Anatole’s outgoing charm and friendliness to Natásha at the opera makes her anxious.
Summary:
While Natásha is seated with Hélène at the opera, her handsome brother Anatole comes by and is introduced to Natásha. Anatole is clearly enraptured with Natásha. He is overly friendly, glares and smiles constantly at her, compliments her beauty and invites her to a costume party. Anatole’s charm offensive makes Natásha feel herself terribly near to Anatole. However, all of this in turn makes Natásha feel agitated and tormented. She feels that she has somehow been unfaithful to Prince Andrew, even though Natásha did absolutely nothing to encourage him. This is the sort of thing she would ordinarily talk over with her mother in the evening, but the Countess is not with them in Moscow. Still upset in the evening, Natásha laments Andrew’s absence.
quote from the chapter:
Am I spoiled for Andrew’s love or not? she asked herself, and with soothing irony replied: What a fool I am to ask that! What did happen to me? Nothing! I have done nothing, I didn’t lead him on at all. Nobody will know and I shall never see him again, she told herself. So it is plain that nothing has happened and there is nothing to repent of, and Andrew can love me still. But why ‘still?’ O God, why isn’t he here? Natásha quieted herself for a moment, but again some instinct told her that though all this was true, and though nothing had happened, yet the former purity of her love for Prince Andrew had perished. And again in imagination she went over her whole conversation with Kurágin, and again saw the face, gestures, and tender smile of that bold handsome man when he pressed her arm.
Book 8, Chapter 10
Anatole’s outgoing charm and friendliness to Natásha at the opera makes her anxious.
Summary:
While Natásha is seated with Hélène at the opera, her handsome brother Anatole comes by and is introduced to Natásha. Anatole is clearly enraptured with Natásha. He is overly friendly, glares and smiles constantly at her, compliments her beauty and invites her to a costume party. Anatole’s charm offensive makes Natásha feel herself terribly near to Anatole. However, all of this in turn makes Natásha feel agitated and tormented. She feels that she has somehow been unfaithful to Prince Andrew, even though Natásha did absolutely nothing to encourage him. This is the sort of thing she would ordinarily talk over with her mother in the evening, but the Countess is not with them in Moscow. Still upset in the evening, Natásha laments Andrew’s absence.
quote from the chapter:
Am I spoiled for Andrew’s love or not? she asked herself, and with soothing irony replied: What a fool I am to ask that! What did happen to me? Nothing! I have done nothing, I didn’t lead him on at all. Nobody will know and I shall never see him again, she told herself. So it is plain that nothing has happened and there is nothing to repent of, and Andrew can love me still. But why ‘still?’ O God, why isn’t he here? Natásha quieted herself for a moment, but again some instinct told her that though all this was true, and though nothing had happened, yet the former purity of her love for Prince Andrew had perished. And again in imagination she went over her whole conversation with Kurágin, and again saw the face, gestures, and tender smile of that bold handsome man when he pressed her arm.
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