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But how do you do? I see I have frightened you—sit down and tell me all the news.”
Calmness, taking responsibility, and getting to know each other.
our grandfathers not only spoke but thought,
conscience of speech: to think as one speaks, to speak as one thinks.
“First of all, dear friend, tell me how you are. Set your friend’s mind at rest,”
On Friendship
The English have not understood and cannot understand the self-abnegation of our Emperor who wants nothing for himself, but only desires the good of mankind.
“I am your faithful slave and to you alone I can confess that my children are the bane of my life. It is the cross I have to bear. That is how I explain it to myself. It can’t be helped!”
Vulnerability, Acceptance, Inevitability; At last.
“You have not yet seen my aunt,” or “You do not know my aunt?”
Reception, new arrival.
Each visitor performed the ceremony of greeting this old aunt whom not one of them knew, not one of them wanted to know, and not one of them cared about;
None, but it was done.
As is always the case with a thoroughly attractive woman, her defect—the shortness of her upper lip and her half-open mouth—seemed to be her own special and peculiar form of beauty.
The beauty of a woman.
She seemed to wish, but to be unable, to diminish its effect.
Of the blush of beauty, of wish and inability.
in spite of this resemblance he was exceedingly ugly. His features were like his sister’s, but while in her case everything was lit up by a joyous, self-satisfied, youthful, and constant smile of animation, and by the wonderful classic beauty of her figure, his face on the contrary was dulled by imbecility and a constant expression of sullen self-confidence, while his body was thin and weak.
Of resemblance in appearance, of similarity in posture, but of distinction in disposition.
understood the meaning of his words after he had uttered them.
Wit, conscience in speech.
Nothing is so necessary for a young man as the society of clever women.”
Necessity, Youthfulness, Education, Witty women.
having long been out of society had lost her former influential connections.
Connections, society, influence.
Be the kindhearted man you always were,”
Kindness, Manhood: the kindness of a man expressed concerning both men and women, even more with women.
Influence in society, however, is a capital which has to be economized if it is to last.
Influence, connections, and society.
who, having once made up their minds, will not rest until they have gained their end, and are prepared if necessary to go on insisting day after day and hour after hour, and even to make scenes. This last consideration moved him.
Consideration of importunity.
“it is almost impossible for me to do what you ask; but to prove my devotion to you and how I respect your father’s memory, I will do the impossible—your
Devotion, Commitment, Respect, Memory, and Impossible.
I opened my antechambers and they crowded in.’
Napeleon's words.
“I am not speaking of regicide, I am speaking about ideas.”
Ideas vs. Murder of king.
His smile was unlike the half-smile of other people.
“I hope to see you again, but I also hope you will change your opinions, my dear Monsieur Pierre.”
Anna and Pierre, hope and change, acquaintances and opinions.
“If no one fought except on his own conviction, there would be no wars,”
never marry till you can say to yourself that you have done all you are capable of,
marriage and ambition.
until you have ceased to love the woman of your choice and have seen her plainly as she is, or else you will make a cruel and irrevocable mistake.
women, love, choice, a person as is.
Drawing rooms, gossip, balls, vanity, and triviality—these are the enchanted circle I cannot escape from.
Mundanimity of societal life, a mundane cycle.
Women, my dear fellow; women!”
Societal women, women at a table with men, and the soiree and the wine.
Dólokhov was a man of small means and no connections.
The estate of man in society is defined by means and connections.
“You have a try, Hercules,”
Heel: Hercules, a mark of strength.
All were still.
Stillness, Calmness: Also mark, "All were silent."
The great thing is the serving,
service, greatness.
“That’s what comes of a modern education,”
Of Pierre's witless disposition in society and the rank of calibrated education abroad.
“I have already told you, Papa,” said his son, “that if you don’t wish to let me go, I’ll stay. But I know I am no use anywhere except in the army; I am not a diplomat or a government clerk.—I don’t know how to hide what I feel.”
“and how much suffering, how much anxiety one has had to go through that we might rejoice in them now! And yet really the anxiety is greater now than the joy. One is always, always anxious! Especially just at this age, so dangerous both for girls and boys.”
Countess speaking of Nicholas and Sonya.
“It all depends on the bringing up,”
Character, virtue ethics, upbringing.
“Yes, I was brought up quite differently,”
Vera's remark; smart and intelligent and truthful.
“Don’t, Borís! You are such a diplomat that it is really tiresome,” said Natásha
You’ll never understand it, because you’ve never loved anyone. You have no heart!
God grant you never know what it is to be left a widow without means and with a son you love to distraction!
‘I am sorry I can do so little for you, dear Princess. I am at your command.’
But, Nataly, you know my love for my son: I would do anything for his happiness!
Let people think what they will of me, it’s really all the same to me when my son’s fate is at stake.”
To err is human.
humanum est errare
“Believe me, Prince, a mother’s heart will never forget what you have done for us.”
How priceless are those last moments! It can make things no worse, and it is absolutely necessary to prepare him if he is so ill.
To feel that in this world there’s one Who still is thinking but of thee!
“I shall always remember that in this world one must expect no reward, that in this world there is neither honor nor justice. In this world one has to be cunning and cruel.”
“I can’t bear the sight of that woman.”
Anna Mikay...
There is nothing so refreshing after a sleepless night as a cup of this delicious Russian tea,”
“Permit me, Princess, to know what is necessary and what is not necessary,”
“All I know is that his real will is in his writing table, and this is a paper he has forgotten....”
