An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1481 words)
“y dear Borís,” said Princess Anna Mikháylovna to her son as
Countess Rostóva’s carriage in which they were seated drove over the
straw covered street and turned into the wide courtyard of Count Cyril
Vladímirovich Bezúkhov’s house. “My dear Borís,” said the
mother, drawing her hand from beneath her old mantle and laying
it timidly and tenderly on her son’s arm, “be affectionate and
attentive to him. Count Cyril Vladímirovich is your godfather after
all, and your future depends on him. Remember that, my dear, and be nice
to him, as you so well know how to be.”
“If only I knew that anything besides humiliation would come of
it...” answered her son coldly. “But I have promised and will do it
for your sake.”
Although the hall porter saw someone’s carriage standing at the
entrance, after scrutinizing the mother and son (who without asking to
be announced had passed straight through the glass porch between the
rows of statues in niches) and looking significantly at the lady’s old
cloak, he asked whether they wanted the count or the princesses, and,
hearing that they wished to see the count, said his excellency was worse
today, and that his excellency was not receiving anyone.
“We may as well go back,” said the son in French.
“My dear!” exclaimed his mother imploringly, again laying her hand
on his arm as if that touch might soothe or rouse him.
Borís said no more, but looked inquiringly at his mother without taking
off his cloak.
“My friend,” said Anna Mikháylovna in gentle tones, addressing
the hall porter, “I know Count Cyril Vladímirovich is very ill...
that’s why I have come... I am a relation. I shall not disturb him,
my friend... I only need see Prince Vasíli Sergéevich: he is staying
here, is he not? Please announce me.”
The hall porter sullenly pulled a bell that rang upstairs, and turned
away.
“Princess Drubetskáya to see Prince Vasíli Sergéevich,” he called
to a footman dressed in knee breeches, shoes, and a swallow-tail coat,
who ran downstairs and looked over from the halfway landing.
The mother smoothed the folds of her dyed silk dress before a large
Venetian mirror in the wall, and in her trodden-down shoes briskly
ascended the carpeted stairs.
“My dear,” she said to her son, once more stimulating him by a
touch, “you promised me!”
The son, lowering his eyes, followed her quietly.
They entered the large hall, from which one of the doors led to the
apartments assigned to Prince Vasíli.
Just as the mother and son, having reached the middle of the hall, were
about to ask their way of an elderly footman who had sprung up as they
entered, the bronze handle of one of the doors turned and Prince Vasíli
came out—wearing a velvet coat with a single star on his breast,
as was his custom when at home—taking leave of a good-looking,
dark-haired man. This was the celebrated Petersburg doctor, Lorrain.
“Then it is certain?” said the prince.
“Prince, humanum est errare, * but...” replied the doctor,
swallowing his r’s, and pronouncing the Latin words with a French
accent.
* To err is human.
“Very well, very well...”
Seeing Anna Mikháylovna and her son, Prince Vasíli dismissed the
doctor with a bow and approached them silently and with a look of
inquiry. The son noticed that an expression of profound sorrow suddenly
clouded his mother’s face, and he smiled slightly.
“Ah, Prince! In what sad circumstances we meet again! And how is our
dear invalid?” said she, as though unaware of the cold offensive look
fixed on her.
Prince Vasíli stared at her and at Borís questioningly and perplexed.
Borís bowed politely. Prince Vasíli without acknowledging the bow
turned to Anna Mikháylovna, answering her query by a movement of the
head and lips indicating very little hope for the patient.
“Is it possible?” exclaimed Anna Mikháylovna. “Oh, how awful!
It is terrible to think.... This is my son,” she added, indicating
Borís. “He wanted to thank you himself.”
Borís bowed again politely.
“Believe me, Prince, a mother’s heart will never forget what you
have done for us.”
“I am glad I was able to do you a service, my dear Anna
Mikháylovna,” said Prince Vasíli, arranging his lace frill, and in
tone and manner, here in Moscow to Anna Mikháylovna whom he had placed
under an obligation, assuming an air of much greater importance than he
had done in Petersburg at Anna Schérer’s reception.
“Try to serve well and show yourself worthy,” added he, addressing
Borís with severity. “I am glad.... Are you here on leave?” he went
on in his usual tone of indifference.
“I am awaiting orders to join my new regiment, your excellency,”
replied Borís, betraying neither annoyance at the prince’s brusque
manner nor a desire to enter into conversation, but speaking so quietly
and respectfully that the prince gave him a searching glance.
“Are you living with your mother?”
“I am living at Countess Rostóva’s,” replied Borís, again
adding, “your excellency.”
“That is, with Ilyá Rostóv who married Nataly Shinshiná,” said
Anna Mikháylovna.
“I know, I know,” answered Prince Vasíli in his monotonous voice.
“I never could understand how Nataly made up her mind to marry that
unlicked bear! A perfectly absurd and stupid fellow, and a gambler too,
I am told.”
“But a very kind man, Prince,” said Anna Mikháylovna with a
pathetic smile, as though she too knew that Count Rostóv deserved this
censure, but asked him not to be too hard on the poor old man. “What
do the doctors say?” asked the princess after a pause, her worn face
again expressing deep sorrow.
“They give little hope,” replied the prince.
“And I should so like to thank Uncle once for all his kindness to me
and Borís. He is his godson,” she added, her tone suggesting that
this fact ought to give Prince Vasíli much satisfaction.
Prince Vasíli became thoughtful and frowned. Anna Mikháylovna saw that
he was afraid of finding in her a rival for Count Bezúkhov’s fortune,
and hastened to reassure him.
“If it were not for my sincere affection and devotion to Uncle,”
said she, uttering the word with peculiar assurance and unconcern, “I
know his character: noble, upright ... but you see he has no one with
him except the young princesses.... They are still young....” She bent
her head and continued in a whisper: “Has he performed his final duty,
Prince? How priceless are those last moments! It can make things no
worse, and it is absolutely necessary to prepare him if he is so ill.
We women, Prince,” and she smiled tenderly, “always know how to say
these things. I absolutely must see him, however painful it may be for
me. I am used to suffering.”
Evidently the prince understood her, and also understood, as he had done
at Anna Pávlovna’s, that it would be difficult to get rid of Anna
Mikháylovna.
“Would not such a meeting be too trying for him, dear Anna
Mikháylovna?” said he. “Let us wait until evening. The doctors are
expecting a crisis.”
“But one cannot delay, Prince, at such a moment! Consider that the
welfare of his soul is at stake. Ah, it is awful: the duties of a
Christian...”
A door of one of the inner rooms opened and one of the princesses, the
count’s niece, entered with a cold, stern face. The length of her
body was strikingly out of proportion to her short legs. Prince Vasíli
turned to her.
“Well, how is he?”
“Still the same; but what can you expect, this noise...” said the
princess, looking at Anna Mikháylovna as at a stranger.
“Ah, my dear, I hardly knew you,” said Anna Mikháylovna with a
happy smile, ambling lightly up to the count’s niece. “I have come,
and am at your service to help you nurse my uncle. I imagine what you
have gone through,” and she sympathetically turned up her eyes.
The princess gave no reply and did not even smile, but left the room as
Anna Mikháylovna took off her gloves and, occupying the position she
had conquered, settled down in an armchair, inviting Prince Vasíli to
take a seat beside her.
“Borís,” she said to her son with a smile, “I shall go in to see
the count, my uncle; but you, my dear, had better go to Pierre meanwhile
and don’t forget to give him the Rostóvs’ invitation. They ask him
to dinner. I suppose he won’t go?” she continued, turning to the
prince.
“On the contrary,” replied the prince, who had plainly become
depressed, “I shall be only too glad if you relieve me of that young
man.... Here he is, and the count has not once asked for him.”
He shrugged his shoulders. A footman conducted Borís down one flight of
stairs and up another, to Pierre’s rooms.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
When people lack structural power, they must become skilled performers who adapt their presentation to survive and advance within systems that favor the privileged.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when someone holds leverage over you and adjust your approach accordingly without losing your essential self.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you need something from someone in a position of power—watch how they signal their status and what kind of interaction they seem to want from you.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Be affectionate and attentive to him. Count Cyril Vladimirovich is your godfather after all, and your future depends on him."
Context: Anna coaches Boris on how to behave as they arrive at the count's house
This reveals the transactional nature of relationships in their world. Anna isn't asking Boris to be genuine - she's giving him a performance script because their survival depends on pleasing the right people.
In Today's Words:
Smile, be nice, and remember this person controls whether you have a future or not.
"If only I knew that anything besides humiliation would come of it..."
Context: Boris responds to his mother's coaching with resignation
Boris understands that begging for favors is degrading, but he also knows they have no choice. This captures the psychological cost of financial desperation - you lose dignity to survive.
In Today's Words:
I hate having to kiss up to people, but what else can we do?
"His excellency was worse today, and his excellency was not receiving anyone."
Context: The porter tries to turn Anna and Boris away at the door
The porter's formal language masks his real message: you people aren't important enough. He's protecting his employer from what he sees as social parasites, but also exercising the small power he has.
In Today's Words:
He's not seeing visitors today, especially not people like you.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Anna must perform elaborate social theater because she lacks the financial security that would make such performance unnecessary
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you have to act differently at work than you do at home because your job security depends on fitting their expectations.
Desperation
In This Chapter
Anna's willingness to endure humiliation and manipulation shows how far people will go when their family's survival is at stake
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might see this when you find yourself tolerating disrespect or uncomfortable situations because you need the paycheck or the opportunity.
Social Performance
In This Chapter
Anna becomes whatever each moment requires—devoted friend, Christian woman, charming companion—shifting her presentation strategically
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might notice this when you code-switch between different versions of yourself depending on who you're talking to and what you need from them.
Power Dynamics
In This Chapter
Prince Vasíli holds all the cards while Anna must use charm and obligation as her only weapons in an unequal contest
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might experience this when dealing with landlords, bosses, or bureaucrats who have authority over your life but no personal investment in your wellbeing.
Maternal Sacrifice
In This Chapter
Anna endures personal humiliation and compromises her dignity because securing Boris's future matters more than her own comfort
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might recognize this in any situation where you swallow your pride or do things you'd rather not do because your family's needs come first.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific tactics does Anna Mikháylovna use to get past the servants and convince Prince Vasíli to let her see the dying count?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Anna transform her approach when talking to different people—the servants versus Prince Vasíli? What does this reveal about her understanding of power?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this pattern of 'strategic performance' in modern workplaces, healthcare, or family situations? When have you had to adapt your approach based on who held the power?
application • medium - 4
If you were in Anna's position—needing something important from someone more powerful—what would be your strategy? How would you balance dignity with necessity?
application • deep - 5
What does Anna's willingness to endure this humiliation for her son reveal about the lengths people will go to secure their family's future? Is this admirable or troubling?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Own Power Dynamics
Think of a recent situation where you needed something from someone with more power than you—a boss, doctor, teacher, landlord, or government office. Write down what you needed, what they valued, and how you adapted your approach. Then identify what worked and what didn't.
Consider:
- •Notice how you naturally changed your tone, word choice, or behavior
- •Consider what the powerful person gained from helping (or not helping) you
- •Reflect on whether your strategy felt authentic or forced
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to 'perform' to get something you needed. How did it feel, and what did you learn about navigating unequal power relationships?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 16: The Art of Speaking Your Truth
Borís is sent to meet Pierre, the count's illegitimate son, setting up a crucial encounter between two young men whose fates are intertwined with the dying count's fortune. Meanwhile, Anna Mikháylovna prepares for her most important performance yet.
