Tikhon Shcherbaty and Platon Karataev messages. Tikhon the gap-toothed image and characterization in the novel War and Peace by Tolstoy essay

One of the most important problems in the novel “War and Peace” is the problem of national character. In the fire of the Patriotic War of 1812, the Russian people showed, according to Tolstoy, all their most important traits. The writer considered the main one to be the “hidden warmth of patriotism,” which led to the unity of the entire nation in the fight against the French invaders. The “club of the people’s war,” which captured not only the army, but also raised the broadest strata of the people, united in partisan detachments, revealed in the Russian people the traits of a bright, active, active character, ready to take revenge on enemies to the end. Tikhon Shcherbaty is exactly such a hero. This is the “most useful and brave” partisan man in Denisov’s detachment. He is characterized by ingenuity and daring, resourcefulness and determination. With an ax in his hands, he goes to the enemy, because a natural patriotic feeling leads him, like thousands of other ordinary Russian peasants, to fight the invaders. In the words of his squad comrades one can feel admiration and respect: “Well, he’s clever,” “What a beast.” He is really all in motion, in a rush to action: “he jumped up quickly and easily,” “ran further.” He is also characterized by a kind of rough humor, which allows him, in the most difficult conditions, to preserve the cheerfulness and optimism so inherent in the national character. As they said about Tikhon, he was “the jester of all the Cossacks and hussars and he himself willingly succumbed to this rank.”

But there are also features in Tikhon Shcherbat that alarm us. After all, in his revenge on his enemies he sometimes becomes cruel and inhuman. So he kills the captured Frenchman because he was “completely incompetent.” At the same time, Tolstoy makes a characteristic remark that Petya Rostov is embarrassed to listen to Tikhon, who during this conversation “his whole face stretched into a shining, stupid smile.”

And yet Tolstoy believes that the war did not destroy the best, humane foundations of the people's character. The people as a whole are a huge family, in which there are people like Tikhon and people like Platon Karataev. This is “the personification of the spirit of simplicity and truth,” as Pierre Bezukhov, who was captured along with Plato, says about him. It is he who becomes a moral guide for Pierre for a long time. Like Tikhon, Plato is hardworking, resilient, and sociable, but at the same time, his character is the opposite of the people’s avenger. If Tikhon is active and relies on himself in everything, then Plato reflects the faith and submission to fate that lives among the people. It is not for nothing that he so often uses proverbs and aphorisms: “Not by our mind, but by God’s judgment,” “To endure an hour, but to live a century.” Tikhon is rude and can be extremely cruel, but Plato is handsome and kind to everyone: to his comrades who were captured, to a stray dog, and even to the French who captured and then shot him. If Tikhon is a “man of war,” then Plato brings peace with him even in wartime. It is not for nothing that in appearance he is “round”, similar to a “drop”, and speaks with a “tenderly melodious caress”. It was in him that Tolstoy’s idea of ​​the swarm principle as the basis of people’s life was embodied. It is close to the spirit of the peasant community, but Tolstoy raises it to the level of a special philosophy of life. It was this Karataev philosophy that allowed Pierre Bezukhov to emerge from a spiritual crisis and find his way in life. But in general the idea of ​​unity is “All the people want to pile in!” - and there is that unifying principle that allowed Russia to win the war, combining all the best that was in the Russian people.

A very colorful supporting character, Tikhon Shcherbaty is a collective image of ordinary Russian men who stood up to defend their fatherland from the invaders, the French. Yellowfang got his nickname from a physical disability - when he smiled, the absence of one tooth became noticeable.

His Face is covered with smallpox scars and wrinkles. The voice is bassy and melodious. By nature, Tikhon is a merry fellow, a jester. He never loses heart, loves to tell funny stories to his comrades, accompanying the story with sweeping gestures. He wore a blunderbuss and an ax on his belt, although there is not a single mention of Tikhon using a blunderbuss. But he mastered the ax as a weapon. He readily took on any work, no matter how difficult or disgusting it might seem. It is said about Tikhon’s physical strength and endurance that he is ready to walk all day, up to 50 kilometers, and at the same time keep up with the horsemen.

Tikhon's manners are simple, rude, and come from a pure heart. He looks commanders and aristocrats straight in the eyes and does not try to somehow gain their favor. For him, any Russian person is a kindred soul. But he is intolerant of the French; out of the entire detachment, Tikhon has the most number of killed enemies. Such a person will never suffer the suffering that overtook Pierre Bezukhov. Tikhon's life is full of work that needs to be done, and he takes on it with joy.

Coming from a peasant family from the Smolensk region, Tikhon of his own free will joins Denisov’s partisan detachment. At first, he does the simplest work - looks after horses, looks after fires. On his own initiative, he makes forays to the French, never returns empty-handed, but brings trophies: food, weapons, clothes. Denisov saw and appreciated this initiative and dexterity in him, and promoted Tikhon to Cossack. Now he was assigned to capture languages, i.e. such prisoners who could provide useful information. Tikhon intuitively found the most useful prisoners and delivered them safely to the camp. All of Tikhon’s comrades love his cheerful disposition, admire his dexterity, and gratefully appreciate his willingness to do unpleasant work.

Option 2

Literary works often depict the image of a hero, a person who is ready to do anything to protect his homeland and loved ones. In most cases, the construction of this image is associated with war and the need to protect one’s country, which is what is required of the hero. Heroes can be very different. They can be either ideals of the human personality, to whom everything worldly is alien, or not very good individuals, who, despite their shortcomings, still have the right to be called heroes. Such heroes are present in Tolstoy’s work “War and Peace”.

Tolstoy’s wonderful work “War and Peace” describes truly terrible things. In it, the author tells us about a war that claimed a huge number of lives and damaged a fairly large area. But he also described in the work the life of people during the war. I wrote about how they cope with hardships, how they deal with difficulties, and survive adversity. The work also describes an interesting image of Tikhon Shcherbaty.

Tikhon Shcherbaty is one of the soldiers in the army, although not the most ordinary one. He truly is the personification of soldier's honor and courage. During a battle, he is one of the first to rush at the enemy in order to disorient him and confuse him, because his only weapons are an ax and a musket, which he masters ideally. Also, during the battle, he has a very, very terrifying appearance, since after many battles he has many noticeable scars left on his body, which the enemy sees and understands that there will be no mercy from this man.

By nature, Tikhon is a rather calm, kind, and sympathetic person. He is always ready to compromise in any conflict, so as not to create an even bigger one. However, he behaves this way only with his comrades in arms. He has a short conversation with the enemy. He is ready to do anything, just to protect his homeland and the people living on it.

Thus, the author, through his character, conveys to us the image of a real hero, who, although not idealized in all aspects of the human personality, still has every right to be called a hero, because he is one. The author shows that even in the most troubled times, ordinary people, like Tikhon Shcherbaty, are ready to undertake heroic deeds and show considerable courage, comparable only to some heroes in the entire history of mankind.

I believe that these are the traits that predominate in the image of Tikhon Shcherbaty from Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.”

Essay on the topic Tikhon Shcherbaty

The main characters of the novel are representatives of the noble class. Tolstoy wants to paint a complete picture in his novel War and Peace, describing all aspects of Russian life. He describes these aspects, not always in a positive way. That is why ordinary people, such as Tikhon Shcherbaty, are also present in the novel. He wants people to see not only that noble life, but also the life of ordinary people, the life of all of Russia.

The image of Tikhon carries that same Russian spirit, courage and bravery. Shcherbaty can be compared to a hero in Ancient Rus'. It is people like him who go to the end for the Fatherland. This hero is the embodiment of the Russian people, the prototype of an ordinary Russian person.

Tikhon Shcherbaty can confidently be called the most daring and courageous fighter in Denisov’s detachment. His role in the detachment was extremely important and unique. He was so dedicated to his cause that he was not afraid to risk his life for other people. Very often, at night, he left the detachment to get all the most important things for himself and his comrades. Tikhon can be called a real man who was not afraid of even the most dusty work. He deftly chopped wood, defended himself and his creator. Everyone considered him a real different and stone wall.

Tycho had a unique sense of humor. It seems that this man combines all the best qualities of the Russian people. This is the man who never lost heart, never lamented, or lost heart. Of course, he was the favorite of the entire squad. Tikhon had toughness, but in those days this could not be called a bad character trait. The Patriotic War of 1812 was going on, times were difficult, people like Tikhon Shcherbaty were the real saviors of their Motherland.

Tikhon is very dexterous, smart and self-confident. One of the features of the man’s appearance is that he is missing one tooth. His appearance is very unusual, even peculiar. He is more than 50 years old. The hair was like that of a young man, not a single gray hair. His appearance more indicated that he was a gentle person, but his character indicated the opposite. We can say that appearance contradicted character.

Tikhon never turns to God; all hope, according to him, is only in himself. He is used to relying only on his strength and intelligence. Tikhon is quite harsh, sometimes, and can be very rude. There is so much patriotism in Tikhon that it seems to be enough for the entire Russian people combined. He is ready to die for his Fatherland.

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 prominently. When creating his work, the writer sought to most fully reflect the picture of his contemporary era. In the novel, we see numerous faces and diverse characters. We meet emperors, field marshals, and generals. We study the life of secular society, the life of the local nobility. Heroes from the common people play an equally important role in understanding the ideological content of the work. Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, who knew well the living conditions of people of the lower class, talentedly depicts it in his novel. The memorable images of Platon Karataev, Tikhon Shcherbaty, Anisya, and the hunter Danila were created by the writer with a particularly warm feeling. Thanks to this, we have before us a realistic and objective picture of the life of people in the first half of the nineteenth century.

The soft appearance of Plato

The most significant character from the common people is, of course, 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. Using a description of appearance and speech characteristics, the author manages to create a unique image. The hero’s round and soft appearance, leisurely but deft movements, gentle and friendly facial expression radiate wisdom and kindness. Plato treats his comrades in misfortune, his enemies and a stray dog ​​with equal sympathy and love. He is the personification of the best qualities of the Russian people: peace, kindness, sincerity. The hero’s speech, full of sayings, aphorisms, and aphorisms, flows measuredly and smoothly. He slowly talks about his simple fate, tells fairy tales, sings songs. Wise expressions fly from his tongue easily, like birds: “To endure an hour, but to live a century,” “Where there is judgment, 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 for 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, had no meaning as a separate life. It made sense as a part of a whole that 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 contrasted 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. The active, savvy partisan is everyone's favorite in the detachment. If necessary, he is cruel and merciless and rarely leaves the enemy alive. The idea of ​​“non-resistance to evil through violence” is alien and incomprehensible to Shcherbaty. He is "the most useful and brave man in the detachment."

Giving a characterization of Platon Karataev and Tikhon Shcherbaty, Tolstoy compares their external features, character traits and life position. Tikhon is hardworking and cheerful like a peasant. He never loses heart. His rude speech is filled with jokes and jokes. Strength, agility, and self-confidence distinguish him from the soft and leisurely Plato. Both characters are well remembered thanks to detailed descriptions. Platon Karataev is fresh, neat, and has no gray hair. Tikhon Shcherbaty is distinguished by a missing tooth, which is where his nickname came from.

Tikhon Shcherbaty is a character who personifies the image of the Russian people - a hero who stood up to defend 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 believes in God, who knows how to endure, love and forgive. They, like halves of one whole, are necessary for a complete understanding of the character of the Russian peasant.

Dear image of Plato to the author

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy’s sympathies are, of course, on the side of Platon Karataev. The writer, a humanist, has spent his entire adult life opposed to war, the most inhumane and cruel, in his opinion, event in the life of society. With his creativity, he preaches the ideas of morality, peace, love, mercy, and war brings death and misfortune to people. The terrible pictures of the Battle of Borodino, the death of young Petya, the painful death of Andrei Bolkonsky make the reader shudder from the horror and pain that any war entails. Therefore, the importance of Plato’s image in the novel “War and Peace” is difficult to overestimate. This person is the embodiment of the author’s main idea about a harmonious life in harmony with oneself. The writer sympathizes with people like Platon Karataev. The author, for example, approves of the act of Petit, who takes pity on the French captive boy, and 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. Understanding that war is impossible without blood and violence, the writer believes in the victory of reason and humanity.

Tikhon Shcherbaty is an ordinary Russian man who joined Denisov’s detachment to fight for his Motherland. He got his nickname because he was missing one front tooth, and he himself looked a little scary. In the detachment, Tikhon was indispensable, as he was the most dexterous and could easily cope with the dirtiest and most complex work. At first, he simply looked after the horses, made fires and, at his own request, went to the French camp, from where he always returned with trophies: he brought weapons and clothes. Then he was promoted to Cossacks and began to be sent to the enemy to take languages. He had some kind of instinct and always brought the right officers. By nature, Tikhon is very good-natured, but his enemies are not people, and he can be cruel to them. Tikhon is presented as a people's avenger who defends his land, on which he is accustomed to live and work. His comrades in arms respect him, admire his courage and resourcefulness, they are glad that they have such a simple, strong and courageous man in their squad. Tikhon considered the best weapons to be an ax and a pike, since he mastered them perfectly, but he wore a blunderbuss just like that and maybe never even used it.

In the image of Tikhon Shcherbaty, Tolstoy tried to show us that with the beginning of the war, the masses did not stand aside, ordinary people were also worried about the future of the country and stood up for its defense.

Images of Platon Karataev and Tikhon Shcherbatov in L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”
Author: Tolstoy L.N.
The main characters of L.N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” are representatives of the noble class. However, the author strives to paint a picture of Russian life in its entirety, so characters from the common people also appear in the story - Tikhon Shcherbaty and Platon Karataev. Both heroes, as Russian national types and exponents of the spiritual essence of the Russian character, are dear to Tolstoy, each in their own way.
The image of Shcherbaty expresses the active beginning of the Russian spirit, showing the ability of the people to fearlessly fight against the invaders. Tikhon is the embodiment of a heroic people who rose up to defend the Fatherland.
Karataev embodies the idea of ​​“non-resistance to evil through violence” that is close to the writer. The writer appreciates in this hero the manifestation of “everything Russian, kind and round,” all those qualities that, according to Tolstoy, formed the moral basis of the Russian people, the Russian peasantry. Patriarchalism, gentleness, humility and religiosity are traits without which, according to Tolstoy, the mental makeup of the Russian peasant is unthinkable.
Tikhon Shcherbaty personifies in the romance that “club of the people’s war” that rose and “nailed the French with terrible force until the entire invasion was destroyed.” “Non-resistance” Platon Karataev is another type of national character, another side of “people's thought.”
Tikhon is “the most useful and brave man” in Denisov’s partisan detachment: “No one else discovered cases of attack, no one else took him and beat the French.” Shcherbaty occupied a special, exclusive place in Denisov’s detachment: “When something especially difficult had to be done... everyone pointed, laughing, at Tikhon.” At night he left the detachment and obtained everything that was necessary for his comrades, for the common cause: weapons, clothing, and when he was ordered, he also delivered prisoners. Tikhon was not afraid of any work. He was good at wielding an ax (“like a wolf wields his teeth”) and deftly, with all his might, split logs. If necessary, the ax in his hands turned into a formidable weapon. This character embodies the heroic forces of the people, their resourcefulness, camaraderie, and daring.
An important feature of Tikhon is the ability not to lose heart, not to lose heart under any circumstances, and an indestructible sense of humor. This trait makes Shcherbatov everyone’s favorite in the detachment: “...he was the jester of all the Cossacks and hussars,” and “he himself willingly succumbed to this chip.” Probably, some of Tikhon’s traits (for example, his cruelty) could have been condemned by the writer if we were talking about peaceful
time. But at a critical moment in history, when the question of the future of Russia, the fate of all Russian people (the Patriotic War of 1812) is being decided, the activities of people like Shcherbaty are salutary for both the country and the people.
Tolstoy will give each of the heroes a vivid portrait and speech description. Tikhon’s entire appearance exudes dexterity, confidence, and strength. A funny and expressive feature of his appearance is a missing tooth (for this Tikhon was nicknamed Shcherbaty). His language is permeated with humor, a crude joke. Plato's appearance is also peculiar. He was over fifty years old, but everything in his appearance was preserved intact: there was not a single gray hair in his beard or hair, everything was round - his face, his shoulders, his back, and his stomach. Everything had the appearance of some kind of drowsiness, softness.
If Tikhon is merciless towards the enemy, then Karataev loves all people, including the French. Other important features in Karataev are the spirit of truth-seeking, spiritual clarity, love of work: “He knew how to do everything, not very well, but not bad either.”
Plato is a bright exponent of the philosophy of patience, characteristic of the Russian peasantry and determined by the uniqueness of Russian history and culture. This philosophy of life is reflected in the proverbial wisdom that often sounds in Plato’s melodious speech: “Fate seeks the head,” “To endure an hour, but to live a century.” Sometimes it seems that he uses the philosophy of patience to cover up his helplessness, his inability to actively resist circumstances. Karataev seems to be completely devoid of individual consciousness; at all times he relies on worldview stereotypes that have evolved over centuries among the people: “Where there is court, there is untruth,” “Never refuse a scrip and prison,” “Not by our mind, but by God’s court.” .
Unlike Karataev, Shcherbaty does not remember God, relying only on himself - on his strength, ingenuity, spiritual vigor. Yellowfang can be harsh, and if circumstances require it, even cruel. These features distinguish him from Plato, who strives to see “solemn beauty” in everything. Shcherbaty, experiencing a patriotic feeling and hatred of the invaders, goes at them with an ax. Plato, on the other hand, is ready to “suffer innocently in vain” rather than shed human blood, even if it is the blood of an enemy.
Karataev and Shcherbaty are two hypostases of a single whole. Salvation for Russia, according to Tolstoy, lies in the synthesis of these two principles - meekness, humility and peacefulness, on the one hand, and energy, will, and the ability to take active action, on the other. Having learned the truth of Karataev, Pierre follows exactly this path in the epilogue of the novel.