tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980751096663660132.post8700572912369122620..comments2023-11-19T13:16:28.673-08:00Comments on The War and Peace Blog: Motive as a MotifKelly Heroldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484703304084014289noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980751096663660132.post-30727218131234892772013-09-15T21:27:43.321-07:002013-09-15T21:27:43.321-07:00He does seem to change his outlook on life very qu...He does seem to change his outlook on life very quickly once he's been injured! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17058341296132040114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980751096663660132.post-67757628783254006762013-09-15T21:25:35.846-07:002013-09-15T21:25:35.846-07:00I agree. In Book 3 Nicholas seems enticed by the g...I agree. In Book 3 Nicholas seems enticed by the glory of dying for the Russian Emperor. I think this also shows his simple desire for excitement above all else, even his own life.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17058341296132040114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980751096663660132.post-15767070448756411362013-09-11T19:26:18.035-07:002013-09-11T19:26:18.035-07:00Good observations!
I don’t think Nicholas is a h...Good observations! <br /><br />I don’t think Nicholas is a hardcore Russian patriot. He’s introduced as a happy-go-lucky kind of guy who coasts along his interests. This is evident in his puppy-dog love relationship with Sonya. Likewise, I assume he joined the army out of pure interest. Towards the end of Book Two he is injured and he exclaims, “There is no one to help me or pity me. Yet I was once at home, strong, happy, and loved” (War and Peace 172). It’s as if he regrets ever leaving his comfortable lifestyle. Being a member of the army isn’t exactly what he expected. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15118744105144429677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980751096663660132.post-57002070686513930202013-09-11T13:56:38.905-07:002013-09-11T13:56:38.905-07:00I think that, at least to an extent, Nicholas want...I think that, at least to an extent, Nicholas wants to fight. If he didn't he would have joined the guards instead of the hussars. It seems true that, for the young male nobility, very few characters outright avoid the war (perhaps out of family honor, or perhaps because the book is titled War and Peace). Still, if you're asking whether he is secretly filled with blood lust, enamored with war's glorification, or forced into it by shame, I would say it's probably none of those. Judging by his attitude at the bridge burning, Nicholas enjoys exciting things, and the war is the most momentous, exciting thing happening to his generation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06017662436792493364noreply@blogger.com