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The first line of Anna Karenina is one of the most celebrated
in world literature: \"All happy families resemble one another,
but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.\" Not only
does the line lead you directly to the crisis at hand (Dolly and
Stiva\'s), but it sets up the premise that Tolstoy will use in
developing his story. The essence of the novel is the central
characters in their respective relationships--Stiva and Dolly,
Anna and Karenin, Anna and Vronsky.
You learn a lot about Stiva in these first chapters. Despite
the havoc he has wreaked on his household, he wakes up at his
usual time after a pleasant dream about the high life--wine,
women and song. It isn\'t until he realizes that his dressing
gown is not in its usual place that he remembers he hasn\'t slept
with his wife, but was banished to a couch in his study. Stiva
doesn\'t regret his affair (there have been many of those); he
regrets having got caught.
NOTE: Tolstoy presents Stiva\'s morning routine in great
detail. Tolstoy, a major realist writer, gives you a wealth of
seemingly insignificant tidbits about his characters\' habits,
tendencies, and mannerisms.
At times you may feel bogged down with information, but bear
in mind that the details add up to give you a concrete picture
of the world inside the novel. Tolstoy\'s exactitude makes the
story that much more searing because you get an almost
photographic image of the characters, which makes it easy to
identify with them.
How closely Tolstoy must have watched those around him!
Let\'s tally the details that Tolstoy gives us about Stiva\'s
morning habits and see what they add up to. Stiva plunges
himself into his activities in order to forget his troubles.
This tells you he\'s not a particularly reflective person who
tries hard to avoid feeling guilty even when he\'s in the wrong.
He reads a Liberal newspaper. Unlike the Conservatives, who
emphasize the importance of organized religion and close family
life, the Liberals hold that religion distracts one from the fun
to be had in this life (as opposed to the afterlife) and that
marriage is an outmoded institution. Tolstoy was a
Conservative; by telling you that Stiva reads a Liberal
newspaper--a seemingly small detail--Tolstoy is letting you know
that Stiva figures as a villain in the novel.
A widow drops by to ask Stiva\'s help with a petition she\'s
submitting to a government agency. This should alert you to the
fact that Stiva is in a position of power. Though he doesn\'t
care about the widow and her problem, Stiva helps her because he
likes appearing powerful and wants others to think well of him.
You also get the impression that in Tolstoy\'s Russia connections
are vital if you need a government agency to act on your behalf.
Through careful placement of telling details, Tolstoy has given
you not only a vivid portrait of Stiva, but a good look at his
society as well.
Tolstoy digresses to give you a bit of Stiva\'s history.
Though Stiva had not done well at school (he was lazy and
mischievous) he nonetheless has a distinguished government
career. This is partly because he had good connections, and
partly because he is so little interested in his work that he
keeps a valuable objectivity on office matters.
NOTE: Tolstoy is making a comment here on government
agencies and bureaucracy in general, and city life in
particular. To Tolstoy, Stiva represents the worst of both
environments: He hasn\'t really earned what he has, and his
progress is due more to lack of interest than to devotion.
How do you think Stiva would fare in today\'s government
bureaucracy or corporate world?
It nearly slips his mind, but on his way out of the house
Stiva does remember to apologize to Dolly. Dolly breaks down,
infuriated and humiliated by Stiva\'s pity. She wants--and
realizes she will never have--his love.
NOTE: THE \"FRENCH MARRIAGE\" The type of marriage that Dolly
and Stiva have was not unusual in Tolstoy\'s time. Many
marriages were arranged in order to enhance both families\'
financial and social position. Romance was not considered a
major ingredient in these marriages, and husbands and wives
frequently had lovers on the side. In fact, it was not uncommon
for a man to provide his mistress with an apartment, wardrobe,
spending money, and so forth. This type of marriage is
sometimes called a \"French marriage,\" as arranged marriages were
the rule in court society of 18th--and 19th-century France. The
Russian nobility often modeled their conduct and social
practices after the French. You might want to read the novels
of Honore de Balzac, particularly La Cousine Bette (1846), for a
detailed treatment of the \"French marriage.\"
Although spouses were not expected to be true to one another,
they were expected to be discreet in carrying on their
extramarital affairs. Later in the novel Anna gets into trouble
because she flaunts her affair with Vronsky, refusing to play by
rules she considers hypocritical.
What do you think of the concept of a \"French marriage?\"
Think about the ways this sort of marriage affects both sexes.
Pay special attention to the difference in men\'s and women\'s
roles as exemplified by the Oblonsky marriage. And think about
the pain that is caused if one partner does not want a \"French
marriage.\" This will figure prominently as the story unfolds.
Levin arrives to see Stiva. This is your first encounter
with the hero of the novel. Notice the contrast between Stiva
and Levin. Stiva is the epitome of urbane charm; Levin seems a
bit bumbling in comparison. Tolstoy, who distrusted city
slickers, introduces here his theme on the values of country
life vs. city life. Contrast Levin\'s seriousness about
marriage with Stiva\'s attitude: this, too, lets you know that
Tolstoy favors Levin.
NOTE: As he thinks about Kitty, Levin recalls that the
Shcherbatsky family always had a French governess (as do the
Oblonskys) and that Kitty and her sisters were required to speak
French fluently. This was not unusual in upper-class families
in Tolstoy\'s time. A thorough knowledge of French was a status
symbol.
Tolstoy, though he spoke French, resented this snobbery. He
was Russian through and through, and was proud of it. You\'ll
see that he sometimes inserts French words into his characters\'
dialogue. He does this so their speech will be realistic.
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