Anna Karenina And Leo Tolstoy's Genius

Anna Karenina and Leo Tolstoy’s Genius Jealousy in relationships, along with high stakes and consequences never make for a happy ending, especially in nineteenth century Russia. However, in Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, Anna’s love affair with Count Vronsky leads to unsavory consequences and Levin’s conflicted feelings towards his son creates a near tragedy. Interestingly enough, many events throughout some of the characters’ lives were based on Tolstoy’s own life. From being financially irresponsible when he was young to seriously questioning his own beliefs, the author sets up many different parallels between his life and those he created in the book. In Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, a naïve Anna falls into a torturous love affair leading to themes

Levin does not even know how he feels about his own son, due to the pain he caused his wife while coming into the world. However, Levin was able to clear up his feelings when he finds out his wife and baby son are stuck in a storm and he thought they were dead. Kitty, his wife, was able to address his feelings by saying “‘Well, I’m glad you’re beginning to love him,’” (Tolstoy et al. 814). In addition to Levin’s conflicting feelings, there’s also Dolly’s struggle to stay with Stiva for her kids after Stiva reveals his infidelity. She describes it by exclaiming, “I think of the children...but I don’t know how I can best save them: by taking them away from their father, or leaving them with a depraved father….” (Tolstoy et al. 12). Her predicament is known and she remains that way until Anna comes to talk her down. However, even that is temporary, but Dolly stays with Stiva for her kids. There are many more complicated conflicts seen throughout the novel, but these plots are essential to understanding the characters in the

Tolstoy, like Levin, has worked with peasants on his estate to fulfill a purpose bigger than himself (Rosenblum; Tolstoy et al. 250). The author also detached himself from extravagance when he was growing old to live a very modest life, Levin had done the same (Frank). His point of view describing, “...had felt himself completely removed from the conditions of material life.’” (Tolstoy et al. 402). That experience made him feel rejuvenated and fulfilled his needs in the story, as the author had done. Leo Tolstoy was also able to use his early life to make the characters for the story, as most of them had come from aristocratic families (“Leo Tolstoy Biography.com”). Depicted from above, Leo Tolstoy used many characteristics from his life and injected them into the story, making it seem more real and relatable at that