The search for meaning in Tolstoy's War and Peace

Leo Tolstoy's Inclusion In The Literary Canon

In Tolstoy's prolific literary career, it appears that one central concern drove everything he did both in his life and his writing. This concern was the meaning of life. The drive behind the actions of his main characters in both War and Peace and Anna Karenina is the search for meaning in their lives. As part of this search, Tolstoy and his characters also sought to make sense of the occurrences around them. Historically, Tolstoy writes from the perspective of a country in turmoil. His social commentary is then closely intertwined with the more general search for personal fulfillment. The result is the timeless quality of the works that are still enjoyed by a wide readership today. It is this timeless quality of his work, based upon his search for meaning in life, that most prominently begs for Tolstoy's inclusion in today's literary canon. Works investigated with the purpose of substantiating this assertion include War and Peace, Anna Karenina and On Life.

War and Peace

This novel is written at many complex levels, revealing the complexities not only of the political state of Russia, but also of the nature of the human beings within such circumstances. In describing the situation within Russia, there are two distinct levels in the work: war and peace. Each level has its representative character. War is represented by Emperor Aleksandr, while peace is represented by Pierre Bezukhov, the son of a wealthy count.

The characters are however far more than merely representatives of political aspirations. Indeed, this is revealed in Pierre's relationship with his wife, Princess Ellen. The marriage proves to be a mistake, as Ellen's flirtatious behavior brings the relationship to an end. She later divorces Pierre, but is unable to secure the affections of the man she is pursuing. She later dies, which the reader feels is a kind of justice. The emotional suffering caused by his wife's behavior drives Pierre in a number of different directions.

The first of these is the Freemasons. This however does not provide him with the solace he needs, and he turns to the battlefield for a more concrete way of dealing with is emotions. Here is later taken as a prisoner of war. Pierre thus suffers on two levels; both emotionally because of his wife's behavior and physically as a result of the war and his life in prison. The end however is happy for Pierre, as he finds love, peace and contentment with Natasha.

Pierre is but one of the characters in the novel, with whom the reader can identify. The time and place are highly specific, yet the pursuits of the characters, while individual, are also universal. Through Pierre then, Tolstoy depicts the human search for intoxication through love and life (Farrell 11). All of Pierre's experiences are an initial intoxication that eventually becomes disillusion. This is true of Ellen, the Freemasons and the war. It is only when he achieves sufficient growth through these experiences that he can become realistically minded enough to attract a lasting love affair.

Pierre's and the other lives depicted in this novel thus reflect humanity in all its complexity. Some characters are representatives of human paradigms, while others, like Pierre, are developed more fully to represent the human search for meaning. In this way Tolstoy uses his novel as a springboard for his social and philosophical comments.

The novel is also remarkable because of the honesty with which these ideas are depicted. Even in the chambers of the aristocrats the reader is made aware of the humanity revealed in every situation and ever word of dialog. It is not hard to understand then why Tolstoy was loved so widely by all social circles (Bernardo). His work was accessible because his central theme was the search for meaning that connects all human beings.

On Life

This work is the culmination of the search for life depicted in War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Tolstoy here makes absolutely clear his findings about the state of humanity, as well as his personal journey towards finding the meaning of life. The conclusion is that the meaning of life can be found only in service of others.

The brilliance of the work lies in its logic and its clarity. A very complex subject has been broken down into simple but profound terms. The image of a miller who becomes entranced with the mechanics of his mill is used to show how, in focusing on the wrong things result in a misconception of life itself (Tolstoy 2).

Tolstoy further emphasizes the importance of thinking for oneself rather than slavishly following the doctrines of others. Only by thinking with one's own mind (Tolstoy 24) can one arrive at a meaning for one's own life. This search for meaning is seen by Tolstoy to be the natural accompaniment for an intelligent mind. It is because human beings possess inquisitive minds that they are aware of their own mortality, and therefore they search for meaning.

Tolstoy touches on many subjects in his search. The work thus depicts love, death and religion as paths towards the conclusion of both the search for meaning, and of life itself. The things that Tolstoy thinks about are still central human concerns in society today. What he terms "scribes" and "Pharisees" for example are those at the head of states and churches who wish to control human thinking. Those who are intelligent however do not let themselves believe without thinking carefully.

Conclusion

The only possible limitation to the timeless quality of Tolstoy's work could be seen as the fact that he describes historical events that were current during his time of writing. This limitation is however overcome by the very universal quality of humanity in his novels. Also, the stormy times during Russian history are interesting enough to engage the reader even without the benefit of any previous knowledge regarding this period. Tolstoy's characters are thus far more than mere historical figures. They are human, with human concerns. The reader, as a human being can fully understand the motivations and passions to which the characters succumb, because these are truly timeless.

Tolstoy fulfills all the requirements of a great literary mind. Not only does he comment on the social situation of his time, and criticize with intelligence; he also shows himself through his work. It is with extraordinary courage that Tolstoy reveals his own nature and the truth as he sees it not only in his non-fiction, but also and perhaps especially in his fiction. This is what makes his work so striking. The absolute sincerity that imbues every word touches and wrenches the reader's heart.

There can therefore be little argument against including Tolstoy in today's literary canon. His works accurately depict a time in Russia during which social upheaval touched the lives of both rich and poor. He was a critic and philosopher loved in his own time even as he is today. His comment on the time and the nature of humanity is accurate and striking, while showing the author's truth and personality without wavering. In this way Tolstoy's work is literature that can change, even if only for a short time, the outlook and the lives of his readers. When a work of literature accomplishes this, it is truly worthy of being called great, and mentioned in the same breath as other literature in the canon.