Loved and happy, yet unhappy because of love.
1. Introduction
"Anna Karenina" is a novel written by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. It explores the complexities of love, happiness, and tragedy.
2. Characters
- Anna Karenina: The protagonist, a married woman who falls in love with Count Vronsky.
- Alexei Karenin: Anna's husband, a government official.
- Alexei Vronsky: A wealthy and dashing military officer, Anna's lover.
- Kitty Shcherbatsky: A young woman who initially loves Vronsky but later marries Konstantin Levin.
- Konstantin Levin: A landowner and friend of Oblonsky, who eventually marries Kitty.
3. Plot Summary
"Anna Karenina" tells the story of Anna, who embarks on an affair with the dashing Count Vronsky, leading to social ostracism and personal turmoil. As Anna's relationship with Vronsky deepens, she becomes increasingly isolated from her husband and society. Meanwhile, Kitty, initially infatuated with Vronsky, finds love and happiness with Levin. Anna's inner conflict between her love for Vronsky and her duty to her husband and son leads to tragic consequences, ultimately resulting in her downfall.
4. Review
"Anna Karenina" is a masterpiece of Russian literature, delving into the intricacies of human relationships and societal norms. Tolstoy's exploration of love and its consequences is both profound and thought-provoking. The characters are vividly portrayed, and their struggles feel intensely real. The novel's tragic ending serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of the human heart.
5. Conclusion
In conclusion, "Anna Karenina" remains a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers with its rich characters and profound themes. Its exploration of love, happiness, and the human condition ensures its enduring relevance in literature.
Introduction
As one of the most renowned works by the world-famous author Tolstoy, alongside "War and Peace," "Anna Karenina" is acknowledged as one of the greatest literary masterpieces. Although aware of its reputation for some time, I hesitated to delve into its substantial volume until recently, when I received a recommendation from a friend and began reading it almost as if completing a long-overdue assignment. While I had encountered adaptations of the novel through film and musicals, reading the entire novel left me astounded by its immense scale. It encompasses the realities of 19th-century Russian agriculture, philosophy, religion, social issues, and various aspects of human psychology. Notably, this work received high praise from contemporaries such as Dostoevsky, who hailed it as a "perfect work of art," and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels ever written by numerous English-speaking authors. In its home country of Russia, it is similarly celebrated, with even Lenin, the founder of the Soviet Union, reputedly having read it extensively.
Characters
The title of the work indicates that Anna Karenina is the central figure. She is a prominent figure in Petersburg society and the sister of Stepan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky. While visiting Moscow to resolve her brother Stepan's issues with his wife Darya Alexandrovna, she meets Count Vronsky and becomes infatuated with him, embarking on an adulterous affair. Her husband, Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin, is a member of the Russian upper class, and the age gap between the couple is considerable. They have a son named Seriozha, and Anna gives birth to a daughter named Anna after her affair with Vronsky.
Plot Summary
"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
This famous line, heard somewhere before, marks the beginning of this work, serving as both a central message that permeates the narrative and a foreshadowing of events to come. The story commences with an incident involving Stepan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky, Anna Karenina's brother, who is caught in an extramarital affair with his children's governess. When Stepan's wife discovers the affair, it leads to turmoil in their household, prompting Anna, the protagonist, to intervene and visit them.
Through Anna's earnest and persuasive efforts, Stepan's wife, Darya Alexandrovna Oblonskaya, eventually forgives her husband's infidelity. Anna, seeking to return home, travels to Moscow, where she encounters Count Vronsky, a fateful meeting that sparks instant attraction on his part. However, Anna, being a married woman, initially pays little heed to his advances.
Vronsky, undeterred, actively pursues Anna, even visiting Stepan's house in the middle of the night. Overwhelmed by Vronsky's attention, Anna hastens her departure to St. Petersburg, but Vronsky follows her onto the same train during a stop. Thus begins the adulterous relationship between Anna and Vronsky.
However, societal condemnation follows their affair, and ultimately, Anna gives birth to Vronsky's daughter, resulting in further complications. After surviving a near-fatal bout of puerperal fever, Anna seeks solace with Vronsky in Italy under the tacit approval of her husband, Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin. Yet, even there, she confronts the harsh realities of life, leading to a gradual erosion of her will to live. Anna demands a divorce from her husband, but he refuses.
Meanwhile, Kitty, who once loved Vronsky, realizes the true value of Levin's pure love and marries him.
As time passes, Anna's situation does not improve. She remains unable to cleanly divorce her husband or see her son, Seriozha. Moreover, her obsession with Vronsky intensifies, leading to doubts about his love for her. Ultimately, after bitterly reproaching him and hurling accusations, Anna throws herself under an oncoming train, ending her life.
Meanwhile, Levin and Kitty live happily, raising their children, symbolizing a contrasting conclusion to the story.
Review
The work tragically culminates in the suicide of the protagonist, Anna. Obsessed with Vronsky, Anna constantly doubts his feelings despite no evidence of his wavering affection. This distorted expression of clinging to the last remaining aspect of her life, even if it means causing pain to the other party, reflects a profoundly myopic and cowardly act. How can Vronsky, left alone with his guilt and emptiness, cope with such a burden for the rest of his life? The portrayal of extreme psychological turmoil resulting from being consumed by emotions, where rational judgment becomes elusive, is striking.
While the cast of characters in this work is not extensive, each character exhibits diverse traits. Anna's husband, Karenin, initially portrayed as cold and indifferent, later sincerely forgives his wife and her lover, fulfilling their every request. Despite his transcendent and detached demeanor, he is not unaffected by his wife's infidelity, suffering mental anguish to the extent of deteriorating health, yet he forgives Anna and even takes custody of the daughter she bore with Vronsky after her death.
Anna's brother, Stiva, appears as a kind and lenient individual but shows no remorse for his infidelity. The novel excels in vividly portraying the psychological states and thoughts of its characters, particularly delving into Anna's psyche as the protagonist. Anna's decision to abandon her comfortable and seemingly perfect life, risking societal condemnation and scrutiny, solely for love, reflects the profound agony, conflict, and contemplation she must have endured. Moreover, considering the harsh societal attitudes towards adultery during that era, her actions are even more poignant.
The depiction of Anna's psychological turmoil, torn between love, guilt, and resentment towards herself and her forgiving husband, resonates with complex and nuanced emotions that defy simple and uniform standards of human behavior. The novel offers a profound exploration of human psychology and the consequences of passionate love, making it a timeless classic in literature.
One striking aspect is the divergent endings between Anna's tragic fate and Levin's happy ending. Levin, a character who feels inferior among his accomplished brothers and friends, struggles with self-doubt even when Kitty reciprocates his feelings. Despite marrying Kitty, Levin doesn't quickly regain confidence.
However, unlike Anna, Levin finds a new hope amidst life's disillusionments. Despite acknowledging life's imperfections, he gains the confidence to live with his heart's emptiness in its imperfect state. Considering this, if Anna had found hope like Levin, she might not have made such a drastic choice. If she had distanced herself from her obsession with Vronsky and thought rationally, she could have found other sources of hope.
Some argue that Levin is the true protagonist, despite Anna being the formal protagonist. In fact, there's a convincing interpretation that Levin is Tolstoy's alter ego, especially when comparing Levin's proposal to Kitty with Tolstoy's own proposal to his wife, using a similar method.
Conclusion
Despite its extensive content, Tolstoy's captivating narrative didn't feel burdensome. Beyond the basic plot, the novel delves into various aspects of society at the time, resembling more of a panoramic novel than just Anna's story.
Although Anna's name is in the title, it's the marital harmony found by Levin and Kitty that seems to reflect Tolstoy's ideal. While Anna's choice led to tragedy, Levin's discovery of hope in life prompted me to consider seeking similar hope for myself.
