Book 8, Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11

CHAPTER 8

 Natasha, Sonya, the count, and Marya all go to see an opera. There, Natasha thinks of Andrew and pays no mid to all the people who are looking at her, admiring her beauty. She sees Boris and his new fiance, Julie, and presumes they are talking about her. She also sees Helene and remarks at her beauty, saying that she is so beautiful that it must be easy to love her.

*Natasha is becoming very superficial, only caring about looks.*

Important Quotes

Natasha (about Boris and Julie): "They are talking about us, about me and him!" thought Natásha. "And he no doubt is calming her jealousy of me. They needn't trouble themselves! If only they knew how little I am concerned about any of them."

Natasha (about Helene): "Wonderful!" answered Natásha. "She's a woman one could easily fall in love with."

CHAPTER 9

Natasha watches the opera, remarking how artificial it seems. However, everyone around her seems to enjoy it, so she resolves that the artificiality of it is normal. She sees Anatole Kuragin walk down the aisle and notices that he is looking at her a lot. She enjoys the attention her gives her. Helene claims that she wants to get to know the girls better and asks Natasha to sit by her for the rest of the opera.

Important Quotes

Natasha: "She knew what it was all meant to represent, but it was so pretentiously false and unnatural that she first felt ashamed for the actors and then amused at them. She looked at the faces of the audience, seeking in them the same sense of ridicule and perplexity she herself experienced, but they all seemed attentive to what was happening on the stage, and expressed delight which to Natásha seemed feigned. "I suppose it has to be like this!"

CHAPTER 10

Anatole comes to Natasha and talks to her. He is quite the ladies' man and sweet-talks Natasha, gazing into her eyes. She feels as though they have known each other for a while and feels enraptured by his gaze. Anatole invites her to a costume party. She forgets everything about Andrew and Mary when she is talking to Anatole. Later on, she fears that her love for Andrew is fading as she thinks of Anatole.

Important Quotes

Natasha (about Anatole): "But looking into his eyes she was frightened, realizing that there was not that barrier of modesty she had always felt between herself and other men. She did not know how it was that within five minutes she had come to feel herself terribly near to this man. When she turned away she feared he might seize her from behind by her bare arm and kiss her on the neck."

CHAPTER 11

Anatole's intentions are to have sex with Natasha and nothing more. Apparently, he is a married man but is playing it off as though he is not in order to attract women in Moscow.

Important Quotes

"[Anatole] was convinced that, as a duck is so made that it must live in water, so God had made him such that he must spend thirty thousand rubles a year and always occupy a prominent position in society. He believed this so firmly that others, looking at him, were persuaded of it too and did not refuse him either a leading place in society or money, which he borrowed from anyone and everyone and evidently would not repay."