An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1153 words)
ount Rostóv took the girls to Countess Bezúkhova’s. There were
a good many people there, but nearly all strangers to Natásha. Count
Rostóv was displeased to see that the company consisted almost entirely
of men and women known for the freedom of their conduct. Mademoiselle
George was standing in a corner of the drawing room surrounded by young
men. There were several Frenchmen present, among them Métivier who from
the time Hélène reached Moscow had been an intimate in her house. The
count decided not to sit down to cards or let his girls out of his sight
and to get away as soon as Mademoiselle George’s performance was over.
Anatole was at the door, evidently on the lookout for the Rostóvs.
Immediately after greeting the count he went up to Natásha and followed
her. As soon as she saw him she was seized by the same feeling she had
had at the opera—gratified vanity at his admiration of her and fear at
the absence of a moral barrier between them.
Hélène welcomed Natásha delightedly and was loud in admiration of her
beauty and her dress. Soon after their arrival Mademoiselle George went
out of the room to change her costume. In the drawing room people began
arranging the chairs and taking their seats. Anatole moved a chair for
Natásha and was about to sit down beside her, but the count, who never
lost sight of her, took the seat himself. Anatole sat down behind her.
Mademoiselle George, with her bare, fat, dimpled arms, and a red shawl
draped over one shoulder, came into the space left vacant for her, and
assumed an unnatural pose. Enthusiastic whispering was audible.
Mademoiselle George looked sternly and gloomily at the audience and
began reciting some French verses describing her guilty love for her
son. In some places she raised her voice, in others she whispered,
lifting her head triumphantly; sometimes she paused and uttered hoarse
sounds, rolling her eyes.
“Adorable! divine! delicious!” was heard from every side.
Natásha looked at the fat actress, but neither saw nor heard nor
understood anything of what went on before her. She only felt herself
again completely borne away into this strange senseless world—so
remote from her old world—a world in which it was impossible to know
what was good or bad, reasonable or senseless. Behind her sat Anatole,
and conscious of his proximity she experienced a frightened sense of
expectancy.
After the first monologue the whole company rose and surrounded
Mademoiselle George, expressing their enthusiasm.
“How beautiful she is!” Natásha remarked to her father who had also
risen and was moving through the crowd toward the actress.
“I don’t think so when I look at you!” said Anatole, following
Natásha. He said this at a moment when she alone could hear him. “You
are enchanting... from the moment I saw you I have never ceased...”
“Come, come, Natásha!” said the count, as he turned back for his
daughter. “How beautiful she is!” Natásha without saying anything
stepped up to her father and looked at him with surprised inquiring
eyes.
After giving several recitations, Mademoiselle George left, and Countess
Bezúkhova asked her visitors into the ballroom.
The count wished to go home, but Hélène entreated him not to spoil her
improvised ball, and the Rostóvs stayed on. Anatole asked Natásha for
a valse and as they danced he pressed her waist and hand and told her
she was bewitching and that he loved her. During the écossaise, which
she also danced with him, Anatole said nothing when they happened to be
by themselves, but merely gazed at her. Natásha lifted her frightened
eyes to him, but there was such confident tenderness in his affectionate
look and smile that she could not, whilst looking at him, say what she
had to say. She lowered her eyes.
“Don’t say such things to me. I am betrothed and love another,”
she said rapidly.... She glanced at him.
Anatole was not upset or pained by what she had said.
“Don’t speak to me of that! What can I do?” said he. “I tell
you I am madly, madly, in love with you! Is it my fault that you are
enchanting?... It’s our turn to begin.”
Natásha, animated and excited, looked about her with wide-open
frightened eyes and seemed merrier than usual. She understood hardly
anything that went on that evening. They danced the écossaise and the
Grossvater. Her father asked her to come home, but she begged to remain.
Wherever she went and whomever she was speaking to, she felt his eyes
upon her. Later on she recalled how she had asked her father to let
her go to the dressing room to rearrange her dress, that Hélène had
followed her and spoken laughingly of her brother’s love, and that she
again met Anatole in the little sitting room. Hélène had disappeared
leaving them alone, and Anatole had taken her hand and said in a tender
voice:
“I cannot come to visit you but is it possible that I shall never see
you? I love you madly. Can I never...?” and, blocking her path, he
brought his face close to hers.
His large, glittering, masculine eyes were so close to hers that she saw
nothing but them.
“Natalie?” he whispered inquiringly while she felt her hands being
painfully pressed. “Natalie?”
“I don’t understand. I have nothing to say,” her eyes replied.
Burning lips were pressed to hers, and at the same instant she felt
herself released, and Hélène’s footsteps and the rustle of her dress
were heard in the room. Natásha looked round at her, and then, red
and trembling, threw a frightened look of inquiry at Anatole and moved
toward the door.
“One word, just one, for God’s sake!” cried Anatole.
She paused. She so wanted a word from him that would explain to her what
had happened and to which she could find no answer.
“Natalie, just a word, only one!” he kept repeating, evidently not
knowing what to say and he repeated it till Hélène came up to them.
Hélène returned with Natásha to the drawing room. The Rostóvs went
away without staying for supper.
After reaching home Natásha did not sleep all night. She was tormented
by the insoluble question whether she loved Anatole or Prince Andrew.
She loved Prince Andrew—she remembered distinctly how deeply she loved
him. But she also loved Anatole, of that there was no doubt. “Else how
could all this have happened?” thought she. “If, after that, I could
return his smile when saying good-by, if I was able to let it come to
that, it means that I loved him from the first. It means that he is
kind, noble, and splendid, and I could not help loving him. What am I to
do if I love him and the other one too?” she asked herself, unable to
find an answer to these terrible questions.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
How deliberately crafted environments can override moral judgment and make people act against their values through sensory manipulation and social pressure.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how predators deliberately design settings to break down psychological defenses and compromise judgment.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone insists on meeting only in their chosen location, especially for important decisions—that's your cue to suggest neutral ground.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"As soon as she saw him she was seized by the same feeling she had had at the opera—gratified vanity at his admiration of her and fear at the absence of a moral barrier between them."
Context: When Natásha sees Anatole at the salon
This perfectly captures how attraction can feel both thrilling and terrifying when we know it's wrong. Tolstoy shows that Natásha recognizes the danger but is seduced by the ego boost of being desired.
In Today's Words:
She got that same rush from his attention, but also that gut feeling that this was heading somewhere bad.
"The count decided not to sit down to cards or let his girls out of his sight and to get away as soon as Mademoiselle George's performance was over."
Context: Count Rostóv's reaction to the salon's atmosphere
This shows how a protective parent recognizes danger even when they can't articulate exactly what's wrong. His instincts are completely correct, but social pressure makes it hard to act decisively.
In Today's Words:
Dad knew this crowd was trouble and planned to get his daughters out of there ASAP.
"How can I love both him and Prince Andrew?"
Context: Her internal struggle after Anatole's advances
This reveals Natásha's dangerous confusion between physical attraction and genuine love. Her inexperience makes her think these intense but shallow feelings must be real love, threatening her engagement.
In Today's Words:
How can I have feelings for two different guys at the same time?
Thematic Threads
Predatory Manipulation
In This Chapter
Anatole and Hélène deliberately orchestrate circumstances to compromise Natásha, using social situations as weapons
Development
Builds on earlier themes of how the wealthy exploit others, now showing intimate personal manipulation
In Your Life:
You might see this in workplace situations where someone uses their position to create inappropriate intimacy
Environmental Control
In This Chapter
Hélène's salon creates an atmosphere where normal moral rules feel suspended through entertainment and social pressure
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might notice how certain places or events make you feel like different rules apply than in your normal life
Moral Confusion
In This Chapter
Natásha cannot reconcile loving both Andrew and feeling attracted to Anatole, showing how physical chemistry masquerades as love
Development
Develops Natásha's earlier theme of navigating adult relationships and distinguishing genuine from false connection
In Your Life:
You might struggle to separate physical attraction from emotional compatibility when making relationship decisions
Class Vulnerability
In This Chapter
The Rostóvs' lower social position makes them vulnerable to manipulation by the more sophisticated Hélène and Anatole
Development
Continues the theme of how class differences create power imbalances that can be exploited
In Your Life:
You might find yourself vulnerable to manipulation when you're the outsider in a more privileged social setting
Protective Instincts
In This Chapter
Count Rostóv senses danger but cannot protect his daughter from sophisticated social manipulation
Development
Shows how even loving parents struggle against systemic manipulation tactics
In Your Life:
You might recognize danger in situations but struggle to protect yourself or loved ones from subtle social pressure
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
How does Hélène's salon differ from the social environments Natásha is used to, and what specific elements make Count Rostóv uncomfortable?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Anatole succeed in getting close to Natásha despite her father's watchfulness and her own engagement to Prince Andrew?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see similar environmental manipulation today - places or situations designed to make people act against their usual judgment?
application • medium - 4
If you were advising someone who felt confused about their feelings after being in a manipulative environment, what practical steps would you suggest?
application • deep - 5
What does Natásha's confusion between love for Prince Andrew and attraction to Anatole reveal about how physical chemistry can masquerade as deeper connection?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Design Your Defense Strategy
Think of a situation where you might be vulnerable to environmental manipulation - a high-pressure sales pitch, a party where you don't know many people, or a workplace social event. Create a specific plan for how you would protect your judgment and values in that setting.
Consider:
- •What environmental factors would signal that someone is trying to manipulate your decision-making?
- •How would you maintain connection to your support system and normal moral framework?
- •What would be your exit strategy if you felt your boundaries being pushed?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you felt pressured to act against your better judgment because of the environment you were in. What warning signs did you notice, and how would you handle a similar situation now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 159: The Heart Divided
Natásha's inner conflict deepens as she struggles with her divided heart. The consequences of this evening's encounter will soon spiral beyond her control, threatening everything she holds dear.
