Count Rostov, an affectionate father, struggles to accept Nikolai’s decision to join the army, attributing it to both youthful friendship and a naïve attitude about Napoleon, whom the Count himself doesn’t take seriously. At this early stage, war doesn’t seem like a foregone conclusion, certainly not one with major long-term consequences for Russia. Sonya, an orphaned cousin whom the Rostovs support, has a crush on Nikolai.