3 Thought-Provoking Questions Found in Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina"- Part II

I’ve been working my way through Tolstoy’s epic novel Anna Karenina. I have been thoroughly impressed by Tolstoy’s ability to observe and write about human behavior in countless different situations. Reading his book has made me think about so many philosophical, ethical, moral, and psychological questions. I wrote Part I pertaining to the first 100 pages of Anna Karenina, this blog entry (Part II) will deal with interesting questions I found from

roughly pages 100-300.

1. Why do we sometimes revel in other people’s misfortunes?

If you recall from reading Part I, that the novel starts with a married couple whose lives have been completely changed after the discovery of an affair. Princess Oblonsky- Dolly- discovers that her husband has been having a long-time affair with their governess. She decides to forgive her husband after having a conversation with her husband’s sister- Anna Karenina. Dolly is completely moved by her sister-in-law’s insight, warmth and sincere compassion. It is precisely at this point where she feels so close to Anna, that, when Anna finds herself in a distressing situation, Kitty actually feels a touch of joy at her suffering: “Dolly could hardly repress a smile. She was fond of Anna, but she was pleased to see that Anna too had her weaknesses.”

Why does this happen? Think of tabloids- they run on the fact that people love to read about the misfortune of others- especially celebrities. Do we just love seeing successful people fail- brought down to the level of us mere mortals? Does it help us feel better about ourselves? Are we that insecure? Or is it merely just comforting to know we aren’t alone- that its not just us who face difficult problems? Tolstoy does not seem to comment one way or the other- only to point out this tendency in our human nature.

2. Can ignoring an extremely difficult problem in your life literally make you ill?

The answer to this question, at least to me, seems to be quite obviously “yes, absolutely.” I think Tolstoy would agree, and he makes a point to write about how this avoidance-type behavior can quite literally kill you from the inside out. Anna’s husband, Alexey, begins to suspect his wife of cheating. He has no concrete proof, except a gut-feeling based on the way Anna has been interacting with a certain gentleman named Count Vronsky. And he’s not the only one who has noticed their “closeness.” Many people in high society have begun gossiping about the obvious chemistry between Anna and Vronsky.

Alexey tries very hard to ignore what his intuition is telling him. He continually suppresses questions in his head that, if answered, would lead to a conclusion that his wife is having an affair. If friends of the couple start to express their suspicion of Anna, he becomes quite angry and doubles-down on defending her innocence. He throws himself into his work, occupying his mind with any problem but the glaring one he has with his wife.

Tolstoy writes: “He did not permit himself to think about it, and he did not think about it; but at the same time deep down inside him, though he never admitted it to himself nor had any proof or suspicions of it, he knew for certain that he was a wronged husband, and that made him terribly unhappy.” This all leads to negative health consequences for Alexey- malnourishment and an enlarged liver.

For me, Tolstoy is reminding us that ignoring our problems does not make them disappear, they only manifest themselves in a ton of different subtle and not-so-subtle ways. And it is possible (if not likely) that your health will deteriorate the longer and more ardently you chose to ignore those matters that desperately require your attention. Is it not better to face our problems head-on? To define them precisely so that we being the work of solving them? Of course this is easier said than done, and there is no shortage of characters in Anna Karenina who suffer from their inability to face reality.

3. If you are blessed with good fortune, is it your duty to society to improve it?

Another character in the book is Levin, who is a very good friend of Oblonsky. Levin is a sensitive man, prone to shifting moods based on his situation, and he is constantly seeking ways to live a better life. He is considered somewhat strange for choosing to live in the country and own a farm, when he could live in either St. Petersburg or Moscow instead. While Levin is overseeing his farm in the country side, his brother comes to visit him, and they engage in a conversation on one’s duty to society.

Levin’s brother-Koznyshev- does not understand why Levin has decided to step-down from the rural council. He believes that Levin could make a positive impact for the rural community. He suggests 3 reasons for this: 1. Indifference 2. Inability 3. Laziness. Levin denies all 3 reasons, and states, “I have tried but I can do nothing.”

Koznyshev continues, with an argument that can hardly be ignored (in my opinion): “How can you consider it of no importance that the peasants whom, as you assure me, you love are dying without help? Ignorant midwives cause the death of babies and the peasants stagnate in ignorance and are at the mercy of every village clerk. You have been given the means of remedying it and you don’t do anything to help because you don’t consider it important.”

I think Tolstoy nails that paragraph- it’s one of my favorites in the whole book. It reminds me to take a look at myself- have I used my blessings/talents/intellect for the betterment of others, or have I been lazy, indifferent, or selfish? Tolstoy brings to life this sentiment echoed in such places as the Bible: “to whom much has been given, much is expected.” (Luke 12:48) and the super-hero movie Spiderman (the one with Tobey Maguire): “With great power comes great responsibility.”