The Importance Of Language In Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina

713 Words3 Pages
Язык объединяет нас. La langue nous unit. Sprache vereint uns. Language unites us. It defines us, how we communicate, how we live, and what we really mean under the surface. It 's not only a tool, but a breathing life force between all people. Acclaimed author, Leo Tolstoy spoke 13 languages in his life, with varying degrees of success. While his main languages included Russian, French, German and English, as is reflected in his writing of his novel Anna Karenina, he recognized the supreme importance of communication and as an author that was his job. Language in Anna Karenina is used as more than a method to communicate words, but the ideas and a deeper understanding of the world around them. Languages such as Russian, French, German and English act as a mirror to society and 19th century culture in Leo Tolstoy 's Anna Karenina.
Anna Karenina takes place in the late 19th century in Imperial Russia, naturally the first language to touch on is Russian. Russia throughout Anna Karenina undergoes stark changes, while later other languages bleed through the Russian culture, the Russian language clings closely to the ideals and principals before the changes. Tradition is paramount, before all else customs and the ideas of one 's contribution to the country. This conservative mindset is pervasive, and Tolstoy uses these ideas to depict a land resistant to change, one of piety and one of hard work. When characters in Anna Karenina use the Russian language it 's often Tolstoy showing