I answered study guide questions: ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina Reading Group Guide

1. When Anna Karenina was published, critics accused Tolstoy of writing a novel with too many characters, too complex a story line, and too many details. Henry James called Tolstoy's works "baggy monsters."  In response, Tolstoy wrote of Anna Karenina "I am very proud of its architecture-its vaults are joined so that one cannot even notice where the keystone is."  What do you make of Tolstoy's use of detail?  Does it make for a more "realistic" novel?  IT MAKES FOR A VERY LONG, VERY COMPLICATED NOVEL.  I, FOR ONE, WOULD HAVE LIKED IT BETTER IF ALL THE "FLUFF" HAD BEEN LEFT OUT.  I FOUND MYSELF SKIMMING OVER THOSE SECTIONS WITH BARELY A GLANCE AT THE WORDS UNTIL I GOT TO REAL MEAT, THE HEART OF THE STORY---ESPECIALLY THE PARTS THAT CONCERN ANNA AND VRONSKY.

2. The first line of Anna Karenina, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," can be interpreted a number of ways.  What do you think Tolstoy means by this?  ALL FAMILIES HAVE THEIR TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS.  HOW THEY DEAL WITH THOSE CAN DETERMINE HOW WELL, OR NOT, THE FAMILY GETS ALONG.  THEY CAN PULL TOGETHER AND WORK THROUGH THEIR TRAILS AS A FAMILY UNIT, COMING OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE STRONGER AND CLOSER FOR IT OR THEY CAN GO THROUGH THE TRIALS AS INDIVIDUALS AND COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THEM DISLIKING EACH OTHER FOR THE FAULT EACH SEES IN THE OTHER IN THE WAY THE OTHER GOT THROUGH IT.....

3. In your opinion, how well does Tolstoy, as a male writer, capture the perspectives of his female characters?  IT IS INTERESTING TO ME TO NOTE THAT TOLSTOY SEEMS TO CAPTURE THE PERSPECTIVES OF HIS FAMILE CHARACTERS QUITE WELL.  HE SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND THE BONDS MOTHERS HAVE WITH THEIR CHILDREN MOST OF THE TIME, YET, AS IN ANNA'S CASE, HOW NOT ONLY HER DRUG USE BUT ALSO HER DESPAIR OVER HER SITUATION AFFECTS HER RELATIONSHIP WITH HER DAUGHTER--VERY NEGATIVELY.

Do you think Anna Karenina is the most appropriate title for the book? I DO.  SIMPLY BECAUSE ANNA'S STORY IS NOT ONLY THE MOST TRAGIC, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THE NOVEL.  I HUNGRILY LOOKED FOR EACH MOMENT TOLSTOY WOULD GO BACK TO ANNA'S STORY.  I  DID NOT WANT TO READ ABOUT ANYONE ELSE, REALLY, EVEN THOUGH LEVIN AND KITTY'S STORY IS INTERESTING, TOO--JUST NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING AS INTERESTING AS ANNA'S AND VRONSKY'S.

Is Tolstoy more critical of Anna for her adultery than he is of Oblonsky or of Vronsky?  ABSOLUTELY.  OBLONSKY IS FORGIVEN BY HIS WIFE AND THEY EVEN GO ON TO HAVE ANOTHER CHILD TOGETHER--WHILE OBLONSKY CONTINUES HIS WILD LIFE-STYLE WIHT OTHER WOMEN.  THE MEN CERTAINLY ARE TREATED WITH MORE RESPECT BECAUSE OF AND THROUGH THEIR AFFAIRS THAN WOMEN, ANNA IN PARTICULAR.  SHE IS SHUNNED BY SOCIETY AND BARELY LEAVES THE HOUSE, WHILE VRONSKY GOES ABOUT SOCIETY AND CONTINUES TO ENJOY THE COMPANY OF POLITE SOCIETY.

4. What role does religion play in the novel?  Compare Levin's spiritual state of mind at the beginning and the end of the novel.  What parallels can you draw between Levin's search for happiness and Anna's descent into despair?  IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN THE NOVEL.  IT IS ALWAYS THERE, ON THE PERIPHERY, BUT NOT REALLY DISCUSSED--EXCEPT WHERE LEVIN OR ANNA'S HUSBAND IS CONCERNED  ALEXY KARENIN IS SEEN AS SUPER SPIRITUAL BECAUSE HE IS ABLE TO FORGIVE ANNA HER AFFAIR WITH VRONSKY AND EVEN BECAUSE HE REFUSES TO GIVE ANNA HER DIVORCE.  (WE WON'T EVEN GET IN TO THE RELATIONSHIP HE'S INVOLVED WITH....)  LEVIN IS THE CENTER FORCE FOR RELIGION THROUGHOUT THE NOVEL AS HE STRUGGLES WITH WHETHER OR NOT HE IS A BELIEVER.  ONCE HE SEES "THE TRUTH," HE REALIZES THAT EVEN WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING, HE WILL GO ON BEING THE MAN HE'S ALWAYS BEEN--FIGHTING WITH HIS WIFE, DISAGREEING WITH OTHERS, ETC.  BUT THAT'S THE NATURE OF THE BELIEVER AND HE REALIZES THAT THAT IS PERFECTLY OK AS FAR AS A BELIEVER IS CONCERNED.

5. Why is it significant that Karenina lives in St. Petersburg, Oblonsky in Moscow, and Levin in the country?  How are Moscow and St. Petersburg described by Tolstoy?  What conclusions can you draw about the value assigned to place in the novel?  WHILE THIS IS A GOOD QUESTION, I'M JUST NOT INTERESTED IN IT ENOUGH TO ANSWER IT OR WRITE ABOUT IT....

6. What are the different kinds of love that Anna, Vronsky, Levin, Kitty, Stiva, and Dolly seek?  How do their desires change throughout the novel?  I THINK THEY ALL SEEK THE PASSIONATE LOVE THAT ANNA APPEARS TO HAVE FOUND WITH VRONSKY, BUT AS ANNA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH VRONSKY PROVES, EVEN THAT TYPE OF PASSION DOESN'T MAKE ONE HAPPY AND SETTLED WITH LIFE AND LOVE.  ONCE ANNA HAS EXACTLY WHAT SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS SEARCHING FOR, SHE STILL ISN'T AND CAN'T BE HAPPY, SATISFIED WITH LIFE.  SHE ACHIEVES WHAT SHE'D ALWAYS DREAMED OF HAVING AT THE COST OF HER SOUL AND THAT DESTROYS HER RATHER THAN BRINGS HER TO THE PLACE OF COMPLETE JOY AND PEACE ANYONE WOULD IMAGINE ONCE HAVING FOUND AND FOLLOWED HIS/HER HEART.

7. How do the ideals of love and marriage come into conflict in Anna Karenina?  Using examples from the novel, what qualities do you think seem to make for a successful marriage?  According to Tolstoy, is it more important to find love at all costs or to uphold the sanctity of marriage, even if it is a loveless one?  THIS IS A DEEP ONE THAT MIGHT TAKE MORE THOUGHT THAN I HAVE TO GIVE IT RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME.  MARRIAGE IS SEEN AS SACRED IN THAT EVEN THOUGH SO MANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THE STORY HAVE AFFAIRS--MEN AND WOMEN, IT STILL IS NOT JUSTIFICATION FOR DISSOLVING THE MARRIAGE.  IT IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE, ACCORDING TO SOCIETY, FOR THE MEN TO SLEEP AROUND WITH OTHER WOMEN AND THEIR WIVES ARE EXPECTED JUST TO ACCEPT IT AND GO ON AS IF NOTHING UNTOWARD HAS HAPPENED.  YET, ONCE ANNA BREAKS WITH ALEXY KARENIN, SHE IS A SOCIAL PARIAH AND IS MEANT TO SUFFER BECAUSE HER HUSBAND REFUSES TO RELEASE HER.  IF SHE WOULD HAVE GONE BACK TO HER HUSBAND, ALL WOULD HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN AND THEY WOULD HAVE CONTINUED AS IF NOTHING HAD EVER HAPPENED.  AND ALEXY WOULD HAVE BEEN FREE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH HIS AFFAIR, HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH LIDIA IVANOVA.  AS LONG AS ALEXY AND ANNA ARE EXTRANGED, HE IS NOT FREE TO HAVE AN AFFAIR WITH HER.  SUCH CONTINUES TO BE THE STATE OF MARRIAGE IN SO MANY CASES, ALTHOUGH IN THE 21ST CENTURY, DIVORCE IS ACCEPTED AND THE NORM.

8. Ultimately, do you think Anna Karenina is a tragic novel or a hopeful one?  TRAGIC.  LEVIN IS NOT A MAJOR ENOUGH CHARACTER TO THE STORY AS A WHOLE FOR ME TO FEEL UPLIFTED AS THE STORY ENDS WITH HIS FINDING TRUE SALVATION.  SUICIDE IS SUCH A MAJOR THEME THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE STORY THAT AS I FINISHED READING THE NOVEL, I'M LEFT CONTEMPLATING THE WHYS AND WHEREFORES OF THE SUICIDALS THOUGHTS OF THE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS THROUGHOUT THE STORY.  ONES WHO PROBABLY HAD MORE REASON THAN ANY OTHER TO THINK OF SUICIDE NEVER EVEN CONSIDER IT, LIKE DOLLY.  (NOT THAT I WOULD WANT HER TO DO THAT.  IT IS SIMPLY THAT SHE HAS ALL THOSE CHILDREN AND A HUSBAND WHO CARES NOT ONE WHIT FOR HER.)  VRONSKY ACTUALLY ATTEMPTS SUICIDE, BUT SURVIVES, YET AT THE END, HE'S PUTTING HIMSELF IN A SITUATION IN THE WAR WHERE HE CAN'T WALK AWAY WITH HIS LIFE.  AND LEVIN, WHO HAS EVERYTHING TO LIVE FOR, WANTS TO DIE.  SUICIDE IS A HEAVY SUBJECT AND I, AS A READER, CAN NOT WALK AWAY FROM THIS NOVEL WITHOUT FEELING ITS IMPACT ON THE NOVEL AS A WHOLE.  A READER DOES NOT EASILY FORGET----I WON'T FINISH THAT THOUGHT FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NOT READ THE NOVEL OR WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS......