War and Peace · Character
Pelagéya
- Supporting
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 96
Pelagéya seems to make herself smaller in a room, lowering her eyes and watching from the edges of her gaze. Beneath her meekness is a startling, almost childlike openness, and her feelings show quickly in her face.
- Gender
- female
- Age
- elderly
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 96
- Books
- 1
Pelagéya appears as an elderly woman whose meek manners and anxious gestures make her seem painfully exposed. A moment of shock breaks through that reserve, coloring her face and revealing how deeply she has been affected. The text offers no further account of her life beyond this brief, memorable encounter.
Description
Pelagéya is thin and shriveled, with an elderly frame and a meek expression. Her face is described as childlike, an arresting contrast to her age. She lowers her eyes and casts sidelong glances, while her hands and face betray her feelings; no hair, eye color, or clothing details are given.
Connections
Family & partnersFriends & mentorsRivals
Pierre Bezúkhovpilgrim and charitable benefactor
Pelagéya remembers Pierre’s earlier gift of ten rubles and regards him as a benefactor. His skeptical joking briefly offends and frightens her, but he apologizes sincerely.
Princess Mary Bolkónskayadevout patron and pilgrim guest
Mary secretly receives Pelagéya and other religious pilgrims despite her father’s orders to turn them away, and tries to protect Pelagéya from ridicule.
- I
Ivánushkafellow pilgrims
They travel as religious pilgrims; Pelagéya recounts that she encountered Ivánushka on the road.
Story so far
BOOK 1War and Peace
Appearances
Meet Pelagéya in Bookworm
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