Summary
As war news grows more alarming in Moscow, the Rostov family attends their usual Sunday service, but nothing feels usual anymore. Natasha walks through the familiar social rituals—the chapel, the whispered gossip, the scrutinizing glances—feeling like a ghost of her former self. She knows she's still beautiful, but that knowledge now torments rather than pleases her. She's acutely aware that people are talking about her scandal, and every Sunday feels like another week of her life slipping away unused. During the church service, however, something shifts. As the familiar prayers wash over her, Natasha finds herself genuinely engaging with their meaning for the first time. When they pray for warriors, she thinks of her brother and Denisov. When they pray for enemies, she struggles to include Anatole—the man who ruined her—among those she wishes well. The service takes an unexpected turn when the priest introduces a special prayer for Russia's deliverance from Napoleon's invasion. The powerful words about David defeating Goliath and God protecting the chosen people move Natasha deeply, even as she grapples with the contradiction between praying for her enemies' destruction in war while trying to forgive her personal enemies. This chapter reveals how crisis—both personal and national—can strip away social pretenses and force us toward authentic spiritual searching. Natasha's internal journey from self-consciousness to genuine prayer mirrors Russia's transition from peacetime complacency to wartime urgency.
Coming Up in Chapter 186
The manifesto Pierre promised to bring will finally arrive, revealing the full scope of the threat facing Russia. The Rostov family's comfortable world is about to be shaken by news that will change everything.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
At the beginning of July more and more disquieting reports about the war began to spread in Moscow; people spoke of an appeal by the Emperor to the people, and of his coming himself from the army to Moscow. And as up to the eleventh of July no manifesto or appeal had been received, exaggerated reports became current about them and about the position of Russia. It was said that the Emperor was leaving the army because it was in danger, it was said that Smolénsk had surrendered, that Napoleon had an army of a million and only a miracle could save Russia. On the eleventh of July, which was Saturday, the manifesto was received but was not yet in print, and Pierre, who was at the Rostóvs’, promised to come to dinner next day, Sunday, and bring a copy of the manifesto and appeal, which he would obtain from Count Rostopchín. That Sunday, the Rostóvs went to Mass at the Razumóvskis’ private chapel as usual. It was a hot July day. Even at ten o’clock, when the Rostóvs got out of their carriage at the chapel, the sultry air, the shouts of hawkers, the light and gay summer clothes of the crowd, the dusty leaves of the trees on the boulevard, the sounds of the band and the white trousers of a battalion marching to parade, the rattling of wheels on the cobblestones, and the brilliant, hot sunshine were all full of that summer languor, that content and discontent with the present, which is most strongly felt on a bright, hot day in town. All the Moscow notabilities, all the Rostóvs’ acquaintances, were at the Razumóvskis’ chapel, for, as if expecting something to happen, many wealthy families who usually left town for their country estates had not gone away that summer. As Natásha, at her mother’s side, passed through the crowd behind a liveried footman who cleared the way for them, she heard a young man speaking about her in too loud a whisper. “That’s Rostóva, the one who...” “She’s much thinner, but all the same she’s pretty!” She heard, or thought she heard, the names of Kurágin and Bolkónski. But she was always imagining that. It always seemed to her that everyone who looked at her was thinking only of what had happened to her. With a sinking heart, wretched as she always was now when she found herself in a crowd, Natásha in her lilac silk dress trimmed with black lace walked—as women can walk—with the more repose and stateliness the greater the pain and shame in her soul. She knew for certain that she was pretty, but this no longer gave her satisfaction as it used to. On the contrary it tormented her more than anything else of late, and particularly so on this bright, hot summer day in town. “It’s Sunday again—another week past,” she thought, recalling that she had been here the Sunday before, “and always the same life that is no life, and...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Crisis Clarity - When Life Forces Us Past Pretense
Personal or collective crisis strips away social pretenses and forces us to engage with what genuinely matters, creating opportunities for authentic growth or bitter retreat.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how personal disasters can strip away pretense and create openings for genuine growth and connection.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel most 'exposed' or stripped of your usual identity—instead of rushing to rebuild your image, ask what this clarity might be teaching you about what actually matters.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Manifesto
A public declaration by a ruler or government, especially during times of crisis. In this chapter, everyone anxiously awaits the Emperor's manifesto about the war with Napoleon. These documents were how leaders communicated directly with their people before modern media.
Modern Usage:
Today we see this in presidential addresses during national emergencies or company-wide emails during corporate crises.
Social scandal
When someone's personal behavior violates social expectations so severely that it becomes public gossip and damages their reputation. Natasha is living through the aftermath of her attempted elopement, which has made her the subject of whispered conversations.
Modern Usage:
Like when someone's personal drama goes viral on social media or becomes workplace gossip that follows them everywhere.
Private chapel
Wealthy Russian families often had their own small churches where they could worship separately from common people. The Rostovs attend service at the Razumovskis' private chapel, showing their high social status even as their world crumbles around them.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how wealthy people today might have private clubs, exclusive gyms, or gated community amenities that separate them from the general public.
Wartime prayers
Special religious services asking God to protect the nation and defeat enemies during war. The priest introduces prayers for Russia's deliverance from Napoleon, mixing patriotism with spirituality in a way that moves the congregation deeply.
Modern Usage:
Like memorial services after national tragedies or moments of silence at sporting events during times of crisis.
Spiritual awakening
When someone moves from going through religious motions to genuinely engaging with faith and meaning. Natasha experiences this during the service, finding real comfort in prayers she previously recited without thinking.
Modern Usage:
Similar to when people find genuine meaning in therapy, meditation, or support groups after just going through the motions before.
National crisis
A threat to an entire country that forces people to put aside personal concerns and unite around survival. Napoleon's invasion creates this atmosphere in Moscow, changing how people think about their individual problems.
Modern Usage:
Like how natural disasters, pandemics, or terrorist attacks can make personal dramas seem smaller and bring communities together.
Characters in This Chapter
Natasha Rostov
Protagonist in personal crisis
She's struggling with shame from her scandal while trying to find meaning in familiar rituals. During the church service, she experiences genuine spiritual engagement for the first time, moving from self-consciousness to authentic prayer.
Modern Equivalent:
The person trying to rebuild their life after a public mistake, finding healing in unexpected places
Pierre Bezukhov
Information bearer
He promises to bring the Emperor's manifesto to the Rostovs, showing how even personal relationships now revolve around the national crisis. His connection to Count Rostopchin gives him access to important news.
Modern Equivalent:
The friend who always has inside information during crises because of their job or connections
Count Rostopchin
Authority figure
Moscow's governor who controls access to official information about the war. Though he doesn't appear directly, his influence shapes how news reaches the public through people like Pierre.
Modern Equivalent:
The government official or company executive who controls the flow of information during emergencies
The Priest
Spiritual leader
He introduces the special wartime prayers that deeply move Natasha and the congregation. His words about God protecting Russia from enemies create a powerful moment of national and personal reflection.
Modern Equivalent:
The religious leader, therapist, or counselor who helps people find meaning during difficult times
Key Quotes & Analysis
"It was said that the Emperor was leaving the army because it was in danger, it was said that Smolensk had surrendered, that Napoleon had an army of a million and only a miracle could save Russia."
Context: Describing the rumors spreading through Moscow as people wait for official news
This shows how fear and uncertainty create wild speculation when people don't have reliable information. The rumors get more dramatic and hopeless as they spread, revealing how anxiety distorts reality.
In Today's Words:
People were saying the worst possible things because nobody knew what was really happening.
"She knew she was pretty and this knowledge gave her not joy as formerly, but torment."
Context: Describing Natasha's state of mind as she attends the church service
This captures how shame can poison even our positive qualities. Natasha's beauty, once a source of confidence, now reminds her of the scandal that destroyed her reputation.
In Today's Words:
The things that used to make her feel good about herself now just made her feel worse.
"Lord God of might, God of our salvation! Look down in mercy and blessing on Thy humble people, and graciously hear us, spare us, and have mercy upon us!"
Context: During the special prayer for Russia's deliverance from Napoleon
These words move Natasha deeply because they express the vulnerability and hope she feels personally. The prayer's plea for mercy resonates with someone seeking forgiveness and protection.
In Today's Words:
Please help us through this terrible time and don't let us be destroyed.
Thematic Threads
Authentic vs. Performative Faith
In This Chapter
Natasha moves from going through religious motions to genuinely engaging with prayer meaning during national crisis
Development
Builds on her earlier spiritual searching after the scandal, now deepened by external crisis
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when personal crisis makes your usual coping mechanisms feel empty and forces you toward genuine soul-searching.
Social Masks Under Pressure
In This Chapter
Natasha's awareness that her beauty and social position no longer provide the same comfort or meaning
Development
Continuation of her fall from social grace, now complicated by national emergency changing everyone's priorities
In Your Life:
You experience this when major life changes make your professional identity or social status feel suddenly irrelevant.
Personal vs. Collective Crisis
In This Chapter
Natasha's private shame intersects with Russia's public danger, giving her perspective beyond her own troubles
Development
First time her personal crisis meets larger historical forces
In Your Life:
You might find your personal problems put in perspective when family, community, or workplace faces bigger challenges.
Forgiveness and Enemy-Love
In This Chapter
Natasha struggles to include Anatole among enemies she should pray for, revealing the difficulty of genuine forgiveness
Development
New theme emerging from her spiritual growth and the war's moral complexities
In Your Life:
You face this when trying to move past personal betrayal while maintaining your values about treating people with dignity.
Time and Wasted Life
In This Chapter
Natasha's acute awareness that each Sunday represents another week of her life slipping away unused
Development
Deepening of her earlier despair about lost time and opportunities
In Your Life:
You feel this during periods of depression, unemployment, or major life transitions when progress feels impossible.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
How does Natasha's experience at church differ from her usual Sunday routine, and what triggers this change?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Natasha struggle to include Anatole among those she prays for as 'enemies,' and what does this reveal about forgiveness?
analysis • medium - 3
When have you seen someone become more authentic during a personal or community crisis? What changed in how they acted or what they prioritized?
application • medium - 4
If you were advising someone going through both personal shame and external crisis, how would you help them use the situation for growth rather than retreat?
application • deep - 5
What does Natasha's journey from self-consciousness to genuine prayer teach us about how crisis can strip away pretense and reveal what actually matters?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Crisis-to-Authenticity Moments
Think of a time when personal difficulty or external crisis forced you to drop social pretenses and engage with something more real. Write down what felt hollow before the crisis, what stripped away during it, and what emerged as genuinely important. Then identify one area of your current life where you might be maintaining pretense that a future crisis could expose.
Consider:
- •Crisis doesn't create character—it reveals what was already there beneath social masks
- •The same event can lead to bitter isolation or deeper purpose, depending on how we respond
- •What feels authentic during crisis often points toward values we've been ignoring in normal times
Journaling Prompt
Write about a moment when external pressure forced you to stop performing and start being real. What did you discover about yourself that you hadn't recognized before? How did that discovery change how you approach similar situations now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 186: Finding Purpose Through Love and Prophecy
As the story unfolds, you'll explore love can transform our entire worldview and give meaning to existence, while uncovering the human tendency to find patterns and purpose, even in random events. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.