Themes of Life and Death in Anna Karenina

1344 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Theme of life and death in literature

Themes of Life and Death in Anna Karenina

The novel, Anna Karenina, parallels its heroine's, Anna Karenina, moral and social conflicts with Constantin Levin's internal struggle to find the meaning of life. There are many other underlying themes which links the novel as a whole, yet many critics at the time only looked upon its critical view of Russian life. Henry James called Tolstoy's novels as "loose and baggy monsters' of stylessness, but Tolstoy stated of Anna Karenina ".....I am very proud of its architecture--its vaults are joined so that one cannot even notice where the keystone is." That is absolutely correct, because within Anna Karenina, there exists many themes that are all linked together to create such a wonderful piece of work. Critics tend to miss the role that the theme of life and death plays in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Despite its apparent meanings, these two themes are intertwined in the novel and provides a backbone for some of the other existing themes. With a masterful touch, Tolstoy is able to use these two themes to show the characters in their true forms at both stages. The characters are shown to be living in a state of delusion, and as the characters find themselves at times of near death situations or on their deathbed, they are able to reveal themselves truthfully.

Many of the characters in the novel are able to show their "real self" and at times of death, there is a point of reversal in the characters. This is most evident in the scene of Anna's near death experience during her illness. This event brings about a change in Karenin and even Vronsky as they trade positions. Karenin suddenly becomes human and not hidden from life by his administrative regulations. His carapace cracks, and ...

... middle of paper ...

...l part of everybody's life and no matter who it is, everybody fears death. To come to terms with death is something that takes a lot of courage and a full understanding of oneself. Tolstoy in his novel, has revealed to us the effect that death can have on a person and advocates us to not succumb to the daily life of the world which we live in, because it is all a delusion. Yet if we live as naturally as possible, we can get a better grasp on the true essence of life as Levin does in the novel. He finds joy out of working and enjoying the fruits of his labor, instead of indulging himself in the materialism of the hypocritical aristocrats. Modern culture has lost this aspect of life and we need to check ourselves before we lead our lives into a downfall.

Works Cited:

Tolstoy, Leo. Anna Karenina, trans. Constance Garnett (New York: The Modern Library, 1993).

Show More
Related

  • Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Illych

    1263 Words  | 3 Pages

    Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Illych has proven to be a profoundly important work in the understanding of mortality. By adding to this understanding, Tolstoy implores readers to accept the ultimate reality that death is inevitable. If there is one thing Tolstoy makes quite clear, it is that nobody lives forever and death can be a horrifying, painful, and sobering experience. Ivan Illych, a successful man of the law, ends up fatally injuring himself whilst putting up curtains. With his health in decline, the reader gets to experience death through Ivan’s eyes. Tolstoy attempts to have the reader feel the same anxiety that Ivan feels and in some sense the same pain. And indeed, Tolstoy brilliantly conveys this agony to the reader. Specifically, Tolstoy decides to focus on two very important threads of the cloth that makes up death. From Ivan Illych’s perspective, Tolstoy focuses on regret with one’s life and the utterly different mindset the dying adopt versus the living.

    Read More

  • Spirituality In Leo Tolstoy's The Death Of Ivan Ilyich

    1814 Words  | 4 Pages

    Leo Tolstoy, author of The Death of Ivan Ilyich, suffered numerous tragic losses such as his parents and his aunt, Tatyana Ergolsky who created a tremendous impact during Tolstoy’s childhood. Overtime, Tolstoy was cultured and for Tolstoy it was common within his community. During the 1840, Tolstoy developed a strong, eager interest for the studies of moral philosophy. In The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Tolstoy suggests that although people can find happiness in materialism, they need spirituality during a crisis.

    Read More

  • Exterminate All the Brutes by Sven Lindqvist

    984 Words  | 2 Pages

    Is it possible to live without fear of death? If you can, does it change your life and who you are as a whole? Lindqvist believes so. Early in the book he proposes the idea that with fear of death life has a deeper meaning. That only with the fear of death do...

    Read More

  • Tolstoy's The Death Of Ivan Ilych

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    The language that Tolstoy uses engages the audience by making them feel like they are actually a part of the story. With death being a main subject in the story, Tolstoy practically forces the reader to live, breathe, and smell death. Tolstoy knew exactly how to pull his audience in with descriptive language and made them understand Ivan’s point of view successfully.

    Read More

  • Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of the Amontillado

    1509 Words  | 4 Pages

    “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe is a story of revenge on the outside, but when on the inside, it is something deeper. His stories are dark and sometimes, like in “The Cask of Amontillado,” deadly. Poe’s main focus in “The Cask of Amontillado” is revenge, but if examined more closely, the irony that is present foreshadows the end result for Fortunato. In “The Cask of Amontillado” the Montresor is planning to seek revenge on Fortunato for “the thousand injuries.” The revenge results in the live burial of Fortunato, the actual reasoning is left a mystery, but this story goes to prove that things that one does can always come back ...

    Read More

  • Characterism In Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask Of Amontillado

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    Montresor is portrayed as a man that turns on his former friend, leaving him to die showing little to no remorse for his deed. The reader can use these clues to believe he is insane, or possibly just a heartless person. The reader knows that the two characters had a previous dispute that created tension between the two. Fortunato seems to not be bothered by this previous argument, but Montresor appears to be a holding a grudge to no end. After he had almost sealed Fortunato’s death, he says “My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so.” (169-170) That statement shows the reader that it is not the man he just killed that is making his heart sick, but it is the atmosphere he was standing in. Any man in his right mind, would feel guilty for these actions, but Poe showed through Fortunato, that no guilt was shown whatsoever. The reader does not know if she can trust the narrator because he is obviously a little

    Read More

  • The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    Tolstoy immediately absorbs you into the novel by beginning with Ivan’s death. The actual death scene is saved until the end of the novel, but he shows you the reaction of some of Ivan’s colleagues as they hear the news of Ivan’s death. You are almost disgusted at the nonchalant manner that Ivan’s “friends” take his death. They are surprised by his death, but immediately think of how his death will affect their own lives, but more importantly, their careers. “The first though that occurred to each of the gentlemen in the office, learning of Ivan Ilyich’s death, was what effect it would have on their own transfers and promotions.” (pg 32) As a reader, you have to wonder how Ivan must have had to live in order for people close to him to feel no sadness towards the loss or even pity for his wife. In fact, these gentlemen are exactly like Ivan. The purpose of their lives was to gain as much power as possible with n...

    Read More

  • He Who Holds the Key

    681 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...By doing this, Montresor was making sure that nobody would be able to blame him for the murder of Fortunato. Montresor also uses reverse psychology while he is leading Fortunato to his doom in the depths of the catacombs. He constantly suggests that the two return back up stairs. “ ‘Come,’ I said with decision, ‘we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, [and] beloved… You are a man to be missed.” Montresor knows that if he keeps saying things like this, it will only fuel Fortunato’s longing for a taste of the amontillado.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Death Of Ivan

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    To conclude the chronology of the story supports the inevitability of death. Also Tolstoy started with the death to make the story seem realistic and to get it out of the way. One reading about the death in the beginning, it exposed the reaction of Ivan’s coworkers and his wife, which shows the selfishness of society that he lived in. Throughout the story Ivan had mixed feelings about death, but when he accepts that his death is coming he becomes happy at the end of the

    Read More

  • Psychological Analysis of Death: The Death of Ivan Illych

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...t is . What really accentuated the story's realness was the cold-harsh fact that no one is exempt from death. This was given when Gerasim said to Ivan that everyone dies (p135). As the last book Tolstoy made before his conversion to Christianity: this book, delving deep into death, could reveal some clues about what the bible is trying to tell us about the truth of death. Is death the end, the process, or...the beginning? Who knows? One thing for certain is that every individual goes through the grief process a bit differently, and Tolstoy has proven that through his main character, Ivan Illych.

    Read More

  • essay 1

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    The theme death has always played a crucial role in literature. Death surrounds us and our everyday life, something that we must adapt and accept. Whether it's on television or newspaper, you'll probably hear about the death of an individual or even a group. Most people have their own ideas and attitude towards it, but many consider this to be a tragic event due to many reasons. For those who suffered greatly from despair, living their life miserably and hopelessly, it could actually be a relief to them. Death affects not only you, but also those around you, while some people may stay unaffected depending on how they perceive it.

    Read More

  • The Experience of Death Depicted in the Plays Everyman and The Sandbox

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    Death, to the surrounding people, can often be seen as a horrible and depressing time in one’s life, while the same result may occur in the person going through the time period. One must remember, though, that no matter how the person has lived throughout their life, everyone must die eventually, for it is the circle of life. The playwright, Everyman, notes of the importance of having devotion and loyalty in Jesus Christ, for that is the only way to Heaven. Also, the play and The Sandbox greatly illustrate how a person near death is feeling and his emotions, while also describing the sympathy of others around him and their experiences.

    Read More

  • Life And Death In The Medieval Play Everyman

    1659 Words  | 4 Pages

    Life and death, everyone thinks about it at some point in their lives. Questions like, what could’ve been different, or what was done wrong and how could it be fixed. These questions are usually what come to mind when a person is at their final moments of his/her lives. Most of the time, he/she believes there was so much more than what he/she has been through whether for better or worse. Every human goes through this in some form, which leads to the creation of clinical teachings like the 5 stages of dying. These 5 stages consist of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The medieval play, Everyman displays this kind of questioning of life and death. The main character, Everyman, struggles with accepting the fact there is nothing he can do to keep everything he’s built up, which is mostly worldly possessions. Everyman, the play, is a prime example of when faced with death himself, one must come to the realization that worldly

    Read More

  • Summary: The Death Of Ivan Ilyich

    613 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people like Ivan are afraid of death, not knowing what will happen after they are gone and how their loved ones will cope with the loss of life so close to them. Tolstoy starts this story off with the death of Ivan Ilyich which is very different from most stories, but he tries to show his readers it is not about the death of a person, it is really about the things you do in your life by yourself and with others, and all the great accomplishments you gain up to your death. One major point in life later on when you are retired (65+) is the acceptance stage or “ego integrity versus despair stage” by Erik Erikson which shows the wisdom in humans. The person looks back upon their life and develop a sense of closure and accept death without

    Read More

  • "The Death of Ivan Ilych", by Leo Tolstoy

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    The story of In "The Death of Ivan Ilych", was written by Leo Tolstoy around who examines the life of a man, Ivan Ilyich, who would seem to have lived an exemplary life with moderate wealth, high station, and family. By story's end, however, Ivan's life will be shown to be devoid of passion -- a life of duties, responsibilities, respect, work, and cold objectivity to everything and everyone around Ivan. It is not until Ivan is on his death bed in his final moments that he realizes that materialism had brought to his life only envy, possessiveness, and non-generosity and that the personal relationships we forge are more important than who we are or what we own.

    Read More

More about Themes of Life and Death in Anna Karenina

Open Document