel exactly the same! Pierre is so untouched and kind-hearted that one can't judge him for all his weakness and stupid behavior. And your blog reminds me strongly of a short novel by Kafka that I read before. It's about a man as "foolish" as Pierre. I'll get back to you if I manage to find the it's title or link.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link! You are right, Gimpel is A LOT like Pierre when it comes to foolishness.
DeleteFound it! Gimpel the Fool by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Here's the link: http://salvoblue.homestead.com/gimpel.html
ReplyDeleteJust in case any of you are interested.
Liz, tell you honestly I am the person who jumps on the “Pierre is a total idiot” train. But I want to say that this “idiot” moves me and I do love this “idiot”! Although I call him “idiot” for three times, I prefer to interpret this word into a more intimate and cute way. He is a “love idiot” when he gets married to Helene; he is a “dignity idiot” when he decides to have a duel with Dolokhov; and even he is a “belief idiot” when he insists on living for others. Oh, god, how can this idiot be so kindhearted?
ReplyDeletePierre makes me 'facepalm' regularly Liz! I see him as completely lovable, however, and I'm rooting for him! I'm sure that Pierre's "comedy of errors" so to speak, will only prove to help him develop into the well rounded protagonist we want him to be!
ReplyDelete