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Foreshadowing
Key Examples in War and Peace
Volume 3, Part 1: Chapters 1–7
Explanation and Analysis:
War and Peace is a sweeping historical epic. In the novel, Tolstoy examines the tumultuous years of the Napoleonic Wars as experienced in Russia. To depict this momentous period of history, he examines the war from a number of different perspectives from both within and beyond Russia, from foot soldiers to political leaders. In one passage, he considers the causes of the war from the viewpoints of various parties directly involved in the conflict:
Understandably, it seemed to Napoleon that the war was caused by the intrigues of England (as he said, in fact, on the island of St. Helena); understandably, to the members of the English Parliament it seemed that the war was caused by Napoleon’s love of power; to Prince Oldenburg it seemed that the war was caused by the violence done him; to the merchants it seemed that the war was caused by the Continental System, which was ruining Europe; to the old soldiers and generals it seemed that the chief cause was the need to make use of them [...]
Related Themes:
