History of Karataev. The image and characteristics of Platon Karataev in the novel War and Peace Tolstoy essay

"War and Peace" are people. Through the characters, the author broadcasts his own thoughts and ideals, trying to convey to the reader the eternal truths on which his philosophy is built. The image of Platon Karataev appeared in the work not by chance. The hero's statements contain incredible wisdom and principles proclaimed by the author.

Character Creation History

Platon Karataev is a Russian soldier from the Apsheron regiment, with whom he spent a month in captivity. The hero remained in the memory of the nobleman as a strong impression from this period of life. Plato is a collective image of the Russian peasant, reflecting the philosophy of the people. Tolstoy introduces the character into unusual conditions for him, in which the spirituality of a person is clearly visible. The name of the hero means "powerful, strong", and this is how the writer sees the Russian people.

A soldier is filled with love for those around him, regardless of the hardships of war. Unlike, he does not take out his anger on his neighbors and pities people. Plato does not ignore even a stray dog. With words, he lightens people's souls. His sympathy and goodwill become medicine. Plato turned out to be the center of harmony and submission to the divine will. He is faithful to Christian ideals and does not share Bezukhov's pessimism.

The role of the hero in the work is great. Although Plato became a character in a short action, he instills in Pierre's soul an awareness of the meaning of life and faith in God.

Biography of Paton Karataev

The character appears in several chapters of the novel, but leaves a lasting impression on the protagonist of the work. Thanks to him, the fate of Bezukhov is changing. The reader meets Karataev when the hero is in difficult living conditions. The peasant is 50 years old. He comes from simple illiterate peasants, so the man does not know his exact age. The character's wisdom, his theories about happiness, worldview and life position are based solely on the experience of lived years. Despite this, he demonstrates a mind that surpasses that of any tradesman.

Constantly faced with difficulties and problems, Platon Karataev has more experience than Pierre, and this conquers him. He lives in a world of utopia, spreading kindness and sincerity to everyone next to him. His appearance is conducive, and optimism causes a smile. A short man with a bright smile, flexible and neat, hardly resembles a peasant.

The characterization of the hero is supplemented by his story. Almost nothing is known about the young years, since the formation of the hero is of little interest to the author. Karataev is presented as a whole person. The man was married, had a daughter, but the girl died when he left for the service. No other facts about his family are given, although it is clear that they did not live in poverty. Accidentally caught cutting down someone else's forest, Plato got into the ranks of the soldiers and worries about being far from home.

Thanks to a good attitude towards others, the peasant finds a common language with everyone. It is not known if he was always like this or if life's difficulties affected his spiritual makeup. Perhaps the death of his daughter or imprisonment in captivity became a turning point that opened his eyes to the truth.

"War and Peace"

The meeting of Platon Karataev and Pierre Bezukhov takes place in the barracks for prisoners. Being in a state of shock from the execution of people, Bezukhov loses faith in humanity. In the barracks, Plato and Pierre sit side by side. A simple peasant and an aristocrat found themselves in the same conditions. Plato noticed Pierre's depressed state and supported the aristocrat. He shared baked potatoes and gave advice that Bezukhov often recalled later.

Karataev convinced the count that the main goal was the desire to survive and survive. This man taught Bezukhov, contributing to the inner rebirth of the hero. The soldier daily influenced Pierre's personal transformation with every deed, kind word, or even a fleeting caress given to a stray dog.

In the terrible conditions of captivity, Karataev's health deteriorated. After spending a long time in the hospital with a severe cold, the man did not have time to recover from it. In captivity, the body weakened and the disease returned. The French, uninterested in the treatment of prisoners, did not pay attention to Plato's condition. The man was feverish. The French shot him before leaving the camp.

The death of the hero was predictable and justified: having influenced the consciousness of the protagonist, the character fulfilled his destiny and left the plot outline of the novel.

• The characterization of Platon Karataev is often compared with the description of the image of Tikhon Shcherbaty. The characters had similar features, but differed in the way of thinking. Shcherbaty did not show the sincerity that Karataev was famous for, so the author's sympathies are on the side of the latter. The humanist Tolstoy, describing the history of the character, broadcast his convictions through him.
• War for the author is a terrible accomplishment, a manifestation of cruelty and callousness. While preaching love, faith in people, morality and mercy, he found no justification for war. Drawing pictures of the battle of Borodino, the death of a teenager Petya and Tolstoy evokes compassion and sympathy in the souls of readers. Platon Karataev is an image embodying the philosophy of Tolstoy.

• "War and Peace" often becomes the literary basis for films. In Pyotr Chardynin's silent paintings of 1913 and 1915, the character is absent. Yakov Protazanov also did not pay attention to him in his feed. John Mills portrayed a Russian peasant in a 1956 film directed by King Vidor. Mikhail Khrabrov played Karataev in the film in 1967. Garry Lock portrayed the hero in the television series John Davis in 1972, and embodied Karataev in Robert Dornhelm's film in 2007. Actor Adrian Rawlins played a peasant in the 2016 television series directed by Tom Harprer.

Quotes

Tolstoy put proverbs and sayings into the mouth of Platon Karataev. The speech of a man translates folk wisdom in simple words.

“You suffer for an hour, but you live your whole life. Everything comes to an end.”

Such parting words were given by the Russian soldier, expecting a better fate and hoping for divine guidance. He sincerely believed that the hardships he experienced were given from above, that God would not send more than Plato could bear.

"Not by our mind, but by God's judgment"

He talked without complaining about sorrows and troubles. The all-consuming hope in God freed the man from anger and negativity.

Karataev understood that there would be no use for whining and pessimism. They only lead to degradation. Not intending to feel sorry for himself, he supported those around him:

“Crying at the disease - God will not give death.”

Believing in the unpredictability of fate, the hero gave a covenant:

"Never give up the bag and the prison."

Complex and full of hardships, peasant life is to Karataev's liking. He yearned for the village, where any business was argued, and for the family. Happiness for him consisted of simple trifles, and he did not take high hopes seriously:

“Happiness is like water in a delusion: you pull - it puffed up, but you pull it out - there is nothing”

Consider the image of Platon Karataev from the work "War and Peace". This novel can be called a broad historical canvas. Its main character is the people. The composition of the novel is quite complex. It has many different storylines that often intertwine and intersect. The photo of the author of the work, Leo Tolstoy, is presented below.

The image of the Russian people in the work of L. Tolstoy

Tolstoy traces the fate of families and individual heroes. The characters of the work are connected by love, friendship, family relations. They are often separated by hostility, mutual hostility. Lev Nikolayevich created a historically truthful image of the people - the hero of the war. In the scenes with the participation of soldiers, in the actions of ordinary people, in the replicas of some characters, one can see, first of all, a manifestation of the "warmth of patriotism" that inspires all the fighters: soldiers, generals, best officers, partisans.

Who is Platon Karataev

Platon Karataev is shown in the work as a Russian soldier. He was met in a booth for prisoners by Pierre Bezukhov and lived next to him for 4 weeks. According to the writer, Karataev in Pierre's soul forever remained the most precious and strongest memory, the personification of all that is good, Russian.

In the novel, the image of Platon Karataev is one of the key ones that reflected the people. torn off by the war from his usual way of life and placed in new, unusual conditions for him (French captivity, army), in which his spirituality manifested itself especially clearly.

This is the image of Platon Karataev, briefly described. Let's consider it in more detail. The image of Platon Karataev in the novel is largely revealed due to the acquaintance of this character with Pierre Bezukhov and the influence that he had on this hero. What did it consist of? Let's figure it out.

How Platon Karataev influenced Pierre Bezukhov

After Pierre witnesses a terrible event - the execution of prisoners, he loses faith in a person, in the fact that his actions are reasonable. Bezukhov is then in a depressed state. It is the meeting with Plato in the barrack that brings him back to life. Tolstoy, describing her, notes that Karataev, a man, was sitting bent over next to Pierre. Bezukhov first noticed his presence by the strong one that separated from him with any of his movements. The peasant and the count found themselves in the same conditions: they were prisoners. In such a situation, it is necessary, first of all, to remain human, to survive and survive. Pierre learned such survival from Karataev. The meaning of the image of Platon Karataev lies, among other things, in the internal rebirth of Pierre Bezukhov. This hero, as you know, is going through a deep internal transformation, like some other characters in the work.

Platon Karataev - a collective image

Platon Karataev can be called a collective image, as well as introducing himself to Bezukhov, he does not accidentally call himself in He says: "Soldiers However, Plato is the exact opposite of Shcherbaty. If the latter is merciless to the enemy, then Karataev loves all people, not excluding the French. If Tikhon can call it rude, and his humor is often combined with cruelty, then Plato wants to see "solemn goodness" in everything. Karataev does not feel like a separate person, but part of the people, part of the whole: the peasantry, ordinary soldiers. The wisdom of this character consists in capacious and well-aimed sayings and proverbs, behind which episodes from his life are hidden. The image of Platon Karataev, a brief description of which we are compiling, is marked by one important detail. Plato suffered because of an unfair trial against him, and he had to serve in the army. But Karataev takes for granted any twists of his fate.For the sake of the well-being of his own family, he is ready to sacrifice himself.

Love and kindness of Platon Karataev

Love for everyone is an important feature that characterizes the image of Platon Karataev in the novel War and Peace. This hero loves everyone, every living being, man, the whole world. It is no coincidence that he is affectionate with a stray dog. According to the philosophy of this character, it is necessary to feel sorry not only for people, but also for animals. Karataev acts according to the Christian commandment, which says: "Love your neighbor." Plato lived lovingly with everyone, with his comrades, the French, Pierre. Surrounding warmed such an attitude. Karataev "treated" with a word, comforted people. He treated them kindly, sympathetically, in the voice of this hero there was simplicity, affection. The first words that he said to Pierre were words of support: "Endure an hour, but live a century!"

Philosophy of Platon Karataev

We see in Platon Karataev the harmony of inner life, won by the boundless faith that everything that happens on Earth is the will of God, that sooner or later justice and goodness will win, so there is no need to resist evil with violence. You have to accept everything that happens. Karataev, thus, preached the philosophy of obedience to fate, patience, which was formed over the centuries. His willingness to suffer for the people is an echo of the philosophy he held. Karataev was brought up on Christian ideals, and religion, first of all, calls us to obedience and patience. Therefore, Karataev never experienced resentment and evil towards others.

Echoes of the Christian religion in the behavior of Plato

Plato does not share the pessimistic view of Bezukhov, who was tormented by physical suffering. He preaches faith in the best, in the infinite kingdom of God. After meeting this character, Pierre begins to take a different attitude to life, to the events that have occurred in it. For him, Karataev is an example to follow. Plato helped Bezukhov restore in his soul a sense of the stability of the world order, which is based on mutual understanding and love, helped him get rid of the terrible question that tormented Pierre: "Why?" After talking with him, Bezukhov felt the joy of liberation from the endless search for the meaning and purpose of life, since only they prevented him from feeling that life itself is its meaning. He is everywhere and in everything. God is next to people, and he loves everyone. Without his will, not a single hair will fall from a person's head. It is in captivity, because of the meeting with Karataev and the hardships and trials experienced, that Pierre regains faith in God, learns to appreciate life. Karataev's philosophy is Christian. Any person, in whatever difficult conditions he finds himself, religion helps to live.

The importance of people like Karataev for defeating the French

Complementing the image of Platon Karataev, we note that, perhaps, Plato is weak as a soldier. After all, a real fighter must, like Tikhon Shcherbaty, hate his enemy. But Plato is certainly a patriot. He is very courageous and strong as a person. The significance of the image of Platon Karataev in the work is truly great, as in the reality of that time, people like him. If there were no such people in the Russian army, ready not only to beat the enemy, but also to treat various difficulties in life philosophically, to find the strength to overcome them, perhaps Kutuzov could not have defeated Napoleon.

Such is the image of Platon Karataev in the novel "War and Peace", one of the most striking heroes of the work. Lev Nikolaevich wrote his novel from 1863 to 1869.

Pierre Bezukhov, being captured by the French, meets an amazing man. A simple soldier has a great influence on the count, opening up new horizons for him to perceive the world. The image and characterization of Platon Karataev in the novel "War and Peace" reflect the humility and patience of the Russian people in a critical situation, the ability to survive and self-control.

Acquaintance in a booth

Count Bezukhov was in a state of shock after the exemplary execution of Russian people. It turned out to be monstrous that the soldiers who shot the prisoners sentenced to death were not fierce. They were just doing their bloody work. Pierre was horrified by the cynicism of the massacre he saw, so in the barracks where he was transferred, he did not react to anything.

The odor of sweat emanating from a small man scurrying about beside him brought the count out of his stupor. The peasant was carefully unwinding his legs, wrapped in rags, tied with twine. The movements of the man were precise and skillful. The very presence of a level-headed stranger nearby was reassuring.

The first soldier spoke in a melodious pleasant voice. His words sounded kindly, which made the master cry. A new friend encouraged:

"An hour to endure, and a century to live!".

Then the affectionate little man stroked the dog, which had nailed to him in captivity, and shared food with Bezukhov. Only after that did he tell that his name was Platon Karataev, nicknamed Sokolik from the Apsheron regiment.

The kind man was upset when he learned that Pierre had no parents, he was especially sad to hear that there was no mother:

“A wife for advice, a mother-in-law for greetings, but there is no dearer mother!”

Plato had a ready proverb for every conclusion. When Pierre said that he would no longer have children, he heard the wise:

"Never give up the bag and the prison."

Biography of Karataev

The guy was born into a wealthy peasant family in a village that he considered rich. It seemed to him that it was good for everyone in his village to live, because there was a lot of land. Once Plato went to the forest, which belonged to a neighboring master for a tree. The watchman caught the thief. Karataev was flogged and put on trial.

By decision of the court, the criminal was exiled to the army. Plato spoke of the verdict as of luck:

“We thought grief, but joy!”

The hero was ready to go to the soldiers. After all, the army was coming to the younger brother Mikhail, who already had five children then. And so, for the reason that the elder serves, the state exempted the younger from military service.

Only his wife was waiting for Plato at home, because his only daughter fell ill and left this world in infancy. The soldier regularly served, did not complain about anything, was affectionate with everyone. When the Russian army left Moscow, he lay in the hospital, stricken with illness. So he was captured.

Appearance

Pierre associated the image of a neighbor with round concepts. Probably because the sun is warm, the bagels are delicious, the wheels are fast, the daisies are beautiful. A French overcoat, tied with a simple rope, divided the silhouette into two rounded shapes. Bast shoes stuck out below, and a cap flaunted on top.

Bezukhov saw a good friend like this in the morning:

“The head was completely round, the back, chest, shoulders, even the arms that he wore, as if always about to hug something, were round; a pleasant smile and big brown gentle eyes were round.

The soldier talked about the battles in which he took part. So Pierre guessed that the interlocutor lives in the sixth decade of his life.

The whiteness of the teeth testified to good health, making a smile especially pleasant. The beard and hair were without a single gray hair. The physique of the little soldier looked flexible and sinewy, able to endure any hardships of fate. Small wrinkles gave the face an expression of innocence, naivety, from which the man looked valiant.

Christian worldview

The soldier had his own vision of human aspirations:

“Our happiness, my friend, is like water in a nonsense: you pull it - it puffed up, and you pull it out - there’s nothing.”

Every evening, the man read a prayer before going to bed, even mentioning horses. Closing his eyes, he sincerely said:

“Lay down, God, with a pebble, raise it with a ball.”

Karataev, accustomed to subsistence farming, knew how to do everything. The result could be better or worse than that of a real master, but it always turned out worthy. Conversation was for Plato like a hobby, always a joy, like art. But it was rarely possible to talk, except at night, because there was always something to do: cook, bake, sew, sew shoes or plan.

Leo Tolstoy believes that military life is alien to Karataev. Having been captured, having lost his weapon and the order to kill, solving the need for survival, the hero, along with an overgrown beard, again acquired his natural peasant skills. The hero personifies the mentality of the Russian people. The image of a simple Russian soldier remained in Bezukhov's memory as a creative, life-affirming, meaningful symbol of being.

1. War and Peace is a novel about history and people.
2. Platon Karataev is the embodiment of the Russian people.
3. Christianity in the worldview of Karataev.
4. "Wonderful, incomparable people."

"War and Peace" is a broad historical canvas, where the main character is the people. The composition of "War and Peace" is striking in its complexity and persistence. The novel develops many storylines. They often intersect and intertwine. Tolstoy traces the fate of individual heroes and the fate of entire families. His heroes are connected by family, friendship, love relationships; often they are separated by mutual hostility, enmity. Tolstoy historically truthfully creates the image of the people-hero of the Patriotic War. In mass scenes where soldiers participate, in the replicas of individual characters, in the actions of ordinary people, first of all, one can see the manifestation of that “warmth of patriotism” that inspires all soldiers, partisans, the best officers and generals.

Platon Karataev is a Russian soldier met by Pierre Bezukhov in a booth for prisoners, where he lived for four weeks next to him. Karataev, according to the writer, "remained forever in Pierre's soul the strongest and dearest memory and personification of everything Russian, kind."

The image of Platon Karataev is one of the key images of the novel, reflecting the folk philosophy of life.

Karataev is a peasant, cut off from his usual way of life and placed in new conditions (the army and French captivity), in which his spirituality was especially clearly manifested. Plato is shown mainly through Pierre's perception. Pierre Bezukhov meets him in captivity. After he witnessed a terrible event - the execution of prisoners, Pierre lost faith in man, in the rationality of his actions. He is in a depressed state. And it was the meeting in the barracks with Plato that brought Count Bezukhov back to life. “Next to him sat, bent over, some small man, whose presence Pierre noticed at first by the strong smell of sweat that separated from him with his every movement.” The count and the peasant were in the same position: they were prisoners. And in this situation it is necessary to remain a man, oneself, it is necessary to withstand and survive. It is this kind of survival that Pierre learns from Karataev.

Tolstoy's Plato is a collective image, just like Tikhon Shcherbaty. It is no coincidence that, introducing himself to Pierre, he calls himself in the plural: "Soldiers of the Apsheron regiment ... Call me Plato, Karataev's nickname." But Platon Karataev is the exact opposite of Tikhon Shcherbaty. If he is merciless to the enemy, then Plato loves all people, including the French. If Tikhon is rude and his humor is combined with cruelty, then Karataev wants to see “solemn goodness” in everything. Karataev feels himself not as a separate person, but as part of the whole, part of the people: ordinary soldiers, the peasantry. His wisdom is contained in well-aimed and capacious proverbs and sayings, behind each of which is an episode of the life of Platon Karataev. For example, "where there is judgment, there is untruth." He suffered from an unfair trial, and is forced to serve in the army. However, Plato takes any twists of fate for granted, he is ready to sacrifice himself for the well-being of the family.

Platon Karataev loves every person, every living being, the whole world. It is no coincidence that he is affectionate with an ordinary stray dog, according to his philosophy, not only people, but "you should also feel sorry for cattle." Karataev lives in accordance with the Christian commandment: "Love your neighbor." He lived lovingly with everyone, loved his comrades, the French, loved Pierre. “His love warmed those around him: Karataev consoled, “healed” with a word. He treated people with sympathy, benevolence, affection, simplicity were felt in his voice. The first words with which he turned to Pierre were words of support: “Have you seen a lot of need, sir? ... Don’t grieve, my friend: endure an hour, but live forever!” In Platon Karataev, we see the harmony of inner life, which is given by boundless faith in the will of God for everything that happens on Earth, the belief that good and justice still win in the end, and as a result, non-resistance to evil by violence and acceptance of everything that whatever happens. Karataev preached the philosophy of patience, obedience to fate, which had been formed for centuries. The willingness to suffer for others is an echo of the religious philosophy that the hero adhered to. Plato was brought up on Christian traditions, and religion calls us to patience and obedience, to live "not by our mind, but God's judgment.” Therefore, he never experienced evil and resentment towards people.

Karataev does not accept the pessimistic view of Pierre, tormented by physical suffering: “but now it doesn’t matter.” Plato preaches joyful faith in the best, in the kingdom of God, which is infinite. After meeting Karataev, Pierre begins to take a different attitude to life, to everything that happened to him. Plato for him is an ideal to follow. Platon Karataev helped Pierre restore a sense of the stability of the world order, which is based on love and mutual understanding, helped get rid of the terrible question that tormented him: “why?” Pierre felt the joy of liberation from the search for the purpose and meaning of life, because they only prevented him from feeling that the meaning of life is in life itself, in the realization that everywhere, in everything, next to people there is a God who loves everyone and without whose will not a hair falls off a person's head. It was in captivity, thanks to Karataev, trials and hardships, that Pierre regained faith in God, learned to appreciate life itself. The philosophy of Platon Karataev is a Christian philosophy. And religion helps any person to live, no matter what difficult conditions he finds himself in, no matter what serious trials he faces. This is folk wisdom, formed over the centuries.

Perhaps, as a soldier, Karataev is weak: a real warrior must, like Tikhon Shcherbaty, hate the enemy. And at the same time, Karataev is a patriot. But as a person, a person, Plato is very strong and courageous. As Kutuzov said about the people in the novel: “Wonderful, incomparable people!” If there were no people in the army who were ready not only to relentlessly beat the enemy, but also to take a philosophical attitude to life's difficulties, to find the strength to adequately overcome them, then I think that without such soldiers Kutuzov would hardly have been able to defeat the ambitious Napoleon.

A complete picture of life in the novel

Among the representatives of the nobility, the image of Platon Karataev in Tolstoy's "War and Peace" stands out especially brightly and convexly. Creating his work, the writer sought to most fully reflect the picture of his contemporary era. Numerous faces, diverse characters pass before us in the novel. We get acquainted with the emperors, the field marshal, the generals. We study the life of secular society, the life of the local nobility. An equally important role for understanding the ideological content of the work is played by heroes from the common people. Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, who knew well the living conditions of people of the lower class, skillfully displays it in his novel. The memorable images of Platon Karataev, Tikhon Shcherbaty, Anisya, the hunter Danila were created by the writer with a particularly warm feeling. Thanks to this, we have a realistic and objective picture of the life of people in the first half of the nineteenth century.

The soft face of Plato

The most significant character from the common people, of course, is Platon Karataev. It is in his mouth that the author's concept of common life and the meaning of human existence on earth is put. The reader sees Plato through the eyes of Pierre Bezukhov, who was captured by the French. It is there that they meet. Under the influence of this simple man, the educated Pierre changes his worldview and finds the right path in life. With the help of a description of appearance and speech characteristics, the author manages to create a unique image. The round and soft appearance of the hero, unhurried but dexterous movements, affectionate and friendly facial expressions radiate wisdom and kindness. Plato treats his comrades in misfortune, his enemies and a stray dog ​​with the same participation and love. He is the personification of the best qualities of the Russian people: peace, kindness, sincerity. The speech of the hero, saturated with sayings, sayings, aphorisms, flows measuredly and smoothly. He slowly tells about his simple fate, tells fairy tales, sings songs. Wise expressions easily, like birds, fly from his tongue: “To endure an hour, but to live a century”, “Where the court is, there is untruth”, “Not by our mind, but by God's judgment”.

Constantly busy with useful work, Plato does not get bored, does not talk about life, does not make plans. He lives today, relying in everything on the will of God. Having met this man, Pierre understood a simple and wise truth: “His life, as he himself looked at it, did not make sense as a separate life. It made sense as a particle of the whole, which he constantly felt.

Platon Karataev and Tikhon Shcherbaty. Comparative characteristics

The worldview and lifestyle of Platon Karataev are the closest and dearest to the writer, but in order to be objective and honest in depicting reality, he uses a comparison of Platon Karataev and Tikhon Shcherbaty in the novel.

We meet Tikhon Shcherbaty in the partisan detachment of Vasily Denisov. This man from the people is opposed in his qualities to Platon Karataev. Unlike the peace-loving and all-forgiving Plato, the hero is full of hatred for the enemy. A man does not rely on God and fate, but prefers to act. An active, savvy partisan is a general favorite in the detachment. When necessary, he is cruel and merciless and rarely leaves the enemy alive. The idea of ​​"non-resistance to evil by violence" is alien and incomprehensible to Shcherbaty. He is "the most useful and brave man in the squad".

Giving a description of Platon Karataev and Tikhon Shcherbaty, Tolstoy compares their external features, character traits and life position. Tikhon is hardworking and cheerful in a peasant way. He never loses heart. His rough speech is filled with jokes and jokes. Strength, dexterity, self-confidence distinguishes him from the soft and unhurried Plato. Both characters are well remembered, thanks to a detailed description. Platon Karataev is fresh and neat, without gray hair. Tikhon Shcherbaty highlights the lack of a tooth, which is why his nickname went.

Tikhon Shcherbaty is a character in which the image of the Russian people is personified - a hero who defended his Fatherland. The fearlessness, strength and cruelty of such partisans struck terror into the hearts of the enemy. Thanks to such heroes, the Russian people managed to win. Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy understands the need for such behavior of his hero and partially justifies it in our eyes.

Platon Karataev is a representative of the other half of the Russian people who believe in God, who knows how to endure, love and forgive. They, like halves of one whole, are necessary for a complete picture of the character of the Russian peasant.

The image of Plato dear to the author

The sympathies of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, of course, are on the side of Platon Karataev. The humanist writer all his conscious life opposes war, the most inhuman and cruel, in his opinion, event in the life of society. With his work, he preaches the ideas of morality, peace, love, mercy, and war brings death and misfortune to people. Terrible pictures of the Battle of Borodino, the death of young Petya, the painful death of Andrei Bolkonsky make the reader shudder with horror and pain that any war entails. Therefore, the importance of the image of Plato in the novel "War and Peace" can hardly be overestimated. This person is the embodiment of the author's main idea of ​​a harmonious life in harmony with oneself. The writer sympathizes with people like Platon Karataev. The author, for example, approves of Petit's deed, pitying the French captive boy, understands the feelings of Vasily Denisov, who does not want to shoot the captured French. Tolstoy does not accept the heartlessness of Dolokhov and the excessive cruelty of Tikhon Shcherbaty, believing that evil begets evil. Realizing that war is impossible without blood and violence, the writer believes in the victory of reason and humanity.