Anna Karenina

Marital unfaithfulness is condemned by law, religion and lodge in almost any country, more so in late 19th century Russia. In our modern font culture as wellspring, the unfaithful woman gets gr decimateer censure than the man who is guilty of it. This is also the encase in Leo Tolstoys Anna Kargonnina. Oblonsky (Stiva) cheats on his wife, non once barely twice, scarcely he gets no more than a gentle reprimand. Anna Karenina, on the opposite hand, earns severe contempt from society for her adulterous amour with the dashing Count Vronsky.On the surface, Tolstoy himself must dedicate reachd the gravity of her crime and to appease the moralists of his twenty-four hours he had to make her pay for it she commits suicide, crushed beneath an oncoming train. But an in-depth comparison of Stivas and Annas infidelities, seen in the light of Tolstoyan thought, would suggest the author did not intend to condemn Annas deed alone, tho the entire society of his day for its hypocrisy, it s double standard of morality.Discussing the inequality of rights in marriage between work force and women, Pestsov acknowledged that the inequality in marriagelay in the point that the infidelity of the wife and the infidelity of the husband are punished unequally, both by the law and by public opinion. (4. 12). Conservative Russia and as yet contemporary society would tend to look at Stiva with greater understanding and veritable(a) approval. This emerges after a brief comparison between him and Anna vis-a-vis their adulterous topics. Oblonsky (Stiva) intended to keep his infidelities a secret dame found push through near(predicate) his affair with the French governess enumerately by his carelessness.In contrast, Anna flirted openly with Vronsky disrespect knowing Kitty was in recognize with him and was waiting for his proposal. While it was not her fault that Vronsky followed her in the train, let other community into the budding squeeze, she could have discover some degree of decorum or discretion in his affair with the handsome officer, exactly when she did not. The mere fact that Anna and Vronsky remained talking to each other at the little table even in the presence of her husband, at the beginning of their romance, was giveed by the circle of guests familiarize indecorous. (2. 7). Seemingly unable to comprehend, like Vronsky, the gravity of their crime, she opted to ignore the judgment of society, including the elite of St. Petersburg where everyone knows everyone else, everyone even visits everyone else as well as of Moscow who frowned on such dalliances in contravention of the established morals of the day. (2. 4). Karenin became furious all when, against his insistence that she at to the lowest degree observe propriety and decorum, she allowed her sports fan to visit her at their home (2. 22).Alexey, Annas husband, is show as the suffering party. He is pictured as one who is without vices and all virtue, although Anna hates him for it. He refuses to be jealous when his wife is besieged with other men. Giving her all the benefit of the doubt during their marriage, and in advance the affair, Alexey believed a gentleman was not supposed to go down in fits of jealousy, in reference to a womans exposure to temptations from other men, since he could never lower her and himself by jealousy. (1. 6). in spite of his initial abhorrence at Anna for leaving him and her son, he readily forgave her when he thought she was about to die (4. 17). Then as now, people dismissed a mans extra matrimonial affairs in flip overation of his strong nature. Oblonsky thought he could not be faulted for fooling around as he was still modern and good-looking, art object his wife was already past her prime. He was prone to temptation, and at that placefore could not be intimately faulted for succumbing to earthly temptations. He thought his trysts with other women were notwithstanding innocent, harmless pursuits.In contra st, Anna is severely examined for breaking her marital vows. It ignores as of no moment that fact that she married a man she did not get laid, who was twenty long time older and made her life inexplicably miserable. She is condemned because of the perception that she had no excuse for wanting the affections of another, no payoff how unreasonable she may be. She openly flirted with Vronsky, knowing Kitty was in get along with him and awaiting his proposal. To the moral guardians of her day, Anna Karenina was irresponsible, being unable to realize the consequences of her actions.Oblonsky remains his cheerful, confident self despite his marital troubles, even committing another infidelity with a lovely dancing girl despite his earlier avowal of regret, while Anna is physically and mentally devastated on fib of her affair with Vronsky. Stiva considered his flings a mere pastime to escape the ennui of his everyday life, never seriously swelled them some(prenominal) thought. To h im, one can be fond of new rolls when one has had ones rations of bread. He tells Levin, who is unconvinced, it really does so little harm to anyone, and gives oneself so much pleasure. He said he did not count life as life without love. (2. 14). In his mind, Stiva did not rue the fact that he was no longer in love with his wife his only regret, believing she was secretly aware of his dalliances entirely fill up her look to them, was not being able to hide it from her. He was the type who relished his pleasures. He thought thithers something common, vulgar, in flirting with ones governess. But what a governess (1. 2). For Stiva, as with many other men (or even society in general), a sin is not to be ashamed of as long as you maintain a sense of decorum or do it discreetly, calculated about the sensibilities of other people who king be offended.Men are even judge to engage in such pursuits, provided they do not compromise their honor or make a fool of themselves before other s. Such was the reaction of Vronskys mother, the countess, who thought that nothing gave such a finishing touch to a brilliant man as a liaison in the superiorest society. (2. 18). She was also pleased it was Anna Karenina who was involved with her son. To her, the matter became vexing only when she realized that their passion might lead him into imprudence and displease certain connections in high society. Vronskys companion shared the sentiment of the countessHe did not distinguish what sort of love his (Vronskys) might be(he kept a ballet girl himself, though he was the father of a family, so he was lenient in these matters), but he knew that this love affair was viewed with displeasure by those whom it was obligatory to please, and therefore he did not approve of his brothers conduct. (2. 18). Of judgment by society, distinction should be made. There is a circle composed of the fashionable world, to which Anna was attached, that rendered no harsh judgment of her. Vronsky was conscious of the fact that he ran no risk of being blotto in the eyes of Betsy or any other fashionable people. He was very well aware that in their eyes the position of an unsuccessful lovermight be ridiculous. But the position of a man pursuing a married woman, heedless of everything, staking his life on drawing her into adultery, has something fine and grand about it, and can never be ridiculous (4. 4. ). (? ) There was, however, another circle, composed of elderly, ugly, benevolent, and godly women, known as the conscience of Petersburg Society at the aggregate of which was the Countess Lidia Ivanovna.Unlike the first circle which delighted in scandals and sympathized with the lovers, this particular group axiom nothing but the immorality of Annas affair with the count. The first circle tended to condone the lovers, seeing in them reflected their own human race weaknesses. The import circle condemned it, finding the scandal loathsome in the eyes of man and God. Unlike his brother Stiva, Anna totally turned her back on her family to make a new life for herself, not in pursuit of temporary pleasure or thrill as Stiva is wont to do, but in obedience to the dictates of her heart, utterly disregarding convention.Both Anna and her brother found it difficult to fathom the depth of their sins. Stiva believed himself quite low-powered in the face of a woman who loves him but who seeks nothing in return. (1. 2). But whereas Stiva could not rue of his sins because they gave him so much pleasure, Anna and Vronsky cared not at all on how they shall be judged by society because of their total devotion for each other, finding that the passion that united them was so intense that they were both oblivious of everything else but their love. (2. 21).People might be gentler to Oblonsky because he immediately sought forgiveness from his wife when she find the affair it did not once occur to him to forsake his family. As Anna points out to Dolly, men who commit such mistakes consider their families sacred. They may commit indiscretions but they would never seriously consider abandoning their home. Somehow or other these women are still looked on with contempt by them, and do not touch on their feeling for their family, observed Anna, unaware that she too would be judged severely in her future affair. They draw a sort of tenor that cant be crossed between them and their families. (1. 4). On the other hand, Anna left her husband to jazz with Vronsky without the formalities of divorce, earning the bitter ire of society and the church. By tradition, Annas infidelity to his husband Karenin is deemed more haughty in view of the attendant biases, tenets, prejudices and beliefs surrounding their milieu. Infidelity marked the woman as guilty of a capital crime. Vronskys mother judged her a bad woman, concluding that her desperate passions were all to show herself something out of the focal point.The countess condemns her for completely ruining the life of his son and her husband, that her very death was the death of a vile woman, of no religious feeling. (8. 4). Then, a mans pride was considered above all considerations, and an offended spouse was expected to challenge to a duel the man who stained his honor. On the other hand, the unfaithful husband receives only a mild censure. After all, society is not disturbed by his dalliances, so long as these are kept discreet and he does not abandon or neglect his own family. The extemporary dictum of the day, as now, was Do what you have to do, but be discreet about it.We find that there is very little distinction between the adulteries of Stiva and Anna Karenina. Annas crime is deemed, at first blush, more reproachable, but we tend to understand her actuations, her emotions, upon deeper inquiry into her life. A teen charming woman, married to an older man whom she hate for his virtues, is fair game to a dashing suitor. Never having been in love, she can not be faulted that int imately considering her passionate nature, to fall madly in love while forgetting its possible repercussions. Such was the enormity of their love that they heeded not the probing and accusing eyes of society, religion, and the law.At least, the offenders commited everything in the name of their love for each other, and this at least, to my view, mitigates their crime. Of Stivas dalliances he has no saving grace. Oblonsky engages in it purely for the pleasure it brings, not because he is strained by the strength of his emotions. He has the temerity to seek forgiveness when his sole regret was not at hurting his wife but in having been so careless that his letter to his mistress was found. He even used Dollys own money to pay off his debts. Tolstoy depicts the suffering of the man wronged, but he also pictures the offender in a sympathetic light.Vronsky, for all his faults, undergoes suffering because of his forbidden love for Anna he shoots himself in an attempted suicide. He speaks to no one for six months after Annas death, and refuses to eat unless forced to. He volunteers to serve in war, expecting never to return. (8. 4). Stiva looks upon him as a hero and an old friend. (8. 2). In War and Peace, Tolstoy tells of the suffering of capital of South Dakota Bezukhov on account of his wifes adulterous affair with Dolokhov, whom Pierre challenges and wounds in a duel. Tolstoy then depicts Dolokhov, despite his flaw, as the most affectionate of sons and brothers. (4. 5). We condemn the woman, but isnt the man who seduces the wife of another, by the very definition of law and the Commandments, also an adulterer? The protagonists in Tolstoys novels are handsome and dashing counts, princes, and nobles, the unfaithful wives charming and beautiful countesses and women of stature in society, not unenviable rogues and common women. He makes Anna Karenina a most charming, pretty, intelligent, educated woman. That she could have fallen low in the eyes of society makes o ne wonder, for it is commonly believed only ordinary mortals are susceptible to moral corruption.Other than his pre-occupation with the velocity grad, to which he himself belonged, perhaps Tolstoy was driving home a message infidelity is not confined to class or breeding all human beings are vulnerable to human frailty and error. By cogitate on the infidelities of Stiva and Anna, contrasting them with each other, Tolstoy could have been presenting to us his view of the elite of Russian society and their morals, depicted in all their hypocrisy and nakedness despite the glamour and elegance of St.Petersburg and the other cosmopolitan cities where they lived. When we consider the infidelity of Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky against the unfolding of their mutual affection, we nonplus to slowly understand that it would appear to have been foreordained, aided by their temperament and character, their passion and yearning for life, other than a predisposition to commit evil. Vronsky perceives that his affair with Anna had wasted so much condemnation from society because they could not understand it.Vronsky believed that if it were some common affair, people would have cared less. But society became annoyed because it could not comprehend his immense love for her, that the woman is dearer to him than life. (2. 21). While the young men envied him, the greater number of the young women, who envied Anna and had long been weary of hearing her called virtuous, rejoiced at the fulfillment of their predictions, and were only waiting for a turn in public opinion to fall upon her with all the weight of their scorn. (2. 18).Despite her failings, Anna refuses to run away with Vronsky as she did not want to part from her son, terrified of his future attitude when he shall realize his mother had abandoned his father for another man (2. 23). Again, this softens our attitude towards Anna in the same way perhaps, that Dolly warms up to her upon sensing that she, too, has her own weaknesses. Stiva, on the other hand, appears outwardly kind and genial and unselfish to all persons, but his remorseless cheating ought to be condemned the greater, if we are to judge him by the severity with which we judge Anna Karenina.A person who repents does not necessarily have to wear sackcloth and ashes, but he should at least resolve to cease completely from doing that which hurt others. If he insists that he is incapable of repentance, why should he not be guilty of societys condemnation? Anna Karenina, in this regard, would appear to be an indictment of society as a whole, showing the hypocrisy of those who find mirth and satisfaction in every scandal, guarantee that they are not lacking in company.It reveals a community of educated, fashionable, religious, noble persons who cannot stand the unfaithfulness of a woman completely immersed in his love while ignoring the acts of a man who makes adultery nothing but a pleasurable game. Perhaps Tolstoy was asking us not to judge, for by judging others, as messiah warned, we shall likewise be judged.WORKS CITED Tolstoy, Leo. Anna Karenina. 22 February 2007. War and Peace. 26 February 2007. Anna KareninaThe novel opened up to an implication of the strife in the Oblonsky household. There was an atmosphere of confusion as everyone was refer about the discovered sexual affair of the Master of the house with the French governess. The wife of Prince Arkadyevitch Oblonsky (Stiva) did not leave her room and it showed how the situation evident with how everything has been deviation wrong.Examples were given to prove establish the confusion and the mess of the situation like the children going wild all over the house, how the house helpers were quarrelling, the man-cook quitting his job and others who were threatening to do so.Stiva woke up on the leather-covered sofa in his study without having to realize that he was not sleeping with his wife until he reached for his dressing night-robe that was not where it should have been, within arms reach of their bed. After which, he remembered his current predicament. The range in this scene how a marital dispute can affect so many people and how more marital disputes can stir the course of the following events in the novel.Kittys big night, the ball, was narrated to be a dream-like event where she was to go down a great staircase, flooded with light and lined with flowers and footmen in powder and red coats (Tolstoy Part 1, Chapter 9). The sound of the orchestra can be heard. Women and men were wonderfully dressed, expensive fabrics and vivacious colors filled the ballroom as people splited to waltz on the dance floor.This shows how Kitty, at the start of the novel was nave in a way as she saw so much romance in the night and how she loved social gatherings like that nights ball. The setting described the ring and excitement Kitty felt before she found out that Vronsky, the man she loved, fell in love with Anna, the woman she adore d.The description of the ballroom and the atmosphere was further elaborated with describing how perfect everything was with Kitty, from her hair, to her dress to her shoes, only to come to a huge turning point wherein she sees Vronskys affection for another woman. The description of how exquisite Anna looked that night, added much weight to the twist that was about to take place, it made Vronskys admiration for Anna like a harder savour on Kittys face.ThemeThe major theme in the novel was about society and family. The second part of the novel gave much emphasis to solidifying this theme through different instances wherein Anna was reprimanded or rigid in a bad light because of a foreseen case of infidelity. It was important for families to stay together, more so during their time as women who are divorced loose a lot of ground in society, while the men do not loose as much.There was one instance wherein the text showed how Anna had three sets of friends in the Petersburg society. There are those who belonged to the circle of her husbands colleagues that seems to serve merely as acquaintances with the family.Another set was concerning the friends in Countess Lydia Ivanovnas circle that Anna soon disliked greatly and the last set was one with Princess Betsy Tverskaya who was the wife of her cousin. from each one set of friend offered much of their opinions about how Anna changed and often gossiped about her and her husband Karenin.Alexey Alexandrovitch, Annas husband, only saw fit to talk to her wife about her behavior with another man upon realizing that others are already talk about them. The confrontation was indifferent for both of them and their relationship changed but they stayed together to avoid any social conflicts.When Anna and Vronsky made love, it was obvious that Anna was distraught as to the consequences of her actions with society and how it will affect his family, even her son.When Vronsky fell of his clam during a race, Anna could not con tain her emotions in public. This had shown her improper affection for Vronsky. She cried as she was so worried about him. Instead of being jealous about Annas obvious feelings for another man, Karenin simply warned her to be careful about how she reacts in public and showed how he valued his social stature more than he did his authentic relationship with his wife.Even after Anna admitted his relationship with Vronsky, Karenin was more preoccupied with protecting his honor. During that time, it has established how people were more concerned about the opinions of society and how they maintain a clean image in public.