Anna Karenina and Sin
Leo Tolstoy wrote his novel "Anna Karenina" between 1873 and 1877. The work was born out of the writer's critical mental state, as between 1873 and 1875, five deaths occurred in Tolstoy's family. This prompted him to contemplate the meaning of existence and the causes of suffering. The novel reveals Tolstoy's views on sin and transgression.
The first, narrower meaning of sin in the novel is evident: marital infidelity, the sin of adultery. Anna's sin is that her actions were controlled by passions and carnal desires. In most of Tolstoy's works that delve into sin, this is the interpretation he gives. Tolstoy struggled with a tremendous sense of guilt due to his own bodily desires, and his literary work can be seen as a form of enormous penance.
A constant struggle rages within humans between the "animal" and the "spiritual" being, but the path to liberation, according to Tolstoy, was sought in external circumstances. He blamed women, considering them as temptresses, akin to the tempting Eve. He did not see strength in humans to restrain their desires but did not acknowledge personal responsibility either: every person's life depends on their own decision regarding the influence of various forces. While correctly recognizing the vulnerability of human nature, he did not realize how a person could overcome the physical constraints. According to the Bible, man is powerless to do good and resist the temptation of sin without divine grace.
Another interpretation of sin in the novel is lovelessness, inhumanity. The social environment in which the main character moves is a world driven by false ideals, a deceitful society. This environment itself is sinful because selfishness, on which society's life is based, is also a sin. Every form of egoism, expressed as ambition, greed, envy, and self-justification, is a sin.
This sin could be attributed to every person in every era, and the writer chastises the society of his own time. He does not lament the lack of knowledge of God but rather the failure to adhere to the law of love.
The novel's epigraph is taken from the Bible: "Vengeance is mine; I will repay" (Romans 12:19). This means, according to Scripture, that only God can be the judge, not man. Man himself is a sinner and cannot pass judgment; he must bow before the higher will.
Tolstoy interpreted this biblical passage primarily as the destiny (=God) avenging the sins of man, with God acting with cruel consistency towards the sinful man.
The main question of the novel is: What led the sinning woman to her death?
The writer considered the elimination of sin as just. It seemingly required the death of the novel's main character, Anna, because she committed infidelity. Her death is the consequence of deviating from moral law. It was led by the selfish satisfaction of her personal feelings. Life has stable points, such as family, home, and morality. The "God of the novel's author" acted rightfully according to the violator of the law.
However, Tolstoy refines his stance, illustrating that the cruel, unconsidered divine judgment is not the true cause of death.
Anna is considered guilty by society as well. The aristocratic society, forgetting its own sins, condemns her with ostracism. This cold insensitivity further intensified Anna's sense of guilt. She wanted to gain forgiveness for her sin but had no one to turn to. She did not ask for forgiveness from God, and among people, she found no one who could accept it.
She experienced how people treat each other like cattle, and her suicide was an attempt to escape this cruelty. Tolstoy empathetically portrayed the woman's suffering, depicting her as a victim, not a sinner. Due to circumstances and her heartless environment, Tolstoy found an excuse for Anna. The writer correctly examined the motives of Anna's heart, not just her action, which had to be condemned by human eyes.
The epigraph, therefore, does not refer to a cruel God but could mean that only God can pass judgment over Anna's sin and the society's lovelessness.
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