Summary
Prince Nesvítski finds himself trapped on a crowded bridge as Russian troops retreat under enemy fire. What should be an orderly military withdrawal becomes a chaotic crush of soldiers, wagons, and civilians all trying to cross at once. Nesvítski, despite his rank, can't move—he's just another body pressed against the railings, watching the human river flow past him. The soldiers reveal their personalities through crisis: some joke to mask fear, others complain bitterly, and a few panic openly when cannonballs start splashing into the water below. A German family with their possessions gets special treatment to cross, drawing crude comments from the troops who momentarily forget their own danger to ogle the women. The arrival of the hot-tempered cavalry officer Denísov changes everything—his fierce determination and drawn sword clear a path where polite requests failed. This scene captures how war strips away social pretenses and reveals raw human nature. Tolstoy shows us that in crisis, official authority means less than personal force of will. The bridge becomes a microcosm of society under stress—some people freeze, others adapt, and a few take charge. The soldiers' gallows humor and casual cruelty toward the German family reveal how quickly civilized behavior can erode when survival instincts kick in.
Coming Up in Chapter 36
With the bridge finally cleared, the military units begin to reorganize on the other side. But the enemy's cannon fire is getting closer, and the real test of these soldiers' courage is about to begin.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Two of the enemy’s shots had already flown across the bridge, where there was a crush. Halfway across stood Prince Nesvítski, who had alighted from his horse and whose big body was jammed against the railings. He looked back laughing to the Cossack who stood a few steps behind him holding two horses by their bridles. Each time Prince Nesvítski tried to move on, soldiers and carts pushed him back again and pressed him against the railings, and all he could do was to smile. “What a fine fellow you are, friend!” said the Cossack to a convoy soldier with a wagon, who was pressing onto the infantrymen who were crowded together close to his wheels and his horses. “What a fellow! You can’t wait a moment! Don’t you see the general wants to pass?” But the convoyman took no notice of the word “general” and shouted at the soldiers who were blocking his way. “Hi there, boys! Keep to the left! Wait a bit.” But the soldiers, crowded together shoulder to shoulder, their bayonets interlocking, moved over the bridge in a dense mass. Looking down over the rails Prince Nesvítski saw the rapid, noisy little waves of the Enns, which rippling and eddying round the piles of the bridge chased each other along. Looking on the bridge he saw equally uniform living waves of soldiers, shoulder straps, covered shakos, knapsacks, bayonets, long muskets, and, under the shakos, faces with broad cheekbones, sunken cheeks, and listless tired expressions, and feet that moved through the sticky mud that covered the planks of the bridge. Sometimes through the monotonous waves of men, like a fleck of white foam on the waves of the Enns, an officer, in a cloak and with a type of face different from that of the men, squeezed his way along; sometimes like a chip of wood whirling in the river, an hussar on foot, an orderly, or a townsman was carried through the waves of infantry; and sometimes like a log floating down the river, an officers’ or company’s baggage wagon, piled high, leather covered, and hemmed in on all sides, moved across the bridge. “It’s as if a dam had burst,” said the Cossack hopelessly. “Are there many more of you to come?” “A million all but one!” replied a waggish soldier in a torn coat, with a wink, and passed on followed by another, an old man. “If he” (he meant the enemy) “begins popping at the bridge now,” said the old soldier dismally to a comrade, “you’ll forget to scratch yourself.” That soldier passed on, and after him came another sitting on a cart. “Where the devil have the leg bands been shoved to?” said an orderly, running behind the cart and fumbling in the back of it. And he also passed on with the wagon. Then came some merry soldiers who had evidently been drinking. “And then, old fellow, he gives him one in the teeth with the butt end of his gun...”...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Authority Paradox - When Real Power Meets Paper Power
In crisis situations, personal force and determination often override formal authority and proper procedures.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to spot the difference between official authority and real influence during high-stress situations.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone without the highest title takes charge during a workplace crisis—watch what they do differently that makes people follow them.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Military retreat
An organized withdrawal of troops from a dangerous position, meant to preserve forces for future battles. In this chapter, what should be orderly becomes chaotic panic as everyone tries to escape at once.
Modern Usage:
Like when everyone tries to leave a concert venue at the same time - the exits get jammed and order breaks down.
Chain of command
The military hierarchy where orders flow from higher to lower ranks. Tolstoy shows how this breaks down under pressure - Prince Nesvítski's rank means nothing when he's physically trapped.
Modern Usage:
When a crisis hits at work, titles don't matter as much as who can actually get things done.
Gallows humor
Making jokes in the face of danger or death as a way to cope with fear. The soldiers crack jokes even as cannonballs are flying, using laughter to manage their terror.
Modern Usage:
Hospital workers making dark jokes during tough shifts, or first responders using humor to deal with traumatic situations.
Scapegoating
Blaming outsiders for problems when you're stressed or afraid. The Russian soldiers turn their frustration on the German family, making crude comments to feel superior.
Modern Usage:
When people blame immigrants or other groups for economic problems instead of addressing the real causes.
Authority vs. force
The difference between having official power and actually being able to make things happen. Nesvítski has rank but can't move; Denísov has determination and clears the path.
Modern Usage:
A manager with a title versus the person everyone actually listens to because they get results.
Crowd psychology
How people behave differently in groups than they would alone, often losing individual judgment. The bridge becomes a mass of bodies moving without individual thought.
Modern Usage:
Black Friday shopping stampedes or how people act differently at concerts versus one-on-one conversations.
Characters in This Chapter
Prince Nesvítski
Trapped authority figure
Despite his military rank, he's powerless against the crowd, pressed against the railings like everyone else. His good humor in crisis shows his character, but also his helplessness when rank doesn't matter.
Modern Equivalent:
The manager stuck in the same traffic jam as everyone else
The Cossack
Loyal subordinate
Holds Nesvítski's horses and tries to help clear a path by invoking the prince's rank. Represents traditional military loyalty even when it's ineffective.
Modern Equivalent:
The assistant trying to get their boss through a crowded room
Denísov
Forceful problem-solver
The cavalry officer who actually clears the bridge through sheer determination and his drawn sword. Shows how personal force trumps official authority in crisis.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who takes charge in an emergency while everyone else stands around
The convoy soldier
Self-interested survivor
Ignores the general's rank and pushes through with his wagon, caring only about his own mission. Shows how crisis strips away social niceties.
Modern Equivalent:
The driver who cuts in line during an evacuation
The German family
Vulnerable outsiders
Civilians caught in military chaos, they become targets for the soldiers' crude comments and frustration. Their foreignness makes them easy scapegoats.
Modern Equivalent:
The family that doesn't speak the language trying to navigate a crisis
Key Quotes & Analysis
"What a fine fellow you are, friend!"
Context: Sarcastically addressing a convoy soldier who won't make way for the general
Shows how politeness becomes a weapon when direct orders fail. The Cossack uses irony to shame the soldier, revealing frustration with broken hierarchy.
In Today's Words:
Oh, you're a real team player, aren't you?
"Don't you see the general wants to pass?"
Context: Trying to invoke Nesvítski's authority to clear the crowd
Demonstrates the gap between theoretical authority and practical power. The title 'general' should command respect but means nothing in this chaos.
In Today's Words:
Can't you see the boss is trying to get through here?
"Looking on the bridge he saw equally uniform living waves of soldiers"
Context: Describing Nesvítski's view of the troops flowing past him
Tolstoy compares soldiers to water, showing how individuals become part of a mindless flow in crisis. The metaphor strips away human dignity and choice.
In Today's Words:
He watched people move like a river of bodies, no longer thinking for themselves
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Nesvítski's noble rank becomes meaningless on the bridge, while Denísov's forceful personality creates real authority
Development
Continues showing how war dissolves traditional class boundaries and hierarchies
In Your Life:
You might notice how workplace titles matter less during actual emergencies than who takes decisive action
Identity
In This Chapter
Soldiers reveal their true characters under pressure—some joke, some panic, some adapt
Development
Building on earlier scenes where crisis strips away social masks
In Your Life:
You see people's real personalities emerge during stressful situations like family crises or workplace deadlines
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Normal military courtesy breaks down as survival instincts override proper behavior
Development
Reinforces how war disrupts civilized social norms
In Your Life:
You might find yourself abandoning usual politeness when you're desperate to get something done
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
The German family receives special treatment while soldiers make crude comments, showing how crisis affects group dynamics
Development
Continues exploring how extreme situations reveal both kindness and cruelty
In Your Life:
You notice how people treat outsiders differently when they're under stress or feeling threatened
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Nesvítski learns that his usual approach doesn't work in crisis, while Denísov demonstrates effective leadership
Development
Characters discovering what works and what doesn't in extreme situations
In Your Life:
You might realize that your normal way of handling problems needs to change in emergency situations
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why couldn't Prince Nesvítski move forward on the bridge despite his military rank?
analysis • surface - 2
What made Denísov successful at clearing the path when Nesvítski's polite requests failed?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen formal authority become useless during a crisis while someone else took real control?
application • medium - 4
When facing a situation where your usual approach isn't working, how do you decide whether to escalate or step back?
application • deep - 5
What does this scene reveal about the difference between the power people think they have and the power that actually works?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Authority Gaps
Think of three situations where you have official authority but struggle to get results (at work, home, or in groups). For each situation, identify what type of power actually works there and what you could do differently. Then consider one area where you lack official authority but could step up and lead through personal force like Denísov did.
Consider:
- •Official titles and real influence are often completely different things
- •People respond to confidence and decisive action more than to requests and procedures
- •Sometimes the person who should be leading isn't the person who can lead effectively
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to choose between following proper channels and taking direct action to solve a problem. What did you learn about when rules help and when they get in the way?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 36: Under Fire for the First Time
As the story unfolds, you'll explore fear and excitement can coexist in high-stakes moments, while uncovering the gap between imagined heroism and actual experience. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.