In Leo Tolstoy’s novel, Anna Karenina,
Russian cities play a crucial role in both urbanization and the development of
ideas and theories among the Russian people.
During the growth of cities in Russia, you can see how the people begin
to act differently, live differently, and think differently than they did before
the modern Russian cities arose.
In Anna Karenina, you can see the difference
in ideas between Levin and his brother. They
are fighting about if they should change like the rest of contemporary Europe or
if they should stay as they always were in a traditional style.
This was a big problem in Russia at this time, whether or not to
westernize. Urbanization brought
the problem of westernization. Many
people like Constantine Levin wanted to keep Russia traditional and keep to the
old, Russian ways. They only
sneered at the thought of westernization. Most
disliked the idea because they saw how the rest of Europe westernized and they
did not like the effects. They
Russian pride and thought that Russia was better than other countries.
They did not want to fall to the same trap that the rest of Europe was
in. While some people, like
Levin’s brother, Nicholas, wanted an instant and drastic change.
They did not like the way society was and was going so they looked to
reform and reform fast. Some wanted
equality for all people, including peasants, while others seeked other social
reforms. Russia, as a whole, was at
constant struggle over whether or not to reform and if they did, in what ways
should they go about doing it.
Another key point about Russian cities that you see
in Anna Karenina, is the focus on the main cities throughout the book.
When you first meet Levin you are to feel that he is not well liked or
accepted in city society, Levin being from the countryside.
You can feel the tension already between city dwellers and country
livers. Most of the key events in
Anna’s life happen in major cities, like Moscow and St. Petersburg, and on
trains linking the cities. Anna’s
own demise happens on train tracks, the same tracks that help bring life to the
cities bring death to Anna. Later
in the novel you can vividly contrast the differences between the cities;
Petersburg being more geared towards politics while Moscow was more adequate for
family life.
In this novel by Tolstoy, all the actions by the characters are, somehow or another, influenced by where they live, either the city or the countryside. This, in effect, also leads them to the formulation of their different ideas. None of the characters' ideas are better than another’s, but you can see farther down in the story, these clashings of ideas will lead to conflicts between characters. In some cases, characters like Levin will not know how to conduct themselves in everyday city life and will be made a fool of and taken advantage. This happens because of their limited interaction between the different lifestyles. All in all, the cities, and the ideas within the people who dwell in the cities, take shape and help Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina tell an intricate story of how Russian life was in the developing nation.