Anna Karenina Essay, Research Paper
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy TimEnglish 10May 7, 1999 Introduction Leo Nicolaevich Tolstoy was the fourth out of five children to a wealth Russian family. He was a child who loved attention and would do things out of the ordinary to get that attention. He was quite self conscience. This attribute continued all of his life. In 1844, He attended the University of Kazan. He enjoyed the social life much more than school, but his appearance as a poor person caused him much embarrassment throughout all of college. Before the end of his second year, he left college and went to live at Yasnaya Polyana, his inherited land. He soon became fed up with the peasants, and moved to Moscow. Here, he followed the life of a normal young man of his class. Here, he began to study life and form his creative mind. His first book was published shortly after moving to Moscow. It was entitled, Childhood. He joined the military in 1852, but soon wished to be back in society. After his time in the military, he wrote a series of sketches entitled, Sevastopol. This made him a national known writer. He began to travel abroad in 1856. This is the time that he started his fundamentalist ideology, and even started a school at Yasnaya Polyana under this philosophy. His new aim brought him to searching for a family. He married Sonya Andreyevna Bers. After their marriage, he began War and Peace and Anna Karenina. He soon entered a time of despair. This came to a point were he found Christ, and interpreted the gospel his own way. He believed that all of society was corrupted. He divided up his land, dressed in homespun clothes, ate vegetables, gave up liquor and tobacco, engaged in manual work, and learned to make his own shoes. His family disapproved of his ideas, and they gradually grew apart. Body Part 11-5 Three days ago, Prince Stephan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky was found to have had an affair with their former French governess. Dolly Oblonsky won+t live in the same house with Sephan anymore. +Stiva+ thinks that Dolly is being ridiculous. Dolly is a good mother, and takes care of the house well, she is worn out and not good looking anymore. Today, Stiva learns that his sister, Ann Karenina will arrive tomorrow. Maybe she will put things back in place. Before Stiva leaves, he goes to his wife+s room and tries to comfort her. He ends up weeping in sympathy for her. This makes her even more mad. She seeks his love, not his pity. 6-11 Stiva is the president of a government board in Moscow. Alexy, his brother, is in the same department in the ministry. Alexy holds one of the most prominent positions. Stiva was idle in school, but is great at his job. One morning, Levin, a friend, shows up. Levin also loves Kitty, Dolly+s sister. Levin has come to ask Kitty to marry him. Levin is staying with Sergey Koznyshev. Sergey heard that Nicolai had returned to Moscow, and he received a hostile note from him. When he goes to the skating rink, he can think of nobody but her. He casually admits he likes her, and she immediately skates to her mother. Her mother is mean to him, but kitty is kind. Stiva and Levin then go to dinner. Stiva is very comfortable in a formal environment, while Levin is not. Stiva guesses Levin+s reason for coming to Moscow, and wonders if he knows that Vronsky loves Kitty as well. Levin does not like this. Stiva then tells Levin his problems, and Levin cannot understand why Stiva would leave his wife for another. 12-15 Kitty is actually now in the story. She is eighteen years old, and is spending her first winter on her own and already has two serious suitor. Her parent argue over who should marry their daughter. Her mother states that it was much easier when she was young when women did not demand their rights. Now, parent do not know when to step, and when to let their child go. Her father wants Levin to marry her, but her mother wishes for Vronsky. Even though Kitty feels more comfortable around Levin, she still wishes for Vronsky. When Kitty and Levin are alone in the drawing-room, Levin asks to marry her. She rejects him, and when the rest of the guests arrive, Levin remains only to see the man that Kitty loves. 16-23 Vronsky does not feel like marrying anybody, but does not think there is anything wrong in paying attention to Kitty. When he was waiting to meet him mother, he meets Oblonsky. Stiva explains that Levin was depressed due to his refusal, so Vronsky feels like a victor. When Vronsky+s mother arrives, she introduces him to her campanion, Kareninna. He immediately has an attraction to her. He watches her carry her rather full figure with lightness. A guard has been crushed. When Vronsky gives 200 rubles to the widow, Anna feels that he should not have done it if it was done for her. Anna feels it is an omen, and immediately talkes about Vronsky+s relationship w/Kitty. The next day, Kitty falls in love with Anna. Anna congradulates Kitty on Vronsky, and tells her the story of Vronsky saving a drowning woman. The children do not allow futher conversation. That night, Vronsky unexpectedly visits, but soon leaves. This troubles anna. At the ball later, Vronsky does not return Kitty+s look of love, but does act humbled to anna. 24-27 After Levin leaves, he walks to his brothers hous. He thinks how worthless he is. Levin leaves for home and arrives the evening of the next day. His depression fades as good news about his farm reaches him. Like Dolly, his house is his whole world. He does work in order to get rid of his thoughts. 28-34 Anna wants to leave Moscow. Dolly finds Anna sad, but is unable to tell her why. She finally confesses it, and dolly is glad that she has no further plans for Vronsky because he is fickle. When she gets to the station, she feels that her husband and son are not a +good+ as she remebers them being. Vronsky returns to his apartment, and finds Petrivsky there. This is a delight, and he is able to foret, for the moment, about his troubles. Part 21-3 Kitty is +ill+ and the doctor states that she sould just get some rest. She sould go to a health spa. Her father, and dolly just realize that she is ill due to a broken heart. Kitty is ready to accept Levin and detest Vronsky. She is angry over the fact that she is free to be look over by any free man. Her parents just want to marry her off. Dolly is always short of money, and her family is always worrying her. Her children currently have scarlet fever. Kitty goes home with her sister, but the children are still sick 6 weeks later. Kitty and her parents end up leaving to go abroad during Lent. 4-11 Tolstoy now describes the divisions of social life in Petersburg. One is Karenin+s government officials. Anther is that of elderly women and their husbands, centered around the Countess Lydia Ivanovna. The third is the group of balls and dinner parties which Betsy Tverskoy is invloved. During one of these balls, Vronsky and Anna start talking. Anna begs him to leave her, but gives him a look of love at the same time. Karenin finds nothing particular about his wifes motions as she talks with Vronsky. Alexey, however is confident that he must talk to Karenin tonight. Karenin thinks over the idea of his wife loving another man. He then makes up a speech to say to her while he tries to calm himself. This does not work, however, in that he is frightened as his wife arrives. Anna feels that her answers are great, but Karenin notices the change in her immidiately. This talk marks a change in their intimate lives with each other, even though it does not change outwardly at all. This new life excites Anna and this drownds out all other feelings.
12-17 When Levin first gets to his house, he is sad, but soon the problems of his estate absobs him and he forgets about his rejection. Stephan drops by, and they have fun hunting. Later, Levin gets angry as Stephan settles for a much lower price than the land is really worth. They later begin to +argue+ about Levin+s rejection, but they do part as friends. 18-25 Society takes several deffernt views upon Vronsky+s affair, and Anna+s circle whaits to see the reaction of the rest of society to really impact Anna. After checking on his horse, Vronsky goes to see Anna. She whispers the fact that she is pregnant. Vronsky wishes a divorce, but Anna does not for the fear of losing her son. He then goes to the race. During the course of the race, he makes a mistake and breaks the back of the horse. He finally feels the pain of a misfortune caused by his own mistake. 26-35 Karenin maintains appearances with Anna, and his changed attitude is apparent in his voice toward his son. He now uses the term +young man+ as he adresses his son. At the race, Anna weeps with relief when she learns that Vronsky was not killed, but she does accept Karenin+s arm on the way out of the arena. Alexy scolds her for this. At the German spa, Kitty is attracted to Varenka. Varenka is kind to those around her, and is quite pretty, but lacks sexyness. Nicolai arrives at the spa and kitty finds them unfavorable. Part 31-6 Levin+s brother comes to take a vacation. Levin ends up joining the mowers. He feels less able to work than them, but he feels great afterwards. His brother simply enjoys the atmosphere and when he leavs also feels refreshed 7-11 Dolly mosves to the country to avoid the collecters. She falls in love with her children and is remarked as being a hen with her chicks. Levin goes to her house to oversee the division of the hay. He begins to think that he could go back to his simple life and just enjoy life. THis all changes as Kitty drives by. He realizes that he loves her, not Dolly. 12-23 Karenin decides that he should stay maried to Anna and not duel with Vronsky. This will not harm him, and will keep the two apart. Anna makes the decision to leave for Moscow. Her plans change when she read Karenin+s letter which states that he will take her son if she does anything else bad. She feels she cannot leave because of her son. Vronsky finds that all of his values are turning against him. He learns of the pregnancy and feels that a duel is inevidable. He decides that he will soot into the air and wait to be shot. A little while later, Karenin tells anna to act as a respectable wife, and she will get the rewards of one. 24-32 Levin is no longer happy. He goes to see a friend and goes hunting. He discusses his plans with him. He wants to make the peasants happier so he acts as a shareholder reather than an owner. He even divides up part of the land with the peasants. This does not work because some do not work on their own land as they promised. THis whole plan takes Levin well into September. Part 41-23 Anna and Karenin live as before. The husband and wife keep appearances while Anna and Vronsky see each other out of Anna+s house, and Karenin knows about it. Vronsky shows a prince the sights of the city. He finds the prince very much like himself, but he dislikes him very much. Karenin decides to divorce his wife and travel to see a tribe of idians. During a dinner later, Kitty agrees to marry Levin. During their engagement, Levin gives Kitty his diary and she forgives his past. This makes Levin feel very low compared to her and he does not deserve any of this. Anna gets a fever during her pregnancy. She calls Vronsky and asks for his forgiveness. He has been humiliated for the last time. He attempts to shoot himself in the heart, but misses. Karenin will want a divorce, but Anna does not. She fears that she will lose her son. Part 51-13 Levin and Kitty are married. During Anna and Vronsky+s trip, most people they find are kind about their illegal relationship. Vronsky soon gives up painting, and their lives become dull. 14-20 At first, Kitty and Levin do not get along well, but they soon smoth out things and Levin starts to work on his book. He cannot understand how Kitty can simply sit and embroider. She is idle for most of the day. Tolstoy brings this fact out to show us that children will soon be the center of her life. He learns that his brother is sick. When he and his wife arrive, they order a clean room, new clothes, and sheets for Levin+s brother. When he finally dies, everyone is +releaved+ at the burden lifted and Levin finds that Kitty is pregnant. 21-33 Lydia Ivanovna takes control of the housework for Karenin. She is really inept at the detailed work of the house, so Korney orders things and all runs smoothly. Despite Lydia not wanting her to, Anna returns to see her son. During this, Anna gets gets mad at Vronsky for not being there when she needed him. She goes to the opera and the lady next to her insults her. This is not as bad for Vronsky because he feals it will put her in place. Part 61-15 Levin has people at his house. He plans to ask Varenka to marry him, but he doesn+t because he remembers his last wife, Marie. Stiva brings a friend named Vassenka. He pays special attention to Kitty and Levin gets jealous. These three men go on a hunt. Vassenka is the one who messes up the hunt for snipe, and when they get home, he flirts with Kitty some more. This leads to Levin asking Vassenka to leave. 16-25 Dolly visits Anna and thinks that she herself is domed to life as a mother. This she rethinks die to the fact that they both are doing their duty as humans and pleasing their husbands at the same time. Anna likes the company. She must keep things lively or Vronsky will decide to leave her. Everything is quite nice at their estate and Dolly is pleased. 26-32 It is now time for nobility elections and at the meeting, Vronsky and Levin meet. All goes friendly. Anna at home contemplates her life and if she should divore Karenin. Part 71-12 Levin goes to visit Anna, and when he returns, Kitty gets jealous because he comes back joyful. Ann starts to think of how not to charm even a married man. 13-22 Kitty has her baby. Oblonsky goes to Petersburg to get friendly with influencial people. While there, he visits his son. When asked it he remembers his mother, the child answers that he does not. Anna and Karenin will have a divorce. 23-31 Anna and Vronsky+s relationship is not going well. For their last quarrel, Vronsky puts off their trip so he can go see about business at his mothers estate. Anna feels he wants to go see anotherwoman who lives with his mother. She tries to send a note, then a telegram. She is now beginning to not like love. Kitty comes to visit her. She feels rejected by her, and also her husband. This is showing a parting of them. Anna is going to the station to see Vronsky when he comes back. When she gets another note from Vronsky, she ges to the end of the platform and dives under the second car. Part 81-5 Vronsky is very sad about his love, and their son would not talk for six weeks, nor eat unless forced to. 6-19 Levin begins to contemplate the meaning of life. He finds that he is much happier when he doesn+t think on such things. He soon finds that living for God, the best that he can, is the best way to live life.