Trading Salvation for Personal Gratification in Anna Karenina Essay

Trading Salvation for Personal Gratification in Anna Karenina The epigraph of Anna Karenina Vengeance is mine I will repay, saith the Lord, implies that judgment is a theological entitlement (Romans, 1219). Tolstoy uses both social and moral issues to illustrate his characters attitudes towards religion. For Oblonsky, Vronsky, and Karenin, religious set are secondary. Their lives are devoted to establishing a social position and monetary gain. Levin finds salvation and happiness because they learn to live for something beyond themselves and devote their lives to spreadhead the goodness of the Lord. Like Levin, Anna responds to her emotional instincts, but she is hindered by societys judgment. Anna distances herself from salvation by seeking only personal gratification in her love affair. Oblonsky determine his indulgent social invigoration and his occupation above all else. He lies in direct contrast to Levin, who focuses non on the relentless pursuit of pleasure, but takes j oy in his work and devotes himself to his loved ones. Stiva finds meaning in life only from his personal interactions, although he often ignores commitments to his wife and children. holiness is just another social institution, and he has no relationship with deity Oblonsky could not bear standing through even a abruptly church service without his feet hurting, and could not understand the point of all those terrible, hoity-toity words about the other homo when it would be very laughable to live in this one too (7). Likewise, Vronsky is totally dedicated to his armament career and his status as a high society player. He pursues Kitty with no intention of marrying her he deserts her the moment he lays eyes on Anna. Vronsky seems ... ...piness with the man she loves. She refuses to get a divorce because she does not want to compromise her sons future. Her character deteriorates when her only goal in life is to keep Vronsky in love with her. Levin is saved when he learns to liv e for something beyond himself Anna moves away from God when she focuses only on keeping the interest of her lover. She tells wench that she has no plans for more children because she fears that her pregnancy will make Vronsky disenchanted with her. Annas effrontery leads her to abandon faith in God, in goodness as the fillet of sole purpose of mankind and death is the only way for her to escape the world that she sees as full of hate (849). Her last words are, Lord, forgive me for everything (816). whole caboodle CitedTolstoy, Leo. Anna Karenina, trans. Constance Garnett (New York The Modern Library, 1993).