Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 14

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Karatáev

Location: 

From Vyázma to Dorogobúzh


There is some excitement in the French army, probably caused by the Russians who are about to attack them.

Karatáev, who is still unwell sits under a tree.  Pierre keeps moving, and then hears a gunshot, and then Karatáev's dog begins to howl.  Karatáev has been shot.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 13

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Karatáev

Location: 

From Vyázma to Dorogobúzh


Karatáev tells Pierre a story about an old merchant who was framed for murder, then mutilated and then sent to Siberia for hard labour as punishment.

While in Siberia, the criminals share stories as to why they were there and the merchant says that he has sinned, but did not commit the murder.  The person who did commit the murder happens to be in the chain-gang, and writes his confession to free the old man, for he feels he has taken too many people's lives.  The Tsar frees the old merchant, but by the time the release comes, the merchant has already died. 

Karatáev remarks that only those who God has forgiven, and who do not want to die, get freedom from life in the end. 

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 12

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Karatáev

Location: 

From Vyázma to Dorogobúzh


From Vyázma the French army consolidates to a single column, down from three.  At Dorogobúzh, some of Pierre's fellow prisoners escape, only to be recaptured and shot. 

The prisoners are down from more than three-hundred to less than a hundre due to poor conditions, starving, and being shot if they lagged behind.

Pierre philosophises that there is little difference between the unhappiness between someone sleeping on a bed of rose petals with a crumpled petal, and his own unhappiness at sleeping on a cold, hard ground.  

Karatáev gets the same fever that he had in Moscow, and it seems like he will die soon.

Volume 3: Book 13 - Chapter 11

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Karatáev

Location: 

Moscow

Pierre is still a prisoner in the shed, but seems to be allowed to go around in the yard outside.  He has lost weight, but, has maintained a look of manly strength about him.

Pierre has become a favourite with the French, since he speaks French very well, and also, is educated.  

A French soldier who gave some linen to one of the prisoners, Karatáev, to make into a shirt, returns to pick up the shirt.  The Frenchman wants to keep the scraps, but then understands that Karatáev would like to keep them to turn into leg straps, and lets him keep them.

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 13

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov
Platón Karatáev
23 soldiers
3 officers
2 officials

Location: 

Moscow 

Pierre remains in confinement in the shed for four weeks.

In this time, he comes to admire Platón as the epitome of simpleness and truth.

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 12

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov
Platón Karatáev

Location: 

Moscow 

Pierre is taken to a dark shed, where he is confined with a number of Russian soldiers.  Pierre has lost all sense of order in the universe since witnessing the murders by men who didn't want to commit them, and has even lost hope in God.

He is befriended by Platón Karatáev, who has such a kindly voice that it makes Pierre want to weep.   Platón tells Pierre his life story, and gives Pierre some potatoes and salt to eat.

When Platón falls asleep, Pierre listens to the man's snoring, and begins to discover a new beauty in the universe.