Posted by sd on October 06, 19100 at 03:27:09:
In Reply to: Wolf Hunt posted by C2 on October 05, 19100 at 12:36:27:
: Any thoughts/comments on parallels (found in W&P) between traditional
: russian wolf hunts and war? I was thinking that since T is on his
: way to pacifism, the connection between the systems directing
: the hunt and war should be easy to prove...but since he (T) doesn't
: become vegetarian until much later, it might be hard to prove
: that at the time of the writing of W&P that he was too concerned
: with the ethics of hunting...although the whole question of the morality
: of witnessing violence may work...
Perhaps there are some ogies between hunting scene and war motives in W & P. I would not say that this is about pacifism: as you note, by the time of writing W & P Tolstoy was not yet totally involved into his latest «Tolstovian» theories.
Maybe from certain points of view hunting scene resembles the last part of the 1812 war: withdrawal of French army. Several comments to this:
1. The situation of French army (fall 1812) is as desperate as the situation of the wolf in the hunting episode.
2. While encircled, the wolf as well as the French army at Berezina, attacks with extreme bravery and, for the moment, is victorious.
3. The situation of the French is so bad (like that of the wolf) that even Russian women participate in the war. Women-peasants take French prisoners by dozens. In the hunting chapter woman (Natasha Rostova) and child (Petya) participate.
4. When the wolf is caught, there is a vague sentiment of pity towards him. The same occurs in real war: Russian soldiers and Kutuzov manifest this sentiment towards French prisoners.
5. The most important role in the 1812 war is played by old Kutuzov. The most important role in the hunting is played by an old dog (hound in English?) of Rostov’s poor and old relative - although young and brilliant dogs (hounds?) belonging to Rostov’s participated in the hunting.
6. Also simple soldiers are very much important in Tolstoy’s approach to the description and ysis of war. The same is true in hunting: Rostov’s servant is more important than count Rostov (he even blames his master).
7. Description if Russian landscape and «Russian space» is important both in the description of war and that of hunting: there is more than enough space for hunting as well as for war. Hunters «have lost» the wolf for a while - just like Russian army often «looses» French army during it’s withdrawal. (Funny episode of much earlier, medieval wars between Moscow and Tver principalities in the 15th century: Moscow army and Tver army could not find each other during whole summer campaign among woods and wetlands!)
8. Finally: maybe by the time of writing War and Peace Tolstoy was close to consider relationships between nations as an og of struggle for existence among species (see the second part of the Epilogue to War and Peace). Hunting is a final stage of such a struggle between one specie (humans) and another (wolves).
Well, I’m not sure that above considerations are 100% true. These are more hypotheses, my speculations.
Regards, Serguei D.
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