Prince Andrew reawakens from feeling that life was already over for him.
Summary:
Unexpectedly, as he drives home through a deep and very vibrant Spring forest, Andrew experiences a spiritual reawakening. He feels a deep sense of inner joy and renewal. The best moments of his life rise to his memory. Austerlitz with the lofty heavens, his wife’s dead reproachful face, Pierre at the ferry, that girl thrilled by the beauty of the night … all this rushed suddenly to his mind. Andrew realizes his life is not over at thirty-one. Pierre, and that young girl, everyone must know me, he thinks, so that my life may not be lived for myself alone while others live so apart from it, but so that it may be reflected in them all, and they and I may live in harmony! Although it’s not yet apparent to others, Prince Andrew internally has at some level decided to rejoin life. He makes plans to go again to Petersburg in the autumn.
quote from the chapter:
No, life is not over at thirty-one! Prince Andrew suddenly decided finally and decisively. It is not enough for me to know what I have in me-everyone must know it: Pierre, and that young girl who wanted to fly away into the sky, everyone must know me, so that my life may not be lived for myself alone while others live so apart from it, but so that it may be reflected in them all, and they and I may live in harmony!
On reaching home Prince Andrew decided to go to Petersburg that autumn and found all sorts of reasons for this decision. A whole series of sensible and logical considerations showing it to be essential for him to go to Petersburg, and even to re-enter the service, kept springing up in his mind. He could not now understand how he could ever even have doubted the necessity of taking an active share in life, just as a month before he had not understood how the idea of leaving the quiet country could ever enter his head. It now seemed clear to him that all his experience of life must be senselessly wasted unless he applied it to some kind of work and again played an active part in life.
Book 6, Chapter 3
Prince Andrew reawakens from feeling that life was already over for him.
Summary:
Unexpectedly, as he drives home through a deep and very vibrant Spring forest, Andrew experiences a spiritual reawakening. He feels a deep sense of inner joy and renewal. The best moments of his life rise to his memory. Austerlitz with the lofty heavens, his wife’s dead reproachful face, Pierre at the ferry, that girl thrilled by the beauty of the night … all this rushed suddenly to his mind. Andrew realizes his life is not over at thirty-one. Pierre, and that young girl, everyone must know me, he thinks, so that my life may not be lived for myself alone while others live so apart from it, but so that it may be reflected in them all, and they and I may live in harmony! Although it’s not yet apparent to others, Prince Andrew internally has at some level decided to rejoin life. He makes plans to go again to Petersburg in the autumn.
quote from the chapter:
No, life is not over at thirty-one! Prince Andrew suddenly decided finally and decisively. It is not enough for me to know what I have in me-everyone must know it: Pierre, and that young girl who wanted to fly away into the sky, everyone must know me, so that my life may not be lived for myself alone while others live so apart from it, but so that it may be reflected in them all, and they and I may live in harmony!
On reaching home Prince Andrew decided to go to Petersburg that autumn and found all sorts of reasons for this decision. A whole series of sensible and logical considerations showing it to be essential for him to go to Petersburg, and even to re-enter the service, kept springing up in his mind. He could not now understand how he could ever even have doubted the necessity of taking an active share in life, just as a month before he had not understood how the idea of leaving the quiet country could ever enter his head. It now seemed clear to him that all his experience of life must be senselessly wasted unless he applied it to some kind of work and again played an active part in life.
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