# Chapter XVII explained — War and Peace

> Chapter companion for War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.

## What happens

Countess Rostova, moved by her friend Anna Mikháylovna's poverty, asks her husband for money. The Count, despite his own financial troubles, provides 700 rubles. When Anna Mikháylovna returns, the Countess gives her the money for Boris's army outfit, leading to an emotional moment between the two friends as they lament the necessity of money and the passing of their youth.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Class and Privilege

The scene highlights the financial strain beneath the surface of aristocratic life. The Countess's 'blush' and the friends' tears over 'such a base thing as money' underscore the tension between noble sentiment and economic necessity.

### Family and Legacy

The Rostovs' generosity towards the Drubetskoys, despite their own troubles, demonstrates familial duty and patronage within the aristocratic network. The money is specifically for Boris's future, linking finances to legacy.

## Character check-ins

### Prince Borís Drubetskóy

The purpose of the money is for his army outfit, though he does not appear directly.

### Count Nikoláy Ilyítch Rostóv

His father, Count Rostov, is the focus of the financial interaction, showing the family's strained but generous finances.

### Anna Pávlovna

Not present. The scene features Anna Mikháylovna Drubetskaya, a different character.

## Key lines

> “Ah, money, Count, money! How much sorrow it causes in the world,” said the countess.

The Countess laments the pain and trouble that financial concerns bring into people's lives.

_Highlights a central theme of the chapter: the intrusive and distressing role of money in personal relationships._

> They wept because they were friends, and because they were kindhearted, and because they—friends from childhood—had to think about such a base thing as money, and because their youth was over.

Their tears were for their friendship, their good natures, the degrading need to discuss money, and the loss of their youth.

_Captures the complex emotional climax where generosity, shame, and nostalgia are intertwined._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/war_and_peace/chapters/xvii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/war_and_peace
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/war_and_peace/chapters