War & Peace Podnotes, A Study Guide

On his return as a lieutenant in a fancy military jacket laced with silver as well as possessing a St. George’s Cross for bravery, Nicholas is treated magnificently. Nicholas gets used to it and develops an ego that leaves him open to being taken advantage of. The finances of his aristocratic family are brought out, noting how his affable father, Ilya, was bestowing a trove on his Prodigal son, as well as other celebratory events after remortgaging his estates. Illya purchased his son a fine horse that could enter races and also the most fashionable outfits. With his new look and demeanor, Nicholas would be seen at the elite social events. He also visited a woman on the boulevard…a fairly clear reference to a prostitute. He relished being home as a young man aware of the world.   He left behind childish things, such as once feeling disconcerted about sneaking around his mansion kissing Sonya. He also visited the historical English Club – a social institution started by English merchants around 1770 that gathe