Original Text(~250 words)
CHAPTER XIII Soon after the Christmas holidays Nicholas told his mother of his love for Sónya and of his firm resolve to marry her. The countess, who had long noticed what was going on between them and was expecting this declaration, listened to him in silence and then told her son that he might marry whom he pleased, but that neither she nor his father would give their blessing to such a marriage. Nicholas, for the first time, felt that his mother was displeased with him and that, despite her love for him, she would not give way. Coldly, without looking at her son, she sent for her husband and, when he came, tried briefly and coldly to inform him of the facts, in her son’s presence, but unable to restrain herself she burst into tears of vexation and left the room. The old count began irresolutely to admonish Nicholas and beg him to abandon his purpose. Nicholas replied that he could not go back on his word, and his father, sighing and evidently disconcerted, very soon became silent and went in to the countess. In all his encounters with his son, the count was always conscious of his own guilt toward him for having wasted the family fortune, and so he could not be angry with him for refusing to marry an heiress and choosing the dowerless Sónya. On this occasion, he was only more vividly conscious of the fact that if his affairs had not been in disorder,...
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Summary
Nicholas drops a bombshell on his parents: he's going to marry Sonya, their poor ward, instead of finding a rich wife to save the family from financial ruin. The countess, who's been watching this romance develop, responds with cold fury. She and the count refuse their blessing, knowing the family desperately needs Nicholas to marry money, not love. The situation explodes when the countess cruelly attacks Sonya, calling her an opportunistic schemer. Sonya, who genuinely loves the family and would sacrifice anything for them, doesn't understand what she's supposed to give up - she can't help loving Nicholas any more than he can help loving her. Nicholas threatens to elope, his mother calls Sonya an intriguer, and the whole family teeters on the edge of permanent damage until Natasha bursts in and forces a temporary truce. Nicholas leaves for his regiment with promises extracted from both sides to behave, but the household atmosphere remains poisonous. Meanwhile, Natasha grows increasingly restless waiting for Prince Andrew's return, finding his letters inadequate substitutes for real presence. The family's mounting debts force them toward Moscow, where they must sell property and where Prince Andrew awaits. This chapter reveals how financial desperation can corrupt even the most loving families, turning natural allies into enemies and forcing impossible choices between duty and desire.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
Ward
A person, usually a child or young adult, who lives under the care and protection of a guardian who is not their parent. In aristocratic families, wards were often poor relatives or orphans taken in as acts of charity, but they occupied an awkward social position - part of the family but not truly equal.
Modern Usage:
Today we see this in foster care situations or when relatives take in family members' children during hard times.
Dowerless
A woman who brings no money, property, or inheritance to a marriage. In Tolstoy's time, marriages among the wealthy were essentially business arrangements, and a woman without a dowry was considered a poor match regardless of her personal qualities.
Modern Usage:
We still see this when families pressure their children to marry someone with money or good career prospects rather than following their heart.
Family fortune
The accumulated wealth and property passed down through generations that was expected to support the entire extended family. Losing the family fortune meant not just personal bankruptcy, but failing in your duty to preserve what your ancestors built.
Modern Usage:
This shows up today when families lose generational wealth through bad investments, medical bills, or economic downturns.
Blessing
Formal parental approval of a marriage, which in aristocratic society was not just emotional support but carried legal and financial implications. Without parental blessing, couples could face disinheritance and social ostracism.
Modern Usage:
Parents today still withdraw financial support or family relationships when they disapprove of their children's life choices.
Affairs in disorder
A polite way of saying the family's finances are a complete mess. The count has been living beyond his means, making poor investments, and failing to manage the estate properly, leaving the family on the brink of ruin.
Modern Usage:
This is like families today drowning in credit card debt, underwater mortgages, or failed business ventures.
Regiment
A military unit where young aristocratic men served as officers, often as much for social status and career advancement as for actual military duty. Joining the regiment was both an escape from family drama and a way to prove one's honor.
Modern Usage:
Today this might be like someone joining the military, taking a job overseas, or throwing themselves into work to escape family pressure.
Characters in This Chapter
Nicholas
Conflicted son
He's caught between love and family duty, choosing to marry for love despite knowing it will financially ruin his family. His determination to keep his word to Sonya shows both honor and stubbornness.
Modern Equivalent:
The adult child who refuses to take over the family business to pursue their dreams
The Countess
Desperate mother
She responds to Nicholas's announcement with cold fury because she knows the family's survival depends on him marrying money. Her cruelty to Sonya reveals how financial desperation can corrupt even loving people.
Modern Equivalent:
The parent who becomes controlling and manipulative when their financial security is threatened
Sonya
Innocent victim
She's genuinely in love and would sacrifice anything for the family, but she's blamed for the family's financial crisis simply because she's poor. She can't understand what she's supposed to give up since she can't control her feelings.
Modern Equivalent:
The girlfriend from the 'wrong' background who gets blamed for family problems she didn't create
The Count
Guilt-ridden father
He can't effectively oppose Nicholas because he knows he's responsible for the family's financial ruin through his own poor management. His guilt prevents him from being the strong authority figure the situation requires.
Modern Equivalent:
The parent who can't discipline their kids because they know their own mistakes caused the family's problems
Natasha
Family peacemaker
She bursts into the toxic family scene and forces a temporary truce, showing how sometimes it takes an outsider's perspective to break destructive family dynamics.
Modern Equivalent:
The family member who steps in to stop everyone from saying things they can't take back
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how financial pressure makes good people betray their values and attack those they once protected.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone's behavior suddenly changes during stress—they may be speaking from desperation, not their true character.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Nicholas replied that he could not go back on his word"
Context: When his father begs him to abandon his plan to marry Sonya
This shows Nicholas values personal honor over family financial survival. He sees breaking his promise to Sonya as a betrayal of his integrity, even though it would save his family from ruin.
In Today's Words:
I gave her my word, and I'm not going back on it
"The count was always conscious of his own guilt toward him for having wasted the family fortune"
Context: Explaining why the father can't effectively oppose Nicholas's choice
This reveals how the father's past failures have destroyed his moral authority. He can't demand sacrifice from his son when his own poor decisions created the crisis.
In Today's Words:
He knew he had no right to lecture his son when he was the one who messed everything up
"She would not give way"
Context: Describing the countess's reaction to Nicholas's declaration
This shows how financial desperation can make even loving parents become inflexible and harsh. The countess's survival instincts override her maternal affection.
In Today's Words:
She wasn't budging on this, no matter what
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Desperate Compromise - When Crisis Makes Villains of Good People
Financial or social pressure causes good people to betray their values and attack those they once protected, justifying cruelty as necessity.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Financial desperation forces the Rostovs to view relationships through economic value rather than emotional bonds
Development
Evolved from earlier subtle class awareness to explicit financial calculation of human worth
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself evaluating relationships based on what people can do for you during tough times.
Family Loyalty
In This Chapter
The family fractures as competing loyalties clash—duty to family survival versus love for individual members
Development
Previously solid family bonds now strain under external pressure, revealing conditional nature of some relationships
In Your Life:
You might face moments when family members demand you choose between personal happiness and family obligations.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Nicholas is expected to sacrifice personal desire for family duty, while Sonya is blamed for loving 'above her station'
Development
Social rules become weapons used to justify cruelty and force compliance with economic necessity
In Your Life:
You might feel pressure to make 'practical' choices that violate your authentic desires because others deem them unrealistic.
Moral Corruption
In This Chapter
The countess transforms from loving guardian to cruel attacker, justifying her behavior as protecting the family
Development
Introduced here as financial pressure reveals how quickly good people can rationalize harmful actions
In Your Life:
You might find yourself justifying increasingly questionable behavior when under severe stress or pressure.
Love vs Duty
In This Chapter
Nicholas and Sonya's genuine love becomes a threat to family survival, creating an impossible choice
Development
The eternal tension between personal fulfillment and social obligation reaches crisis point
In Your Life:
You might face decisions where following your heart seems to conflict with your responsibilities to others.
Modern Adaptation
When Family Money Gets Tight
Following Andrew's story...
Andrew's parents are drowning in medical debt from his father's cancer treatment. When Andrew announces he's serious about Maria, a single mom who works at the grocery store, his mother explodes. 'You could marry someone with money,' she says, her voice cold with desperation. 'Someone who could help us.' Andrew's father, usually gentle, nods grimly. They need Andrew to find a woman with resources—a nurse practitioner, a teacher with benefits, anyone but Maria who brings nothing but love and two kids who need support. His mother, who once welcomed Maria warmly, now calls her 'calculating' and 'opportunistic.' Maria, confused and hurt, doesn't understand what she's done wrong. She loves Andrew, loves his family, would do anything for them. Andrew threatens to move out, his mother accuses Maria of trapping him, and the whole house becomes toxic until Andrew's sister intervenes. Andrew takes extra shifts at the plant to avoid the tension, but the poison lingers. Meanwhile, the bills keep coming.
The Road
The road Nicholas walked in 1869, Andrew walks today. The pattern is identical: financial desperation corrupts love into manipulation, turning family protectors into attackers who betray their own values to survive.
The Map
This chapter provides a map for recognizing when crisis makes good people suggest bad solutions. Andrew can see that his parents' cruelty comes from fear, not truth about Maria.
Amplification
Before reading this, Andrew might have believed his parents' assessment of Maria or felt guilty for 'being selfish.' Now he can NAME desperation-driven manipulation, PREDICT how crisis corrupts character, NAVIGATE family pressure without losing himself.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why do the Rostov parents suddenly turn against Sonya, whom they've loved and raised as their own daughter?
analysis • surface - 2
How does financial desperation change the way the countess sees and treats Sonya? What does this reveal about how crisis affects our judgment?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen good people make cruel decisions when facing financial pressure? How do they justify these actions to themselves?
application • medium - 4
If you were Nicholas, how would you balance your love for Sonya against your family's financial survival? What boundaries would you set?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter teach us about how desperation can corrupt character? How can we protect our values when crisis hits?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Crisis Values
Think of a time when you or someone close to you faced serious financial pressure. Write down three values or principles that were important before the crisis hit. Then identify how those values were tested or compromised during the difficult period. Finally, create a 'crisis boundary list' - three lines you would never cross, even under extreme pressure.
Consider:
- •Notice how 'practical' thinking can slowly erode moral boundaries
- •Consider how desperation makes us reframe cruel actions as necessary protection
- •Recognize that setting boundaries before crisis hits gives you strength during crisis
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when financial stress caused conflict in your family or workplace. How did good people end up hurting each other? What would you do differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 146: Pierre's Comfortable Cage
As the story unfolds, you'll explore success can become a prison when it lacks meaning, while uncovering we use distractions to avoid confronting life's big questions. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.