Executions

Moving into volume 4, the next few chapters of War and Peace reveal information about Sonya, and then, switching locales, about Pierre. Sonya first: after Nikolai Rostov receives the letter that "answers his prayer," the letter in which Sonya says he is under no obligation to marry her (how perverse and cruel this seems, Nikolai in ecstasy over the misery of his former beloved - surely a character flaw that will surely take its toll before the story is done), we see Sonya, the orphaned cousin among the Rostovs, outide Moscow. She reflects that she has literally enjoyed her many sacrifices for the good of the family that took her in because each sacrifice makes her more attractive to Nikolai. This one - the countess pressures her to send the letter, more cruelty and crassness of the Rostov clam - is different because she is renouncing the one justification for her continuous self-abasemenet. But she believes that her possible salvation is the recovery of Prince Andrei: somehow, if Andrei recovers and marries Natasha, Nikolai (Natasha's brother) will not be able to marry Marya (Andrei's sister). Why not? Never explained, but perhaps the point is if her brother Andrei survives Marya will not be so wealthy, not such a great catch for the scheming Rostovs. Sonya deserves better than them. Meanwhile, Pierre, under arrest, refusing to give his name, is led off with other prisoners to a field where soldiers prepare the grounds for execution. A cruel French general, Davout, questions Pierre but is interrupted by an orderly and gives no clear ruling on Pierre's fate (at least not that Pierre can hear). Pierre is led to the killing field and watches five prisoners be shot to death. He would be next, but then the killing stops. The French soldiers, forced to shoot, are sickened, miserable. A powerful scene, though of course no reader expects Pierre to be shot at this stage in the story.