English Literature and Grammar: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The Symbols in “Anna Karenina”

Question: Write a note on the symbols in “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy

Answer: “Anna Karenina” is the Russian novel in English composed by Leo Tolstoy, a distinguished Russian novelist. A symbol is usually something concrete – an object, a place, a character, an action – that suggests something abstract and universal. In other words, a symbol stands for something else in literature. Here in the novel, the novelist uses symbols in a dynamic way. He uses them to convey his expected meaning to his readers. Here in the novel, the major symbols he uses are: Vronsky's racehorse, Levin and Kitty's marriage, trains, the sale of the forest by Oblonsky and so on.


Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy!

Vronsky's racing horse is one of the most important symbols in “Anna Karenina”. The expensive horse is a clear symbol for the relationship between Anna and Vronsky. The horse appears in the novel just shortly after the relationship between Anna and Vronsky has become serious. However, learning about the dangers in the officer's race, Vronsky decides to continue the race despite the death of several horses and riders in the event. Vronsky's willingness to confront the dangers creates another connection between the horse and Anna. The horse also represents Anna's strength and courage while showing that she is under Vronsky's control. Although Vronsky faces the dangers by entering the horse in the race and continuing his affair with Anna, both the horse and Anna face a greater threat because they would die soon. In the end, the horse dies and the unfair death of the horse foreshadows and symbolises Anna's tragic death.

Levin's courtship and marriage to Kitty is of paramount importance to Anna Karenina. Tolstoy frames the marriage as a stubborn individualist's commitment to another human being with all the philosophical and religious meaning. Levin is an alienated man throughout the early part of the novel. His views alienate him from noblemen and peasantry alike. He is frustrated by Russian culture and unable to feel comfortable with European ways. He suffers from an inferiority complex, as it is seen in his self-doubts in proposing to Kitty. Devastated by Kitty's rejection of his marriage proposal, Levin retreats to his country estate and renounces all dreams of family life. We wonder whether he will remain an eccentric isolationist for the rest of his days, without family or nearby friends laboring over a theory of Russian agriculture. But when the flame of Levin's and Kitty's love suddenly rekindles leading to marriage, it represents more than a mere engagement. Rather, the marriage is an affirmation of Levin's connection with others and his participation in something larger than himself and he attains the cornerstone of the religious faith after marriage. Although he is cynical toward religious dogma, during his confession, the priest asks him a set of questions that lead him through a crisis and then to spiritual regeneration. So it is his marriage with Kitty that regenerates him.

Trains are the most important symbols in the story of “Anna Karenina” due to their prominence in the Anna or Vronsky story line. More specifically, trains are a destructive element throughout the novel. Vronsky and Anna first meet at a train station where a drunken guard is crushed to death. So Anna calls the death an omen of evil because her first encounter with Vronsky is thus overlaid with the specter of death. Again, Vronsky too uses a train as the engine of his death as it carries him to a war which will bring him death. Thus the train is shown in a negative light in the novel. The train also symbolises not only the destruction of Anna and Vronsky, but Russia's old way of life in favour of an industrial capitalist system. It is symbolic as transportation too, which takes Anna away from her duties and responsibilities as Madame Karenina.

The hasty sale of the forest in the novel by Oblonsky is symbolic too. He inherits it during his marriage with Dolly. Oblonsky is a sensuous man in the novel who is caught red handed by his wife involved in love making with a French governess. After the incident, he is planning to sell the forest but cannot without the consent of his wife, Dolly. Later on he decides to sell it. The sale of the forest symbolises the loss of emotion, love and respect for the most valuable gifts or property left by their forefathers but the gifts have no value to the Oblonsky as he does not feel any longing for it.

Md. Saiful Alam

B. A. Honours and M. A. in English

Lecturer of English

Queen’s College, Dhaka

E-mail: suman64924@gmail.com

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The Themes in the novel “Anna Karenina”

Question: ( 2 ) : Describe the themes in the novel “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy

Answer: Theme that lies in a text is one of the most important issues in a literary composition that convey some universal ideas and truth. Here in the novel titled “Anna Karenina”, written by a Russian novelist, Leo Tolstoy, exposes several dominating themes as social change in 19th Russia, the blessing of family life, the role and position of women in society, marriage and philosophical value of farming. However, they have been described below one after another in brief.

In the Russia of “Anna Karenina”, a battle rages between the old patriarchal values sustaining the landowning aristocracy and the new, liberal—often called “libre penseur” or the followers of the Westernises. The conservatives believe in traditions like serfdom and authoritarian government, while the liberals believe in technology, rationalism, and democracy. For example, we see Levin’s clash with his peasants when he ties to introduce Western agricultural innovations that his peasants refuse to accept. They are scared that new innovations will make them jobless as it will replace human beings. Moreover, the guests at Stiva’s dinner party raise the question of women’s rights—clearly a hot topic of the day, and one that shows the influence of Western social progress on Russia. The Russian tradition of arranged marriages is going out of fashion, though Kitty’s parents are not sure at the prospect of allowing Kitty to choose her partner.

Tolstoy’s intention to write “Anna Karenina” is to recognise this novel in the genre family novels popular in Russia although this type of novels is out of fashion by the 1870s. The Russian family novel often portrays the benefits and comforts of family togetherness and domestic bliss in a much idealised way. Tolstoy has written “Anna Karenina” in the past as his personal statement of family debate. The first section of the novel concerning the happiness and unhappiness of families underscores the centrality of this idea. The novelist takes a pro-family position in the novel that is candid the difficulties of family life. A family limits the freedom of the individual yet despite the resections on personal liberty, Tolstoy portrays family life as a source of comfort and happiness and philosophical transcendence. Anna destroys her family and dies in misery whereas Levin and lives happily creating a family.

In “Anna Karenina” Tolstoy brings out the position of women in the society where Anna’s marriage to Karenin is arranged by her relatives following the social custom although there is no passion with Karenin but she is bound to live with her husband. Love that Anna needed and desired is never a factor in this match. Anna’s emotional delicacy that has suffered and frustrated her in her marriage is bound to transform her love for her son although Anna finds this marriage hypocritical but there is no other solution for her as women do not possess any voice in society. According to Tolstoy, the role of women is to make a family by giving birth and raising children but not for personal pleasure but Anna refuses her social role and elopes and lives with Vronsky.

Tolstoy presents portraits of marriage that are astonishing for their lack of romance. Although these women are princesses, baronesses and countesses, there are no fairy-tale endings in “Anna Karenina”. Instead, marriage is portrayed with all of its faults and problems, from jealousy to lack of passion to abandonment. Tolstoy does not advocate the ending of marriage as a social institution at all indeed, he believes it is the glue that holds societies together, but he is realistic about how it works. The only fully successful marriage in Anna Karenina is between Levin and Kitty, and it only becomes that way when they understand that a man and a woman occupy separate social roles, and that it is necessary for a couple to give each other space.

Tolstoy brings the parallel plot of Levin and Kitty through which he presents his ideal society. Through his spokesman Levin shows that he is a devoted farmer who achieves a clear vision of faith and happiness. Levin in his farm establishes a social structure that is very close to socialist government. However, he distributes his lands among his peasants and worked equally hard along with them. He also establishes schools to educate the peasants’ children and takes other initiatives that establish other fundamental rights and privileges for the peasants.