Chapter 163
The Morning After Shame
Márya Dmítrievna, having found Sónya weeping in the corridor, made her confess everything, and intercepting the note to Natásha she read it and went into Natásha’s room with it in her hand. “You shameless good-for-nothing!” said she. “I won’t hear a word.” Pushing back Natásha who looked at her with astonished but tearless eyes, she locked her in; and having given orders to the yard porter to admit the persons who would be coming that evening, but not to let them out again, and having told the footman to bring them up to her, she seated herself in the drawing…
Public-domain chapter text, formatted for reading.
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"You shameless good-for-nothing!” said she. “I won’t hear a word.”"
Context: Entering Natasha's room with the intercepted note
Shame arrives as shouted verdict.
In Today's Words:
Marya Dmitrievna calls Natasha shameless and refuses to listen. Crisis language can freeze a person into silence instead of repair. When help starts with contempt, expect shame to deepen before facts get heard. Name who gains leverage and who bears the private cost once the room empties.
"I have no betrothed: I have refused him!” cried Natásha."
Context: Rejecting Marya Dmitrievna's appeal to Andrew
Defiance mixes loyalty to the wrong man.
In Today's Words:
Natasha cries she has no betrothed because she already refused Andrew. Under shame people cling to the last story that felt chosen. Track whether the declaration protects truth or the seducer. Name who gains leverage and who bears the private cost once the room empties.
"Let me be!... What is it to me?... I shall die!” she muttered,"
Context: Wrenching away from Marya Dmitrievna on the sofa
Identity collapses faster than reputation.
In Today's Words:
Natasha mutters to be left alone, that nothing matters, that she will die. Shame says you are ruined, not that you erred. When someone speaks in absolutes after a scandal, treat it as medical urgency, not drama. Name who gains leverage and who bears the private cost once the room empties.
"Why have you interfered at all? Why? Why? Who asked you to?” shouted Natásha, raising herself on the sofa and looking malignantly at Márya Dmítrievna."
Context: Blaming the woman who stopped the elopement
Rescuers become enemies under humiliation.
In Today's Words:
Natasha shouts why Marya Dmitrievna interfered and who asked her to. Humiliation often attacks the person who prevented worse harm. If you guard someone in crisis, expect rage aimed at you first. Name who gains leverage and who bears the private cost once the room empties.
Thematic Threads
Damage Control
In This Chapter
Marya Dmitrievna hides the affair from the count and locks the house
Development
Shifts from trap at the gate to silence inside
In Your Life:
You might manage appearances while the person inside stops speaking.
Willful Ignorance
In This Chapter
Count Rostov reads distress yet accepts illness without inquiry
Development
Extends family habit of comfort over truth
In Your Life:
You might choose not to ask because the answer would require action.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
How does Marya Dmitrievna prepare for the abductors?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
She locks Natasha, tells the porter to admit men but not let them out, and orders the footman to bring them to her.
- 2
How does Natasha respond to confrontation at midnight?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
She is dry-eyed, convulsive, rejects Andrew, defends Anatole, and wishes to die.
- 3
When have you seen a rescuer blamed by the person they saved?
application • mediumOne way to read it
Name the shame behind the rage. Andrew maps Natasha shouting at Marya Dmitrievna.
- 4
What does Count Rostov do when he finds Natasha ill?
application • deepOne way to read it
He worries briefly, accepts denials and illness, and avoids probing the disgrace he senses.
- 5
Why does Marya Dmitrievna want to hide the affair from the count?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
She fears duel, scandal, and ruin for the family while trying to contain what already happened.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Family's Silence Zones
Draw a simple family tree or friend group diagram. Mark the topics everyone avoids discussing with each person. Notice patterns: What subjects create the most elaborate avoidance? Who works hardest to maintain these silences? What would happen if someone broke the pattern and spoke honestly about one of these avoided topics?
Consider:
- •Some silences protect genuine privacy - focus on the ones that enable harm or prevent healing
- •The person working hardest to maintain silence often has the most to lose if truth comes out
- •Breaking silence requires choosing the right time, place, and approach - not just blurting things out
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone's protective silence actually made a situation worse for you. What did you need instead of protection? How would you handle a similar situation now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 164: When the Truth Comes Out
Count Rostóv's willful ignorance won't last long. Sometimes the truth has a way of forcing itself into the light, no matter how hard we try to keep it buried.
