Anna Karenina - Week 09 / Part 5, Chapters I- XIX

[Gem , Moderator]

Week 8 covers the first half of Part 5 (Chapters I - XIX).

1. Regarding Levin and Kittie's wedding, how were the customs then different from weddings today? (I'm not a follower of Russian Orthodoxy so I don't know how a wedding then would compare to a wedding now.) What, in general, seemed familiar to you? Were there things that surprised or confused you—if so, what?

2. Now that Anna and Vronsky have fled to Europe, what do you think of them as a couple? Do you feel Anna has flourished now that she has love in her life? If not, why do you suspect she hasn't?

3. In Part Five, both Vronsky and Levin are described as being "not as happy as they expected to be." From what we know of them, do you think their expectations were realistic? If not, what do you think might have created unrealistic expectations?

4. Regarding the way Kitty and Levin fight, how is their way of communicating different from the way Anna and Vronsky or Stiva and Dolly disagree? Do you think this is "normal" for a newly married couple? Do you think this is something they will be able to work through? If not, why?

5. How do you feel about the custom that would prohibit Kitty from visiting Nikolai Levin because of his relationship with Marya? What is your impression of Marya as a "fallen woman?" Do you have any other thoughts about Marya? Any other thoughts about her relationship with Nikolai?

[Alice]

Gem wrote: "2. Now that Anna and Vronsky have fled to Europe, what do you think of them as a couple? Do you feel Anna has flourished now that she has love in her life? If not, why do you suspect she hasn't?"

Despite a happy surface which she herself might think is enough, I don't think that Anna is flourishing at all; she seems to be basing her happiness entirely on Vronsky, holding him and her relationship with him as the one thing of importance in her life. A quote Bonnie recently brought to the week four/Part Two thread--about Vronsky's pursuit of Anna constituting "the whole interest of her life"--has really highlighted this for me. Leaning on her affair to bring meaning to her existence is a thing which seems to have started back then and just now reached a state of full flower, with a complete eradication of all else that might, before, have mattered in her life. Of course, since she has literally walked away from the everything else, I guess at this point she doesn't really have a choice.

But the relationship with Vronsky is not enough: possibly because no relationship with another person, in and of itself, is enough to make life meaningful; and/or because Vronsky himself is not enough, suffering as he is from the same unmoored, purposeless condition as Anna. They are both adrift. The chapters on painting illustrate this: by sitting (and doing nothing) Anna becomes in image of herself, a thing that's pretty to look at but frozen in time, with no ability to think, grow, or effect change of any kind. And Vronsky's aspiration to art--viewed in tandem with a glimpse into the process of an actual artist--just feels so incredibly sad to me. I feel so sorry for Vronsky the would-be artist that I am (almost) ready to forget about the horse he kicked.

[Gem , Moderator]

Alice wrote: "Gem wrote: "2. Now that Anna and Vronsky have fled to Europe, what do you think of them as a couple? Do you feel Anna has flourished now that she has love in her life? If not, why do you suspect sh..."

I agree with you. As a healthy, well-rounded individual you can not build your entire life around another person. You have to have your own interests, hobbies, etc. Basing your happiness on another person is, in my opinion, of of the things that prevents happiness.

[Bonnie]

Alice wrote: "They are both adrift. The chapters on painting illustrate this: by sitting (and doing nothing) Anna becomes in image of herself, a thing that's pretty to look at but frozen in time, with no ability to think, grow, or effect change of any kind."

Nice observation!

[Bonnie]

Gem wrote: "3. In Part Five, both Vronsky and Levin are described as being "not as happy as they expected to be." From what we know of them, do you think their expectations were realistic? If not, what do you think might have created unrealistic expectations?."

Oh, the general patriarchal attitude. Go ye and live apart with your mate, and spring forth offspring etc. (Cute how they said "May you live to meet your children's children.") And their society was much more rigid than ours. And no pop psychology to teach people little ways of getting along. And a pre-disposed attitude on Levin's side, that his angel will make life perfect for him; on Kitty's side that her #1 best purpose in life is to get married -- preferably to marry well, and have a family. Not a lot of discussion about "the journey" or the day-to-day struggle of a close relationship or advice regarding boredom / sex & desire?! Magical thinking.

I had some earlier problems too, when I got married and lived with spouse. Hopefully not as bad though, and I expected that there would be some problems, even if I didn't know yet what would they be. I think those crazy kids will get past it though and have a good marriage.

How does that compare to Anna and Vronsky, or Dolly and Stiva? Trying to recall their conflicts. Well those couples have worse structural problems... but did they do much conflict resolution besides anger and crying?
(Got to go)