Subject: Re: [HM] Mathematics in Literature
From: John Truran (truranjk@camtech.net.au)
Date: Thu Jun 08 2000 - 08:24:05 EDT
In Chapter 22 of "War and Peace" Tolstoy describes Princess Maria's daily
mathematics lesson from her father Prince Nikolai Andreyevich Bolkonsky. It
is a classic description of the fear which mathematics inspires in many:
'Now madam, these triangles are equal; if you will observe the andle a-b-c'
The princess glanced up in dismay into her father's eyes glittering so
close to her. The red patches on her face came and went, and it was plain
that she understood nothing and was so frightened that her fear wold
prevent her understanding any of her father's explanations, no matter how
clear they might be. Whether it was her teacher's fault or the pupil's the
same thing recurred every day
After one of these failures Bolkonsky observes "Mathematics are a most
important subject, madam. And I don't want you to be like all the other
silly women. Persevere and you will get to like it. Mathematics will
drive all the nonsense out of your head."
The "nonsense" was probably the princesses religious beliefs.
It is all a sad tale, too often repeated today. Tolstoy is probably too
generous is not ascribing all of the blame in this case to the teacher. But
equally he is perceptive in seeing that a knowledge of mathematics could be
liberating for women.
John Truran
PO Box 157
Goodwood
South Australia 5034
+618 8373 0490 ph
truranjk@camtech.net.au
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