After his speech at the Freemason lodge fell flat, Pierre went home and sunk into depression. At the same time, his wife and several others began to beg him to take Hélène back. As depressed as he was, nothing mattered to him. He had lost both his desire to be free and his wish to punish his wife. At that point he might have taken her back, but really he felt too depressed to do anything. He went to Moscow to see Joseph Alexéevich, the well-known Freemason Pierre had first met that night in the train station. He tells Alexéevich his speech at the lodge and about the falling out it caused him with the lodge. After remaining silent for a good while, the saintly Alexéevich tells Pierre that to grow spiritually he needs to live humbly in the world and focus on becoming a better person himself. He suggests that Pierre begin to keep a diary. Pierre takes Alexéevich’s advice to heart, begins his diary, and soon after allows Hélène to return.
quote from the chapter:
(Joseph Alexéevich) Which is the principal aim of these three? Certainly self-reformation and self-purification. Only to this aim can we always strive independently of circumstances. But at the same time just this aim demands the greatest efforts of us; and so, led astray by pride, losing sight of this aim, we occupy ourselves either with the mystery which in our impurity we are unworthy to receive, or seek the reformation of the human race while ourselves setting an example of baseness and profligacy. Illuminism is not a pure doctrine, just because it is attracted by social activity and puffed up by pride.
Book 6, Chapter 8
Pierre changes course and reunites with Hélène.
Summary:
After his speech at the Freemason lodge fell flat, Pierre went home and sunk into depression. At the same time, his wife and several others began to beg him to take Hélène back. As depressed as he was, nothing mattered to him. He had lost both his desire to be free and his wish to punish his wife. At that point he might have taken her back, but really he felt too depressed to do anything. He went to Moscow to see Joseph Alexéevich, the well-known Freemason Pierre had first met that night in the train station. He tells Alexéevich his speech at the lodge and about the falling out it caused him with the lodge. After remaining silent for a good while, the saintly Alexéevich tells Pierre that to grow spiritually he needs to live humbly in the world and focus on becoming a better person himself. He suggests that Pierre begin to keep a diary. Pierre takes Alexéevich’s advice to heart, begins his diary, and soon after allows Hélène to return.
quote from the chapter:
(Joseph Alexéevich) Which is the principal aim of these three? Certainly self-reformation and self-purification. Only to this aim can we always strive independently of circumstances. But at the same time just this aim demands the greatest efforts of us; and so, led astray by pride, losing sight of this aim, we occupy ourselves either with the mystery which in our impurity we are unworthy to receive, or seek the reformation of the human race while ourselves setting an example of baseness and profligacy. Illuminism is not a pure doctrine, just because it is attracted by social activity and puffed up by pride.
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