War & Peace Podnotes, A Study Guide

This episode involves Marya Bolkonskaya reading Julie Karagin’s letter and covers Marya’s response. Each missive is written in French and the content serves as a way to bring the reader up-to-speed on the time transpiring since Count Bezukhov's death.  Each letter also serves as an exposition of the nature of the characters: Julie is revealed as a somewhat vapid heiress and Marya, the ideal child of God. Julie begins through speaking about her affinity for Marya and commenting on how Julie draws moral strength from Marya's penetrating eyes. Tolstoy notes how Marya actually has something of a sickly look and thin features. But Marya has deep, luminous eyes, which usually express her melancholy demeanor. Her eyes are so lovely that in spite of the plainness of her face, Marya holds a charm more attractive than beauty. As has often been said, the eyes are the window to the soul. Julie reminisces about the happy times the two spent when Julie visited Bald Hills.  Julie relays that in Moscow the talk is fo