Analyze Pierre Bezukhov Character Development In War And Peace Coursework Example

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Development of Pierre Bezukhov Character in War and Peace
Introduction
War and Peace is a fiction story based on Russia, a city called St. Petersburg. The story consists of several characters. The main character is Pierre Bezukhov, who is an educated and illegitimate child of a wealthy count. Other includes Andrei Bolkonsky, Kuragin family, Rostovs and Natasha among others. At the time, Russian troops were preventing Napoleon`s onslaught. They all have similarities and differences in their character which makes them unique. This paper seeks to bring out how the author of the story has developed the character of the main actor, that is Pierre, how he learns and experiences life, how other characters are used to develop him as well as, the effects of each new experience he learns.
Character Development of Pierre
Pyotr Kirillovich Bezukhow nicknamed Pierre is well described in the novel as a large bodied man and an illegitimate child of a wealthy Russian. He loves to drink and eat a lot. Also good, naïve and absent-minded. Manipulation is one of his mental attributes as he was able to be manipulated by others characters for how he acts or beliefs. First is love manipulation, when he gets married to Elena whom he finds that they have no genuine connection with, and later separates. Pierre was a kind man, and his sincerity made him be admired a lot by his best friends such as Andrei Nikolayevich Bolkonsky. Lack of direction also leads him into committing scandals.

The character who is Pierre, the background plays an integral role in developing him to whom he becomes in the story. Being a son of Kirill Bezukhov although illegitimate gives him the right to inherit the title Count after Kirill his father dies. The fact that he is an illegitimate son also makes him a misfit. Having completed his education abroad and unprecedented inheritance of a huge fortune made him socially admirable to many. Pierre is meeting a man who belongs to freemason movement, made him change from being a non-believer of any religion to a real fun of Masonic beliefs. Also being captured as a prisoner in the war played a big role in entrenching the spirit of a revolutionary in him. Marrying Natasha Rostova helps him to find love and peace finally, he can have a family.
Tolstoy who is the author of the story introduces Pierre the main character in three main ways. First is by keeping the minimal description of his physical look. Instead of characters actions and details such as education abroad, illegitimacy and his obsessions. This helps the reader to form a perfect description of the character themselves which they can remember for long (Tolstoy 80). Secondly, is that by action characterization. The writer brings us through the protagonist nature of the character early in the story by the incidents that happen. Thirdly is instilling depth and the individuality. Establishing the protagonist character at the start, helps the reader to fall in love with the Pierre by seeing how he is solving the resistance spirits in himself. This is from his obsession with Napoleon victory to the desire to assassinate him when he attacks Russia despite having not been in a war. Fourthly the character is introduced through a back story. Here the author lets us know early in the story that Pierre, lived in abroad, he got well educated there and he is the illegitimate son of the wealthy man who has come to inherit the wealth from his father. Fifth, the character is introduced by creating his first impression. The reader can sympathize with the Pierre being an illegitimate son and the fact that Elena takes advantage of him though she did not love him. This makes us have a feeling for this character as the story progresses.
We witness several occasions how the Pierre changed throughout the story. The change makes the character to undergo self-improvement. The first change is when he comes from abroad where he was pursuing his education to Russia a place he does not understand much. Second, after inheriting his father’s wealth, this brings him to the circle of rich Russian society. Third, is the change from a bachelor to a husband when he marries Elena and then he returns to being a bachelor after they divorce within a short period. Forth, is the change from a non-believer into a believer when he met with a man from a free mansion movement. He becomes an advocate of his new beliefs as he claimed that nothing is trivial or important. Fifth is the change from that of not having a purpose in life to living a life full of meaning and good dying for. This sees him join the great Battle of Borodino even being clueless in military affairs. Sixth, when in captivity he gains an insight that he can adapt to any situation, then a fellow prisoner by name Platon Karataev inspires him with his simplicity. He realizes that there is no perfect happy or unhappy situations. Seventh, after he is rescued from the captivity, he emerged as a renewed man, and the purpose was now living. He marries Natasha Rostova and gets children’s (Tolstoy 84). He finally decides to participate in politics after feeling that Petersburg administration is not doing things right.
Following the conclusion of the story, Pierre as the character is left in a very important position in Petersberg. The people around the area love him, being wiser and having a purpose to live makes the struggle for good governance right for him to fight for. He is capable of leading a revolution and being a strong leader of the people shortly. What he has gone through in life has already toughened him for the role.
Roles Played by another character in the Development of Pierre Bezukhov
Andrei Bolkonsky
This is a character who is a great friend of Pierre. At the beginning he is married, but later the wife dies when giving birth. He offers advice to Bezukhov to avoid marriage and at the same time condemning his behaviour of sexual addiction. He later falls in love with Natasha until his last days, Pierre marries Natasha later when he returns to Petersburg from captivity.
Joseph Bazdeev
This is a great man who takes the first step to initiate Pierre into Freemasonry. He dies before the invasion of Moscow by French. Pierre gets a hideout in his house as he plans on how to assassinate Napoleon. The crazy theories he believed are the ones that had convinced Pierre that he had to take away someone’s life
Platon Karataev
He was a prisoner jailed together with Pierre. Always kind, generous and with high hope in life. Believed that a person’s character was a product of his beliefs and circumstances. He gave Pierre a lot of wisdom while together. Explained that God is in charge and the absence of pain, there is happiness (Tolstoy 96).
Pierre Education and its Effects
There are several occasions Pierre received education, and this affected him in one way or the other. First, blindly falling in love. The effect of this was a betrayal of the person he loved when she started flirting with another man. The second was when he converted into a freemason, he learnt of the religion and came to believe in God. Thirdly was when he was in captivity. It’s here; he realized that with suffering, there could never be happy. By this, a seed of resistance against oppression grew. Forth, he learnt that things were not being conducted well by Petersburg administration made him contemplate of forming a rebel group to oppose the wrongdoing.
Conclusion
Finally, the story ends with Pierre as the centre of an ensuing revolution. He is dedicated to fighting for his new life purpose that he had realized. The situations he underwent made him experience new things, learn what he did not know and finally, he was able to develop a strong character at the end. He now believes in himself and has a sense of direction to which he can lead people to. The society is saved under him as he seeks to fight for what is right for them. That is the good governance from the Petersburg administration.
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Works Cited
Tolstoy, Leo. War and peace. Vol. 525. Lulu. com, 2016.