3 thoughts on war and peace

Reflections on War and Peace Sample Essay 1 Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was one of the greatest Russian writers of the 19th century. His sentence "Happiness does not appear to cause others even a small amount of pain, but to directly contribute to the joy and happiness of others. In my opinion, it can be expressed most concisely in this regard: Happiness lies in not Evil, forgiveness and love of others” has always been my motto.

During the winter vacation, under the call of the office leader, I read Tolstoy's another masterpiece "War and Peace" with reverence.

"War and Peace" is a grand work based on the Russo-French War in the early 19th century. This book is like a mirror, vividly describing all the contradictions and huge social changes in Russian society at that time.

"War and Peace" takes the lives of the four aristocratic families of Bolkonsky, Bezukhov, Rostov, and Vasily in the war and peace years as plot clues, vividly showing From 1805 to 1820, a series of major historical events such as the battle between the Russian-Austrian Allied Forces and the French Army at Austerlitz, the French invasion of Russia, the Great Fire of Moscow, and the retreat of Napoleon's army demonstrated the patriotism and heroism of the soldiers. , praising the great victory of the Russian people's spirit of common hatred and the power of the people. The scene is spectacular, the structure is clear, and it has a strong sense of the times.

Before reading this work, I had already known the outcome of the entire Russo-French War from other historical documents. In the end, the Russian Czar completely defeated the French Emperor Napoleon and exiled him; however, many years before During the war, Tsarist Russia was almost always at a disadvantage, and even its capital, which was located deep in the interior of Europe, was once forced to cede to the other side. If it weren't for the vast territory and large population, as well as the unprecedentedly high people's passion to defend their country, the Tsar might have long been reduced to a vassal of Napoleon.

The beginning of the first part is about a party held at Anna Pavlovna Scherer's house. Anna Scherer is the maid of honor of the Royal Palace and the favorite of the Queen Mother. Naturally, the dignitaries of St. Petersburg were among the guests present at the meeting. On the surface, the party seemed lively and cheerful, and the guests were relaxed and relaxed. However, whether they are hosts or guests, for some of them, attending the party is not the ultimate goal. In the brightly lit living room, Prince Vasily, who was chatting alone with Anna Pavlovna, was the first guest tonight. He was talking about trivial matters, and suddenly and naturally the topic turned to his son's position. But unfortunately, his son's competitor was recommended by the Empress Dowager's sister, and her territory was obviously beyond Anna's reach. Moreover, it is unknown whether Anna feels that it is worthwhile to contribute to the Duke. The matter finally fell through. When the unlucky Prince Vasily was about to leave, an old lady named Anna Mikhailovna, who had been silent just now and looked frail, suddenly jumped up and chased the important minister. Laughing with him, he begged him to send his only son Boris into the army. Maybe he felt pity for the old woman, maybe he wanted to get rid of her endless entanglement, maybe he felt that retaining the relationship with the old duchess would be useful in the future. The Duke finally agreed to her request. This short party was actually an exchange of power. After the two sides bargained and weighed the pros and cons, batches of young masters from noble families rose through the ranks and directly entered the upper echelons of politics and the military. Even the sons of declining nobles could serve as warrant officers in the Guards, let alone those "in-service" nobles.

There is no need for strict assessment, status is official status, this seems to be an unwritten rule in Tsarist Russia. However, what are the knowledge and abilities of these aristocratic children? As for Anatole Kuragin, the son of Duke Vasily, he drinks and gambles all day long and has nothing to do. He is an extremely standard dandy. Not to mention how much diplomatic knowledge and ability he has. And if it weren't for his opponent's stronger backstage, he would probably be sitting in the office of the First Secretary of the Vienna Embassy, ??Tsarist Russia's most important foreign agency. By analogy, under this unreasonable selection system, the state apparatus favored by Tsarist Russia has parasited countless mediocre, incompetent and hedonistic dandies. In the military, the problem is equally acute. As Prince Vasily said: "After Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief, all the ladies in Moscow sent their children to be adjutants." It is possible to arrange prestigious positions like this, but ordinary positions Not to mention.

The overall quality of Tsarist Russian officers is evident from this! I would like to ask: at a critical moment, how many people can stand up and shoulder the heavy burden; at the critical moment of life and death, how many people can take the lead and turn the tide? On the other hand, look at France, Tsarist Russia’s great enemy After experiencing the tempering and baptism of the Great Revolution, a large number of commanding talents who can "strategize and win decisively thousands of miles away" stand out. They are loyal to the country and the nation, share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers, and share the same heart with the commander-in-chief. . More importantly, they have one of the few great conquerors in human history, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Speaking of this, I can’t help but think of the Sino-British Opium War that took place decades later. During the War of 1840, the 4,000-strong British "Eastern Expeditionary Force" was brave and adept at fighting. They avoided the real situation and turned to the weak. They soon reached the mouth of the Mei River in Tanggu, Tianjin, directly threatening Beijing. Britain's advancing step by step touched the "imperial power of the Celestial Empire" that Emperor Daoguang used to comfort himself. Therefore, he issued an edict to declare war and sent two "emperor nephews" to lead the army to fight against the enemy. However, did these two most "orthodox" nobles restore the prestige of the "Celestial Dynasty" for the emperor? The "Jingni General" Yishan who went first was quite brave. As soon as he left, he sent troops to attack the British ships at night. As a result, he was killed due to improper strategy. A complete failure. In the end, he ended up with the sad end of surrendering to the British army. Yijing, the euphemistically named "general who shows off his power", is even more cowardly. The war along the coast of Zhejiang was tense, but he camped in Suzhou, far inland, drinking and having fun around the stove all day long. Later, they were superstitious about the so-called "Guandi's motto" and insisted on going to war on the Yin year, Yin month, Yin day and Yin time (Yin is the tiger, and the tiger can defeat the sheep (foreign)). As a result, the Qing army was defeated in three battles. Not only did it fail to recover the lost territory, Even the Yangtze River Estuary was completely under the control of the British army. These successive defeats directly led to the forced signing of the Treaty of Nanjing between China and Britain. From then on, China began to fall into the abyss of a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. And it can be said with certainty that all this is closely related to the poor command of the two "aristocratic generals" who were greedy for pleasure and afraid of death. War is a competition for the strong. Sun Wu, the great military strategist in ancient my country, once said in his "Sun Tzu's Art of War: Strategy Chapter": "Who has the right way, the general who is capable, who has the heaven and the earth, who can carry out the laws, who has the strength of the army, and who has the training of the soldiers? This is how I know the timing of rewards and punishments.” However, the next four points also depend to a large extent on “who is capable.” It can be seen that the quality of generals plays an important role in determining the outcome of the war. Under the extremely unreasonable military selection system of Tsarist Russia, a large number of dudes who knew nothing about military affairs served as commanders at all levels. This has a considerable impact on the overall strength of the Russian army: if this phenomenon remains unresolved, then the consequences will be as Su Xun said in "On the Six Nations", due to its own internal shortcomings, "Without a fight, the victory between the strong and the weak will be determined."

Not only is the struggle for rights, but the most touching thing about this novel is the literary charm of the novel itself. The most typical one should be regarded as the characterization of the novel: distinct and full of personality. For example, Andrew is introverted, strong-willed, and has strong social activity ability; Pierre is outspoken, emotional, lacks practical activity ability, and focuses more on the pursuit of moral ideals; the heroine Natasha is an emotional person, A woman who is full of vitality, loves nature, is close to the people, and has national temperament. They have been trained and grown in the war to defend the motherland. These main characters have high cognitive and aesthetic values. The greed, hypocrisy and depraved personality of the court nobles represented by Kuragin were also nakedly portrayed and whipped mercilessly.

There are many sentences and paragraphs in "War and Peace" that are very meaningful. They can inspire people, let us understand many truths, and are worth pondering. Prince Andrey's sister Maria wrote to her friend Yuli: "__'s love, love for others, love for enemies, is more beautiful than the beautiful eyes of a young man in a poetic and sentimental person like yours. The emotions that can be aroused in the hearts of young girls are more valuable, sweeter and more beautiful. "If everyone only fights for his own beliefs, there will be no war."

Such as confused trust. , the compassionate Hugo, the passionate Romain Rolland, etc.

Nikolay Rostov turned around, as if he was looking for something. He looked into the distance, at the water of the Danube, at the sky and the sun. How beautiful, blue, quiet and distant the sky was! The sunset! How bright and magnificent it is! And how friendly and brilliant the water in the distant Danube River shines! Even more beautiful are the distant blue mountains, monasteries, mysterious canyons on the other side of the Danube River, and the tops of the mountains filled with smoke. Pine forest? So peaceful and happy there? "As long as I can be there, I need nothing, nothing, nothing," thought Rostov. "There is so much happiness only in my heart and under this sun, and here? Groaning, pain, terror, and this unknowability, this rush? Here they are shouting again, and they are all running back, I I have to run with them, but death is here, above me, around me. In a moment, I will never see this sun, this river, this canyon!" Life, life, only in Only at this time can people feel its beautiful connotations, which are often ignored by people in ordinary times. In fact, the true meaning of life lies in being able to freely enjoy the sunshine, forests, mountains, grasslands, and rivers, and in being satisfied with the ordinary. Others are irrelevant. Above him there was nothing but the sky, the sublime sky, incomprehensible but unfathomable, with its gray clouds moving silently. "How quiet, peaceful and solemn, not at all like me running," thought Prince Andrey, "not like us running, shouting, struggling; fighting for the broom, the clouds move in this sublime sky It's not like us at all. Why haven't I seen this sublime sky before? I finally discovered it, how happy I am. Yes, except for this infinite sky, everything is empty and empty. It's deception. There is nothing but heaven. But there is nothing but silence and peace. Thank God!?" This experience is not just about seeing through the world, but a kind of eternal praise. . The longing for a kind of tranquility, serenity and remoteness. It is the ultimate definition of happiness. The solemn, azure, quiet and distant sky, the eternity and tranquility beyond all human pain and joy.

"A person lives consciously for himself, but he is an unconscious tool for the historical purpose achieved by all mankind. The actions performed by a person are irreversible. One person's actions are different from others. The higher a person stands on the social ladder and the more people he has relationships with, the greater his power over others and his destiny in every action. The more obvious it is that the emperor is the slave of history." What a profound historical analysis. Each of us is a drop of water in the torrent of history, thousands of them, forming a sonorous rhythm, one after another, waves, and white foam.

Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Besuhufu are two dazzling and very intelligent characters that Tolstoy devoted his efforts to portray. , the long monologues and rich inner thoughts and reflections of the two of them in the book give this work a great and dazzling aura, and give this work a profound ideological quality, making it more than just a simple book. A novel, but a masterpiece of thought and spiritual wealth of mankind. What I like to watch most are these long monologues and reflections. They make my spirit more enriched than ever before and make my thoughts no longer influenced and restricted by others.

What’s interesting is that Pierre’s thinking is not necessarily shallower than Andre’s, but he is always a thinker and is not good at putting it into action. It reminded me of those exiled revolutionaries in Paris who often talked about revolution in bistros and cafes. Andrey was different. The reforms Tolstoy later implemented in his own manor were actually a reflection of Andrey. Only the two of them could get along well with each other, while the other nobles were all pretentious, snobby snobs whose appearance was tainted by their wealth. Tolstoy's thoughts were far ahead of his time. He opposed the feudal system, but also doubted the advanced ideas and systems of the emerging bourgeoisie. I used to be somewhat disapproving of his "obscure" thoughts, but now I can With the increase of experience and the observation, understanding and thinking of the development of the contemporary world, now that I think about it carefully, his thoughts and opinions are so far-sighted and profound. He not only saw the decay of the dying body, but also saw that only Only a profound person can see the flaws of a newborn baby.

The famous writer Turgenev called this novel "a more direct and accurate understanding of the character and temperament of the Russian people and the entire Russian life". Reading it is "better than reading hundreds of books about the nation." works on science and history." The author skillfully combines war and love, and creates many plump and vivid characters with delicate brushstrokes.

Read "War and Peace", feel Tolstoy, and feel the eternity.

Sample Essay on Reflections on War and Peace 2

Holding a copy of "War and Peace" in your hand, you feel like you are in that era filled with smoke. In the past, I always admired Napoleon's bravery and wisdom, but I never thought that viewing this period of history from a Russian perspective would be so different. Tolstoy painted us a magnificent and vivid historical picture with his profound and meticulous brushwork. I saw the cruelty of war, and also the struggle and exploration of individuals in the torrent of history. Among them, the image of Andre impressed me the most.

When Andrei appears, he is a seemingly easy-going but arrogant and indifferent young duke. He was tired of the hypocrisy and boredom of the upper class and was unwilling to be bound by this kind of life. Therefore, he actively joined the army and fought in the hope of establishing meritorious deeds on the battlefield, becoming famous, and realizing the value of his life. However, he saw the cruelty of war and the hypocrisy and incompetence of the ruling group. When he returned home after escaping death, he watched his wife die in childbirth. This series of blows made him discouraged and made him feel the emptiness of life. He once aspired to make great achievements and lived in seclusion in the countryside, just wanting to be alone. Under Pierre's enthusiastic persuasion, he gradually cheered up, implemented a series of reforms in his territory and achieved success, but he still decided that he "should spend the rest of his life calmly and stably." Until he met the beautiful girl Natasha. Natasha's beauty and carefreeness aroused Andre's yearning for a happy life. So he once again walked into the hustle and bustle of Petersburg and joined the upsurge of social reform in Russia at that time. He won Natasha's love, but after the two got engaged, Natasha's betrayal plunged Andre into a low point in life. War broke out again, Andre was seriously injured and eventually died under Natasha's care.

Andre has been pursuing the meaning of life and the value of life throughout his life. In the ups and downs, he thought hard and sought the value of a transcendent life. Andre's thinking also inspired our readers to think: What is the meaning of life? How should people live? I think every self-aware person should have thought about such a question, and it is very likely that he is like Andre. After going through a painful inner struggle process that was repeated, sometimes exciting, sometimes lonely, it is possible that even now I have not found a clear answer that can really convince myself. I think this thing that we are struggling to pursue and influence our attitude towards life is what we often call the philosophy of life. Everyone's philosophy of life is different, but everyone's process of pursuing the meaning of life is quite similar. Yes? No? Where is the yardstick for measurement?

Thousands of years ago, Qu Zi stood by the Miluo River and sighed: "The road is long and long, and I will search up and down." Until now, everyone They are all still searching after they are born, and in the process of pursuing, they grow, grow old, and die. Perhaps the meaning and value of life lies in this never-ending pursuit like Kuafu chasing the sun!

"When humans think, God laughs." However, how can humans stop thinking? Although quiet and calm white clouds still float in the high sky above the Osterlotz battlefield, and the old banyan tree is still flourishing with age, Andre's spiritual journey will not stop.

War and Peace Reflection Sample 3

I finally finished reading Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace" and I really want to write some thoughts.

When I first read it, I thought why it was given such a name. War and peace are as opposite as life and death. Why should they be connected together? When there is war, there is no peace. After reading the whole book, I changed my mind. In Leo Tolstoy's inner world, war and peace have never been opposites or isolated. In a peaceful environment, the war in human hearts has never stopped. Looking at the countless various characters in the book, some people pursue their own honor; some pursue rights; some pursue money; lust. . . The more urgent and crazy the pursuit becomes, the more fierce the inner war becomes.

Just like life and death, some people live as if they are dead, and some people die but their souls are still alive. Isn't Leo Tolstoy a clear example? He has died long ago, but his soul and consciousness are still alive, stirring the hearts of future generations. After reading "War and Peace", I feel that Leo Tolstoy is not only an excellent writer, but also an outstanding military strategist, thinker, historian and philosopher, and a wise man with great enlightenment. So my infinite love and admiration for him gave me the impulse and courage to record my superficial thoughts.

After reading the whole book and closing my eyes, there are only a few in my mind that I cannot forget. These characters are so real and vivid in my heart. They represent several very typical character types in Leo Tolstoy's works. These characters run through the plot of the entire book. They each have different thoughts and personalities. In their different life trajectories, they have all experienced the baptism of physical and mental war and peace.

I can’t help but want to talk about Andre. He left such a deep impression on me and is also a character I like very much. Simple, upright, kind, and stubborn. This character appears throughout the entire book, and his growth experience made me tangled, heartbroken, regretful, and warm. Andre is a tragic character. He only truly achieved happiness when he was about to die. When he was alive, he lived a life of depression, self-importance, indifference, and autism. Joining the army without hesitation, being indifferent to his pregnant wife's efforts to retain and miss him, etc., all opened the curtain for Andre's subsequent tragic life. A huge change in Andre's character occurs in the face of two deaths. In the years before he faced death for the first time, Andre only wanted to stand out, win honors and be recognized. Under the appearance of peace, Andre's inner battlefield has long been filled with smoke. The fuse of the inner war is not Napoleon, but the crazy pursuit of self-honor. He only yearns for honor, fame, and being loved by others. He only yearns for these and lives only for these. He loves nothing but these. Death, injury, family destruction, nothing is scary to him. Father, sister, wife, etc., the most precious people in his life, no matter how amiable and lovely they are, as long as they can get a moment of honor and stand out, To be loved by people he didn't know and would never know, no matter how terrible or unreasonable it seemed, he could give it all up.

He often imagines a battle, the casualties of the battle, a big battle concentrated in one place, a group of people, a division of people he led, winning the battle alone, all victory and honor belong to him One man, the Commander-in-Chief was removed and he was appointed. . . Perhaps it was this slightly twisted thought that put Andre in a rather crazy inner world. All these thoughts began to change at that terrible and tragic moment: he was knocked unconscious by the enemy's stick during the war. He could not see anything. Above him, he could see nothing but the sky. The high sky was infinitely high and floating quietly. The gray clouds, these quiet, solemn and solemn clouds, are not like him running to seize something, not like them shouting and fighting, nor like the French soldiers and artillerymen who are fighting each other with anger and fear on their faces. , he was wondering why he had never seen such a high sky before? He was so happy, finally seeing the sky. Except for the vast sky, everything was empty and everything was a lie. There was nothing but silence and solemnity. He thought of the sweetness of falling in love with his wife, his unborn son, and his father. He touched the small golden statue that his sister hung around his neck to keep him safe before joining the army. . . At this moment, Andre gained inner peace, didn't he? Had he not experienced the pain of death, wouldn't he have truly known himself? In fact, he was seriously injured on the battlefield and was praised by the admired hero Napoleon. Isn't this what Andre has always wanted? Napoleon said that Andre lay down and died heroically, but at that time Andre was like a fly buzzing when he heard these words. Not only was he not interested, but he didn't take it to heart. .

His head was on fire, and he felt that his blood was about to drain out. He saw the sky again that suddenly made him feel happy. This distant, high and eternal sky and his heart were in harmony with Napoleon. In comparison, Napoleon is so small and insignificant.

When Andre, who had narrowly escaped death, rushed home, only to witness his wife dying in the delivery room with reproachful and resentful eyes, Andre entered an autistic world, indifferent to the world and far away from the world. In the world, he often cannot escape the world of his wife's eyes before she died. Apart from no longer grabbing the illusory sense of honor, he has not changed. He is still arrogant, stubborn and self-centered. Is this kind of inner and superficial peace really the peace that Leo Tolstoy wants to convey? I think it is definitely not the case. In the years before facing death for the second time, Andre finally walked out of the world of his deceased wife and wanted to choose a new love. Sometimes he was suddenly betrayed by his lover. I think this was a crucial ups and downs in Andre's life. , this actually unintentional betrayal became the direct trigger for Andre to ignite the inner war. He stubbornly turned into a hedgehog again, wrapping himself tightly with thorns again. He stubbornly refused to I am willing to understand but not willing to forgive. It now seems that at least Andre was a person who only loved himself at that time. He still only cared about his own sense of honor. Whether it was career or love, personal sense of honor was supreme. Therefore, when Andre met and fought against death for the second time, Andre's difficult journey of gaining a new life was really touching and shocking. When Andre saw on the battlefield the man he had always wanted to duel with, When his rival's leg was blown off, he suddenly began to not only love himself, but also began to truly understand the meaning and true meaning of love. Love is not a love for something, a purpose or a reason, but the feeling of still loving him when he sees his enemy when he is about to die, so he suddenly begins to learn to forgive and understand A strong sense of happiness. He thought excitedly of Natasha again - the fiancée he had loved deeply but resolutely abandoned. He not only thought of her joyful and charming face, but also thought of her soul for the first time.

Then he understood her feelings, pain, shame and regret, and for the first time he understood how cruel and heartless his rejection and breakup were. So in the process of fighting against death, Andre really wanted to see Natasha again, so God arranged for them to meet. Thinking about the time when Andre was living in his own world after escaping death for the first time. Although his body was alive, his mind was dead, and he was living a lonely and semi-conscious life. The more he unconsciously abandoned the world. Things like living alone and having nothing to do with the world. In fact, he is getting further and further away from this world. He thinks that living is indifferent. But this time, Andre prayed to God to give him a chance to live and love the people around him again. When God really sent the girl he loved deeply to him, his love for a woman quietly sneaked into his heart and made him attached to life again. His love for Natasha aroused his cherishment of life and he wanted to live. I will never forget the true and emotional words that two lovers spoke openly when they got together: Andre boldly confessed to Natasha for the first time: I love you! Natasha said: Forgive me! Andre Said: Forgive what? Natasha said: Forgive me for what I did before. . Andre said: I love you more than before and know how to love you better. . . For a man like Andre, who once only loved himself, to be able to say such words shows that he has truly gained peace in his heart. It can be said that Andrei is the best embodiment and interpretation of war and peace in Leo Tolstoy's heart. However, this time, Andre was not lucky enough to escape death again. Perhaps the plot will only move people when it has a strong sense of conflict. There are so many mistakes in life that people will remember. The first time Andre knew that he should love, his wife died and he had nowhere to give his love; the second time he understood How to love, when he is loved, he dies, leaving no place for other people's love. Maybe only love in this world can make people sad and heart-wrenching, but Andre gained eternal life and pure happiness in this world of love, although in the end, he died.

Like Andre, there are also Pierre, Natasha, and Maria. These characters are also classic characters in the process from death to life and from war to peace in Leo Tolstoy's works. image. Like Andre, they are ultimately happy. It's just that this happiness comes too hard.

Pierre played too many roles in his life: illegitimate son, richest man, love prodigal, poor political tool of the officialdom, charity worker, war prisoner, friend of the invaders, and good husband. . . This simple, kind and upright man finally achieved happiness and eternal inner peace.

Pierre, a nobleman who lived a troubled but chaotic life in the upper class, unexpectedly gained unprecedented happiness. When Pierre was locked up in a shed as a French prisoner, he realized a truth, not intellectually, but with his whole body, mind, and life. He understood that man was created for happiness, and happiness lies in himself. , lies in satisfying people's natural needs, and all unhappiness does not lie in lack of something, but in excess; but now, during the three weeks of march, he realized a new comforting truth: there is no such thing as happiness in the world. What a terrible thing. There is no environment in the world in which people can live completely happy and completely free, and there is no environment in which people can live unhappy and unfree. He also realized that there is a limit to pain, and there is a limit to freedom, and this limit is very close; a person is distressed because his brocade quilt has a corner, just as he is sleeping in the bare wetland, while his body is cold. His body felt hot and distressed; in the past he had suffered from the innocence of tight-fitting feet. He realized that marrying his wife, whom he thought he had voluntarily married at the time, was no more liberating than being locked up in a cowshed. The more difficult his situation, the more terrible his future, the more joyful thoughts, memories, and imaginations appeared in his mind that had nothing to do with his situation. . . In my opinion, all of this is so magical and incredible.

I’m going to stop writing this, I just want to use this shallow text but sincere emotions to remember and experience the warmth that "War and Peace" brought me.

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