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Definition of Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to... read full definition
Volume 2, Part 5: Chapters 1–4
Explanation and Analysis—Marya and Prince Nikolai:
In a surprising paradox, Tolstoy suggests that Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky is particularly effective at tormenting his daughter, Princess Marya, because of his love for her. As Prince Andrei throws himself into the defense of Russia, Prince Nikolai's treatment of Marya becomes increasingly cruel and abusive:
The greatest of all the princess’s griefs, came from her father’s irritability, which was always directed against her and lately had reached the point of cruelty. If he had made her bow to the ground all night, if he had beaten her, made her carry firewood and water, it would not even have occurred to her that her position was difficult; but this loving tormentor—the more cruel because he loved her and because of that tormented himself and her—knew not only how to insult and humiliate her deliberately, but also how to prove to her that she was always to blame for everything.
Prince Nikolai has mistreated Princess Marya for much of her life, subjecting her to grueling lessons and tests and mocking her physical appearance. Upon his last visit to the family, Prince Andrei fought with his father over his treatment of Marya and his intimacy with Mlle. Bourienne. Rather than treating Marya better, however, Prince Andrei doubles down on his abuse, even while he does follow his son's advice in distancing himself from Mlle. Bourienne.
If, Tolstoy writes, her father had merely beaten Marya physically, she could have borne this pain in a saint-like manner. However, Prince Nikolai is a "loving tormentor," an oxymoron that suggests that he loves and despises her simultaneously. He is, Tolstoy suggests, "more cruel because he loved her and because of that tormented himself and her." Paradoxically, his love for her contributes to his cruelty, as his own self-hatred, bolstered by his poor treatment of her, further contributes to his anger. Because of their close relationship as father and daughter, he is better able to "insult and humiliate her" in ways that truly cause her pain and grief.
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