CHAPTER 9
Prince Andrew has just come out of a battle where the Austrian General Schmidt was killed. Andrew is to deliver the message about the poor conditions of Kutuzov's army, the victory they recently had, and Schmidt's death to the Austrian Minister of War who couldn't care less. The Minister of War says that Andrew may be able to see the emperor soon and recount the events of the battle. Andrew, seeing how little this troubled the Minister of War, begins to realize that the battle he fought in seemed so far away and insignificant.
Important Quotes
"Then he [Andrew] began to imagine that the Russians were
running away and that he himself was killed, but he quickly roused himself
with a feeling of joy, as if learning afresh that this was not so but that
on the contrary the French had run away"
"When Prince Andrew left the palace he felt that all the interest and
happiness the victory had afforded him had been now left in the
indifferent hands of the Minister of War and the polite adjutant. The
whole tenor of his thoughts instantaneously changed; the battle seemed the
memory of a remote event long past."
CHAPTER 10
Andrew goes to stay at the diplomat Bilibin's house. There, he tells Bilibin how uninterested the Minister of War had been at the news of the victory of Kutuzov's army and Bilibin replies that it is only such a small, insignificant victory. Vienna has been overtaken by the French and the war progresses, so such a small victory wouldn't trouble the minister. Bilibin also states how he thinks that Austria is wounded at not used to being taken over. Soon she will either retaliate or make peace with the French in secret. Andrew goes to bed, still thinking about the war he was just in.
*Since the battle affected Andrew so much, leaving such a deep impression in his mind, he therefore thinks that everybody else must think it's important when, really, it was not*
Important Quotes
Andrew: "Mack loses a whole army,
the Archduke Ferdinand and the Archduke Karl give no signs of life and
make blunder after blunder. Kutuzov alone at last gains a real victory,
destroying the spell of the invincibility of the French, and the Minister
of War does not even care to hear the details."
Bilibin: "The one general whom we all loved,
Schmidt, you expose to a bullet, and then you congratulate us on the
victory! Admit that more irritating news than yours could not have been
conceived."
"[Andrew] felt his heart palpitating as he rode forward
beside Schmidt with the bullets merrily whistling all around, and he
experienced tenfold the joy of living, as he had not done since childhood.
He woke up...
"Yes, that all happened!" he said, and, smiling happily to himself like a
child, he fell into a deep, youthful slumber."
CHAPTER 11
Andrew prepares to go see the emperor to talk about the recent events of war. He meets in Bilibin's halls with Prince Hippolyte Kuragin who is a secretary to the embassy now and several other elite men. In the room they are discussing women and gossip. They tell Andrew that they must show him around while he is there in Brunn. Kuragin seems a little hostile towards Andrew (being jealous of him and his wife, the little princess). Kuragin says that he will have to show Andrew the women in the area.
Important Quotes
"In general we must turn this bloodthirsty soldier to more humane
interests," said Bilibin. (to Andrew)
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