War and Peace · Character
Karp
- Minor
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 198
Karp has the easy confidence of a man accustomed to being heard, smiling as readily as he plants his fingers in his belt. There is something earthy and unvarnished about him: a village voice more interested in what is practical than in grand ideals.
- Gender
- male
- Age
- adult
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 198
- Books
- 1
A peasant with considerable influence in his village commune, Karp returns from government transport with news that stirs the villagers and becomes one of the crowd’s most vocal figures. His confidence gives way to rough disorder, and he is led off with another drunken peasant. After the French leave Moscow, he goes to the city to pillage, yet Tolstoy pointedly denies him any heroic glow: Karp is an ordinary man, unmoved by the high price of hay and unwilling to make a sacrifice for it.
Description
Karp is an adult peasant man in plain, work-worn village clothing, with a simple cap and a practical, unadorned look. He stands with his fingers thrust into his belt, an informal posture that suits his easy confidence. His smile is the clearest feature described, lending his face a sociable, self-assured air. Nothing in the text specifies his coloring, hair, eyes, or precise build.
Connections
Family & partnersFriends & mentorsRivals
- D
Dronvillage elder and influential peasant
Karp leads opposition among the Boguchárovo peasants and challenges Dron’s authority, accusing him of serving the masters at the commune’s expense.
Story so far
BOOK 1War and Peace
Appearances
Meet Karp in Bookworm
Meet Karp in your EPUB — spoiler-safe to the book you're on.