Characteristics of the Kuragin family. The Kuragin family in Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" The life path of Elena Kuragina

Family
Prince Vasily Kuragin.
For Tolstoy, the world of family is the basis of humanity
society. The Kuragin family in the novel appears as the embodiment of immorality.
Selfishness, hypocrisy, capacity for crime, dishonor for the sake of wealth,
irresponsibility for one's actions in one's personal life - these are the main distinguishing features
features of this family.
And how much destruction the Kuragins caused - Prince
Vasily, Helen, Anatole - into the life of Pierre, Rostov, Natasha, Andrei Bolkonsky!
The Kuragins are the third family unit in the novel -
deprived of generic poetry. Their family closeness and connection is unpoetic, although she
undoubtedly there is - instinctive mutual support and solidarity, a kind of
mutual guarantee of almost animal egoism. This kind of family connection is not positive,
a real family connection, but essentially a negation of it. Real families -
The Rostovs, Bolkonskys - have, of course, against the Kuragins on their side
immeasurable moral superiority; but still an invasion
Kuragin's base egoism causes a crisis in the world of these families.
The entire Kuragin family are individualists who do not recognize
moral standards, living according to the unchanging law of fulfilling their insignificant
desires.

Prince Vasily Kuragin The head of this entire family is Prince Vasily
Kuragin. For the first time we meet Prince Vasily in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer. He
was "in a courtier's, embroidered, uniform, stockings, shoes and stars, with
with a bright expression on his flat face." The prince said "on
that exquisite French language, which was not only spoken, but also thought
our grandfathers, and with those quiet, patronizing intonations that
characteristic of a significant person who has grown old in high society and at court,” “said
always lazy, like an actor speaking the role of an old play." In the eyes of secular society, the prince
Kuragin is a respected person, “close to the emperor, surrounded by a crowd
enthusiastic women, scattering social pleasantries and complacent
chuckling." In words he was a decent, sympathetic person,
but in reality there was constantly an internal struggle in him between desire
appear to be a decent person and the actual depravity of his motives.
Prince Vasily "knew that influence in the world is capital that is necessary
take care that he does not disappear, and, once realizing that if he asks for
everyone who asks him, then soon he will not be able to ask for himself, he rarely
used this influence." But at the same time, he
sometimes I felt remorse. So, in the case of Princess Drubetskaya, he
felt "something like a remorse" as she reminded him
that “he owed his first steps in the service to her father.” Prince Vasily is not alien to fatherly feelings, although
They are expressed rather in the desire to “attach”
their children rather than giving them fatherly love and warmth. According to Anna Pavlovna
Scherer, people like the prince should not have children.
"…And for what
Will people like you have children? If you weren't the father, I
I couldn’t reproach you for anything.” To which the prince replied: “What
what should I do? You know, I did everything I could to raise them.
maybe father." Prince
forced Pierre to marry Helene, while pursuing his own selfish goals. At Anna Pavlovna Sherer's proposal to "marry
the prodigal son Anatole" on Princess Maria Bolkonskaya,
Having learned that the princess is a rich heiress, he says:
"she
has a good name and is rich. Everything I need." At the same time, Prince Vasily
does not think at all about the fact that Princess Marya may be unhappy in her marriage
with the dissolute scoundrel Anatole, who looked upon his entire life as one
continuous entertainment.
Absorbed all the base, vicious traits of the prince
Vasily and his children.

Helen Kuragina
Helen is the embodiment of external beauty and internal
voids, fossils. Tolstoy constantly mentions its “monotonous”, “unchanging”
smile and “antique beauty of the body”, she resembles a beautiful,
soulless statue. Helen Scherer enters the salon “noisily with her white ballroom
robe, decorated with ivy and moss, and shining with the whiteness of the shoulders, the gloss of the hair and
diamonds, passed without looking at anyone, but smiling at everyone and as if kindly
giving everyone the right to admire the beauty of their figure, full shoulders, very
open, according to the fashion of that time, chest and back, and as if bringing with it shine
bala. Helen was so beautiful that not only was there not even a shadow noticeable in her
coquetry, but, on the contrary, she seemed ashamed of her undoubted and
too powerful beauty. It was as if she wanted and could not diminish
the actions of this beauty."
Helen personifies immorality and depravity.
The entire Kuragin family are individualists who do not recognize any moral standards,
living according to the unchanging law of fulfilling their insignificant desires. Helen enters
into marriage only for their own enrichment.
She cheats on her husband because her nature is dominated by
animal origin. It is no coincidence that Tolstoy leaves Helen childless. "I
“I’m not such a fool as to have children,” she admits. Also,
being Pierre's wife, Helene, in front of the whole society, is engaged in the construction
your personal life.
In addition to a luxurious bust, a rich and beautiful body,
this representative of high society had an extraordinary ability to hide
his mental and moral squalor, and all this thanks only to grace
her manners and memorization of some phrases and techniques. Shamelessness manifested itself in her
under such grandiose high-society forms that aroused in others a little
Isn't it respect?
Helen is completely devoid of patriotic feelings. At that
while the whole country rose up to fight Napoleon, and even the high society
took part in this struggle in his own way (“they didn’t speak French and
ate simple food"), in Helen's circle, Rumyantsev, French, were refuted
rumors about the cruelty of the enemy and the war and all of Napoleon's attempts to
reconciliation."
When the threat of capture of Moscow by Napoleonic troops
became obvious, Helen went abroad. And there she shone under the imperial
yard But now the court returns to St. Petersburg.
"Helen,
Having returned with the court from Vilna to St. Petersburg, she was in
difficult situation. In St. Petersburg, Helen enjoyed a special
patronage of a nobleman who occupied one of the highest positions in the state.
In the end, Helen dies. This death is direct
a consequence of her own intrigues. "Countess Elena Bezukhova
died suddenly from... a terrible disease, which is commonly called chest
angina, but in intimate circles they talked about how the queen’s life physician
Spanish prescribed Helen small doses of some medicine to produce
known action; but like Helen, tormented by the fact that the old count
suspected her, and because the husband to whom she wrote (that unfortunate depraved
Pierre), did not answer her, suddenly took a huge dose of the medicine prescribed to her and
died in agony before help could be given."
Ippolit Kuragin.
"...Prince Hippolyte amazed with his
extraordinary resemblance to her beautiful sister, and even more so, despite
similarity, he was amazingly bad-looking. His facial features were the same as those
sister, but with her everything was illuminated by a cheerful, self-satisfied, young
an unchanging smile and extraordinary, antique beauty of the body. My brother, on the contrary,
the same face was clouded with idiocy and invariably expressed self-confident
disgust, and the body was thin and weak. Eyes, nose, mouth - everything was shrinking like
as if in one vague, boring grimace, and the arms and legs always took
unnatural position."
Hippolytus was unusually stupid. Because of self-confidence
to whom he spoke, no one could understand whether what he said was very smart or very stupid.
At Scherer's reception he appears to us "in
a dark green tailcoat, in trousers the color of a frightened nymph, as he himself said, in
stockings and shoes." And such an absurdity of attire is not at all his
didn't bother me.
His stupidity manifested itself in the fact that he sometimes
spoke, and then understood what he said. Hippolytus often spoke and acted
inappropriately, expressed his opinions when no one needed them. He
liked to insert phrases into conversations that were completely unrelated to the essence of the discussion
Topics.
The character of Hippolytus can serve as a living example of
that even positive idiocy is sometimes presented in the world as something having
meaning due to the gloss attached to knowledge of the French language, and that
the extraordinary property of this language to support and at the same time mask
spiritual emptiness.
Prince Vasily calls Ippolit "deceased
a fool." Tolstoy in the novel is "sluggish and breaking."
These are the dominant character traits of Hippolytus. Ippolit is stupid, but he is his
stupidity at least does not harm anyone, unlike his younger brother
Anatoly.

Anatol Kuragin.
Anatol Kuragin, according to Tolstoy, is “simple
and with carnal inclinations." These are the dominant traits
Anatole's character. He looked upon his whole life as a continuous amusement,
which someone like that for some reason agreed to arrange for him. The author’s characterization of Anatole is as follows:
"He was not
unable to think about how his actions might affect others, nor
what might come out of such or such an act of his.”
Anatole is completely free from considerations
responsibility and consequences of what he does. His selfishness is immediate,
animal-naive and good-natured, absolute egoism, for he is not constrained by anything
Anatole inside, in consciousness, feeling. Kuragin simply lacks the ability to know
what will happen beyond that moment of his pleasure, and how will it affect his life?
other people, as others will see. All this does not exist for him at all.
He is sincerely convinced, instinctively, with his whole being, that everything around him has
Its sole purpose is entertainment and it exists for this. No looking back
people, on their opinion, on the consequences, no distant goal that would force
focus on achieving it, no remorse, no thoughts,
hesitation, doubt - Anatole, whatever he did, naturally and sincerely
considers himself an impeccable person and holds his beautiful head high: freedom is truly limitless, freedom in actions and self-awareness.
Such complete freedom was given to Anatoly
meaninglessness. A person who consciously relates to life is already subordinated, like
Pierre, the need to understand and solve, he is not free from life's difficulties, from
question: why? While Pierre is tormented by this difficult question,
Anatole lives, content with every minute, stupidly, animalistically, but easily and
funny.
Marriage to a "rich ugly heiress" -
Maria Bolkonskaya seems to him like just another amusement. "A
Why not marry if she is very rich? It never gets in the way" -
thought Anatole.

The works of Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy tirelessly speak about the social significance of women as the embodiment of something exceptionally great and beneficial. And the world-famous epic novel “War and Peace” is clear proof of this. The natural expression of women is manifested in their ability to take care of the home, preserving the family idyll, caring for children and, of course, the responsibilities of a wife.

In the work “War and Peace,” based on such positive images as Natasha Rostova and Princess Marya, the author sought to show ladies who were unusual for the secular society of that time. Both of these heroines, having devoted their entire lives to creating and strengthening family relationships, on the eve of 1812 felt strong spiritual contact with their own families until the end of hostilities.

Characteristics of the heroine

("Helen" from "War and Peace", artist Konstantin Rudakov, 1947)

Positive images of heroines of noble origin are gaining more and more significance against the background of the psychologically immoral depth of Helen Kuragina’s essence.

L.N. Tolstoy painted a portrait of her, not sparing a variety of dark colors to display as clearly as possible all the unattractive aspects of Helen’s image. Despite the fact that the first impression of Helen makes one think of her as a wise, educated woman, because she looks very tactful and reserved, later the opinion of her changes radically. And besides, one can’t help but get the impression that no one knows a lot about the rules of etiquette in a secular society the way she knows them. However, this is just skillfully throwing dust in the eyes - a lie and pretense, since Helen’s soul is ugly. As insanely beautiful as she is on the outside, she is just as ugly on the inside: selfish and callous, materialistic and vain. The socialite takes Peter as her husband solely for selfish reasons, because after his father died, Bezukhov becomes the owner of a huge fortune and, as a result, the most desirable groom.

(Irina Skobtseva as Helen Kuragina in Sergei Bondarchuk's film "War and Peace", USSR 1967)

Helen Kuragina can easily be called a typical representative of the class of high society salon to which she belonged. Her manners and behavior as a whole were driven by her position, rooted in the ranks of the nobles, among whom the role of women is simple and is determined only by the game, where they are beautiful dolls, obliged to marry to the utmost advantage. But the desires of women do not imply the rules of this game. All they have to do is show up at social events and shine there.

The author of the novel writes that a pleasant appearance does not always hide spiritual depth and true nobility. The description of Helen Kuragina consists of ominous features, as if her delightful face and ideal figure are doomed to sin. Her psychological portrait personifies a predator who captures her victim, but also finds her own justification for this

The image of the heroine in the work

(Viya Artmane as Helen, production of "War and Peace" on the stage of the State Art Theater. J. Rainisa, 1960)

Helene's father, who hastily married his daughter to Pierre Bezukhov, who had recently acquired unprecedented wealth, thereby destined Helene not only for the fate of a terrible housewife, but also for unfulfilled motherhood. Helen Bezukhova does not stop wasting her life on empty social events; this arrangement is the most acceptable for her.

The impression the reader gets of the behavior and actions of this heroine at the beginning of the novel is delight and admiration for her boundless beauty. She is admired by Pierre, who admires her youth from afar, and by Andrei Bolkonsky himself, and by all those who were surrounded by her. The beauty of Princess Helen so skillfully hid her callousness, hopelessness and stupidity. “Marble shoulders” gave her silhouette the outline of a magnificent statue, as if she were the work of the most talented architect. However, it is not for nothing that Lev Nikolayevich hides the eyes of a socialite from the reader, since they are not capable of reflecting any emotions and feelings. During the chapters in which Helen was involved, she did not experience such emotional manifestations and reactions as fear, joy, regret, sympathy, sadness and anguish. In love with herself, Helen first of all thinks about her own benefit and personal well-being. This is exactly how she is perceived in her father’s house, where no one also knows the concepts of conscience and decency. Pierre, irrevocably disappointed in his wife, insists: where she and her family are, there is evil and depravity. Moreover, he extends this accusation to all representatives of the secular world.

Leo TOLSTOY in his works tirelessly argued that the social role of women is exceptionally great and beneficial. Its natural expression is the preservation of the family, motherhood, caring for children and the duties of a wife. In the novel “War and Peace”, in the images of Natasha Rostova and Princess Marya, the writer showed rare women for the then secular society, the best representatives of the noble environment of the early 19th century. Both of them devoted their lives to their family, felt a strong connection with it during the War of 1812, and sacrificed everything for the family.
Positive images of women from the nobility acquire even greater relief, psychological and moral depth against the backdrop of the image of Helen Kuragina and in contrast with it. In drawing this image, the author spared no expense in color in order to more clearly highlight all its negative features.
Helen Kuragina is a typical representative of high society salons, a daughter of her time and class. Her beliefs and behavior were largely dictated by the position of a woman in noble society, where a woman played the role of a beautiful doll who needed to be married off on time and successfully, and no one asked her opinion on this matter. The main occupation is to shine at balls and give birth to children, multiplying the number of Russian aristocrats.
Tolstoy sought to show that external beauty does not mean inner, spiritual beauty. Describing Helen, the author gives her appearance ominous features, as if the very beauty of a person’s face and figure already contained sin. Helen belongs to the light, she is its reflection and symbol.
Hastily married by her father to the absurd Pierre Bezukhov, who suddenly became rich, whom people in the world were accustomed to despise as illegitimate, Helen becomes neither a mother nor a housewife. She continues to lead an empty social life, which suits her quite well.
The impression that Helen makes on readers at the beginning of the story is admiration for her beauty. Pierre admires her youth and splendor from afar, and Prince Andrei and everyone around her admire her. “Princess Helene smiled, she rose with the same unchanging smile of a completely beautiful woman with whom she entered the drawing room. Slightly rustling with her white ball gown, decorated with ivy and moss, and shining with the whiteness of her shoulders, the gloss of her hair and diamonds, she walked between the parting men and straight, not looking at anyone, but smiling at everyone and, as if kindly granting everyone the right to admire the beauty of her waist, full shoulders, very open, according to the fashion of that time, chest and back, as if bringing with it the sparkle of the ball.”
Tolstoy emphasizes the lack of facial expressions on the heroine’s face, her always “monotonously beautiful smile”, hiding the inner emptiness of the soul, immorality and stupidity. Her “marble shoulders” give the impression of a delightful statue, rather than a living woman. Tolstoy does not show her eyes, which apparently do not reflect feelings. Throughout the entire novel, Helen was never frightened, was not happy, did not feel sorry for anyone, was not sad, was not tormented. She loves only herself, thinks about her own benefit and convenience. That's what everyone in the family thinks
Kuragin, where they don’t know what conscience and decency are. Pierre, driven to despair, says to his wife: “Where you are, there is debauchery and evil.” This accusation can be applied to the entire secular society.
Pierre and Helen are opposite in beliefs and character. Pierre did not love Helene; he married her, smitten by her beauty. Out of kindness and sincerity, the hero fell into the nets cleverly placed by Prince Vasily. Pierre has a noble, sympathetic heart. Helen is cold, calculating, selfish, cruel and clever in her social adventures. Its nature is precisely defined by Napoleon’s remark: “This is a beautiful animal.” The heroine takes advantage of her dazzling beauty. Helen will never be tormented or repent. This, according to Tolstoy, is her greatest sin.
Helen always finds justification for her psychology of a predator capturing its prey. After Pierre’s duel with Dolokhov, she lies to Pierre and thinks only about what they will say about her in the world: “Where will this lead? So that I become the laughing stock of all Moscow; so that everyone will say that you, drunk and unconscious, challenged to a duel a man whom you are jealous of without reason, who is better than you in all respects.” This is the only thing that worries her; in the world of high society there is no place for sincere feelings. Now the heroine already seems ugly to the reader. The events of the war revealed the ugly, unspiritual beginning that was always the essence of Helen. The beauty given by nature does not bring happiness to the heroine. Happiness must be earned through spiritual generosity.
The death of Countess Bezukhova is as stupid and scandalous as her life. Entangled in lies and intrigues, trying to marry two suitors at once while her husband is alive, she mistakenly takes a large dose of medicine and dies in terrible agony.
The image of Helen significantly complements the picture of the morals of the high society of Russia. In creating it, Tolstoy showed himself to be a remarkable psychologist and a keen expert on human souls.

In all the great works of L. N. Tolstoy, the family theme runs like a red thread, but, perhaps, only the Kuragin family in the novel “War and Peace” evokes so many negative emotions in the reader.

Characteristics and description of the Kuragin family in the novel “War and Peace”

Let's consider point by point what this family is, what their goals, activities, interests, relationships with each other and with others are.

Where do Kuragins live?

Prince Vasily, the father of the family, appears in the first lines of the novel in Anna Scherer's salon. This is a circle of high society, a place where aristocrats and dignitaries close to the emperor meet. All of them have a huge influence on the fate of the country.

It is unthinkable to imagine them living anywhere else but in the capital of the Russian Empire, St. Petersburg. Except for Anatoly Kuragin, who was “sent” by his father to Moscow because he cost him too much money - forty thousand rubles a year. In Moscow, Anatole lived more modestly, in the horse guards barracks.

Relations in the Kuragin family between children

The younger generation of the Kuragin princes is a type of secular young people spoiled by wealth and nobility. They are cheerful and easy to talk to, you can get carried away with them, but even among themselves they are not capable of high feelings.

Anatole and Helen are connected by the attraction of two beautiful, healthy animals. They sympathize with each other and sometimes help “brotherly” in achieving their passions related to lust and money. Each of them is successful in their own way: Anatole is a famous rake in high society, Helen is a beauty and socialite.

They admire each other and feel practical benefits - the role of one strengthens the role of the other. Their mutual sympathy even caused unpleasant rumors in the world (perhaps not without reason, as the author hints), partly because of this, Anatole was sent to Moscow.

The eldest son Hippolytus receives less attention in the novel. He is portrayed as a degenerate, incapable of any sincere feelings. Everything about him is on display, with the most confident look he says complete nonsense. However, this does not prevent him from holding a diplomatic post.

His brother and sister are quite happy with Ippolit simply because he is Kuragin, one of them. They would be ready to help him in his career if necessary, because all Kuragins must live well and have a decent position in society, otherwise it is simply unthinkable. In addition, his brother and sister value him because he is a harmless fool; he is not dangerous to them as a competitor.

The problem of Kuragin fathers and children

Prince Vasily's attitude towards his children is captivating with its open, good-natured cynicism. He wants to marry Anatole profitably, because he costs him too much. Helen marries Pierre, as she hopes to profit from the Bezukhovs' millions.

Children consider practicality and lack of spirituality of parents to be the norm, they understand their father perfectly and contribute to all his endeavors.

Paradoxically, there is no problem of fathers and children in the Kuragin family. Almost complete harmony reigns here. Almost - because, although there are no ideological contradictions between them, there are contradictions of interests at the level of wealth, nobility, and pleasures.

Princess Kuragina (a character who rarely appears in the novel) is tormented by envy of her daughter when Helen enters into a “brilliant” marriage with Pierre Bezukhov. Anatole gets angry with his father when he doesn't give him money.

Attitude towards the Kuragin servants

For the Kuragin princes, servants are just servants, almost inanimate creatures, designed to provide their comfort. The princes do not enter into human communication with them; this is “not comme il faut.”

The tone of relations with them is lordly and contemptuous. This is an approved form of communication, overstepping which is taboo.

The Kuragins' attitude to war and Napoleon

Any political or religious views in the Kuragin universe are not so important in comparison with their personal interests. Prince Vasily, due to his social position, expresses some political views that are always close to the general direction of thoughts of those around him. Even during the war, he seeks only his own benefit.

Hippolytus is able to tell a patriotic anecdote that elevates his Sovereign above other European rulers. Before the war, he spoke contemptuously of Bonoparte, considering him an unworthy upstart. Anatole and Helen, the youngest children of the Kuragins, were not at all interested in politics.

When the war of '12 began, it affected all Russian people. But the Kuragins only wanted to survive, which not everyone succeeded in doing. Anatole was wounded in the Battle of Borodino, his leg was amputated, after which he died. Helene flees abroad and subsequently dies of a shameful illness.

The author's attitude towards the Kuragins

Lev Nikolaevich, as an antithesis to other heroes, brought out unprincipled individualists in the images of the Kuragins. In the days of difficult trials, they turned out to be a useless and even harmful burden for the Fatherland. The people defeated Napoleon in spite of such people.

According to Tolstoy, there should be a warm, human element in a family, based on mutual love, patience, and selfless help to one’s neighbor. Only such a union can be called a true family.

Analyzing the fate of his heroes, Tolstoy comes to the conclusion that the Kuragins’ life philosophy leads to their own death and harms those around them.

Anatole seduces the young naive Natasha, being himself married, thereby destroying her future marriage with Andrei Bolkonsky. Helen's dissolute behavior leads Pierre to the brink of life and death, and then to a deep spiritual crisis.

Comparative characteristics of the Bolkonsky, Rostov, Kuragin families

The family relationships of the Bolkonskys are described dramatically and touchingly. An old formidable prince, whom his children both fear and sincerely love. Trembling Marie, who adores her brother. When Andrei Bolkonsky realizes that he wants fame and human veneration, he, having gone through severe trials, repents of this and changes his life. Reflection is not characteristic of Anatoly at all. He doesn’t think not only about other people, but also about himself.

Tolstoy described the Rostov family with special attention. Love reigns here. Ardent, charming Natasha is the soul of this family. Even the servants adore her, despite her whims.

When Nikolai, the eldest of the Rostov children, having lost at cards, casually asks his father to pay his debt, he, embarrassed, quickly agrees. Minutes later, ashamed of his action, Nikolai tearfully asks for forgiveness. Such a scene is unthinkable in the Kuragin family.

Quoted description of the Kuragin family

About Helen he says: “Where you are, there is depravity and evil.”

The head of the family, Prince Vasily, says this about his offspring: “My children are a burden to my existence. This is my cross." He characterizes Hippolytus "the dead fool", and Anatoly, the youngest son, - "restless".

Helen's quote from the novel speaks for itself: "I'm not stupid enough to have children."

Helen Kuragina is one of the bright female characters in L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”. An outwardly charming lady turns out to be a mercantile and selfish person who thinks only of herself. What is the characteristic of Ellen Kuragina?

External characteristics of Elen Kuragina

Elena Vasilievna Kuragina is a young beautiful girl whose appearance attracts attention at the beginning of the novel. Both women and men recognize her beauty: “...What a beauty! - said everyone who saw her...”

Men caught her every glance and admired her. The women tried to stay close to her, catching her every move, observing her ability to behave in society.

A lover of bright and revealing outfits, Helen knew her worth: “...a tall, beautiful lady, with a huge braid and very bare white, full shoulders and neck, on which there was a double string of large pearls, and sat down for a long time, rustling with her thick silk dress...”, “ ...She was, as always at evenings, in a dress that was very open in front and back, according to the fashion of that time. Her bust, which always seemed like marble to Pierre...”

She knew how to create the impression of an intelligent woman, although she was not one:

“...she could say the most vulgar and stupid things and yet everyone admired her every word and looked for a deep meaning in it, which she herself did not even suspect...”

Image of Ellen Kuragina

Helen Kuragina is the daughter of Prince Vasily, sister of Ippolit and Anatoly Kuragin. The beauty, who has beautiful forms and an attractive appearance and makes men fall in love with her, was in fact a stupid, narcissistic woman. She was not interested in anything except outfits and herself. Helen loved to look good, the beauty of her outfits was not in doubt, but inside the girl was completely empty. She was attracted to high-ranking, wealthy men. Helen was used to only “taking” in relationships, but was not ready to “give” in return.

For Ellen Kuragina, money comes first. She needs them to lead a wild life and not deny herself anything. Realizing that Pierre Bezukhov is a wealthy man, she seduces him and marries him. When he ceased to be interesting to her, she divorced him without a twinge of conscience, and then married someone else, taking away part of Pierre’s property.

Using the contradiction between Helen's external beauty and her empty inner world, the author shows that there may be nothing behind her appearance and pretty face. Such a woman is not capable of becoming a good wife, mother and protecting the family hearth. And for the author, family values ​​are the most important in life.

Relationships with men

Helen Kuragina used men like things. Possessing a charming appearance, she could get any man. Her first victim was Pierre Bezukhov. The naive man succumbed to Kuragina’s charms, seeing in her a person she was not. Since the young man was quite rich, the girl bewitched and married him. However, her status as a married lady did not stop her from flirting and cheating with other men. Disappointed Pierre divorces his wife, assigning her part of his property. Helen, without feeling a drop of shame, quickly finds herself a new boyfriend.