Sonya Rostova

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Sonya Rostova is a character in Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel War and Peace, and in the Sergey Prokofiev's 1955 opera War and Peace based on it.

Sonya is introduced towards the start of the novel as the orphaned niece of the count and countess, Ilya and Natalia Rostov. She and her cousin, Natasha, are close friends and remain so throughout the novel. She falls in love for life with Natasha's brother, Nikolai. Vera and Petya, Natasha's eldest sister and youngest brother are her cousins as well although she is not close to them in the same way as Natasha or Nikolai. At the beginning, Sonya and Nikolai are both fifteen and young lovers.

When Sonya and Nikolai are in the drawing room, Sonya watches her cousin attentively. "...she reminded one of a pretty, half-grown kitten which promises to become a beautiful little cat" (Tolstoy, Chapter 12). Nikolai is flattered by the attention shown to him by Julia Kuragin (who later marries Boris) and Sonya leaves in distress. Nikolai follows her and assures her that he was only being polite to Julia and that he loves her. They kiss and make up. The scene is witnessed by Natasha who is hiding in the conservatory. Before Nikolai leaves for war, he and Sonya swear to never love another.

When Nikolai is wounded, Sonya is concerned, though she is glad of his promotion. She decides that she will always love him. When Nikolai returns home on temporary leave, Sonya is one of the first to meet him. "Sonya too, all rosy red, clung to his arm and, radiant with bliss, looked eagerly toward his eyes, waiting for the look for which she longed. Sonya now was sixteen and she was very pretty, especially at this moment of happy, rapturous excitement." (Tolstoy Book 4 Chapter 69). The following day, Natasha meets Nikolai in the conservatory and tells him that Sonya has decided to give him his freedom, though she will always love him. "She says: ‘I shall love him always, but let him be free.’" (Tolstoy Book 4 Chapter 69) Nikolai appreciates the nobility of this action, but insists he will never go back on his word.

On his second leave, Nikolai is accompanied by Dolokhov. Dolokhov is introduced to Natasha and Sonya. Dolokhov is especially charmed by Sonya. Natasha notices this quickly, though Nikolai is sceptical at first. "It was evident that this strange, strong man was under the irresistible influence of the dark, graceful girl who loved another." (Tolstoy Chapter 78). Though the countess encourages her to accept Dolokhov's offer of marriage and despite his attention to her, Sonya refuses to corrupt her pure love for Nikolai and refuses him. Natasha asks Nikolai to try and change her mind because she may spoil her life if he doesn't and he must be honest with her. Sonya replies that she is content. She does not ask Nikolai to return her affection yet she gives her own love freely and unconditionally. Nikolai replies "“You are an angel: I am not worthy of you, but I am afraid of misleading you.”" (Tolstoy Chapter 79)

Sonya is totally dependent on the Rostov family and she is grateful to the old countess and never forgets everything the family has done for her. She is altruistic and devotes herself to her family and Nikolai, doing whatever she can to repay them and finding happiness through self sacrifice. Nikolai and Sonya rekindle their love when he returns from the war and he promises to marry her. They become engaged, much to the displeasure of the countess who longs for her son to marry a rich heiress. The countess accuses Sonya of ingratitude and Sonya does not reply. She is torn between her desire to make Nikolai happy and her desire to sacrifice herself for her family. Nikolai refuses to break his word and returns to war and the countess promises Sonya will not be troubled though she cannot refrain from grumbling and nagging at her.

When Natasha breaks off her engagement to Prince Andrei and becomes involved with Anatole Kuragin, Sonya alone is able to save her. When Sonya discovers that her cousin is planning to elope with a man she believes to be dishonourable, she informs her aunt. "now or never I must prove that I remember the family’s goodness to me and that I love Nickolai. Yes! If I do not sleep for three nights I’ll not leave this passage and will hold her back by force and will and not let the family be disgraced,”" [Tolstoy Chapter 160]. When Sonya hears that Nikolai has met Princess Maria, she is initially hurt though she believes the countess is right in thinking that the only solution to the family's financial troubles lies in the union of Nikolai and Maria. She concentrates on the most difficult work to distract herself.

Sonya informs Natasha of Prince Andrei's presence among the wounded and this leads to a reconciliation between Natasha and Prince Andrei. Although the countess asks her to release Nikolai of his pledge to marry her, she is vague in her answer and delays it until she realises that Andrei and Natasha are reconciled. The laws of the church will not allow Nikolai to marry Princess Maria while Natasha is betrothed to Prince Andrei so Sonya finally feels free to follow her self sacrificial instinct and write to Nikolai;

" My Dearest Nikolai, it would be too painful to me to think that I might be a cause of sorrow or discord in the family that has been so good to me (she wrote), and the one aim of my affections is the happiness of those I love. I know that mamma entertains the hope that you may one day marry Princess Bolkonskia and I know that this hope is partly prompted by the loss of much of the Rostov property in Moscow. In view of this I want you to consider yourself free of any pledge to me, and to be assured that, in spite of everything, even your silence of late, no one can love you more truly than, your Sonya"." When Prince Andrei passes away, Sonya naturally hopes for a time that Nikolai's pride will prevent his marriage. However, she eventually accepts his alliance.

She is offered a place in Nikolai's home and looks after his mother and children. She bears with her aunt's caprices and secret ill-will and takes care of the house. " Nikolai felt himself irredeemably indebted to Sonya for all she was doing for his mother and greatly admired her patience and devotion, but tried to keep aloof from her. He seemed in his heart to reproach her for being too perfect, and because there was nothing to reproach her with. She had all that people are valued for, but little that could have made him love her. He felt that the more he valued her the less he loved her. He had taken her at her word when she wrote giving him his freedom and now behaved as if all that had passed between them had been long forgotten and could never in any case be renewed." (Tolstoy Chapter 342)

Nikolai and Maria adjust to Sonya being around though they feel guilty about hurting her. Sonya is an angel and people find it hard to love an angel. Maria admits to Natasha that she is sometimes unfair to Sonya and Natasha explains that Sonya is "a sterile flower" and that although she used to be anxious for Nikolai to marry her she had a presentiment it would not happen. Natasha admits she is sorry for Sonya, but that Sonya is the kind of woman who is always destined and always chooses to lose and is contented in that role. Countess Maria agrees with Natasha's explanation.

[edit] References

• Psyche Betrayed: The Doll's House of Leo Tolstoy" by Richard Gregg The Slavic and East European Journal, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Summer, 2002), pp. 269-282, doi:10.2307/3086176

[edit] External Links

A Sterile Flower - Essay on Sonya