Sonya (War and Peace)

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Fictional character

Sonya

War and Peace character
Created by| Leo Tolstoy
Portrayed by| May Britt
Irina Gubanova
Joanna David
Aisling Loftus
Brittain Ashford
Maimuna Memon
Ingrid Michaelson
In-universe information
Full name| Sofya Alexandrovna Rostova(?)
Nickname| Sonya, Sophie, Sonyushka
Gender| Female
Family| Vera Rostova,
Nikolai Rostov,
Natasha Rostova,
Petya Rostov (cousins)
Religion| Russian Orthodox
Nationality| Russian

Sofya Alexandrovna "Sonya" (Russian: Софья Александровна "Соня"; French: Sophie) is a character in Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel War and Peace, and in Sergey Prokofiev's 1955 opera War and Peace and Dave Malloy's 2012 musical Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 based on it. She is the orphaned niece of Count and Countess Rostov. Although sometimes called Sonya Rostova, it is not clear if that is her surname or not; the novel does not say. Alexandrovna is a patronymic.

## Biography

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At the start of the novel, 15-year-old Sonya is in love with her cousin, Nikolai Rostov, who initially reciprocates her feelings. Sonya has no independent means of support and Nikolai's mother opposes the match; she and Nikolai swear eternal love before he leaves to fight in the war.

Nikolai returns home on leave with Dolokhov, a fellow soldier. Dolokhov is charmed by Sonya and proposes marriage. The countess encourages her to accept, but Sonya refuses. Natasha asks Nikolai to try to change her mind but she does not. She knows Nikolai no longer reciprocates her affection yet gives her own love freely and unconditionally.

Nikolai and Sonya rekindle their love when he returns from the war and they become engaged, much to the displeasure of the countess, who desires her son to marry a rich heiress. The countess accuses Sonya of ingratitude. Sonya is torn between her desire to be happy and her duty to sacrifice herself. She is dependent on the Rostov family and devotes herself to them.

When Sonya hears that Nikolai has fallen in love with Princess Maria Bolkonskaya, she is deeply hurt, though she believes the countess is correct in thinking that the only solution to the family's financial troubles is Nikolai's marriage to the wealthy Princess Maria. Sonya hopes that Nikolai's pride will prevent the marriage; however, she eventually accepts it.

She is offered a place in Nikolai's new home where she dotes on his children. Nikolai and Maria accept Sonya although they feel guilty. Maria admits to Natasha that she is unfair to Sonya and Natasha explains that Sonya is "a sterile flower" and that although she had wished for Nikolai to marry her, she had a presentiment it would not happen. Natasha admits she is sorry for Sonya, but that Sonya is the kind of person who chooses to lose and is content in that role.

## See also

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* List of characters in War and Peace

## References

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* Gregg, Richard (Summer 2002). "Psyche Betrayed: The Doll's House of Leo Tolstoy". The Slavic and East European Journal. 46 (2): 269–282\. doi:10.2307/3086176. JSTOR 3086176.

## External links

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* A Sterile Flower - Essay on Sonya
* "Sonia Rostova (Character) from Voyna i mir (1967)," The Internet Movie Database

* v
* t
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Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace (1869)

Fictional characters|

* Pierre Bezukhov
* Andrei Bolkonsky
* Natasha Rostova
* Marya Bolkonskaya
* Nikolai Rostov
* Hélène Kuragina
* Sonya
* Anatole Kuragin
* Petya Rostov
* All characters

Historical characters|

* Napoleon
* Mikhail Kutuzov
* Barclay de Tolly
* Pyotr Bagration
* Fyodor Rostopchin
* Alexander I of Russia
* Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov

Events|

* Napoleonic Wars
* Battle of Schöngrabern
* Battle of Austerlitz
* Treaties of Tilsit
* French invasion of Russia
* Battle of Borodino
* Fire of Moscow
* Battle of Krasnoi
* Great Comet of 1811

Film|

* War and Peace (1915)
* War and Peace (1956)
* War and Peace (1966–67 series)

TV|

* War and Peace (1972 series)
* War and Peace (2007 miniseries)
* War & Peace (2016 series)

Other adaptations|

* War and Peace (1942 opera)
* Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (2012 musical)

Related|

* War and Peace (1980 board game)
* War and Peace: 1796–1815 (2002 video game)

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