War and Peace: An evening with the characters

St Petersburg, 1815

You are invited to Anna Pavlovna’s (Anna Scherer) home for a party. There you will be introduced to the numerous characters who will play a role in the novel. The invitation asks to arrive around 7pm.It seems confusing to keep track of all those titles; count, price, princess, viscount. You are told that it doesn’t really matter too much to keep track - those titles are given to the higher ranks of Russian society at the time.You also notice that many of those members speak in French. French was put into widespread use in Russia by Catherine the Great in the 1700s. In 1800s the peasants revolted against it. The aristocracy is using French to distance themselves from the ordinary people. There is plenty of discussion about the war, about grandeur of Napoleon. Anna who is the host of the party is almost like a general herself, knowing when to interfere, when to attack and when to withdraw.Anna Mikhailovna Drubetskoy: one of the best families in Russia, but old and poorCame to solicit an appointment to the guards for her only son Boris.“Influence in the society is a capital that must be used sparingly, lest it disspear"Anna Pavlova: “brimming with animation and impulses”

Kuragins

Vasili Kuragin: has three kids: Helene, Hippolyte and Antoine. Talks slowly, like an “actor speaks in an old play”. Hosted Pierre.Hippolyte Kuragin (Price Ippolit): stupid looking, dull and boring.Helene Kuragina: beautiful but shallow and self-serving woman. Anatole Kuragin: enjoyed partying with Pierre. One such party drinking party is descirbed.

Bezukhov’s

Pierre Bezukhov: illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov, who dies and leaves him behind a big fortune. Fat young man, copped head, spectacles. Anna, the party thrower, doesn’t think much of him. Kick out from St Pete because of drunken antics.

Rostov family

Count Ilya and Countess Natalya Rostov’s are the heads of the family. The have four children: Nicolas, Petya (youngest son), Vera and Natasha. Countess Rostov gives some money to Anna Mikhaiovna out of pity. The money is mainly for the get Boris prepared to go to the army.Sonya: counts 15 year old niece.Nikolay (the student) - together with Sonya. The are second cousins, and to marry a cousin you need special permission from the Orthodox Church.Natasha: dark-eyed, big mouthed, not beautiful but lively girl. No longer a child but not yet a woman. Everything seemed funny to her. In love with Boris and hopes to marry him in four years.Rostovs live in Moscow and threw a ‘party’ to celebrate the names day of their daughter Natasha.War is in the air during the conversations at dinner.

Bolkonsky Family

Nikolay Bolkonsky is an old man, who clings to the values of an outdated society. He lives in a palace outside of Moscow with Marya, a simple and deeply religious woman and Mademoiselle Brouienne, an orphaned Frenchwoman. Marya’s brother, Andrey, who has decided to go to war. Andrei Bolkonsky is married to Liza who cannot bear the fact that he is leaving. Very intelligent but an odd and difficult one. Off all the faces he found so boring, the face of his pretty wife seemed to be the one he was most sick of. Lisa- short lip and half opened lip- special, personal beauty.