Is the dormouse really a barren flower? Essays on Russian literature Tolstoy's attitude towards Sonya

Sections: Literature

The purpose of the lesson: development of research and associative thinking of students.

Aspects of the goal:

• Educational: a consistent study of Leo Tolstoy’s position on the ideal of beauty in the novel.
• Developmental: moral and emotional development of students, development of the ability to argue and defend their opinions.
• Educator: nurturing a sense of beauty using the example of the heroes of L.N. Tolstoy.

Equipment:

Epigraph: “The most beautiful thing is what you cannot see with your eyes” (“The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

Board design.

On the left side: (from the explanatory dictionary of S.I. Ozhegov)

Beautiful –

1. pleasant in appearance,
2. highly moral,
3. effective but meaningless.

beautiful -

1. very beautiful,
2. very good,
3. that which embodies beauty corresponds to the ideal.

ideal is the perfect embodiment of beauty.

On the right side: (from the explanatory dictionary of S.I. Ozhegov)

emancipation - liberation from dependence (women's responsibilities in the family); sixties - social and political figures in Russia in the 60s of the 19th century.

In the center of the board: crossword puzzle.

Texts with an epilogue to the novel (volume 4, epilogue, part one, chapter X).

On the teacher's desk:

• a nondescript indoor plant with a beautiful flower in bloom,
• dried twig,
• crystal vase,
• unlit candle.

During the classes

1. Musical screensaver.

An old waltz sounds. A few seconds later, two couples in suits enter the class and dance, stand in front of the class at the blackboard and greet those present (girls with a curtsey, boys with a bow of their heads).

2. Ball of literary heroes.

(Note: Hélène and Natasha have curled hair, dressed in fluffy long dresses, Pierre is in a classic suit, a white shirt with a bow tie, Andrey may be in military clothing, with epaulettes.)

Teacher: Guys, you, of course, recognized the heroes of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” - Pierre and Helen, Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky. Now you have to remember the episodes in which they said these phrases. To whom and when?

Andrei Bolkonsky: “The whole world for me is divided into two halves. One is she, and there is all happiness, hope, light; the other half is everything where she is not there, there is all despondency and emptiness.”

Natasha Rostova: “You all hate me, you despise me!”

Pierre: “Now it’s all over, and I love her too. Ge vois aime.”

Helen: “What did you prove with this duel? Everyone knew that you were a fool! If you were smarter, I would prefer your company!”

Student answers.

Teacher. So, now you have to show applause which pair presented their heroes better. Andrey and Natasha! Pierre and Helen!

(Applause. Choice.)

Thank you, I ask you to sit down (The young man escorts his lady to her seat, observing the rules of etiquette). And I will ask you (the couple who received more applause) to stay and continue the lesson.

3. Oral survey.

We will conduct an oral survey while solving this crossword puzzle. (The boy reads the questions, the girl fills in the crossword cells on the board, the students answer).

1. Pierre's condition at the time when he saw that Andrei Bolkonsky and Natasha Rostova fell in love with each other? (Hypochondria)
2. Who wanted to kill Napoleon? (Pierre)
3. What became a symbol of life near Austerlitz for Andrei? (Sky)
4. Andrei said to Pierre: “Don’t get married, my friend, ....!” (Never)
5. What did Andrei Bolkonsky choose in his dream? (Death)
6. Berg's personality trait? (Commercialism)
7. Who said: “Eggs teach chickens”? (Rostov)
8. Natasha's mistake. (Anatole)
9. Who believed that everything around him happened according to his will? (Napoleon)
10. The subject of the struggle in the house of the dying Count Bezukhov. (Briefcase)

4. Announcement of the topic and purpose of the lesson.

Teacher. Thank you, please sit down. Guys, look at what word we see vertically in the crossword puzzle? (Beautiful) The topic of our lesson: “The ideal of beauty in the understanding of Leo Tolstoy.” The purpose of our lesson: explore the position of the author of the novel “War and Peace”, try to find the ideal of beauty from Tolstoy’s point of view.

5. Working with the epigraph. Issues for discussion:

– Do you agree with the point of view of the Little Prince?

– What can you not see with your eyes?

– What is beautiful for you?

– Is the epigraph suitable for our topic?

6. Vocabulary work (beautiful, wonderful, ideal). Updating students' knowledge. Students’ conclusion: the ideal for a person is the highest embodiment of beauty.

7. Independent work.

Teacher. The main literary compositional device that Tolstoy uses in the novel is antithesis. The writer turns to contrast to emphasize positive and negative phenomena and images. Who is opposed to the military drones in the novel? Ordinary soldiers, the modest captain Tushin, who are led not by selfish, but by popular, liberation motives. In other words, the beautiful is opposed to the ugly. Considering this point of view, make a table.

Independent compilation of a comparative table “The Beautiful and the Ugly in the Understanding of Leo Tolstoy.”

8. Analytical conversation based on the results of independent work.

– Name the images contrasted with Tolstoy’s favorite heroes.

– Why are heroes shining with external beauty nevertheless ugly for Tolstoy?

– Whose point of view does Tolstoy argue with in the novel?

– What unites representatives of secular society?

– How does Tolstoy understand “ugly”?

– Why are these heroes beautiful? What do they have in common?

– How does Tolstoy understand “beautiful”?

From student responses.

– The external beauty of such characters as Helen, Anatole, Vera, Berg covers up an empty and cold heart, mercantile interests, naked calculation.

– Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy argues in the novel with the position of secular society, which has a false idea of ​​​​beauty, of the beautiful.

– Representatives of secular society are united by the fact that they see in people, first of all, the contents of a wallet, the possibility of patronage. They are united by lies, falsehood, lack of spirituality, vulgarity and immorality.

– The writer saw beauty in human relationships, in human behavior, thoughts and feelings, in nature, and in art.

– “Beautiful” images are united by moral purity, naturalness, selflessness, love, generosity, faith.

Teacher. Let’s summarize everything that has been said (students write a conclusion based on the results of independent work). We noted the main ugly and beautiful, in Tolstoy’s understanding, images. Who became the ideal of beauty for the Russian writer? You probably guessed that this is a female image. And which one exactly - I suggest you answer this question using associative thinking. We use these objects for reflection: a flower, a vase, a twig, a candle.

9. Discussion.

Teacher. Guys, you must give your answer, presenting your arguments from the text, show Tolstoy’s position and draw a conclusion based on your answer. So, how do you associate this nondescript indoor plant with a beautiful blossoming flower? You can make a symbolic drawing in a notebook and relate it to the heroine of the novel. A minute to think.

Student (goes to the board and takes a pot of flowers). I associate this inconspicuous plant with a beautiful flower with the image of Princess Marya. She has an ugly, sickly body, heavy steps, and an ugly face. But Marya Bolkonskaya has large, radiant, beautiful eyes - the mirror of the soul. She believed that she was too ugly to dream of happiness. Tolstoy wrote that her face transformed when she thought about others or cried. And after meeting Nikolai Rostov, Princess Marya became completely different. She developed a deep voice, grace and femininity. All this, in my opinion, became attractive to Rostov, and he fell in love with her. For Tolstoy it is wonderful, because... she has a beautiful soul.

Disciple (takes a crystal vase). This vase reminds me of Helen. The vase is very beautiful, but cold and empty. And Helen Kuragina shines in society with external beauty, but internally she is completely empty. Tolstoy emphasizes her beautiful shoulders, arms, chest, but it’s as if she’s wearing varnish from all eyes. Helene married Pierre, and then chose her own husbands. She has a beautiful smile, but it is always “on duty” on her face, it hides immorality and vulgarity, greed and selfishness - the main signs of representatives of secular society. I agree with Tolstoy's position. This is a disgusting image.

Student (takes a dried twig). I think this branch is similar to the image of Burien. She dreamed of a rich prince, and was ready to marry anyone: even Anatole, even old Bolkonsky. She froze in development, like this twig, although she was outwardly pretty.

Student (takes a dried twig). And I think that this unblown branch resembles the image of Sonya. She pretends to be noble, even wrote a letter to Nikolai Rostov in the hope that he will appreciate her sacrifice. And when Natasha gave the carts to the wounded, she tried to grab more for herself. Tolstoy called Sonya a “barren flower.” According to Tolstoy, her existence is useless. That's why Sonya resembles a dry twig.

Teacher (lights a candle). What image do you associate with a lit candle?

Student. This candle reminds me of Natasha Rostova. She, just like a candle, gives herself to people without reserve. Natasha cannot live without love. “The essence of her life is love,” said Tolstoy. Love for loved ones, beloved, homeland... She loves to dance, she is delighted with the beauty of the night in Otradnoye, but at the same time she makes mistakes and suffers because of them. But overall this is an image that is changing for the better. She knows how to do good, she is pure, lively, sincere, and one cannot help but love her. It gives light to those around her, like a lit candle.

10. Analytical conversation (in the image of Natasha).

Teacher. Remember at what moments Tolstoy describes her as ugly, even bad in appearance?

Student answers.

- On a name day: “an ugly, but lively girl.”

- “Opening her big mouth... she roared” out of compassion for Sonya.

“During the evacuation from Moscow, when she ran to her parents, having learned that they did not want to give the carts to the wounded, her face was ugly.

– At the bedside of the wounded Prince Andrei, Natasha’s face “was scary.”

Teacher. At what moments is she beautiful and everyone admires her?

Student answers.

“At her first ball, she beamed with happiness.

– Next to Prince Andrei (before their engagement).

- At the performance, where everyone noticed her, including Anatole.

Teacher. So, we have explored the position of the author of the novel “War and Peace”. So who is the ideal of beauty in Tolstoy’s novel?

- Natasha Rostova.

11. Working with text.

Teacher. Yes, along with the images of Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov, Princess Marya, this is Leo Tolstoy’s favorite image. But the image of Natasha is also the ideal of beauty for a writer. And our lesson would be incomplete without a story about her in the epilogue of the novel. Even during Tolstoy’s lifetime, Natasha withstood a lot of criticism in the epilogue. Find the lines as we see her after marriage (Epilogue, part 1, chapter X).

“...in 1820 she already had three daughters and one son...She gained weight and weight.”

“Now only her face and body were often visible, but her soul was not visible at all. One strong, beautiful and fertile female was visible.”

Teacher. What did she look like now?

“Natasha sank, abandoned secular society, she “didn’t care about her manners or the delicacy of her speech,” she forgot about her curls and her suit...

Teacher. Why?

“She had absolutely no time to “beat up her curls, put on robrons and sing romances.” (Robrons are long dresses with a train.)

Teacher. What has now become the essence of her life?

“The subject that Natasha completely immersed herself in was the family, that is, the husband... and children who had to be carried, given birth, fed, raised.”

Teacher. What was her attitude towards her husband?

- Natasha was jealous of Pierre “for Sonya, for the governess, for every beautiful and ugly woman.”

- “In her house, Natasha put herself on the foot of her husband’s slave... As soon as he expressed a desire, Natasha would jump up and run to fulfill it.”

Teacher. This is how Tolstoy’s ideal appears before us in the epilogue. What do you not accept in the image of married Natasha?

– Untidyness, jealousy, thoughts only about her husband and children, no hobbies, refusal of light.

Teacher. Guys, you have now confirmed a point of view that has existed in literary criticism for more than 140 years. But would we believe Tolstoy if he had depicted the old Natasha in the epilogue - a mother of four children, flitting around at balls, dreaming of being invited to a dance? Of course not. Could there be another nursing mother, spending sleepless nights at the bedside of a sick child, absorbed in caring for a large family, alarmed by the long absence of her husband? This means that Natasha in the epilogue is the kind of woman Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy wanted to see, this change is a logical continuation of her character. It was in the family that her true beauty manifested itself, it was in the family that she found the true happiness that every person dreams of. What do you think about the expression “fertile female”? (Student responses) The writer said this with irony. Who did Tolstoy say that to? Maybe he was arguing with someone, portraying Natasha like this when she was married?

12. Prepared speech.

Student. (Referring to the meaning of the words on the right board: emancipation, sixties) In the 60s of the 19th century in Russia there was a movement for the emancipation of women. They were called “sixties”. They fought for the rights of women to be equal to men, for self-denial of women's responsibilities. This was even reflected in women's fashion: emancipated women abandoned corsets and wore trousers for the first time, which was extremely outrageous at that time. The image of Natasha Rostova, both contradictory and integral, reflects Tolstoy’s attitude towards family and motherhood. The Russian writer believed that a woman should have a higher calling and purpose - motherhood. Therefore, Natasha in the epilogue, plumper and wider, is Tolstoy’s ideal. Perhaps in this way Lev Nikolaevich argued with the sixties, who wanted to equalize the rights of women with men.

13. Final word from the teacher. Lesson summary. So, starting from the first pages and ending with the epilogue, Tolstoy leads us to his understanding of the ideal, the true beauty of man. The ideal of beauty for Tolstoy was Natasha Rostova. And if the writer had realized his original plan - to write about the returning Decembrist, we have no doubt that Pierre would have gone out onto Senate Square in 1825. And we also have no doubt that Natasha, of course, would have followed him to Siberia. This image conveys one of the main ideas of the novel: beauty and happiness where there is simplicity, goodness and truth.

– Which other heroes of Tolstoy’s novel, in your opinion, come close to the ideal? – What was the most important thing in the lesson, in your opinion?

– What new have you learned?

– What was interesting for you?

Thank you for your work. Homework for the next lesson: miniature essay “Which of the heroes of Leo Tolstoy’s novel does this item remind me of?”

14. Natasha’s waltz from Sergei Prokofiev’s opera “War and Peace” sounds.

Application

From student essays

“I associate the crystal vase with the image of Anatole...” (Sergey)

“The dry twig reminds me of the image of Petya Rostov, who went to war in the prime of his life and died there...” (Sergei) “He lived very little, did not have time to grow up, become courageous and bring a lot of good to people” (Sasha)

“Bolkonsky is a bright personality (like a flame), he died in the prime of his life, like a half-burnt candle that went out...” (Olesya)

“Every flower has leaves both large and small. I associate this flower with Pierre. He fell under the influence of the French Revolution, Helen, Anatoly Kuragin, and the Freemasons. Each of them left their mark on Pierre's life. Sometimes small, sometimes big. Like the leaves of a flower...” (Kairat)

“The candle can be compared with Andrei Bolkonsky, who lived brightly and longed to become famous in a decisive battle. But soon after being mortally wounded, his life fades away like a candle...” (Sergei)

“An inconspicuous flower, ready to bloom, is associated with Natasha...” (Inna)

“The withered twig is Andrei Bolkonsky...” (Kuanysh)

“The candle is Pierre Bezukhov. He illuminates everyone with his kindness and love. But he fluctuates in his thoughts, like a flame fluctuates in the wind...” (Olesya)

Sacrifice yourself for the happiness of others

was Sonya's habit.

L. N. Tolstoy. War and Peace

What is a barren flower? An “empty” flower, after which there will be no fruit. Imagine an orchard in spring, covered in fragrant white and pink blossoms. A dream, a sight for sore eyes! But the flowers fall off, but there is no ovary.

And here are the cucumber ridges. Thin, fragile lashes, strewn with ordinary bright yellow flowers. Their beauty is short-lived, but some crumbled, leaving behind an ovary - tiny cucumbers, others disappeared without a trace. So are people. Entire generations are disappearing into oblivion. What mark do they leave in life? Human destinies unfold differently. It seems that a person chooses his own path. But is this always the case? I thought about this question after finishing reading “War and Peace,” perhaps the greatest book created by human genius.

Among the more than fifty thousand heroes of the novel, there is a girl whose fate especially excited me. This is Sonya, a pupil of the Rostovs. Here's her story. Sonya is the count's niece, taken into the house out of mercy. Her position in this house - for all the kindness of the Rostovs - is unenviable. She studied with Natasha, she was dressed, fed, and raised just like her own daughter. But Sonya herself could not feel equal to the Rostov girls: she remained a poor relative and all her life she felt somehow second-rate compared to the native children of the count and countess.

Natasha is everyone’s favorite, relaxed, spontaneous, radiating the joy of life, and is sure that no matter what she says, no matter how she acts, everything will be fine. Sonya is in constant tension: what if I do something wrong, go beyond what is permitted. And then there’s this love... Girls....

What is a barren flower? An “empty” flower, after which there will be no fruit. Imagine an orchard in spring, covered in fragrant white and pink blossoms. A dream, a sight for sore eyes! But the flowers fall off, but there is no ovary.

And here are the cucumber ridges. Thin, fragile lashes, strewn with ordinary bright yellow flowers. Their beauty is short-lived, but some crumbled, leaving behind an ovary - tiny cucumbers, others disappeared without a trace. So are people. Entire generations are disappearing into oblivion. What mark do they leave in life? Human destinies unfold differently.

It seems that a person chooses his own path. But is this always the case? I thought about this question after finishing reading “War and Peace,” perhaps the greatest book created by human genius.

Among the more than fifty thousand heroes of the novel, there is a girl whose fate especially excited me. This is Sonya, a pupil of the Rostovs. Here's her story. Sonya is the count's niece, taken into the house out of mercy. Her position in this house - for all the kindness of the Rostovs - is unenviable. She studied with Natasha, she was dressed, fed, and raised just like her own daughter. But Sonya herself could not feel equal to the Rostov girls: she remained poor

As a relative, all my life I felt like I was somehow second-class compared to the natural children of the count and countess.

Natasha is everyone’s favorite, relaxed, spontaneous, radiating the joy of life, and is sure that no matter what she says, no matter how she acts, everything will be fine. Sonya is in constant tension: what if I do something wrong, go beyond what is permitted. And then there’s this love... The girl adores Nikolai Rostov, endowing the rather ordinary young man with all possible virtues. L.N. Tolstoy does not spare his heroine. Yes, she is pretty, elegant, graceful, sweet, but she is a passive, uncreative nature, devoid of imagination.

This girl has to be reasonable, suppress natural feelings in herself: jealousy of Julie Karagina, then of Princess Marya, resentment of the old countess, who is interfering with her marriage to Nikolai. Life taught Sonya to control herself. But how tenderly, devotedly, and most importantly, truly she knows how to love! I’m sorry that she couldn’t love Dolokhov: probably this love would have made both of them happy. But Sonya, unlike Natasha, does not change her loyalties. She is a whole person, loyal and pure.

Fifteen years of her life passed before us - Sonya never committed an unworthy act, did not make a single mistake. And yet Tolstoy somewhat belittles her. I’m trying to figure out what the author doesn’t like about this girl, and I think I understand. The constant comparisons between Sonya and Natasha help me. Here are two young girls entering an elegant hall for their first ball. They sat down in the same way, but involuntarily the hostess’s gaze, sliding past Sonya, stopped at thin Natasha... Here Sonya, Natasha and Nikolai remember their childhood. It turns out that Sonya has forgotten everything and cannot share the poetic feelings of Natasha and Nikolai.

On a moonlit night in Otradnoye, Natasha, enchanted by the beauty of this night, wants to fly into the sky, and Sonya, boringly and judiciously, persuades her to go to bed. And how differently girls behave in the terrible hours before leaving Moscow! Sonya carefully packs her things, and Natasha orders the carts to be released and the wounded to be taken. Why does the writer, without condemning the girl (there is nothing to condemn her for), still belittle her? Because, according to Tolstoy, good is not the one who does not make mistakes, but the one who, struggling with himself, knows how to overcome his mistakes and delusions. That’s why the author loves Natasha more.

Sonya's world is strict and clear. Having fallen in love with Nikolai as a girl, she knows: “No matter what happens to him, to me, I will never stop loving him - throughout my life.” And he will not stop, but will give in to the countess’s desire to marry her son to the rich, noble princess Marya and herself gives him freedom. Sonya is destined to be alone in the same family that warmed her as a child.

In the epilogue, Natasha will say about her: “Barren Flower.” And this word will contain cruel truth. From the very beginning of her life, from childhood, Sonya had no right to the flood of feelings that overwhelmed Natasha. Only once, at Christmas time, a brave and free girl woke up in Sonya, but she seemed to be frightened by her impulse and was never again the same as that evening, but returned to her patterns, to her quiet self-sacrifice. So do we have the right to condemn Sonya? I think no. I'm very sorry for her. The girl's life turned out to be empty, but is it her fault?

The one thing that tormented Nicholas in relation to his management was his hot temper, combined with the old hussar habit of giving free rein to his hands. At first, he did not see anything reprehensible in this, but in the second year of his marriage, his view of this kind of reprisal suddenly changed. One summer, the headman was called from Bogucharovo, replacing the deceased Dron, accused of various frauds and malfunctions. Nikolai came out to his porch, and from the first answers of the headman, screams and blows were heard in the entryway. Returning home for breakfast, Nikolai went up to his wife, who was sitting with her head bowed low over the embroidery hoop, and began to tell her, as usual, everything that had occupied him that morning, and, among other things, about the Bogucharovsky headman. Countess Marya, blushing, turning pale and pursing her lips, sat still with her head down and did not answer anything to her husband’s words. “Such an arrogant bastard,” he said, getting excited at the very memory. - Well, if he had told me that he was drunk, he didn’t see... But what’s the matter with you, Marie? - he suddenly asked. Countess Marya raised her head and wanted to say something, but again she hastily looked down and pursed her lips. - What you? what's wrong with you, my friend?.. The ugly Countess Marya always looked prettier when she cried. She never cried from pain or frustration, but always from sadness and pity. And when she cried, her radiant eyes acquired an irresistible charm. As soon as Nikolai took her hand, she was unable to resist and began to cry. - Nicolas, I saw... he is to blame, but you, why are you! Nicolas!... - And she covered her face with her hands. Nikolai fell silent, blushed crimson and, moving away from her, silently began to walk around the room. He understood what she was crying about; but suddenly he could not agree with her in his soul that what he had become accustomed to since childhood, what he considered the most ordinary, was bad. “Are these pleasantries, old wives’ tales, or is she right?” - he asked himself. Without resolving this issue with himself, he looked again at her suffering and loving face and suddenly realized that she was right, and he had long been to blame for himself. “Marie,” he said quietly, approaching her, “this will never happen again: I give you my word.” Never,” he repeated in a trembling voice, like a boy asking for forgiveness. Tears flowed from the countess's eyes even more often. She took her husband's hand and kissed it. - Nicolas, when did you break the kame? - to change the conversation, she said, looking at his hand, on which was a ring with the head of Laocoon. - Today; all the same. Oh, Marie, don't remind me of this. - He flared up again. “I give you my word of honor that this won’t happen again.” And let this be my memory forever,” he said, pointing to the broken ring. From then on, as soon as during explanations with the elders and clerks, the blood rushed into his face and his hands began to clench into fists, Nikolai twirled the broken ring on his finger and lowered his eyes in front of the person who had angered him. However, twice a year he forgot himself and then, coming to his wife, he confessed and again made a promise that now this was the last time. - Marie, you really despise me? - he told her. - I'm worth it. “You go away, go away quickly if you feel unable to resist,” Countess Marya said sadly, trying to console her husband. In the noble society of the province, Nikolai was respected, but not loved. Noble interests did not interest him. And for this, some considered him a proud man, others - a stupid man. His entire summer, from spring sowing to harvesting, was spent doing housework. In the autumn, with the same businesslike seriousness with which he dealt with the household, he indulged in hunting, going away for a month or two with his hunt. In winter, he traveled to other villages and read. His reading consisted mainly of historical books, which he subscribed to annually for a certain amount. He built himself, as he said, a serious library and made it a rule to read all the books he bought. He sat with a significant air in his office reading this, which was first imposed on himself as a duty, and then became a habitual activity that gave him a special kind of pleasure and the consciousness that he was busy with serious business. With the exception of business trips, he spent most of his time at home in the winter, getting along with his family and entering into the petty relationships between mother and children. He became closer and closer to his wife, discovering new spiritual treasures in her every day. Sonya has lived in his house since Nikolai’s marriage. Even before his marriage, Nikolai, blaming himself and praising her, told his bride everything that happened between him and Sonya. He asked Princess Marya to be affectionate and kind to his cousin. Countess Marya felt completely the guilt of her husband; I also felt guilty towards Sonya; I thought that her condition had an influence on Nikolai’s choice, she could not blame Sonya for anything, she wanted to love her; but not only did she not love her, but she often found evil feelings in her soul against her and could not overcome them. One day she talked with her friend Natasha about Sonya and her injustice towards her. “You know what,” said Natasha, “you’ve read the Gospel a lot; there is one place directly about Sonya. - What? - Countess Marya asked in surprise. “To those who have, it will be given, but from those who have not, it will be taken away,” remember? She is a poor person: for what? Don't know; There may be no selfishness in her, I know, but it will be taken away from her, and everything has been taken away. I feel terribly sorry for her sometimes; I terribly wished before that Nicolas would marry her; but I always seemed to have a presentiment that this would not happen. She barren flower, you know, like on strawberries? Sometimes I feel sorry for her, and sometimes I think she doesn't feel it the way we would. And despite the fact that Countess Marya explained to Natasha that these words of the Gospel should be understood differently, looking at Sonya, she agreed with the explanation given by Natasha. Indeed, it seemed that Sonya was not burdened by her position and was completely reconciled with her purpose as an empty flower. She seemed to value not so much people as the whole family. She, like a cat, took root not with people, but with the house. She looked after the old countess, caressed and spoiled the children, and was always ready to provide those small services of which she was capable; but all this was accepted involuntarily with too little gratitude... The Bald Mountains estate was rebuilt again, but not on the same footing as it was under the late prince. The construction, begun in times of need, was more than simple. The huge house, on an old stone foundation, was made of wood, plastered only on the inside. The large, roomy house with an unpainted plank floor was furnished with the simplest hard sofas and armchairs, tables and chairs made from its own birch trees and the work of its own carpenters. The house was spacious, with rooms for servants and sections for visitors. The relatives of the Rostovs and Bolkonskys sometimes came to visit Bald Mountains with their families, on their sixteen horses, with dozens of servants, and lived for months. In addition, four times a year, on the name days and birthdays of the owners, up to a hundred guests gathered for one or two days. The rest of the year there was an undisturbed regular life with normal activities, teas, breakfasts, lunches, dinners from home provisions.