The author of the novel "Anna Karenina" is a public educator, psychologist, classicist of novelistics, philosopher and Russian writer L. N. Tolstoy. The beginning of his literary activity falls on 1852. It was then that his autobiographical novel, Childhood, was published. This was the first part of the trilogy. A little later, the works "Boyhood" and "Youth" appeared.
Another of the most famous works of L. N. Tolstoy is the epic novel "War and Peace." The reason for writing the work were Sevastopol and Caucasian events. The novel describes the military campaign and the family chronicles unfolding against its background. This work, the main character of which the author considers the people, conveys to the reader "popular thought."
The problems of married life, L. N. Tolstoy reflected in his next essay - the novel "Anna Karenina."
The value of Tolstoy
The works of an outstanding Russian writer have greatly influenced world literature. The authority of Tolstoy during his life was truly incontrovertible. After the death of the classic, his popularity grew even more. It is unlikely that there will be a man who will remain indifferent if he falls into the hands of "Anna Karenina" - a novel that tells not only about the fate of a woman. The work clearly describes the history of the country. It reflects both the morality that secular society adheres to and the life of the very bottom. The reader is shown the brilliance of salons and the poverty of the village. Against the background of this ambiguous Russian life, an extraordinary and vibrant personality is described, striving for happiness.
The image of a woman in literary works
Representatives of the beautiful half of humanity often became the heroes of the classics of the past. There are many examples of this. This is Catherine from The Storm and Larisa from The Bride of Ostrovsky. A bright image of Nina from Chekhov's “The Seagull”. All these women in the struggle for their happiness oppose public opinion.
In the same brilliant work, L.N. Tolstoy. Anna Karenina is the image of a special woman. A distinctive feature of the heroine is her belonging to the highest stage of society. She seems to have everything. Anna is beautiful, rich and educated. She is admired, her advice is taken into account. However, she is deprived of happiness in a married life and experiences loneliness in her family. Probably, the fate of this woman would have been different if love reigned in her house.
The main character of the novel
In order to understand why Anna Karenina throws herself under the train at the end of the work, it is necessary to carefully read the work of the great writer. Only an understanding of the image of this heroine will allow us to draw certain conclusions.
At the beginning of the story, Anna Karenina appears before the reader as an attractive young woman belonging to high society. Benevolent, cheerful and pleasant in communication, describes his heroine L. N. Tolstoy. Anna Karenina is an exemplary wife and mother. Most of all, she loves her little son. As for the husband, outwardly their relationship is just exemplary. However, upon closer examination, artificiality and falsehood are noticeable in them. With a husband, a woman is associated not with love feelings, but with respect.
How old is Anna Karenina? The author does not give an exact answer to this question. However, the novel has obvious clues to suggest that the woman is twenty-five to twenty-six years old.
Meeting with Vronsky
With her unloved husband, Anna lived in luxury and prosperity. They had a son, Serezhenka. It seems that life was a success. However, everything radically changes the meeting with Vronsky. The image of Anna Karenina from this moment undergoes fundamental changes. The heroine wakes up a thirst for love and life.
A nascent new feeling inexorably pulls her towards Vronsky. His strength is such that Anna is simply not able to resist. Honest, sincere and open to the reader is Anna Karenina. The analysis of the work gives an understanding of the fact that in a false and complex relationship with her husband, she is simply not able to live. As a result, Anna is inferior to the ardent passion.
Parting
The image of Anna Karenina is controversial. Confirmation of this is in her life outside of marriage. According to the heroine, happiness can only be possible when laws are strictly enforced. She tried to start a new life. The basis was the misfortune of people close to her. Anna feels like a criminal. At the same time, generosity emanates from Karenin. He is ready to forgive everything to his wife and save the marriage. However, this high morality of her husband causes only hatred in Anna.
Through the mouth of his wife, the author compares Karenin with an evil and soulless machine.
This dignitary checks all his feelings with the norms of the law, which is established by the church and the state. Undoubtedly, he suffers from the fact that his wife cheated on him. However, it does it in a peculiar way. He just wants to shake off the “dirt” that Anna “splattered” with him, and calmly continue his
life's journey. His feelings are not based on heart feelings, but on a cold mind. The rationality of Karenin allows him to find the path of cruel punishment for Anna. He parted her with his son. The heroine is faced with a choice. And she goes to Vronsky. However, this path turned out to be disastrous for her. He led her to the abyss, and this can explain the fact that Anna Karenina threw herself under the train.
The second protagonist of the work "Anna Karenina"
Alexey Vronsky is a brilliant representative of the higher circles of Russia described in the novel of the period. He is handsome, rich and has great connections. The adjutant wing Vronsky is kind and nice by nature. He is smart and educated. The lifestyle of the protagonist of the novel is characteristic of a young aristocrat of that time. He serves in the guards regiment. His spending per year is 45,000 rubles.
Vronsky, sharing the habits and views of the aristocratic milieu, is loved by comrades. After meeting with Anna, the young man redefines his life. He understands that he is obliged to change her usual way. Vronsky sacrifices freedom and ambition. He resigns and, having parted with the usual secular environment for him, is looking for new life paths. The restructuring of his worldview did not allow him to get satisfaction and calm.
Life with Vronsky
Why is Anna Karenina rushing under the train at the end of the novel, because fate connected her with a beautiful young man, giving a sincere and deep feeling? Despite the fact that love has come to the main character, after leaving her husband a woman cannot find peace.
Neither Vronsky’s deep feeling for her, nor the little daughter who was born, nor amusement and comfort trips bring her. Anna’s emotional distress is further exacerbated by separation from her son. Society does not understand her. Friends turn away from her. Over time, Anna increasingly comes to realize the full depth of her misfortune. The character of the heroine is changing. She becomes suspicious and irritable. As a reassuring Anna begins to take morphine, which further enhances the feelings that have arisen. The woman begins to be jealous of Vronsky without any reason. She feels a dependence on his desires and love. However, Anna is well aware that Vronsky because of her refused many important things in life. That is why she seeks to replace his whole world with herself. Gradually unraveling the tangle of complex relationships is becoming increasingly difficult, and thoughts of death begin to come to the heroine. And this is in order to stop being guilty, shifting the feeling to Vronsky, while freeing himself. All this will answer the question: “Why Anna Karenina rushes under the train?”
Tragedy
In the image of the main character of his novel, Tolstoy showed a direct and whole woman who lives by feeling. However, the whole tragedy of fate and position would be incorrectly explained only by its nature. It is much deeper, because it was the social environment that caused Anna Karenina to feel the alienation of society.
The characterization of the image of the main character indicates that she is only concerned with personal problems - marriage, love and family. The situation that developed in her life after leaving her husband did not suggest a worthy way out of this situation. Why is Anna Karenina rushing under the train? Her desperate step can be explained by the unbearable life that came in connection with the rejection of her act by society.
The origins of the tragedy
The difficult fate of women is described in many literary works. She did not pass the Pushkin Tatiana and the Turgenev Elena, the Nekrasov Decembrists and the heroines of Ostrovsky. What they have in common with Anna Karenina is the naturalness and sincerity of actions and feelings, the purity of thoughts, as well as the deep tragedy of fate. The experiences of his heroine Tolstoy showed readers the most deeply, fully and psychologically subtly.
The tragedy of Anna did not even begin when, as a married woman, she posed a real challenge to society. Dissatisfaction with her fate arose even at a time when she, still a very young girl, was given to marry a tsarist official. Anna sincerely tried to create a happy family. However, she did not succeed. Then she began to justify her life with her unloved husband by love for her son. And this is a tragedy. Being a living and bright person, Anna first realized what true love is. And it is not surprising that a woman tried to break free from the world that disgusted her. However, she lost her son.
The heartache of the heroine
Anna did not want to hide her new life from others. Society is simply shocked. Around Karenina, a real wall of alienation has grown. She began to be condemned even by those who acted much worse in their lives. And Anna could not accept this rejection.
Yes, the high society has shown its hypocrisy. However, the woman had to be aware that she was not in a vacuum. Living in a society, one has to reckon with its laws and orders.
Tolstoy is a wise psychologist. He describes the agony of the heroine of his novel simply amazing. Does the author condemn this woman? Not. He suffers and loves with her.