How can Prince Andrey’s introversion and melancholy in Tolstoy’s War and Peace be interpreted within the context of Freud’s Mourning and Melancholia?

In Leo Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace , Prince Andrey Bolkonsky is one of the figures who embodies the most intense internal conflicts in the narrative. Andrey’s war experience, the death of his wife, and the collapse of his ideals transform him into an increasingly withdrawn, introverted, and emotionally numb individual. When this state of mind is read in light of Freud’s distinction in his text *Mourning and Melancholia* (Trauer und Melancholie, 1917), it becomes clear that Andrey’s condition is not simply a process of mourning, but rather a melancholic crisis of identification .

1. Mourning and Melancholia in Freud: A Theoretical Framework

In his text *Mourning and Melancholia* , Freud defines mourning and melancholia as two seemingly similar, but structurally different, mental states. Mourning is a healthy and temporary response to the loss of a loved one; melancholia, on the other hand, is a pathological process characterized by the internalization of the loss within the self.

“In mourning, the world seems impoverished and empty; in melancholia, it is the self itself that is impoverished and emptied.”(Freud, Mourning and Melancholia , translated by Emre Kapkın, Metis Publications, p. 252)

The hallmark of melancholia is the narcissistic identification with the lost object . Instead of losing the object, the subject incorporates it into their self, and therefore, anger directed at the object transforms into self-hatred directed at the self .

2. Prince Andrey’s Losses: The Failure of Mourning

The onset of Prince Andrey’s melancholy is linked to the death of his wife (Lise). However, Tolstoy’s narrative clearly shows that Andrey cannot overcome this loss by “mourning.” Instead of reconnecting with the world after the loss, Andrey withdraws from life .

“He seemed to want nothing anymore; neither fame, nor future, nor closeness to people.”(Tolstoy, War and Peace , translated by Ayşe Hacıhasanoğlu, Can Yayınları, vol. 2, p. 318)

This situation does not fit Freud’s definition of mourning. Because in the grieving process, the subject gradually redirects their libidinal attachments to new objects. In Andrey, however, this reconnection does not occur; the loss is internalized and becomes frozen .

3. Melancholic Withdrawal and Loss of Self

According to Freud, in melancholia, the subject feels worthless, inadequate, and guilty; this is the result of unconscious criticism directed at the object being turned towards the self.

“In melancholy, the subject despises and belittles himself, and believes he deserves punishment.”(Freud, Mourning and Melancholia , p. 255)

Prince Andrey’s introversion is also characterized by a similar loss of self-worth. His thoughts on the meaninglessness of life are not only a philosophical stance but also a melancholic disintegration of the self .

“Life seemed like a mistake; everything was empty and pointless.”(Tolstoy, War and Peace , vol. 2, p. 341)

The striking point in this statement is that it is not the world that is devalued, but life itself. This aligns with the fundamental criterion in Freud’s definition of melancholia.

4. The Ideal Self, Glory, and Melancholic Downfall

Another source of Andrey’s melancholy is the collapse of his ideal self-image , which he held before the war . The Austerlitz experience is not only a physical defeat for Andrey, but also a narcissistic rupture:

“The sky… had never seemed so high and boundless to him before.”(Tolstoy, War and Peace , vol. 1, p. 292)

This scene symbolizes the collapse of Andrey’s self, which is identified with the ideal of “fame.” From a Freudian perspective, this signifies the loss of the ideal object . However, Andrey confronts this loss not through mourning, but through a melancholic internalization.

5. Natasha and Partial Recovery: The Possibility of Grief

The relationship he forms with Natasha Rostova represents a possibility for Andrey to emerge from his melancholy. According to Freud, the completion of mourning is possible only when the libido can attach itself to a new object. In Andrey, this process occurs in a short-lived and fragile manner.

“A vitality he hadn’t felt in a long time stirred within him.”(Tolstoy, War and Peace , vol. 3, p. 214)

However, this recovery is not permanent. The melancholic disposition results in a renewed withdrawal. This suggests that Andrey’s melancholy is structural, not situational .

In summary

When read within the context of Freud’s text *Mourning and Melancholia* , Prince Andrey Bolkonsky’s withdrawal can be seen not so much as a healthy mourning process, but rather as a melancholic crisis of identification . Andrey is unable to process his losses in the external world; he internalizes them, thus devaluing life. Therefore, Andrey’s melancholia can be read not merely as an individual state of mind, but as a psychoanalytic representation of the modern subject’s loss of ideals, meaning, and wholeness .

In this context , War and Peace can be considered not only a historical novel, but also an early and powerful literary scene depicting the birth of the melancholic subject.

Source

Freud, Sigmund. Mourning and Melancholia . Translated by Emre Kapkın. Istanbul: Metis Publications.
Tolstoy, Lev. War and Peace . Translated by Ayşe Hacıhasanoğlu. Istanbul: Can Publications.
Ricoeur, Paul. Freud and Philosophy . New Haven: Yale University Press.
Laplanche, Jean & Pontalis, J.-B. The Language of Psychoanalysis . London: Karnac.