Analysis of “War and Peace” through the Lens of Sustainable Development Goals
Introduction: Recontextualizing a Literary Classic
This report re-examines Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” and its theatrical adaptation, “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812,” through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis focuses on how the novel’s core themes of interconnectedness between individual lives and large-scale conflict align with the principles of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), while also touching upon SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
The Portrayal of Conflict and its Relation to SDG 16
Theatrical Adaptation vs. Source Material
A critical divergence exists between the novel and its musical adaptation in the treatment of conflict, which has significant implications for understanding SDG 16.
- The Musical’s Perspective: The adaptation presents war as an external event, a distant backdrop described as “out there, somewhere.” This portrayal treats conflict as a plot device, extraneous to the central characters’ domestic lives, thereby disconnecting the audience from the pervasive nature of war.
- Tolstoy’s Integrated Narrative: The novel fundamentally rejects this separation. Tolstoy illustrates that war and peace are inseparable and deeply intermeshed. The narrative seamlessly shifts from domestic affairs and youthful naivete to military strategy and political maneuvering, demonstrating that conflict is not a remote occurrence but an integral part of the social fabric.
Implications for Promoting Peaceful and Inclusive Societies
The separation of war from daily life, as seen in the musical, undermines the foundational principles of SDG 16, which calls for the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies. By framing war as something beyond the influence of ordinary individuals, this perspective can foster a sense of helplessness and disengagement. Conversely, Tolstoy’s work supports the ethos of SDG 16 by showing that large-scale events are the cumulative result of individual actions, choices, and societal norms. It posits that peace is not merely the absence of conflict but a complex condition shaped by the actions of all members of society, from generals to young girls.
Interconnectedness of Individual Development and Global Goals
The Role of Youth, Education, and Gender Equality
The novel’s focus on the development of its young protagonists provides a valuable lens for examining SDGs 4 and 5.
- Personal Growth as Education (SDG 4): The characters, particularly Natasha, undergo significant personal transformation. Her journey from a naive young girl to a “more measured person” through mistakes and experience represents a form of informal education. The novel argues that wisdom and maturity are gained through engagement with the world, including its conflicts and social complexities.
- Gender Dynamics (SDG 5): The historical practice of assigning “war” sections of the novel to boys and “peace” sections to girls highlights entrenched gender stereotypes that SDG 5 seeks to dismantle. Tolstoy’s integrated narrative challenges this division by showing that female characters’ lives are as profoundly impacted by war as the male characters’ are by domestic peace, arguing for a holistic understanding of human experience irrespective of gender.
Collective Action and Historical Change
Tolstoy’s central thesis on historical change aligns directly with the principle of collective action required to achieve the SDGs. The novel’s philosophy can be summarized in the following points:
- Major historical events, including wars, are not the work of a few “great men” but are the result of the coalescence of countless individual actions.
- The personal choices, mistakes, and “foolishness” of ordinary people crescendo into significant societal shifts.
- This demonstrates that every individual contributes to the current of history, highlighting both their power and their helplessness within it.
This perspective is crucial for the 2030 Agenda, reinforcing the idea that sustainable development is a shared responsibility. The achievement of global goals depends on the cumulative impact of actions taken at every level of society.
Conclusion: Lessons for Sustainable Development
“War and Peace” offers a profound literary model for understanding the principles underpinning the Sustainable Development Goals. It argues that global challenges like conflict cannot be treated as distant or separate from individual lives. Achieving SDG 16 requires a recognition that peace and justice are built from the “minute actions” and integrated experiences of all people. The novel’s enduring strength is its illustration that the most significant world events are inextricably linked to the personal, and that sustainable progress is the product of the collective actions of a society in its entirety.
Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The article’s central theme is the nature of war and peace, directly aligning with SDG 16. It critiques the perception of war as a distant event (“out there, somewhere”) and argues that it is deeply intertwined with the personal lives and collective actions of ordinary people. This exploration of the root causes and pervasive impact of conflict is fundamental to the goal of promoting peaceful societies.
- SDG 5: Gender Equality: The article connects to SDG 5 through its example of how “War and Peace” was taught in the Soviet Union. It mentions that “boys were assigned to read only the ‘war’ sections and the girls to read only the ‘peace’ sections,” highlighting a practice that reinforces gender stereotypes and segregates experiences based on gender. This touches upon the goal of eliminating discriminatory practices and stereotypes.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article is a deep reflection on the Napoleonic wars as depicted in Tolstoy’s novel. It discusses war not as a simple plot device but as a massive, violent event resulting from the “sporadic actions of hundreds and thousands of individuals coalescing.” By analyzing the human and societal dimensions of war, the article engages with the core subject of this target.
- Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. The specific example of assigning different parts of a book to students based on their gender (“boys were assigned to read only the ‘war’ sections and the girls to read only the ‘peace’ sections”) is a form of discrimination within an educational context. This practice perpetuates the harmful stereotype that war and politics are male domains, while domestic life and romance are female domains, which is a barrier to gender equality.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- The article, being a literary analysis, does not contain quantitative data or official SDG indicators. However, it implies qualitative indicators for measuring societal attitudes and practices related to the identified targets.
- Implied Indicator for Target 16.1: The article suggests that a key challenge is the perception of war as “something beyond ordinary lives.” An implied indicator could be the “prevalence of cultural narratives that disconnect mainstream society from the realities and causes of conflict.” The author’s critique of the musical adaptation for treating war as an “off-stage set piece” points to this indicator. Progress would mean more cultural products (like literature and theatre) that, like Tolstoy’s novel, show how war “is in us, it comes from us.”
- Implied Indicator for Target 5.1: The article provides a direct example that can be used as an indicator: the “prevalence of gender-segregated curricula or educational materials.” The specific mention of boys reading “war” sections and girls reading “peace” sections serves as a clear, albeit historical, example of a practice that would need to be eliminated to achieve the target. Measuring the absence of such practices in modern educational systems would be a way to track progress.
4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators (as identified or implied in the article) |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions | 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. | Implied Indicator: The prevalence of cultural narratives that portray war as an external event disconnected from ordinary life, as critiqued in the musical’s refrain “There’s a war going on / Out there, somewhere.” |
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. | Implied Indicator: The existence of gender-segregated educational practices, exemplified by the anecdote where “boys were assigned to read only the ‘war’ sections and the girls to read only the ‘peace’ sections.” |
Source: michigandaily.com
