War & Peace Podnotes, A Study Guide

The Countess Rostova and Anna Drubestkoya get to their brief discussion. Anna displays the art of asking for something, without directly asking. After some small talk, Anna divulges she needs 500 rubles to set her son up in the Imperial Guard. The money will be for uniforms and related equipment/supplies, which a recruit had to pay for. Officers could be expected to afford the expense as they were primarily from aristocratic circles while the general body of soldiers were taken from the Czar’s drafts and the recruitment of those without connections. The Countess and Anna both have their problems. Countess Rostova explains that hers come from keeping up with her lifestyle. She fears her husband may spend them out of house and home. In effect, it is a lot of work to keep up with appearances. Even ventures to the country, with the attendant flock of servants, are quite the ordeal. This is the life of someone well-propertied.Anna’s problems are very different and more relatable. She explains the difficulty of bei