Jessica’s
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(group member since Jan 02, 2013)
Jessica’s
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from the Classics Without All the Class group.
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Laws
Grammar
300
chocolate
Italian
Ron Weasley
Strawberry
Well, the big event happens in this Part. Anna delivers the baby girl and Alexey makes a right decision, although right by public eye it is also right in the moral aspect. He also does something that, for once, I think makes him become human to the readers' eye. He not only forgives Anna, but also Vronsky. He takes pitty on both of these characters which, I think shows a major growth in his character. Also take note of how he, from this moment on, interacts with Seryozsha and the new daughter. The sad part in this is the question of the hour, What is to be done, now? Anna cannot live with him and now wants a divorce. While it is what she has wanted all along, she knows this will not fix everything. She will have to choose, now, between Alexey and her children. I have not liked Stepan from the beginning. He thinks he has everyone's well-being when he offers advice, but that is never really his goal. It is what he can gain from it most of the time. He decides o give advice to Alexey on behalf of his sister's well-being. How interesting the man who had the affair in the beginning, now is the man to give advice about what is to be done with love affairs. Let's just say I rolled my eyes at his character through the entire conversation. Ugh, is all I can say in response to him. Alexey knows the divorce or no divorce at all will solve the problem. There is not solution, at this point in time but the divorce is what Anna wants so he gives her that. Anna continues to talk about her death being the only way out of this.
Oh but there was happiness is this chapter. Kitty and Levin, finally, reconnect and the engagement has a happy ending this time. However, Levin being the truthful man he is, cannot leave some things unsaid. He is not a believer, which Kitty can accept. But he also decides to share his journals and the fact that there have been women before her. Kitty is on the pedestal Levin has always held on her on. But Levin no longer stands on Kitty's. Her dreams have come true, while another is shattered before the wedding even happens.
We end with Vronksy and Anna going away, whicl Alexey stays home with the children. Vronsky has declined his next opportunity to move up in the army. And the divorce never happened.
I found myself liking Levin but having frustration with him too. He is so easy for me to connect with. His connection to nature and the countryside is beautiful. This passion aligns with what he feels for Kitty, but he goes through one of those denial phases. Everything about the countryside becomes frustrating, the peasants cheat him, and Dolly comes to live nearby. The conversation he has with her in regards to Kitty was good, in that I felt he would finally learn the truth, but instead his fear of heartache and loss of love prevented him from taking the information in an effort to benefit the relationship he could have with her. He then goes into this weird acceptance of death. He feels, as if, his death is close at hand. This attitude towards death happens after he spends time with his sick brother. What is it he is ill with? Is it TB?On a happier note, I enjoyed Levin's dinner with the peasant's daughter. The mention of how low cut the bosom of the dress was, in conjunction with Levin's reactions was hysterical. His gentelmanly attitude, or him trying to keep one, in that situation deserves an applause.
Vronksy and Anna's relationship hits a rough patch. Alexey has decided, due to religious reasons, that he and Anna will continue to live in Petersburgh and Vronsky must never visit. Divorce is not an option for him due to the difficult public spot it would put him in. When Anna meets Vronsky to tell him this news, there is a moment where he questions his love for her. He feels, as though it is dwindling. While sparknotes has a much different reason for this, I can't help but feel it is no longer a fun affair for Vronsky, but it has now become an act with serious repercussions, which he does not want responsibility for. Anna is no longer a pretty object to lust after, but a person with opinions and a love for her son he still cannot understand.
There is a part of me that had Sympahty for Karenin in this situation, though. I understood his relationship with Seryozsha to be a reminder of Anna. When he looks at him, he see her, and therefor has a mixture of emotions, which he does not know how to interpret. He is angry, of course, he is embarrassed, he is jealous (even though he tries not to be) and all of these leads to a feeling of guilt for the way he feels towards his son. It's his own blood and not his fault, Alexey knows this but he is reminded of so much pain when he sees him. I am not condoning any of it, but I believe there is much more under this man's robotic nature. The inner conflict/argument he has with his conscience shows a depth of emotion we have not seen from him up until now. He is so conflicted with how to handle the affair from here. He is, essentially, over analyzing the situation, although for good reason. He has quite a noble and important position in this aristocratic society, where everything you do or don't do becomes the judgement of others. He also takes Anna into a lot of consideration too.
I feel like his character has so much more depth to it, but the reader is the only one to who sees it. Hopefully he lets more of this inner emotion out/be shown. So, people see him as a human being.
Adventure
Growl
I have gotten to part 4 and everything is starting to run together. Was it in part II or III?
Corn
Sketch
CassieV wrote: "This is a re-read for me, as I read this in high school. Reading at 16 then again at 28 (and married with children), I'm definitely understanding more of what's going on in the lives of the charac..."Oh my goodness, the foreshadowing gets even better throughout the book.
I just wanted a place to put some foreshadowing questions and discussions. this book is full of it. In Part 2, Vronksy has his horse race. The love he has for the horse, in some ways mirrors the obsession he has for Anna. In the end, his focus on the end of the race and winning leaves Frou Frou with a broke back and she must be put down. Knowing what I do about the book...is this a foreshadowing of how his intentions and obesession for Anna lead to a downhill spiral into darkness? For both of them..
Thought?
We get a bit more into the depth of the relationship between Anna and Vronsky in this part. We actually get watch it progress. In the meantime, Kitty is heartbroken. Not only did Vronksy not propose, but she is also realizing the mistake she made of declining Levin. Quite a spot for her to be in, I'm sure. Anna and Vronky's affair becomes physical at this point, as well. I am of the opinion this is all physical and a lust fest for Vronsky. However, Anna wants love and attention from Vronksy she feels she doesn't get from Alexey. She calls him robotic and unemotional several times throughout the book. She can't stand to even look at him. I feel sorry for her, even though she has put herself in this situation. She wants to be loved and pined for but can't seem to find happiness. Vronsky presses her to run away, but he doesn't understand why that is not an option for Anna because he has not entered parenthood. He can't even fathom what he is asking of her, to leave her one and only son? While he comes across true in his emotions, I still get the feeling that is all a game for him (like Kitty was). He mentions in part one how he never really wants to settle down. So why go through all of this turmoil?
Then Anna reveals everything after the race to Alexey. And i am pretty sure it is downhill from here. Just a guess. But once, the truth is out...there is no turning back.
Levin works on his farm and is enjoying the quiet peacefulness of the countryside. His sections seem to be a nice break from all the love affair stuff going on right now.
Tessa wrote: "Started "Girls" just yesterday. So far, I love it!"I love that show. I have had many moments where my husband looks from tv to me with a weird expression and I respond, "Believe me every girl has thought that...I have. They just vocalize it." Hilarious!
If you like that show. Check out the movie Tiny Furniture on Netflix instant que. The main girl from Girls plays the lead role in the movie. I believe the woman who did the movie is the writer for the show...not positive though. Good movie :)
