Chapter 7 Fives

"The History of My Childhood" began at Tiflis in the autumn of 1851 and was completed at Pyatigorsk in the Caucasus on July 2, 1852.It is strange that Tolstoy, in the midst of the intoxicating nature, in the new life, in the thrilling dangers of war, in the pursuit of discovering a passionate world he had never known In this first work, he pursues the memories of his past life.But when he wrote "Childhood," he was ill, and his service in the army was discontinued; and in the long rest of his recuperation, lonely and miserable, with a tendency to sentimentality, the memory of the past was in his tender unfolded in front of my eyes.The letters he wrote to Aunt Tatiana in his day were filled with tears.He was exactly what he said "Liovariova-" (Lev who cried). (Book on January 6, 1852) After the decadent life in recent years made him feel exhausted and tense, he went to relive the childhood life of "the innocent, poetic, happy and wonderful period" and pursued "Gentle, sentimental, and loving childlike innocence" has a sweet taste for him.And full of youthful enthusiasm, with endless plans, his circular poetry and fantasy, seldom adopting a solitary subject, his novels are really but a small part of a huge history that he never realized. That's all; "A Gentleman's Morning" is a projected fragment of "The Novel of a Russian Industrialist." "The Caucasus" is part of a great novel about the Caucasus.Greatness is the beginning of an epic in the author's mind, and "Decembrists" should be the center of the novel.At this time, Tolstoy regarded his "Childhood" only as the first chapter of "Life Tetralogy", which should have included his life in the Caucasus, with the section on God's revelation from nature as the main chapter. final.

Later, Tolstoy expressed a very harsh attitude towards the book "Childhood" that made him famous. — "It's terrible," he said to Birukov, "the book lacks literary honesty! What it dislikes to him is what others love.We should indeed say that, except for the records of some local characters and the very few pages that contain religious sentiments and emotional reality, Grisha the pilgrim, or the death of his mother are moving enough, Tolstoy's personality is revealed here. very little.There is a tender sentimentality over the book, which Tolstoy later expressed disgust, but which was rejected in other novels.We are familiar with this sentimentality, we are familiar with these humors and tears; they come from Dickens.Among his favorite readings for eighty-one years, Tolstoy said in "The Great Influence of Dickens." He was still revisiting this novel when he was in the Caucasus.

There are two other influences that he himself said: Stern A. British writers of the eighteenth century and Tepfer. "I was then," he said, "under their influence." In a letter to Birukov. Who would have thought that the "Geneva Short Story" was the author's first model?But once you know it, it is not difficult to find traces of their warm and cunning simplicity in "Childhood", transplanted in a more aristocratic nature. Therefore, Tolstoy was already a familiar face to the masses in the early days .But it wasn't long before his personality began to assert itself."Boyhood" (1853), which is not as pure and perfect as "Childhood", indicates a more special psychology, a strong sentiment for nature, a depression that Dickens and Topfer did not have. heart and soul. In "A Gentleman's Morning" (October 1852), "A Gentleman's Morning" was not completed until 1855-56.Tolstoy's character, his bold sincerity of observation, his confidence in love, all appear clearly formed.In this short story, his excellent portraits of several farmers are the beginning of the most beautiful descriptions in "Folk Tales"; for example, his "Old Beekeeper" and "Two Old Men". (1885) Its silhouette can already be seen here: a little old man under a birch tree, with outstretched hands, eyes looking up, his bald head glowing in the sun, swarms of bees around him Flying, not stabbing him, but forming a crown on his head... But the masterpieces of this period are directly infused with his emotions at that time, such as the first "Aggression" in "Caucasus Chronicles" (completed in a December 24, 1852), the magnificent scenery is particularly moving: the sunrise among the mountains beside a river; the night scene of shadow and sound written with strong and vivid brushwork; At night, when the snow-capped peaks were lost in the purple mist, the soldiers' beautiful songs wafted through the transparent air.Several typical characters in the novel are already trying to live here: such as Captain Khlopov, the real hero, who fights the war not for his personal pleasure but because it is his responsibility.He was one of "those unpretentious, unflappable, delightful Russian characters looking straight at him."Clumsy, somewhat absurd, never minding his surroundings, in war, when all change, he alone does not change; "He, exactly as one has always seen: the same calm movements, The same steady tone of voice, the same simple expression on innocent and somber faces".Next to him, a lieutenant who plays Lermontov's hero, who is kind in nature, pretends to be brutal.And the poor second lieutenant, who was so happy in the first battle, the cute and ridiculous little guy who was ready to hug everyone's neck and kiss him, who died stupidly like Petya Rostov.In these scenes there is Tolstoy's face, calmly observing and not participating in the thoughts of his companions; Can't men live comfortably under the star-studded sky? How can they retain viciousness, hatred, and destruction of their fellows here? All evil elements in the human heart should be destroyed when they come into contact with nature, because nature is beauty. The most direct expression of goodness." "Aggression" (Complete Works, Vol. .An accurate realistic approach, a little grim, but full of strange records about the psychology of Russian soldiers-this is a record foretelling the future; it was written in 1856 as "An Encounter with a Moscow Acquaintance in the Einsatzgruppen" , Complete Works Volume Four.Describe a frustrated upper-class man who has become a dissolute junior officer, cowardly, drunk, and lying. He can't even have the intention of being killed like the soldiers he despises, and the smallest of them is a hundred times better than him.

Above all these works stands the highest peak of this first series of mountains, one of Tolstoy's most beautiful lyric novels, the song of his youth and the ode to the Caucasus: "The Cossacks".Although these works were not completed until 1860 (published in 1863), most of this work was written at this time.The snowy mountains reflect their majestic lines in the bright sky, and their poetic flavor fills the whole book.In terms of the development of genius, this novel is a unique work, as Tolstoy said: "The powerful divine power of youth, the leap of genius that can never be recovered." The madness of spring!The overflow of love!

"I love, I love so much!" Apparently he is no longer a Russian gentry here, a member of Moscow society, someone's friend or relative, but just a creature, like a gnat, like a pheasant, like an elk, like living and wandering around him. All living things are the same. —he will live like them and die like them. "Grass grows upon me. . . . " And his heart was joyful. At this time of youth, Tolstoy lived in a frenzy for power, for the love of life.He grabs nature and melts with it, and vents his sorrow, joy and love to nature.Olenin said: "Maybe when I love a Caucasian girl, I love nature in her... When I love her, I feel that I am inseparable from nature." He often compares his loved ones with nature. "She is equal, calm and silent like nature." In addition, he compared the scenery of the distant mountains with "this beautiful woman".But this romantic ecstasy never confuses his clear gaze.Nothing else can compare with this passionate poem, nothing else can have the powerful descriptions in several pages in this book, and the vivid portrayal of typical characters.The confrontation between nature and human beings is the central idea of ​​this book, and it is also one of Tolstoy's favorite themes in his life, one of his creeds, and this confrontation has led him to find Olenin's "Kreutzer Sonata". Some grim tones of this sentiment are found in his letters to his Russian friends, rebuking human comedy.But he is also true to all those he loves; creatures of nature, beautiful Caucasian women and his friends are illuminated by his discerning gaze, and their selfishness, greed, and cunning vices are fully described.

The Caucasus, in particular, reminded Tolstoy of a deep religious reserve in his own life.The first revelations of the spirit of this truth are often not adequately elucidated.He himself told his youthful confidant, his young aunt Alexandra Andreyevna, on condition of secrecy.In a letter dated May 3, 1859, he "proclaimed his faith" to her: "As a child," he said, "I believed without thinking, but with passion and sentimentality. XIV When I was young, I began to think about the problems of life; and because religion could not reconcile with my theories, I regarded the destruction of religion as a thing worthy of praise... For me, everything is clear and logical, and I can analyze it piece by piece. Very well, but religion did not give it a place... Later, there came a time when life was no secret to me, but from then on, life also began to lose its meaning. At that time—— It was in the Caucasus—I was alone and distressed. I exhausted all my spiritual strength, as a man can only do this once in his life.... This is the time of martyrdom and happiness. Never (whether at this time (before or after) I have not reached such a lofty position in thought, I have not had such profound observations as in these two years, and everything I found at that time became my belief... In the lasting inspiration of these two years In intellectual work, I have discovered a simple, ancient truth, which I know only now and that the general public does not know; life. I was amazed by these discoveries, because it was similar to Christianity; so I searched no further but in the Bible. But I couldn't find anything. I couldn't find neither God nor To the Savior, I couldn't find the scriptures, there was nothing... But I searched with all the strength of my soul, I wept, I suffered, I just wanted the truth... In this way, I and my religion became alone."

At the end of the letter, he added: "Understand me!"