Sonya
An orphan in the Rostov household
BOOK ONE
Book 1, Part 1
8 Jan: Chapter 8
The count’s fifteen-year-old niece comes into the drawing room with Natasha and the other children.
9 Jan: Chapter 9
Here, we learn that Sonya adores her cousin Nikolai. She is a “slender little brunette” who has something of a “half-grown kitten” about her looks and demeanour. And she does not like how Nikolai smiles at Julie Karagina.
10 Jan: Chapter 10
In the conservatory, Nikolai consoles an angry and upset Sonya and seals it with a kiss. He wants to prove his love, but Sonya says she doesn’t like him to talk like that.
15 Jan: Chapter 15
Behind her smile, she is “tormented by jealousy” with the intimacy between Nikolai and Julie Karagin at Natasha’s party.
17 Jan: Chapter 17
Natasha finds her sobbing on a chest in the passage, “the place of mourning.” Vera has told her that their mother will never allow her to marry Nikolai. And that he cares only for Julie. Natasha comforts her and reassures her that it is “quite possible”.
Book 1, Part 3
21 Feb: Chapter 6
When Sonya hears the news, she "instantly turned white" at the thought of Nikolai being wounded. "I am in love with your brother," she tells Natasha, "and whatever may happen to him or to me, I shall never cease to love him." She blushes to hear that Nikolai still thinks the same of her.
BOOK TWO
Book 2, Part 1
7 Mar: Chapter 1
Nikolai comes home.
Sonya too, all rosy red, clung to his arm and, radiant with bliss, looked eagerly towards his eyes, waiting for the look for which she longed. Sonya was now sixteen and she was very pretty, especially at this moment of happy rapturoys excitement. She gazed at hom, not taking her eyes off him, and smiling and holding her breath.
The next day, Natasha talks to her brother. She tells him that Sonya still loves him but wants him to be free. Free of their childhood promise to one another.
8 Mar: Chapter 2
We learn that while in Moscow, Nikolai drifts away from Sonya.
17 Mar: Chapter 11
Sonya rejects Dolokhov’s marriage proposal, saying she loves another. She then tells Nikolai that “I love you as a brother and always shall, and I want nothing more.” It isn’t entirely convincing.
18 Mar: Chapter 12
At Iogel’s ball, Natasha and Sonya are pretty and happy. “That evening, proud of Dolokhov’s proposal, her refusal, and her explanation with Nikolai, Sonya twirled about before she left home so that the maid could hardly get her hair braided, and was transparently radiant with impulsive joy.”
21 Mar: Chapter 15
When Nikolai returns from losing at cards, everyone is grouped around the clavichord. “Sonya and Natasha in the light blue dresses they had worn at the theatre, looking pretty and conscious of it, were standing by the clavichord happy and smiling.”
22 Mar: Chapter 16
Sonya was more tender and devoted to [Nikolai] than ever. It was as if she wanted tos how him that his losses were an achievement that made her love him all the more, but Nikolai now considered himself unworthy of her.
Book 2, Part 3
14 Apr: Chapter 2
Andrei visits Ilya Rostov on business at his house at Otradnoe. Rostov is living in the country as he always does: extravagantly, entertaining everyone with hunts, theatricals, dinners, and music. Andrei is struck by Natasha’s happiness: “Why is she so happy?” On a beautiful moonlit night, he overhears Sonya and Natasha looking at the moon. Natasha would like to fly to it. The scene stirs “youthful thoughts and hopes” in Andrei.
26 Apr: Chapter 14
Sonya gets ready to go to the ball with the Rostovs.
27 Apr: Chapter 15
She and Natasha arrive at their first ball.
29 Apr: Chapter 17
Sonya gets all Natasha’s “superfluous partners” at the dance.
3 May: Chapter 21
Sonya joins the Rostovs at Vera’s housewarming.
4 May: Chapter 22
“Sonya was afraid to leave Natasha and afraid of being in the way when she was with them.”
Book 2, Part 4
16 May: Chapter 8
Nikolai and his mother argue about marriage, and Nikolai grows closer again to Sonya. The Countess treats her more formally and coldly but she cannot find fault with Sonya’s behaviour.
17 May: Chapter 9
On a dull day in Christmas week, Sonya is doing her embroidery while Natasha is moping. ‘You always find something to do, you I can’t.’ After tea, they go with Nikolai to ‘their favourite corner where their most intimate talks always began.’
18 May: Chapter 10
Nikolai and Natasha share ‘poetic, youthful’ memories, while Sonya struggles to keep pace. Natasha sings and Petya announces the mummers. They all dress up and set off to one of their neighbours. Sonya’s costume awakens something in her and as they ride across a new and enchanted meadow, Nikolai discovers he is in love with the Circassian with the burnt-cork moustache.
19 May: Chapter 11
At the Melyukova house, the mummer party dance and play games. Nikolai does not leave Sonya’s side. They stay for supper and learn of the empty bath-house where you can hear your fortune. Despite or because of the ghost stories, Sonya asks to go. Nikolai follows her out the house and meets her on the path. They kiss and embrace, go to the barn and return, separately, to the house.
20 May: Chapter 12
On the ride home, Nikolai tells Natasha he has made his decision about marrying Sonya. Natasha and Sonya prepare for bed and sit up with Dunyasha and two looking-glasses. They look in them to see some sort of vision, and all believe Sonya has seen something (even though she hasn’t). She begins to believe it herself and tells Natasha she has seen Andrei lying down, cheerful and then ‘something blue and red.’
21 May: Chapter 13
After Christmas in fairyland: the return to reality. Nikolai tells his parents of his intentions to marry Sonya. The countess summons Sonya and speaks many cruel words leading to a furious row with Nikolai. Natasha prevents anything worse and calms tempers. Nikolai leaves for the regiment, with the serious intention to retire and marry Sonya. In January, the count goes to Moscow to sell his town house. He takes the girls.
Book 2, Part 5
27 May: Chapter 6
Sonya accompanies Natasha and Count Rostov to Moscow. She stays with Marya Dmitrievna, who greets her in French in a manner that is both affectionate and contemptuous.
28 May: Chapter 7
After Natasha’s distrastrous visit the Bolkonskys, Sonya comforts her: ‘What do they matter to you? It will all pass, Natasha.’
29 May: Chapter 8
Sonya accompanies Natasha to the opera. They both attract a lot of attention.
30 May: Chapter 9
Hélène tells the count that she wants to be ‘acquainted with your charming daughters.’ Sonya is not his daughter. But still, she wants to look after Sonya and Natasha.
5 June: Chapter 15
Sonya finds Anatole’s letter and asks Natasha about it. They argue and afterwards, Natasha writes to Marya to inform the Bolkonskys of her wish to be free of her engagement to Andrei. She meets Anatole again and Sonya begins to suspect that Natasha is planning to elope with Kuragin. She vows to guard the passage to protect Natasha and the family’s honour.
8 June: Chapter 18
Marya Dmitrievna had found Sonya in the passage and intercepted the note to Natasha.
12 June: Chapter 22
When Pierre brings Natasha’s letters back from Andrei, he gives them to Sonya. Later, Sonya comes to say Natasha wants to see Pierre.
BOOK THREE
Book 3, Part 1
29 June: Chapter 16
Sonya cares for Natasha in Moscow.
3 July: Chapter 20
Sonya finds the emperor’s address in Pierre’s hat and reads it aloud at the Rostovs.
Book 3, Part 3
Chapter 12
Sonya is sad and silent because of Nikolai’s letter mentioning Princess Marya.
Chapter 14
Sonya helps Natasha with packing.
Chapter 16
Sonya diligently makes a list of everything left behind.
Chapter 17
Sonya discovers that Andrei is among the wounded and tells the countess.
Chapter 31
Sonya attempts to distract Natasha from his thoughts of Andrei by getting her to look at Moscow burning. But it is no use.
BOOK FOUR
Book 4, Part 1
Chapter 7
Nikolai receives a letter from Sonya releasing him from their promise to each other to marry.
Chapter 8
The story behind Sonya’s letter is revealed. Before leaving Moscow, the countess had asked Sonya to release Nikolai. For the first time, Sonya felt bitterness towards the Rostovs, for whom she had sacrificed so much. But the arrival of Andrei, the possibility of a renewed engagement between him and Natasha, emboldened Sonya to consent to the countsss’ wishes – hoping that a marriage between Nikolai and Marya would ultimately be unlawful.
Chapter 14
When Marya arrives, she thinks Sonya smiles ‘in an unpleasantly affected way’, and Marya tries to ‘stifle the hostile feeling that arose in her towards the girl.’
Chapter 16
Sonya is sitting with Andrei while he dozes. When Andrei dies, Sonya cries ‘from pity for Natasha’.