Ron’s Reviews > War and Peace > Status Update

Nikolai: bravery as a learned, rather than innate, behavior. Instinct as an impetus for courageous action, impulsive/intuitive rather than planned/premeditated.

Pierre is in the friend zone

Natasha repenting, reminiscent of Guinivere after infidelity with Lancelot. Piety as a source of meaning after sin due to sexual desire. Also reminds me of Lady Macbeth trying to wash out that spot. Would be interesting to look back on Madame Bovary and see the connections made between sin & piety, though she rebounds back and forth on religion like she rebounds back and forth on everything.

Andrei enters politics, Russian government reforms (political 'war' in the 'peace' of society), Pierre pushes Andrei to religious growth through his own w/the Freemasons, Helene cheats on Pierre w/Boris, Rostov starving w/his squad, Denisov the leader raiding the army's caravan for those he's responsible for, Denisov shot and condemned to the hospital, Rostov's heroic journey to the depths of the hospital to save him

Pierre's about to join a cult!

Old Bolkonsky: scared of becoming an empty-nester. Unexpectedly, I grew to like Vasili and Bolkonsky more after the scene. I didn't expect Vasili to show the old prince such respect. While Anatole wasn't a completely awful person, I feel troubled for the effects that the affair will have on Marya. The catastrophe is due to Prince Bolkonsky cooping everyone up unnaturally and selfishly into his constructed world.

I really like Captain Tushin

Andrei is dope