In this video, I’ll summarize the plot of Anna Karenina in about four minutes and give you an analysis of the story.
1. Anna’s Arrival
The novel opens in Moscow, where the Oblonsky family is in turmoil because Prince Stepan (Stiva) Oblonsky has been unfaithful to his wife, Dolly. His sister, Anna Karenina, travels from St. Petersburg to help mediate the situation. At the same time, Stiva’s friend, Konstantin Levin, proposes to Dolly’s sister, Kitty, but she rejects him, believing she has a chance with the charming and dashing Count Alexei Vronsky. However, when Vronsky meets Anna at the train station, he becomes instantly infatuated with her. Anna, despite being married to the respectable but emotionally distant Alexei Karenin, finds herself drawn to Vronsky.
2. Anna and Vronsky’s Affair
Anna initially tries to resist Vronsky, but their mutual attraction becomes too powerful to ignore. They begin a passionate affair, which soon becomes the subject of public gossip. Meanwhile, Kitty, devastated by Vronsky’s rejection, falls ill and retreats to a spa in Germany, where she eventually regains her health and perspective. Levin, heartbroken over Kitty’s initial rejection, immerses himself in his rural life, working on his estate and contemplating philosophical questions about happiness and purpose.
3. Collapse of Anna’s Marriage
Anna’s husband, Karenin, becomes aware of her affair but is more concerned with preserving his public image than with his wife’s feelings. When Anna becomes pregnant with Vronsky’s child, Karenin demands that she end the affair, but she refuses. After a traumatic childbirth, during which she nearly dies, Anna has a moment of reconciliation with Karenin, but it is short-lived. She ultimately leaves him and their son, Seryozha, to be with Vronsky. However, their relationship, once filled with excitement and passion, begins to deteriorate under the strain of social ostracization and Anna’s increasing insecurity.
4. Levin and Kitty’s Marriage
While Anna’s life unravels, Levin and Kitty’s story provides a stark contrast. Kitty returns to Russia, realizes her love for Levin, and accepts his second marriage proposal. Their marriage, though not without challenges, is built on mutual respect and understanding. Levin, who has long searched for meaning in intellectual and philosophical pursuits, finds happiness in the simplicity of married life and his work on his estate. His relationship with Kitty represents a more stable, fulfilling version of love compared to Anna and Vronsky’s destructive passion.
5. Anna’s Downfall
As Anna becomes increasingly paranoid and emotionally unstable, she and Vronsky grow distant. She feels isolated and tormented by her inability to see her son, her social exile, and her belief that Vronsky no longer loves her. Despair consumes her, and in a moment of unbearable anguish, she throws herself under a train, ending her life. Meanwhile, Levin, despite struggling with existential doubts, ultimately finds peace in his love for Kitty and their newborn child, realizing that the meaning of life comes not from intellectual pursuits but from love and family.
Theme 1: Passion vs. Duty
One of the central themes of Anna Karenina is the contrast between different forms of love. Anna and Vronsky’s love is passionate but destructive, leading to social ruin and personal despair. In contrast, Levin and Kitty’s relationship is built on mutual commitment and personal growth, demonstrating a more sustainable form of happiness. Tolstoy explores how love, when driven by unchecked passion, can lead to self-destruction, while love grounded in responsibility and shared values can provide fulfillment.
Theme 2: Society and Judgment
Tolstoy critiques the hypocrisy of Russian high society, which tolerates Stiva’s infidelities but harshly condemns Anna’s affair. Anna is ostracized and shamed for breaking social norms, while men like Vronsky and Stiva continue to be accepted. The rigid expectations placed on women contrast sharply with the freedom afforded to men, highlighting the double standards of the time. Through Anna’s tragic fate, Tolstoy exposes the suffocating nature of societal judgment and the consequences of defying convention.