What is the meaning of the epigram, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay”? Is Anna’s fate God’s vengeance for her actions? Is this a commentary on Anna’s vengeance on Vronsky?
Anna says to Dolly that she wants to have an affair; she simply wants “to live; to cause no evil to anyone but myself.” Does the book present this idea as possible or plausible?
Which, if any, characters do you feel transcend their roles in this novel to modern times? Are any of them relatable? What is it about their character that makes them relatable? Are their actions, thoughts, or social pressures and positions most relevant to today’s reader?
How many of the motifs surrounding Anna’s character are relevant in today’s society? Her character explores infidelity, depression, suicide, drug addiction, societal pressure and roles, and family identity and roles. In what ways do we think of these differently today and in what ways are these insights transmutable to Tolstoi’s writings?
In chapter four, the text states: “the role of a man who attached himself to a married woman and devoted his life to involving her in adultery at all costs, has something beautiful and grand about it…”(128). Does Tolstoi appear to agree with this sentiment or does he use it to spark debate?
What are Tolstoi’s intentions in creating Anna as a sophisticated, high society figure who is revered by her peers and Vronsky as an extremely wealthy military man who is both young and handsome? How would the story and its message change if any of these aspects of character were altered? Why is it so important that Anna’s fall from grace be monumental yet not so outside the realm of possibility so as to be surprising?
The theme of family is undoubtedly important. We see the Karenins, a classic high society family who, at least at first, appear to society as an exemplary familial unit. We also have Levin and his two brothers Nikolai and Sergei. Why does Tolstoi chose to create filial relationships that are somewhat dysfunctional? What does their conflict of personalities say about them or about society? We also have Levin and Kitty as they become a family unit. What ideals do happy characters seem to have in common? Are there any common or similar tensions that can be seen in more than one set of relationships?