The Characters of Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina
By examining the character list, one immediately notices the value
Tolstoy places on character. With one hundred and forty named characters
and several other unnamed characters, Tolstoy places his central focus in
Anna Karenina on the characters. He uses their actions and behavior to
develop the plot and exemplify the major themes of the novel. Tolstoy
wishes to examine life as it really is. Tolstoy gives us a lifelike
representation in Anna Karenina by creating characters, both major and
minor, that contribute to the sense of realism.
The most striking feature of Tolstoy's minor characters is that
although they may only appear briefly, they still possess a sense of
lifelikeness. When a character is introduced, Tolstoy provides the reader
with details of the characters appearance and actions that give a sense of
realism. For example, the waiter that Stiva and Levin encounter at their
dinner, although a flat character is definitely presented in a manner which
allows him to have a sense of lifelikeness and fullness. From the speech
patterns the waiter uses to the description of the fit of his uniform, one
is presented with the details that allow the waiter to contribute to the
novel in means beyond simply the presence of a minor character. His
description and actions provide the novel with a sense of "real life".
Another way in which Tolstoy gives the minor character a sense of
life is by making them unpredictable. One sees this in the character of
Ryabinin. When initially discussed, the reader is told that upon
conclusion of busines...
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...esponse to the same situation. It is this contrast of the
three characters that allows Tolstoy to take full command of the life novel.
He achieves a sense of real life in all of his characters.
Although the reader may wish to, and can, draw distinctions in
Tolstoy's characters such as a major or minor character that is either
flat or round, the central focus of the character should be the
contribution that they make to the reality of the novel. Although one can
classify each of the characters in Anna Karenina as a major, minor, flat or
round character, Tolstoy presents each of his characters, whether they be
major minor flat or round, so as to convey a sense of reality and
lifelikeness in his novel.
Work Cited
Tolstoy, Leo, Anna Karenin, translated by Edmonds, Rosemary, Penguin, London, 1978.
Viennese Jews proportionally did have more representatives in the cultural sphere. This can be because they had the means, ways and opportunity to exploit their situation to pursue the arts. Steven Beller states quite unequivocally "Whether it be Freud, Schoenberg, Schnitzler or Wittgenstein, the number of individuals at the top level of Viennese culture - or rather that type of culture for which Vienna is today so famous - who are of at least partly Jewish descent is so large that it cannot be ignored." (2) And indeed it has not been ignored, rather it has been used to create myth.(3) with many of the authors who write on the Jews of fin-de-siecle Vienna depicting a golden age and of a homogenuous Jewish culture with a shared common identity.(4) Yet Ernst Gombrich recently controversially asserted, whilst giving a lecture on the topic of, "Fin de siecle Vienna and its Jewish Cultural influences", "I am of the opinion that the notion of Jewish Culture was, and is, an invention of Hitler and his forerunners and after-runners. (5) There is then a controversy centered around Jewishness which likewise examines the individual and their level of faith, secularisation or assimilation.(6) For indeed what at this time did it mean to be a Jew? What also was the Cultural life in this Vienna? (7)
Course Pack: The Jews of Venice in the Age of the Ghetto: Jewish Culture Between Segregation and Integration
Woodrow Wilson is regarded by historians as one of the best statesman and President of the 20th century in the United States history. His brilliance was evident in his academics, having been a college professor before joining politics and later ending up being as the only president with a PHD. Born in 1856 his best attributes were his level of confidence which won him over his admirers and critics alike. Later in life Woodrow would serve as a Governor for New Jersey and two years later become head of the highest office in the land, the presidency. During his tenure, imperial competitions amongst the Europe monarchies escalated as all forms of dirty tricks were implored in pursuit of larger territories. Europe plunged into war in summertime 1914 and Wilson being an advocate for peace asked his fellow Americans to be impartial in mind and actions . Wilson having witnessed the civil war as a boy was quite aware of the devastating effects the war brought. His second term as president was met with increased pressure from the allies and sympathizers to join the war. He, however, stood his ground for a while and surprisingly sought to arbitrate the matter to bring an end to the war. Woodrow’s peace efforts were fruitless as Germany turned on the U.S.A and propagated ways of attacking them.
People read for many reasons, some of which are to pass the time, to seek out new experiences, for the sheer pleasure of the language and for the quest of knowledge. Literature is an art, and like art can be very subjective. What one person or society values as good literature may not be looked upon in the same light by another person or society. Some literature transcends time, and will continue to be relevant hundreds of years after it is written, and some literature is relevant at the time it is written, however later may be largely forgotten. For literature to be considered great it must stand the test of time and be captivating, able to elicit an emotional and/or intellectual response. It should also enlighten
Tolstoy portrays Ivan as a common, unassuming conformist that is more concerned with meeting society’s standards that making his own choices in order to criticize a very shallow, materialistic society dominated by aristocrats simply concerned with obtaining status and delving in pleasures above living real, authentic
Ackerman is able to detail the life of the Żabiński’s and their Guest by backing it up with historically accurate information. The use of historically accurate information allows for the reader to dive into an accurate depiction of what people of Poland experienced during World War II. Hitler's seizure of the Sudetenland in 1938 brought real worry over the borders of Poland. The author details the worries the Poles faced during this time because of this event. This sets the time setting for the reader––it allows the reader to further look into the life the Żabiński’s and those living in Poland. This aspect of the book was done well. The author would not have been able to accurately explain the worries individuals faced without stating these details.
Minor characters play a very crucial role in Shakespear's Hamlet. They serve as narrators for events that occurred outside the immediate play: the Dane's ghost. Distinct contrasts are created through the usage of the play's minor characters. The reader gains new perspective on Hamlet's character when he is compared with Laertes. The presence of these minor characters can also have a direct effect on the action of the play. The actors in the play within the play are used to expose the guilt of Claudius; Hamlet then has proof of the King's crimes. The expertise use of these characters - either to exemplify good and purity, or to spread the vile corruption which permeates Elsinore - is one of the main reasons for Hamlet's success as one of the greatest plays ever written.
He was the first president since John Adams to stand before Congress. Another success of Wilson’s was appointing Herbert Hoover as National Food Administrator which increased product expansion exponentially. Along with the Food Administration, there was also the Fuel Administration which introduced daylight savings time to conserve fuel. It was said that Wilson consulted with Congressional leaders to ensure his programs would be “dealt with sympathetically(Miller).” They ended up making a very particular program for economics including: banking reform, regulation of businesses, tax reduction, and educational and agricultural federal aid. None of this would have been possible without the help of Woodrow Wilson. Many times, Wilson called for “national self-determination” for repressed groups(ethnic and national). Despite saying this, he accepted segregation and never tried to end race riots or antiblack violence. In this section, Wilson had both good and bad qualities, but the bad had more drastic results, causing his grade to be a B for economic and domestic policy.
Often times in literature, we are presented with quintessential characters that are all placed into the conventional categories of either good or bad. In these pieces, we are usually able to differentiate the characters and discover their true intentions from reading only a few chapters. However, in some remarkable pieces of work, authors create characters that are so realistic and so complex that we are unable to distinguish them as purely good or evil. In the novel Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky develops the morally ambiguous characters of Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov to provide us with an interesting read and to give us a chance to evaluate each character.
To begin with, during the early years of World War I, Wilson tried his best not to interfere in European affairs and to keep America neutral with the opposing countries at war (Clements 151). Wilson’s desire was to keep his nation safe from the horror, bloodshed and troubles of the war. In an effort to establish peace between the fighting European countries, Wilson offered help in settling matters with the opposing power alliances, to negotiate an agreement that would end the violence (Cooper 363). Wilson, the peacemaker tried his best, but he failed in getting the nations to end their brutal hostility. As an act of neutrality, Wilson wanted America to continue trading goods; food, cl...
Sands, Raphael . "The Jewish Diaspora." by Rafael Sands. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2014. .
Venice’s reputation among the major cities of the world was known as a wealthy but also a strictly Christian society. One reason that Christians did not accept the Jewish community was the belief that the Jewish community was a problem in society. For example, in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, Shylock, a Jewish man, is compared to the devil. Few Venetians accepted Jews because of the belief of them being evil. In fact, Research conducted by BBC shows that Jewish ghettos were made to cease the activities of the Jewish people and this clearly shows the hatred against the Jewish community. The Jews were forced to wear red hats to tell them apart from others. An incident involving the persecution of the Jewish community was the forcing of the
Merriman, C.D.. "Leo Tolstoy." - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online . Discuss.. Jalic INC., 1 Jan. 2007. Web. 16 May 2014. .
Jewish ghettos: The basic history of the formation of the Jewish ghettos, including the everyday life and economic hardships faced by the communities.
Perhaps one of the most striking scenes in Anna Karenina is that of Kitty and Levin’s silent declarations of love to each other, etched out cryptically in chalk on a card table, with each understanding innately the exact words the other was saying (362). With the relationship between Kitty and Levin serving as Tolstoy’s model for a strong and successful love, it appears odd that such a relationship should be founded on silence, and in such sharp contrast to the chatter of Society surrounding the couple at the party. How then are we to understand the significance of conversation in the novel, if the most sincere relationships and understandings are not founded upon dialogue, but on unspoken knowledge? Entire subplots and themes are conveyed through conversations between the characters—the peasant problem and farm management, religion, marriage and faithfulness. Everyone is trying to grasp what a good life is, but the ideas expressed in conversation, however, appear quite often to contradict both the inner monologue of the characters and their actions, or fall pathetically short of expressing the power of the feelings of characters. For most of the characters, neither Society banter nor intellectual discourse does justice to their real passions, and even personal exchanges are steeped in insincerity. Unless they find a means to express their passions some other way, they are doomed to a life of dissatisfaction at best, or a tragic end at worst.