Anna Karenina Essay, Research Paper

Leo Tolstoy’s novel, Anna Karenina, upon its release received a

mix critical reception, with Russian critics either condemning

or applauding the novel primarily on its views of Russian society.

Thematically, the novel parallels its heroine’s, Anna Karenina,

moral and social conflicts with Constantin Levin’s internal struggle

to find the meaning of life. There are many others underlying themes

which links the novel as a whole, yet many critics at the time only

looked upon its critical view of Russian life. Henry James called

Tolstoy’s novels as “loose and baggy monsters’ of stylessness, but

Tolstoy stated of Anna Karenina “…..I am very proud of its

architecture–its vaults are joined so that one cannot even notice

where the keystone is.” That is absolutely correct, because within

Anna Karenina, there exists many themes that are all linked together

to create such a wonderful piece of work. Critics tend to miss the

role that the theme of life and death plays in Tolstoy’s Anna

Karenina. Despite its apparent meanings, these two themes are

intertwined in the novel and provides a backbone for some of the other

existing themes. With a masterful touch, Tolstoy is able to use these

two themes to show the characters in their true forms at both stages.

The characters are shown to be living in a state of delusion, and as

the characters find themselves at times of near death situations or on

their deathbed, they are able to reveal themselves truthfully.

Many of the characters in the novel are able to show their “real

self” and at times of death, there is a point of reversal in the

characters. This is most evident in the scene of Anna’s near death

experience during her illness. This event brings about a change in

Karenin and even Vronsky as they trade positions. Karenin suddenly

becomes human and not hidden from life by his administrative

regulations. His carapace cracks, and he becomes drunk with sympathy,

dazzled by his own generosity. Death for Karenin becomes the basic

truth which makes him___ a living human being capable of love. While

on the other hand, Vronsky takes on the role of Karenin, he is unable

to deal with Anna’s deathbed crisis and even goes as far as attempting

to suicide. This awareness of life-in-death provides the climax of the

novel, with the main characters perceiving the truth from the

heights of their emotional intensity. Hate and deceit no longer exist

in the presence of death, and the three characters live in a

moment of pure innocence.

Yet as the crisis ends, and everything returns to normality, Anna,

Vronsky and Karenin return to their old ways to live in that world of

delusion. Anna and Vronsky continues with their ill-fated love, while

Karenin despite his ennoblement, finds Anna cannot love him and

reverts back to his old ways. This clearly shows that death brings

about the ultimate truth of life and the world of the living is just a

delusion.

Death in the novel is personified by Levin’s brother, the

all-too-intimate Nikolai, whose lingering, ghastly death pushes Levin

to make the leap of faith. This the leap of faith which the other

characters had experienced, but were unable to retain after their

dramatic experience with death. Levin is unlike them, and is in fact,

able to discover for himself the meaning of life in the world and

retain his leap of faith. For Levin in the end, he is no longer afraid

of death and even though he does not completely change, he now knows

the meaning of life and is at peace.

Levin’s example here provides for the reader an insight into

Tolstoy’s intertwining and complex structure in Anna Karenina. The

reader is able to better understand how the role of death is critical

to the novel. Levin serves as the backbone for Tolstoy’s emphasis on

the “natural life” where one loves and procreates, as opposed to the

“unnatural life” where one lives by abstract principles. The natural

man, according to Tolstoy, grasps life through all its realities and

can then understan death. Intellect and spirit merely bypass essential

truths.

While in the world of the living, Tolstoy shows the reader the

delusions of life through various characters. Especially apparent is

the princess Betsy Tverskoy who is so caught up in her daily life and

is unable to change. She throws extravagant dinner parties for that

part of society which feasts on delusions. The irony behind it is that

they, despite their disillusionment, mocks Anna at one of the parties

where she had shown up with her lover, Vronsky. This is in essence the

downfall of Anna, who has succumbed to passion for her lover.

The themes of life and death will come to review itself in the

novel. As for Anna, she embodies the both of them even thought she

didn’t know it. In the end as Anna traces the career which drives her

to suicide in her long soliloquy, she discovers that her love had

turned to hate, that her life has become a “stupid delusion” and death

provides the only alternative. Anna now accepts death as she she had

spontaneously and naturally confronted her love. Anna’s death is an

affirmation of her deep commitment to life and that death is the final

truth to her illustrious career. “And the candle by which she _ had

been reading the book filled with trouble and deceit, sorrow and evil,

flared up with a brighter light, illuminating for her everything that

before had been enshrouded in darkness, flickered, grew dim, and went

out forever.” (Tolstoy,p.816)

Tolstoy cleverly uses the themes of life and especially death

beneath the other themes in an intricate structure. Tolstoy uses the

themes as a vehicle to link the themes together to relate it to the

readers. The theme of death is most critical to the novel, because it

invokes the characters in the novel to do what they do. That fear of

death and not being able to understand it, is the reason for

characters’ actions. It is the backbone for the other themes of the

“natural man,” love and deceit, “unhappy family,” adultery, and some

other themes that exists in the novel.

In Anna Karenina, Tolstoy seems to be in search of answers for his

own questions through the two main characters of the novel, Anna and

Levin. There are aspects of each character that can be accredited to

Tolstoy himself, and this provides the reader with a chance to see the

development of not only Anna and Levin, but also Tolstoy himself.

Tolstoy is also afraid of death and through his character’s

development he is able to discover for himself.

Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina provides a lot of insight into our own

lives. We need to look to the past to protect the future, and yet

we tend to forget that. Nevertheless, Tolstoy has created a wonderful

piece of literature with a intricate plot structure. As Sydney

Schultze puts it, “the study of the novel’s construction is rewarding

because the book is so beautifully crated.” With regards to the theme,

I would be justified to say that it is the keystone, which Tolstoy

mentioned about, of the architecture of the book.

Death is an integral part of everybody’s life and no matter who it

is, everybody fears death. To come to terms with death is something

that takes a lot of courage and a full understanding of oneself.

Tolstoy in his novel, has revealed to us the effect that death can

have on a person and advocates us to not succumb to the daily life of

the world which we live in, because it is all a delusion. Yet if we

live as naturally as possible, we can get a better grasp on the true

essence of life as Levin does in the novel. He finds joy out of

working and enjoying the fruits of his labor, instead of indulging

himself in the materialism of the hypocritical aristocrats. Modern

culture has lost this aspect of life and we need to check ourselves

before we lead our lives into a downfall.