BOOK 15, Chptr. 1, P&V pg. 1075

Book 15, Chapter 1

Natásha and Mary fall into a profound state of grief after Prince Andrew dies. In a few weeks Mary has to leave for Moscow, but the grieving Natásha won’t accompany her. News of Pétya arrives.

Summary:

After Andrew’s death a menacing cloud of grief which lasted for days fell over Natásha and Princess Mary. They dared not look life in the face. It was such a painful wound. They spoke little, not even to one another, and when they did it was of very unimportant matters. It was like this day after day. But, after two weeks Princess Mary, now guardian of her nephew and owner of the Bolkónski family estates, needed to leave this secluded contemplation and return to life. Mary will be going to Moscow and she invites Natásha to go with her. The Rostóv’s, worried about Natásha, thought the change would do her good. But Natásha refuses to go along with her. Natásha continues spending most of her days alone, bereaved, in her room, all alone in her grief. She imagined conversations with Andrew. She imagined Andrew telling her it would be terrible if she sat forever beside him as he suffered. She said even that would be better than losing him. She was overcome by sweet sorrow and tears. She seemed in her grief to be now penetrating a mystery of life. Just then, she learns that a letter has arrived with the horrible news about Pétya.

quote from the chapter:

She was gazing where she knew him to be; but she could not imagine him otherwise than as he had been here. She now saw him again as he had been at Mytíshchi, at Tróitsa, and at Yaroslávl.
She saw his face, heard his voice, repeated his words and her own, and sometimes devised other words they might have spoken.
There he is lying back in an armchair in his velvet cloak, leaning his head on his thin pale hand. His chest is dreadfully hollow and his shoulders raised. His lips are firmly closed, his eyes glitter, and a wrinkle comes and goes on his pale forehead. One of his legs twitches just perceptibly, but rapidly. Natásha knows that he is struggling with terrible pain. What is that pain like? Why does he have that pain? What does he feel? How does it hurt him? thought Natásha. He noticed her watching him, raised his eyes, and began to speak seriously:
One thing would be terrible, said he: to bind oneself forever to a suffering man. It would be continual torture. And he looked searchingly at her. Natásha as usual answered before she had time to think what she would say. She said: This can’t go on-it won’t. You will get well-quite well.
She now saw him from the commencement of that scene and relived what she had then felt. She recalled his long sad and severe look at those words and understood the meaning of the rebuke and despair in that protracted gaze.

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