Natasha Rostova and the Spirit of Russian Motherhood
- Madeleine O'Shea
- Aug 27
- 1 min read
Author Bio:
Madeleine O’Shea is a recent English Literature and Classics graduate from the University of Edinburgh. She is particularly interested in texts that examine transgressive morality and the human psyche, particularly in its intersections with theology. When not focused on 19th century Russian Literature she is an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy novels.
Essay Abstract:
This essay critically engages with John Hagan’s assertion that Natasha Rostova achieves fulfilment in Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace (1869) through her roles as wife and mother. In arguing that Hagan’s perspective offers a reductionist framing of Natasha it emphasises her wider characterisation as a living embodiment of Russia the nation. The focus on Natasha’s moral and spiritual journey towards motherhood underscores Tolstoy’s examination of the inherent dangers posed by westernisation and the importance of a return to traditional values of simplicity and morality exemplified by the principle of Sobornost. It examines the intersections between female personal autonomy and societal conformity through a focus on Natasha’s innate musicality, spiritual journey and transgressive bodily changes from childhood to adulthood. Furthermore, it traces Natasha’s evolution as a cyclical journey as she first embodies, then rejects and remembrances the intuitive channelling of the Russian spirit apparent in her childhood. Through analysing her maternal presentation, the essay thus argues that Tolstoy positions Natasha as a fulfilment of the historic Mother Russia figure, ensuring that she serves as conduit for the nation’s spiritual awakening.
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