8
votes
Accepted
Mystifying reference in "Anna Karenina"
I assumed it might be a biblical reference, but upon checking, it doesn't seem that Rebecca was a slave.
It is her, Rebecca.
According to these comments to "Anna Karenina" (in Russian, ...
- 1,140
7
votes
Accepted
Is there symbolism in Vronsky going bald in Anna Karenina?
I think there is indeed symbolism in Vronsky's bald spot. One of Karenin's chief characteristics is his ears, which is often the first thing people notice of him. Ears are meant for hearing—hearing ...
- 649
6
votes
Why do readers dislike Vronsky in the early part of the novel?
Because Levin appears first.
Levin/Lyovin is the main character of the novel: it is not just about Anna and Vronsky! See LitCharts, for example:
Levin, the other main protagonist of the novel (...
- 1,591
6
votes
Accepted
What led Tolstoy to depict that a person would have a change of heart after throwing themselves under a train?
I believe that there is no reliable answer to your question. He could make this up, or he could hear it from someone or read about it somewhere, we will never know.
Tolstoy's wife Sofia Andreevna ...
- 1,225
5
votes
What is "the light by which she had read the book" in "Anna Karenina"?
It's metaphorical, and examining the context before the passage you cite can illuminate the meaning. I believe the light refers to Anna's outlook on the world, or her interpretation of external events....
4
votes
Accepted
Is Anna Karenina a modernist novel?
[T]he hero of my story, whom I love with all my heart and soul, whom I have attempted to portray in all his beauty and who has always been, is now, and will always be supremely magnificent, is truth.
-...
- 1,908
4
votes
Accepted
What is the exact social status of Alexei Vronsky?
I'll give it a go.
I'll start with providing an extended quote from Levin's dialogue with Oblonsky:
'Aristocratism, you say. But allow me to ask, what makes up this
aristocratism of Vronsky or ...
- 1,140
4
votes
Accepted
Does someone know the "Moment of Ljewin" in Anna Karenina?
My guess would be the scene, where Kitty and Levin open their hearts to each other. It fits the description (tr. Constance Garnett).
“Ah! I’ve scribbled all over the table!” she said, and, laying ...
- 1,225
3
votes
Accepted
Is Frou-Frou's death a foreshadowing of Anna's in Anna Karenina?
Vronsky has learned, earlier that day, that Anna is pregnant. It's obvious that the horse's death is tied to this revelation. The pregnancy, which forces her husband to acknowledge the affair, leads ...
- 1,217
2
votes
What concept of love does Tolstoy suggest in Anna Karenina?
One of the guilty pleasures of writing is that you create a world where you have absolute power. You place the scenery, you define the people, you make the rules, and you decide who lives and who dies....
- 1,217
1
vote
What led Tolstoy to depict that a person would have a change of heart after throwing themselves under a train?
In short: Suicide is bad, kids, don't do it.
That's basically all there is to it.
Long answer: You need to get into the morality of the time and place when the novel was written and ask yourself ...
- 544
1
vote
Could Levin have a friend like Oblonsky in real life?
Oblonsky is presented as a person who is everybody's friend. He's not an especially good person, though. He cheats on his wife. He makes a poor deal selling his land. He's not particularly good at his ...
- 1,217
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible