The Depiction of Male/Female Relationships in Tolstoy's War and Peace

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The period is the early 19th century; those involved and discussed in this essay are for the most part Russian gentry. Increasingly relaxed social mores in the “developed” world, including the greater freedom to choose to whom one gets married to as well as increased women’s sexual rights, were much more uncommon during the time that War and Peace takes place. Tolstoy, an outspoken critic of arranged marriages, uses the characters in his novel as a way of exploring the various types of love, and in general the interactions between men and women of the time. This essay will attempt to focus on these relationships in an effort to get a better idea of Tolstoy’s views on the proper roles that men and women should play as friends, lovers, or spouses. By exploring the male/female relationships among the noble families, a detailed picture of both the expectations and realms of acceptable behavior will be established.

Pierre Bezhukov, the illegitimate son and eventual heir to his father’s massive fortune, is not well-suited for the high society of Russia. Intelligent and honest, Pierre is one of the few characters in the upper echelons of society that is genuine. As a major character, Pierre experiences one of the most marked character developments in the novel. Although his kind and decent nature remains relatively unchanged throughout the story, Pierre is occasionally induced into a rage, one of which is actually directed against his first wife, Helene.

The relationship shared by Pierre and Helene is best described as a lustful charade. It is no coincidence that Pierre, one of the most introspective characters in the novel, first marries a shallow, inwardly-ugly adulterer. His first recorded attitude towards Helene is one of admira...

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...es confused when he realizes that he has feelings for Princess Marya, and rather than being conflicted on who to choose, he merely wonders how he will explain to Sonya the situation without overly hurting her. This is an example of a more powerful love, one that his ‘soul mate’ Marya inspires in him. Nikolai is almost easily able to cast off his lifelong ‘love’ for his cousin in favor of this strange and “frightening” woman, with whom his future is unimaginable simply because he does not know her character or quirks, but her soul. When the two meet for the first time in proper circumstances, each knows exactly what to say, and Nikolai felt that he didn’t need to say that which he had prepared, but what “instantly and always appropriately came to his mind.” It is with this comfort with Marya that Nikolai is able to successfully run his estate later on in the novel.

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