Descartes & The Infinite Sky
“Yes! everything is empty, everything is a deception, except this infinite sky. There is nothing, nothing except that. But there is not even that, there is nothing except silence, tranquility. And thank God!…” (281)
Andrei is wounded at the Battle of Austerlitz, and amidst the chaos of the war, sees the light of truth and experiences a complete silence and tranquility. The truth that appears before his eyes is nothingness; this concept both parallels and contradicts Descartes’ theory of truth as well as the idea of Cartesian dualism. Descartes was a 16th/17th century philosopher who, after traveling in hopes of resolving his doubts, noted that everything in the world is inherently biased and based on subjective interpretation. He thus rejected contemporary methods to discover truth and sought to construct his own trustworthy method. Descartes’ geometric proof has 4 primary steps: 1) Begin with a blank, unbiased state 2) Divide all knowledge into as many parts as possible 3) Order divisions from easiest to understand to hardest to understand 4) Complete enumerations followed to comprehensive review.
One key difference between the two is that Descartes is against sensory experience; his famous quote “I think therefore I am” alludes to his overarching argument that we can only rely on our perception of an experience, not the experience itself. This leads to his belief of a complete mind and body split, commonly referred to as Cartesian dualism. However, for Andrei, his best moments, the ones when he feels most alive, are his emotional turning points; the sensory experiences that Descartes disapproves of end up being the most pivotal moments for Andrei. When staring up at the infinite sky, he has a moment of deep introspection in which he uncovers truths about himself and life. Ironically, his realizations about life occur at a near death moment, connecting to Tolstoy’s larger point about death instigating some of the greatest moral revelations. In this moment, Andrei experiences Cartesian dualism: his soul transcends his physical pain and his mind has revelations about the meaning of life. These revelations include him becoming aware of this mind body split, for he starts to see life as extending beyond the physical, earthly realm. Andrei’s new realizations manifest as a newfound vigor for life; this ultimately leads him to realize that war is a disillusionment, so he decides to not return. Interestingly, Descartes’ dislike of war is similar to that of Andrei’s; Descartes believed that if he found the universal truth there would be no more conflicts.
Rubles and Rostovs: Promissory Notes
As we all watch the slow decay of the Rostov fortune through countless dinner parties and rushed attempts to assure others of their wealth, one may come to wonder what exactly is the Rostov’s financial situation. Tolstoy alludes to the dire nature of their situation, but never quite gives us the numbers. As a reader, we cringe when we hear that Count Ilya plans to promise more of it away and wonder perhaps if he can get out of the hole he dug his family into. So, what are these promissory notes?
Promissory notes, or vekselio, first began being used in Russia under Peter the Great who ruled from 1682 until 1725. Shortly after their introduction, the Statute on Promissory Notes was put into effect in 1729. Before this statute, there were no guidelines about the use of the notes, and therefore much confusion about how they were to be used by the Russian population. Now there where instruction about how to compose the notes and what they should contain.
The documents are unique in that they do not have to be registered at any governmental office as was the case with most other documents like petitions. This made the use of promissory notes quite common in the late 1700s as they were made easy and accessible. What’s more is that the creation or application of a promissory note needed no witness or guarantee to be valid. The availability and handiness of these notes proved to be too good for many, as is the case with the Rostovs who continually pushed off their debts and continued living excessively by promising off their money with these notes.
The economic activity of promissory notes was not limited only to the upper classes, despite the original wishes of the statute. Below is a table representing the use of promissory notes in Bezhetsk, Russia (located between Moscow and St. Petersburg).
Although the city of Bezhetsk did not nearly contain the amount of economic activity as the cities Tolstoy’s characters lived in, it is a good small-scale example of Russian economic activity. The average amount of money used by the gentry is nearly ten times larger than that transacted in the peasant group, still showing the vast divide in wealth throughout Russia at the time of Tolstoy’s story.
The money insured through these notes was insured. If a party did not pay the note in full, the note could be contested leading to further financial problems. The government was in charge of locating defaulters and in case of bankruptcy, liquidating the assets of the debtor at auction. So, it seems that Count Rostov and his family are on a path they cannot return from with a very dim financial future.
Sources:
Cahiers du Monde Russe: De la composition de la société russe au XVIIIe siècle by Alexander Kamenskii
The Power of the Gaze
“…the princess’s eyes, large, deep, and luminous (sometimes it was as if rays of warm light came from them in sheaves), were so beautiful that very often, despite the unattractiveness of the whole face, those eyes were more attractive than beauty. But the princess had never seen the good expression of those eyes, the expression they had in moments when she was not thinking of herself. As with all people, the moment she looked in the mirror, her face assumed a strained, unnatural, bad expression” (91).
In this quote, Tolstoy describes Princess Marya’s eyes, which seem to be capable of transforming her appearance into something more desirable. Princess Marya is not inherently beautiful, has tension-filled relations with her tempered father, and seems to find solace in one place: God. Tolstoy uses Princess Marya’s gaze to add dimensions to her character, suggesting that our perceptions of other people are specific to a contextual moment, rather than universal. For example, after Princess Marya’s father scolds her during a geometry lesson, Tolstoy’s description of Princess Marya is especially unforgiving: “Princess Marya went back to her room with the sad, frightened expression which rarely left her and made her unattractive, sickly face still more unattractive…” (90). Immediately after, Princess Marya reads a portion of a letter from her childhood friend Julie Karagin in which Julie writes how much she misses Marya. Princess Marya pauses to look in the mirror, and sees an “unattractive, weak body and a thin face” with sad eyes (91). However, as Marya turns away from the mirror and away from her own vanity, her eyes create a “large, deep, and luminous” gaze that captures the reader’s attention (91).
In this passage, Tolstoy may be criticizing the vanity and self-obsession seen in some of the characters we meet in War and Peace. Princess Marya’s eyes can only transform her appearance when she is not thinking about or looking at herself. Alternatively, Tolstoy may be using this gaze to show sympathy for Marya. At the end of this passage, Tolstoy encourages the reader to consider the repercussions of the self-deprecating behavior exhibited by characters like Marya. When Marya’s gaze returns to the mirror, her critical view of herself morphs her features into a “strained, unnatural, bad expression” (91). Despite the harsh voice of her father, and the restrictive societal norms of high society Russia, perhaps Marya’s most critical influence is her own. Either way, Tolstoy’s use of Marya’s gaze dances between a critique of self-obsession and one of self-deprecation.
The “gaze” comes up in many key moments throughout the portion of War and Peace we have read so far. As Pierre’s father faces death, Tolstoy describes the Count’s gaze as majestic, cold, and indifferent (82). Tolstoy describes the moment when Pierre sees his father for the last time: “When Pierre went up, the count looked straight at him, but looked with a gaze the meaning and significance of which no man could possibly understand. Either this gaze said nothing at all, except that as long as one has eyes one must look somewhere, or it said all too much” (82). I think that Tolstoy’s emphasis on characters’ eyes and the “gaze” captures a strikingly human impulse to find meaning in someone else’s eyes. My dance teacher tells her students that despite the work dancers go through to move their limbs and torsos in precise, specific motions, most of an audience member’s attention goes to the eyes of the dancer. In some ways it seems that the gaze is a more authentic measure of a person’s emotions. While words can be twisted and manipulated by the speaker, it is harder to control the message your gaze sends to the people around you. Later on, as Natasha is swept into Anatole’s embrace, she is captivated by Anatole’s gaze: “His shining, big, masculine eyes were so close to her eyes that she saw nothing except those eyes” (573). Enchanted by his eyes, Natasha wanders away from her reservations about Anatole and becomes lost in the moment of the embrace.
Andrei is the new Yeezus
Kanye West. One of America’s most infamous, hated, loved, and talked about celebrities. Even the president has some things to say about the outspoken rapper. But with regards to War and Peace, I think Andrei fits the role of Kanye without a doubt (no offense, Max). And their names even rhyme!
When we first meet Andrei, he comes across as the typical kind of “I’m-here-at-this-party-but-I’m-so-much-better-than-these-people” jerk. At the party in the very beginning, Andrei is “obviously not interested in these abstract conversations” (24) and “smiled, looking at his sister, as we smile listening to people whom we think we can see through” (106). He’s clearly super into himself and pretty conceited. But you can tell by the way he talks to Pierre that there’s something sensitive underneath, and the right person just needs to bring that out, and in his case its Natasha.
Similarly, Kanye puts on the whole I-am-literally-a-god front (maybe because his middle name is “Omari”, which means “God the highest” in Swahili). He’s actually claimed he is the “number one human being in music”, making “any other person that’s living or breathing number two”. However, he’s made it pretty clear that Kim Kardashian is “the one” for him, even calling her the “number one trophy wife” (I Won by Future ft. Kanye West), and forgives her for her mistakes “you know, ain’t nobody perfect” (Bound 2 by Kanye West), similar to how Andrei forgives Natasha for basically playing him.
Also, both Andrei and Kanye are kind of heartbreakerish. Kanye admits: “I know I got a bad reputation, walk around always mad reputation, leave a pretty girl sad reputation” (Bound 2 by Kanye West). Similarly, Andrei has left one or two pretty girls sad in his day. At the ball Vera tries to talk to Andrei about Natasha after she notices that he seems kind of into her, Natalie, and just about feelings in general, and Andrei is not giving in (at first): “’What do you think?’ Vera said…’I don’t know your sister well enough,’ Prince Andrei replied with a mocking smile…’And besides, I’ve observed that the less attractive the woman, the more constant she is,’ he added…The return to Natalie again made Prince Andrei wince unpleasantly; he wanted to get up, but Vera continued with a more subtle smile” (471). Before Andrei falls in love with Natasha, he’s really just not that into romance, especially since in the beginning he tells Pierre to never get married.
And lastly, both Andrei and Kanye have children that we literally never hear about from them. Seriously, did Andrei forget he has a son? And yes, Kanye talks a little bit about little North West, but who’s the one always posting pictures on Instagram and posing with North? Mrs. Kardashian West. In an interview about their cover for Vogue, Kim tells the reporter that Kanye basically didn’t want to hold North (which is pretty apparent by his face) and then she started peeing on him (yeah, Kanye, that’s what babies do). I’m sure both Andrei and Kanye love their children, somewhere deep down there, but they seem pretty public about their love of their significant others and not so much their own offspring.
Religion’s Role in War and Peace
When turning the pages of War and Peace, I begin to forget the deeper messages rooted within the lines and focus on the Russian Downton Abbey that unfolds in front of me. But, Tolstoy did not intend for his novel just to become a period piece soap opera. Rather, War and Peace is also a vessel for him to write his thoughts on religion and the meaning of life. Religious practices make appearances throughout the book and most of the time appear when a character is struggling to make sense of the world around them. Marya Bolkonsky is constantly responding to social turmoil by turning to God and fellow followers. She deals with her abusive father who makes her feel worthless, yet she still loves him. Also, Marya has no real friends and is left alone to raise her brother’s son. Basically, everything in Marya’s life is super tragic, but she stays optimistic because of the power of her strong faith in God. She tells her brother that bad things are meant to happen, “don’t think that grief is caused by people. People are His instruments…If it seems to you that someone is to blame before you, forget it and forgive”(631). This explains why she takes all the unfortunate events in her life so easily, she believes that it is for her to deal with peacefully and to take everything no matter how hard it is. Religion here is so powerful because it gets Marya through the hard times, but it also stops her from making friends and finding the love she deserves. God may be a relief for the everyday pain; however, it is still the dark cloud that follows her around.
Some of the characters turned to religion later on in their life like Pierre Bezukhov and Natasha Rostov. Pierre becomes a part of the Freemasons, which are not necessarily a religious group, but they still incorporate religious teachings and rituals into their philosophy. Count Bezukhov’s journey began as a man who partied too much and made the bad decision of marrying Helene, but his commitment to the Masons helped him find his confidence and his greater purpose. When he was still really involved in the Masons he made himself make amends with his wife and attempt to become a more forgiving and understanding person (Marya would approve). But this path to the high road ended quite appropriately, and he began to indulge in wine and philosophical literature. When Pierre did turn to God, he seemed to forget a lot of the horrible things that had happened to him. After Natasha ended her engagement to Andre because of Anatole she became very depressed and was unable to get out of bed or eat. When she goes to church she thinks to herself, “teach me what I am to do, how I’m to set myself right forever, forever, how I’m to live my life!”(661). Here she is, turning to God in a time of struggle in order to set herself straight. In the next couple pages she takes everything the priest says(I think he is a priest?) seriously and to heart. I wonder if she will continue on this religious path by praying and following religious teachings, or if she will stray like Pierre.
Nevertheless, religion can be found in the background of each page, offering an escape from troubles and hardships. They also suggest occasionally (like for Pierre) the need to find fulfillment in life, a greater purpose to everything. I find myself questioning Tolstoy’s feelings on religion as I read. Is it a path for an individual to find sanity and hope or can it also hold someone back and be negative. I think that Tolstoy definitely has some unpopular and unorthodox views on God, but I currently can’t uncover his opinions on the matter.
Therapist’s Notes: Bolkonsky, Andrei
Last Name: Bolkonsky First Name: Andrei DOB (MM/DD/YYYY): Unknown Age: 34 Height: 6’1 Weight: 172
Home Address: Bald Hills Contact By: Hand-written letter Insurance: Anthem Blue Cross
Additional Notes: Patient is a former soldier. Suffered traumatic head injury on battle field but appears to be unaffected.
Therapist’s Notes:
Psychological Profile {Search by Key Word}: Highly Intelligent, Reserved, Narcissistic, Superiority Complex, Inferiority Complex, Reclusive
Diagnoses:
Patient suffers from mild post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his experience in battle. Self-proclaimed, but nonetheless temporary, epiphany (“There was nothing above me except the sky — the lofty sky, not clear, but still immeasurably lofty, with gray clouds slowly creeping across it. Everything was empty, everything was deception, except that infinite sky”, Patient’s words, session #1) was brought on by combination of anxiety, previously existing psychological disorders, and possibly head injury. Revelation led to temporarily altered behavior and mood.
Patient also suffers from depression severe, previously undiagnosed, bipolar affective disorder, as evidenced by his oscillation between hypomanic and depressive states. During periods of depression, patient becomes withdrawn, hopeless, and nihilistic (“Nothing, nothing is certain, except the insignificance of everything I can comprehend and the grandeur of something incomprehensible but most important” Patient’s Words, Session #1). During periods of hypomania, patient exhibits increased energy, creativity, and ambition. Hypomanic episodes are also accompanied by an increasingly positive outlook on the world. The most notable fluctuation in mood came, according to the patient, when he saw an oak tree (“It was like a causeless springtime feeling of joy and renewal came to me…It was not enough that I knew all that’s in me, everyone else must know it too…so that my life would not be only for myself…but so that it would be reflected in everyone, and everyone would live together with me” Patient’s Words, session #2). Instance not only exemplifies patient’s subtle egotism, but emphasizes his following change in mood and behavior. Hypomanic and depressive episodes are triggered by unpredictable environmental factors, often, thought not necessarily, based off of the patient’s own perception of the world (see sky, head wound, oak tree).
Similarly, patient shifts between a superiority and inferiority complex, however, I have been unable to establish a firm connection between these shifts and the aforementioned bipolar mood swings. Patient has a tendency to idolize, to a nearly deified level, intelligent males in power positions (“I saw in him a reasonable, rigorous-minded man of immense intelligence, who through his energy and persererance had come to power and used it solely for the good of the Russia. It was clear that the notion, so usual for me, that it was after all impossible to express everything one thinks, would never enter Speransky’s head…and that special cast of his mind attracted me most of all” Patient’s Words Session #3). However, patient quickly finds himself disinterested with these leaders, no longer looking up to them, but instead feeling superior or unconcerned. Patient had a similar view of Napoleon prior to the infinite sky revelation. This pattern of admiration alternating with condescension is likely linked to patient’s strained relationship with reclusive and angry father. Patient appears to be searching for a paternal figure, but no one seems to live up to his standard.
Treatment: Further psychotherapy is necessary to help rewire patient’s brain. In the short-term, patient has been put on a combination of Lithium and Carbamazepine to curb the cycling of his hypomanic and depressive symptoms. Barring the unforeseen, these medications should help ground the patient’s mind and help him establish mental clarity, effectively creating a middle ground between his two moods.
Big Book 2019 