Andrew lays on the battlefield until evening, bleeding, in pain, and often unconscious. Napoleon notices a slight movement and has him sent to hospital. Andrew once admired Napoleon, but now he sees him for the petty tyrant he is.
Andrew lays on the battlefield until evening, bleeding, in pain, and often unconscious. Napoleon notices a slight movement and has him sent to hospital. Andrew once admired Napoleon, but now he sees him for the petty tyrant he is.
Book 3, Chapter 19
Andrew lays on the battlefield until evening, bleeding, in pain, and often unconscious. Napoleon notices a slight movement and has him sent to hospital. Andrew once admired Napoleon, but now he sees him for the petty tyrant he is.
Summary:
In the evening, Andrew is still laying upon the Pratzen Heights battlefield were he fell earlier with the flagstaff in his hand. He is quite badly wounded, has been bleeding profusely and unconsciously moaning. Toward evening he begins to come around for a brief period. He does not know how long his unconsciousness has lasted, but now that he is awake he becomes aware of the terrible burning pain in his head. He wishes again for that lofty awareness of the sky he had earlier in the day. Just then he hears Napoleon approaching. Napoleon has come to look over the dead and wounded Russians who are scattered about the battlefield. When he finds Russian officers still alive, Napoleon compliments them on their valor. Napoleon sees Andrew, thinks he is dead, but compliments his valor. Andrew is conscious enough to be aware of Napoleon’s presence, but too weak to speak. He is only able to move slightly. Realizing Andrew is alive, Napoleon includes him with those men being sent to hospital. Formerly, Andrew was a great admirerer of Napoleon. But seeing him now with his empty platitudes for the wounded, and contrasting this to the vision Andrew had had of the limitless skies, Andrew realizes what a petty insignificant visage Napoleon represents. Andrew is carried away for medical attention, but the pain of being moved causes him to drift in and out of consciousness. He thinks of his family, and Mary’s religious faith, and is sometime delirious The doctor does not expect Andrew to survive.
quote from the chapter:
Prince Andrew understood that this was said of him and that it was Napoleon who said it. He heard the speaker addressed as Sire. But he heard the words as he might have heard the buzzing of a fly. Not only did they not interest him, but he took no notice of them and at once forgot them. His head was burning, he felt himself bleeding to death, and he saw above him the remote, lofty, and everlasting sky. He knew it was Napoleon-his hero-but at that moment Napoleon seemed to him such a small, insignificant creature compared with what was passing now between himself and that lofty infinite sky with the clouds flying over it. At that moment it meant nothing to him who might be standing over him, or what was said of him; he was only glad that people were standing near him and only wished that they would help him and bring him back to life, which seemed to him so beautiful now that he had today learned to understand it so differently. He collected all his strength, to stir and utter a sound. He feebly moved his leg and uttered a weak, sickly groan which aroused his own pity.
Ah! He is alive, said Napoleon. Lift this young man up and carry him to the dressing station.
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