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Oxymorons
Definition of Paradox
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar Wilde's famous declaration that "Life is... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel... read full definition
Key Examples in War and Peace
Volume 2, Part 4: Chapters 7–13
Explanation and Analysis—Sonya and the Countess:
Tolstoy uses paradox in his description of the Countess's unmerited resentment of Sonya. As Nikolai and Sonya become increasingly close following Nikolai's first return from the war, the narrator notes that
Nikolai did not go to Moscow, the countess did not renew the conversation about marriage with him, and saw with sadness, and sometimes with anger, the signs of a greater and greater intimacy between her son and the dowerless Sonya [...] Most of all, the kindly countess was angry with Sonya precisely because this poor, dark-eyed niece was so meek, so kind, so devotedly grateful to her benefactors, and so faithfully, so unfailingly, so selflessly in love with Nikolai, that there was nothing to reproach her for.
Related Themes:
Volume 2, Part 5: Chapters 1–4
Explanation and Analysis—Marya and Prince Nikolai:
In a surprising paradox, Tolstoy suggests that Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky is particularly effective at tormenting his daughter, Princess Marya, because of his love for her. As Prince Andrei throws himself into the defense of Russia, Prince Nikolai's treatment of Marya becomes increasingly cruel and abusive:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The greatest of all the princess’s griefs, came from her father’s irritability, which was always directed against her and lately had reached the point of cruelty. If he had made her bow to the ground all night, if he had beaten her, made her carry firewood and water, it would not even have occurred to her that her position was difficult; but this loving tormentor—the more cruel because he loved her and because of that tormented himself and her—knew not only how to insult and humiliate her deliberately, but also how to prove to her that she was always to blame for everything.
Related Themes:
Volume 3, Part 1: Chapters 1–7
Explanation and Analysis—Kings and Slaves:
Tolstoy uses a striking paradox when describing the relationship between political power and fate in an extended reflection upon the nature of history:
Unlock with LitCharts A+An action once committed is irrevocable, and its effect, coinciding in time with millions of actions of other people, acquires historical significance. The higher a man stands on the social ladder, the greater the number of people he is connected with, the more power he has over other people, the more obvious is the predestination and inevitability of his every action. “The hearts of kings are in the hands of God.” Kings are the slaves of history. History, that is, the unconscious, swarmlike life of mankind, uses every moment of a king’s life as an instrument for its purposes.
Related Themes:
Volume 3, Part 3: Chapters 1–4
Explanation and Analysis—Zeno's Paradoxes:
While reflecting upon the nature of history and historical narratives, Tolstoy alludes to one of the famous paradoxes of the Ancient Greek philosopher Zeno:
Unlock with LitCharts A+A well-known so-called sophism of the ancients posits that Achilles can never overtake a tortoise that is walking ahead of him, even though Achilles walks ten times faster than the tortoise: while Achilles covers the distance that separates him from the tortoise, the tortoise will get ahead of him by one tenth of that distance; Achilles covers that one tenth, the tortoise gets ahead by one hundredth, and so on to infinity. The ancients considered this problem insoluble.
Related Themes:
