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Samantha SouzaAnna KareninaMargaret Birns3 May 2009Paper #2

Love vs. Socia Acceptance

!ostoy increasingy e"amines the issue o $oth romantic ove an%societa %isapprova. Anna& in choosing to ove 'rons(y& oses hergoo% name)*hich is o greater importance& the sociaacceptance she once en+oye% or her passionate attachment toher ne* over, -s !ostoy suggesting she ma%e a spectacuarmista(e in choosing romantic ove, r is her society at aut oraiing to recognize the vaue in her ove or 'rons(y, /"amine

societys attitu%e to Anna& the *ay Annas ove or 'rons(y& *hieisoating her rom her society& is aso part o her mo%ern %e1anceo her societys contro over her %iscuss ho* her reusa o sociacontro& an% societys conseuent re+ection o her a4ects herreationship *ith 'rons(y an% her o*n i%entity. 5ou might aso%iscuss *hat (in% o socia oun%ation Anna an% 'rons(y *ou%preer66that is& *hat (in% o society *ou% have to $e $roughta$out or Anna an% 'rons(y to $e truy happy.

-t is cear inAnna Kareninathat there is a choice each

character has to ma(e $et*een u1ing their innate %esires&

*hether goo% or iicit& an% maintaining a eve o %ecorum in

society. !he pressure to u1 these e"pectations o society *as

much greater in 7ussia at that time& an% it paye% a (ey roe in

the *ay one ive% their ie. !he characters inAnna Kareninamay

have varying in%ivi%ua stories& $ut *hat $in%s them a together

is that they are a& at one point or another& orce% to ma(e the

%ecision $et*een their nee% to $e a part o a socia conte"t an%


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the ree%om to $e a$e to ive out their %esires an% passions.

/ven those characters *ho !ostoy %eeme% to $e pious an%

*inning must *reste *ith their o*n emotions. -t is not ony Anna

an% 'rons(y *ho much ma(e the %ecision to %ey socia

conventions& $ut 8oy& Kitty& Karenin an% Levin must as *e& in

%i4erent conte"ts.

or e"ampe& Kitty& *ho& as a princesss %aughter& thought

'rons(y *ou% ma(e the picture perect hus$an%& an% *ou% 1t in

perecty *ith her high society amiy. But it soon $ecomes cear

that Kitty %oes not $eong in this *or% anyho*. /ven though

'rons(y re+ecte% Kitty& it seeme% to $e a $essing in %isguise&

orcing Kitty to gro* up& an% consi%er *hat she reay *ants in a

partner. /ven though her mother initiay %oes not *ish or her

%aughter to marry someone i(e Levin :*ho is a mis1t& an%

%oesnt have a cear& %e1nite roe in the socia circe;& it $ecomes

cear to $oth the rea%er as *e as to Kitty herse& that she an%

Levin are a perect match. !hey are t*o socia mis1ts *ho 1t

perecty together& *ho& unite%& $ecome stronger& %espite *hat

society originay pro+ecte%.

8oy goes through a %i4erent test. She competey orgoes

any thought o *hat society thin(s& an% visits Anna ater she has


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$een $anishe% rom society. -t is there that 8oy contempates

*hat ie *ou% $e i(e iving or onese. She momentariy

consi%ers *hat it *ou% $e i(e to have the ree%om to ove

rec(essy& a$an%oning a thoughts o conventiona society. 8oy

soon ta(es o4 the gogges that *ere ma(ing her $in% to the

har%ships o such a iestye. She reaizes *hat socia chaenges

it has $rought upon Anna :the oss o her son& or one;& an% the

entire appea o that type o iestye $ecomes nu an% voi% to

8oy. -t is cear up to this point that such a ie %oes not suit

8oys personaity. She is the utimate mother& iving se


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or*ar% *ith *hat they ee is the $est or them. Kitty an% Levin

are the purest o heart out o a !ostoys characters in Anna

Karenina& an% it is cear that the author vaues such *ays o

thin(ing an% $ehaving& $y ma(ing them the most successu

coupe in the en%.

- ee in this %ay an% age& Annas ie *ou% have ea% %o*n

a much more successu roa%. -t is unortunate that society in

7ussia at the time accepts an a4air or t*o or even many& $ut

1n%s aing in ove to $e the utimate crime& not ony against

ones spouse& $ut a crime against the *ays o society an% =o%

himse. >hat is consi%ere% honora$e is in act immora& an% vice

versa. -t seems that *henever someone& incu%ing Anna or

'rons(y& try to %o something to ma(e an a%mitte%y *rong %ee%

right :such as %ivorcing an% ma(ing the reationship $et*een

them egitimate;& they are met *ith scorn an% *agging 1ngers. -n

the same vein& *henever one gives into their immora %esires $ut

%oes so un%er socia conte"t& they are praise% an% re*ar%e%. -t

seems that the society in *hich everyone is trying to pease is& in

act& competey an% uttery immora& $ase& corrupt& an%

hypocritica. !hose *ho vaue reigion& such as the ?ountess& are

manipuative an% act ungo%y. -ts a topsy6turvey *or%@ An% even


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so& it (is Anna to not $e invove% in it. !his is one o the reason

*hy she simutaneousy oves 'rons(y an% is +eaous o him. As

the man in this a4air& he can move reey in society *hie she is

$anishe% as the *oman.

!ostoy ceary ees that passion an% carna %esire is to $e

avoi%e%& $ut not or societys sa(e. -t shou% $e avoi%e% to

preserve the sem$ance o ones ie. -t is a %estroyer o a that is

goo% an% honest in !ostoys eyes. o*ever& Levins passion or

the Lor% is champione% $y !ostoy. -t is cear then that those *ho

are pure o heart an% se


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she shou% not have to ma(e such a choice. Society shou%

un%erstan% that& in the simpest terms& Anna never ove% Ae"ei

Karenin. Because o this& she *as suscepti$e to aing in ove

*ith someone eventuay& an% *hen she %i%& *hat *as she to %o,

-gnore ove, -gnore her heart, course not@ So instea%& she

a%mits her a4air to her hus$an%& hoping or a %ivorce& hoping or

some sem$ance o her ormer ie& *hie maintaining an

e"tremey strong reationship *ith her son. But $ecause Karenin

reuses a %ivorce & an% puts the opinion o society 1rst& an%

ignores *hat *ou% $e $est or his entire amiy& that $ecomes an

impossi$iity. nortunatey& Ae"ei Karenin an% society ma%e it

impossi$e or her to %o such a thing. She %emonstrates this $y

going to the pera against 'rons(ys a%vice. She %oesnt see any

reason to $e ashame% or guity. -n act& i she acte% ashame%& or

humiiate%& she *ou% ony $e proving society correct.

- $eieve that Annas rustrations *ith societys reaction to

her reationship *ith 'rons(y ony push her urther into a state o

%enia an% conusion. She ony sees *hat is pure in her

reationship& an% she is *e meaning in her o*n min%. 7egar%ess

o *hether or not she is correct& in her min%& she has %one

everything $y the $oo( to egitimize herse an% her ove.


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At some point in the nove& each o the (ey characters are

orce% to uestion their eeings a$out society& an% *hether or

not its opinion is more important than their persona happiness.

Some %eem it so& such as Karenin& an% eventuay 'rons(y. Some

chose to ma(e themseves happy& an% %amn *hat society thin(s&

such as Anna& Levin& Kitty& an% 8oy. or some it *or(s out& such

as 8oy& Levin& an% Kitty. or the others& their choices ruin their

ives. Co matter ho* one oo(s at it& society rues our ives& an% it

is proven though !ostoysAnna Karenina.

karenina 2

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