Cody Thach Natasha’s Singing as Art (and as Not Art)

Research Questions Implications of Natasha singing What does this reveal

Lens Text Leo Tolstoy’s “What is Art?” (1896) Infectiousness is essential Individuality of feeling Clarity of Expression Sincerity

An Example of Art “A boy, having experienced, let us say, fear on encountering a wolf, relates that encounter; and, in order to evoke in others the feeling he has experienced, describes himself, his condition before the encounter, the surroundings, the wood, his own lightheartedness, and then the wolf’s appearance, its movements, the distance between himself and the wolf.” (50) Re-experiences feeling Infects listeners and they feel it also

Sincerity “[Sincerity] is a condition almost entirely absent from upper-class art” (155) If Natasha’s circle’s singing is insincere, then Natasha rejects that insincerity

Quotes from the Book Natasha’s Singing in War and Peace “[Natasha]” felt so merry herself at that moment, she was so far from grief, sorrow, [or] reproach” (342) Nikolai home on leave Genuine interest “[Andrei] fell silent and suddenly choked with tears” (467) Andrei asks Natasha But Natasha doesn’t feel anything

Quotes from the Book “Mama, I really don’t want to!” (522) Clear unwillingness, “something unnatural” (522) “ran into a chair, fell on it, and burst into such sobbing that she could not stop for a long time” (523) “Very rarely was the former fire kindled in her now. It only happened when […] something chanced to draw her into singing” (1154) Married to Pierre Will sing if there is sincere interest

Singing as a Symbol Symbol: something that has some further significance associated with it Natasha sings when she has sincere interest to, and doesn’t when she doesn’t Tolstoy says upper class art (such as their singing) lacks sincerity Rejection of this kind of singing parallels rejection of the artificiality of high-class society

So what Tolstoy uses singing as a symbol of Natasha’s growth as a character and her progression away from artificiality Natasha’s singing is sometimes not “art” Natasha is not about this artificial, high- society life