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From a vision of harmony, Tolstoy plunges you into the tense
triangle made up of Anna, Karenin, and Vronsky.
Karenin considers challenging Vronsky to a duel but finally
decides against it. He then considers divorcing Anna but
decides against that, too, since by Russian law he would have to
present proof of her affair, which would certainly cause a
scandal.
Karenin decides that the best thing is for him to insist that
his and Anna\'s life continue outwardly as though nothing were
wrong. In this way, he reasons, his honor will be saved, he
won\'t have the headaches of a divorce, and--not least--Anna will
suffer. Anna, he believes, must suffer, for in his eyes she
alone is guilty.
Karenin puts his plan into action by sending Anna money, with
a proper but cold note. He then buries himself in his work.
Anna, who is staying at their summer home and receiving
visits from Karenin on weekends, realizes with a start that she
too is horrified at the prospect of public disgrace. By staying
married to Karenin maybe she can avoid a scandal and continue
her affair with Vronsky. She seeks advice from Princess Betsy,
who counsels her to perfect her arts of deception. Anna
realizes that she feels comfortable in Princess Betsy\'s drawing
room, that the buzz of society gossip calms her.
Take note that Anna seeks help from a character Tolstoy has
let you know is a villain. This not only lets you know what
Tolstoy thinks of Anna\'s behavior, but might be a clue as to
what eventually will happen to Anna.
Vronsky has his frustrations, too. He dislikes situations
that are unclear, and Anna\'s apparent inability to leave Karenin
makes him very uncomfortable. Another unresolved aspect of his
life is his career. He is by nature ambitious, and he is not
progressing as quickly as he had expected. He meets an old
school friend whose career is going along brilliantly. Vronsky
takes special note when his friend tells him that women are the
chief stumbling blocks in a man\'s career. Vronsky worries that
he might be ruining his chances for success by hanging on to a
love that is doomed.
Karenin, Anna, and Vronsky are all trying to act in their own
self-interest. How different their understanding of this is
than Levin\'s. Tolstoy is drawing a line between selfishness and
self-interest. How would you differentiate between the two?
Think back to Levin\'s discussion with Sergey on the emancipation
of the serfs.
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