There are two main characters, two main plot arcs: that of Anna Karenina, and that of Levin, a man heavily based off of Tolstoy himself. Anna is a charming woman, widely respected, married to a high government official with a young son; Levin is an idealistic young man from the country, struggling with his theories on society and the meaning of life. Though they do not meet until the final pages of the novel, and then only briefly, their paths are wound together through numerous common friends and family, who are significant in both lives. Their lives are opposites: Anna's is a degenerative love story, a tragedy of choices as she begins an affair with the charming Count Vronsky; Levin's is a steady upward spiral, as he finds wedded bliss and ultimately achieves spiritual certainty. The juxtaposition and yet similarity of their positions throughout the novel, especially at the end, speak powerfully of the choices we have available to us in life.
To attempt to analyze Anna Karenina in depth on my part would be prideful and unsuccessful- this novel literally deals with the meaning of life, death, faith, and love, in very forcible ways, and my feeble analysis would only serve to embarass me. Instead, I'll comment on a few things that struck me about the novel.
I once went to a talk on C.S.Lewis given by a Wheaton professor, who asked if anyone had read Till We Have Faces, in which Lewis writes from the perspective of a woman, and said he felt Lewis did an extraordinary job giving his readers insight into the woman's mind. I personally didn't think Lewis' portrayal of a woman was so extraordinary, but it was an interesting thought to me. I was strongly reminded of this moment while reading Anna Karenina, but this time, I simply felt awe at the way Tolstoy seemed to know the inner workings of a woman's mind. Anna becomes jealous of Vronsky halfway through their relationship, thinking constantly that he must be in love with another woman. Though her thoughts are irrational, I could absolutely see myself thinking similar thoughts in that situation. Tolstoy masterfully draws Anna's tragic descent into jealousy in a way that was completely identifiable to me. Anna and Vronsky's relationship is psychologically fascinating to me and displays Tolstoy's piercing insight into human nature. He understands what motivates men and women, and what sort of strain certain events have on a relationship.
Anna herself is bewitching to all she meets in the beginning. And after seeing the effects of her choices, Anna loves Vronsky with a selfish love- a love too mixed with lust, and a love that benefits no one but herself, and even herself only temporarily. Tolstoy calls into question the assumption that love can conquer all, and instead shows that love isn't always sufficient. Sometimes, choosing to do the right thing for those around you and denying yourself love will bring you more happiness than choosing love for one over all morals, honor, and other people. Did Anna truly love Vronsky? Yes, I think so- but their love wasn't enough to satisfy their life. Juxtaposed against Vronsky and Anna, living only for their love for each other, is Levin, who happily marries Kitty and still wrestles with theological questions, attempting to do good in his community and feeling frustrated at the sense of emptiness he feels. Levin's marriage to Kitty doesn't complete him, nor does he expect it to; instead, his greater sense of purpose is fulfilled at the time of his spiritual awakening. Essentially, the point is this: life is more than love.
Tolstoy brings Anna and Vronsky's love full circle in an extremely poignant way, as he deals with their search for meaning in life. Anna Karenina is a very long novel, but you cannot make a judgment call on it until you finish both Levin and Anna's stories; for both conclude in a very final way, in ways that make powerful statements about each story. Tolstoy's meaning comes across fully at the completion of the narrative, but not until then. That's part of why it's such a struggle to blog about this book without spoiling anything.
If I were to go back and read Anna Karenina later on in life, I'm sure I would sympathize with entirely different characters, and for different reasons. But the characters are vibrant and real enough that it would be feasible to do this, again shaped by my own experiences. And this is a book that needs to be reread and reread, and each time more meaning found in it. There are so many themes, so many deep thoughts communicated in masterful ways, that I really just need to sit down and write an essay about this book. I can't wait to return to Anna Karenina in a few years and reread it from a different perspective, and maybe then I'll write my essay. But the overwhelming amount of wisdom in this book cannot be grasped in only one sitting.
Obviously, this blog post is much more scattered and less conclusive than any of my other posts; partly because I haven't written in such a long time, and partially because this book is a lot to tackle in a simple blog post. Hopefully there will be more posts in the future more cohesive than this one!
