An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1017 words)
he rustle of a woman’s dress was heard in the next room. Prince
Andrew shook himself as if waking up, and his face assumed the look it
had had in Anna Pávlovna’s drawing room. Pierre removed his feet from
the sofa. The princess came in. She had changed her gown for a house
dress as fresh and elegant as the other. Prince Andrew rose and politely
placed a chair for her.
“How is it,” she began, as usual in French, settling down briskly
and fussily in the easy chair, “how is it Annette never got married?
How stupid you men all are not to have married her! Excuse me for saying
so, but you have no sense about women. What an argumentative fellow you
are, Monsieur Pierre!”
“And I am still arguing with your husband. I can’t understand why he
wants to go to the war,” replied Pierre, addressing the princess
with none of the embarrassment so commonly shown by young men in their
intercourse with young women.
The princess started. Evidently Pierre’s words touched her to the
quick.
“Ah, that is just what I tell him!” said she. “I don’t
understand it; I don’t in the least understand why men can’t live
without wars. How is it that we women don’t want anything of the kind,
don’t need it? Now you shall judge between us. I always tell him: Here
he is Uncle’s aide-de-camp, a most brilliant position. He is so
well known, so much appreciated by everyone. The other day at the
Apráksins’ I heard a lady asking, ‘Is that the famous Prince
Andrew?’ I did indeed.” She laughed. “He is so well received
everywhere. He might easily become aide-de-camp to the Emperor. You know
the Emperor spoke to him most graciously. Annette and I were speaking of
how to arrange it. What do you think?”
Pierre looked at his friend and, noticing that he did not like the
conversation, gave no reply.
“When are you starting?” he asked.
“Oh, don’t speak of his going, don’t! I won’t hear it spoken
of,” said the princess in the same petulantly playful tone in which
she had spoken to Hippolyte in the drawing room and which was so plainly
ill-suited to the family circle of which Pierre was almost a member.
“Today when I remembered that all these delightful associations
must be broken off ... and then you know, André...” (she looked
significantly at her husband) “I’m afraid, I’m afraid!” she
whispered, and a shudder ran down her back.
Her husband looked at her as if surprised to notice that someone besides
Pierre and himself was in the room, and addressed her in a tone of
frigid politeness.
“What is it you are afraid of, Lise? I don’t understand,” said he.
“There, what egotists men all are: all, all egotists! Just for a whim
of his own, goodness only knows why, he leaves me and locks me up alone
in the country.”
“With my father and sister, remember,” said Prince Andrew gently.
“Alone all the same, without my friends.... And he expects me not to
be afraid.”
Her tone was now querulous and her lip drawn up, giving her not a
joyful, but an animal, squirrel-like expression. She paused as if she
felt it indecorous to speak of her pregnancy before Pierre, though the
gist of the matter lay in that.
“I still can’t understand what you are afraid of,” said Prince
Andrew slowly, not taking his eyes off his wife.
The princess blushed, and raised her arms with a gesture of despair.
“No, Andrew, I must say you have changed. Oh, how you have....”
“Your doctor tells you to go to bed earlier,” said Prince Andrew.
“You had better go.”
The princess said nothing, but suddenly her short downy lip quivered.
Prince Andrew rose, shrugged his shoulders, and walked about the room.
Pierre looked over his spectacles with naïve surprise, now at him and
now at her, moved as if about to rise too, but changed his mind.
“Why should I mind Monsieur Pierre being here?” exclaimed the little
princess suddenly, her pretty face all at once distorted by a tearful
grimace. “I have long wanted to ask you, Andrew, why you have changed
so to me? What have I done to you? You are going to the war and have no
pity for me. Why is it?”
“Lise!” was all Prince Andrew said. But that one word expressed
an entreaty, a threat, and above all conviction that she would herself
regret her words. But she went on hurriedly:
“You treat me like an invalid or a child. I see it all! Did you behave
like that six months ago?”
“Lise, I beg you to desist,” said Prince Andrew still more
emphatically.
Pierre, who had been growing more and more agitated as he listened to
all this, rose and approached the princess. He seemed unable to bear the
sight of tears and was ready to cry himself.
“Calm yourself, Princess! It seems so to you because.... I assure you
I myself have experienced ... and so ... because ... No, excuse me!
An outsider is out of place here.... No, don’t distress yourself....
Good-by!”
Prince Andrew caught him by the hand.
“No, wait, Pierre! The princess is too kind to wish to deprive me of
the pleasure of spending the evening with you.”
“No, he thinks only of himself,” muttered the princess without
restraining her angry tears.
“Lise!” said Prince Andrew dryly, raising his voice to the pitch
which indicates that patience is exhausted.
Suddenly the angry, squirrel-like expression of the princess’ pretty
face changed into a winning and piteous look of fear. Her beautiful eyes
glanced askance at her husband’s face, and her own assumed the timid,
deprecating expression of a dog when it rapidly but feebly wags its
drooping tail.
“Mon Dieu, mon Dieu!” she muttered, and lifting her dress with one
hand she went up to her husband and kissed him on the forehead.
“Good night, Lise,” said he, rising and courteously kissing her hand
as he would have done to a stranger.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
When people operate from fundamentally different value systems, every major decision becomes a collision because each person assumes the other shares their navigation framework.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when people are arguing from completely different frameworks rather than just disagreeing about facts.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when workplace conflicts involve one person prioritizing security while another values growth—listen for the underlying navigation system, not just the surface disagreement.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"How is it that we women don't want anything of the kind, don't need it?"
Context: She's trying to understand why men feel compelled to go to war when women don't share this desire
This reveals the fundamental disconnect between male and female perspectives on duty and risk. Lise genuinely cannot comprehend why anyone would choose danger over safety and family.
In Today's Words:
Why do you guys always have to prove something? Why can't you just be happy with what we have?
"I don't understand it; I don't in the least understand why men can't live without wars."
Context: She's expressing her frustration about Andrew's decision to leave his safe position
Shows how women often bear the emotional and practical costs of men's ambitions. Her repetition of 'don't understand' emphasizes her genuine confusion and helplessness.
In Today's Words:
I just don't get why you need to chase after dangerous situations when we have a good thing going here.
"Prince Andrew rose and politely placed a chair for her."
Context: Andrew's formal behavior when his wife enters the room
The word 'politely' suggests cold formality rather than warm affection. He treats his wife like a guest rather than an intimate partner, showing the emotional distance in their marriage.
In Today's Words:
He acted like she was a coworker instead of his wife.
Thematic Threads
Communication Breakdown
In This Chapter
Andrew and Lise speak past each other, using the same words but meaning completely different things about duty, family, and responsibility
Development
Building from earlier social misunderstandings to intimate marital disconnect
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you and your partner keep having the 'same' argument but never seem to understand each other's actual point
Gender Expectations
In This Chapter
Lise is expected to accept Andrew's decision without question, while her fears and needs are dismissed as feminine weakness
Development
Deepening the exploration of how social roles constrain authentic expression
In Your Life:
You see this when someone's concerns are dismissed because they don't fit expected gender responses to stress or change
Identity vs. Relationship
In This Chapter
Andrew prioritizes his personal growth and duty over his wife's security needs, creating a fundamental tension between self-actualization and partnership
Development
Expanding the theme of individual identity within social structures
In Your Life:
You face this tension when pursuing career opportunities, education, or personal goals that your family sees as threatening their stability
Power Dynamics
In This Chapter
Andrew holds ultimate decision-making power in the marriage, while Lise can only express disapproval through emotional appeals that are easily dismissed
Development
Showing how social hierarchies play out in intimate relationships
In Your Life:
You might notice this when someone in your life makes unilateral decisions that affect you, expecting compliance rather than genuine partnership
Social Performance
In This Chapter
Both Andrew and Lise maintain polite facades for Pierre's benefit, hiding their real conflict behind social expectations of marital harmony
Development
Continuing the theme of authentic self versus social presentation
In Your Life:
You experience this when you and someone close disagree but must maintain appearances in public or professional settings
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What different concerns do Andrew and Lise each have about his decision to go to war?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do you think Andrew and Lise can't seem to understand each other's perspective, even though they're both making reasonable points?
analysis • medium - 3
When have you seen couples, friends, or family members argue past each other like this - where both people seem to be having completely different conversations?
application • medium - 4
If you were Pierre in this situation, how would you try to help Andrew and Lise understand each other's 'maps' instead of just staying silent?
application • deep - 5
What does this scene reveal about how people can grow apart even when they live in the same house and love each other?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Translate Between Maps
Think of a recent disagreement you had where both sides seemed reasonable but you couldn't find common ground. Write a short 'translation guide' - first describe what each person was really worried about or hoping for, then rewrite each person's main argument in language the other person would understand and value.
Consider:
- •Look for the underlying values driving each position, not just the surface argument
- •Consider what 'success' or 'safety' means to each person in this situation
- •Think about whether you were both trying to solve the same problem or different ones entirely
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you realized you and someone close to you were using completely different 'maps' to navigate the same situation. What did you learn about bridging that gap?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 8: The Marriage Warning
After this uncomfortable domestic scene, we'll see how Prince Andrew and Pierre continue their conversation once they're alone, likely revealing more about Andrew's true motivations for seeking military service and what he's really running from.
