Which character proposes to Sonya Rostova?

In War and Peace, Dolokhov proposes to Sonya Rostova. The proposal occurs after Dolokhov falls in love with Sonya, who is Nikolai Rostov’s orphaned cousin and childhood companion. Sonya, however, loves Nikolai and cannot return Dolokhov’s feelings, so she rejects him.

Dolokhov’s proposal helps reveal the difficult choices facing the Rostov family. Sonya has little money or social security, while Nikolai’s family is sliding toward financial trouble. Although Nikolai loves her, his mother hopes he will make a wealthier match. Sonya’s refusal of Dolokhov therefore leaves her emotionally committed to Nikolai despite the family’s uncertain future.

The rejection also contributes to Dolokhov’s hostility toward Nikolai. He challenges Nikolai to a card game, where Nikolai loses 43,000 rubles. That debt intensifies the Rostovs’ financial crisis and becomes one of the novel’s memorable examples of how personal emotion, pride, and money collide in aristocratic society. Denisov proposes to Natasha, not Sonya, while Anatole Kuragin pursues Natasha.