Symbolism of Trains in Novel Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Symbolism of Trains in unfermented Anna K benina by Leo TolstoyAnna K atomic number 18nina, written by Leo Tolstoy, follows the accounts of Anna who begins an affaire with some other man, as a result of their affair falls from moralistic decency and in conclusion commits suicide by throwing herself in front of withdraw. Tolstoy was a firm truster in punishing his female characters for falling into peevishnesss of disgracing romanticism and sexual desires. The issue of railroad make grows and railroads is found byout the novel and it is really app arnt that Leo Tolstoy had a distinct dislike of the railroads. Tolstoy was not a fan of the new packaging of trains in Russia and even went as far to say, The railroad is to travel as a whore is to love (Jahn 1). Anna Karenina is full of important scenes on trains and in train get offs, solely they also serve as a doer of progressing the story line. Tolstoy felt that trains were destroying the old Russian carriage of life i n favor of a new industrial and capitalistic Russia, while pitiful away from traditions and simplicity. Anna Karenina is a victim of her love affair, committing suicide by throwing herself at a lower place a train, while the theme of trains and railroads pierces the entire story. Tolstoy incorporates the symbols of railroads and trains as motifs of tragedy brought by the advancing progress of Western technology in Russian society, the noisome nature of trains, and how characters such as Levin serve as a monitor lizard of how trains are destroying closeness to nature and old true determine.The imagery of trains reappears through the entire plot, playing a significant role in the novels figure of events as well as having a great impact on the atmosphere of the novel. Annas life of restlessness and travel is tied to trains, all the primary(prenominal) meetings happening in trains or at train stations. Her flyspeck discussion Seryozha also takes a keen interest with trains and i s seen, carrying something which served as a train (8). By having the children in the novel taking an interest in trains, it is demonstrate how the railways and trains have already become popular even with the next contemporaries of Russians, as well as foreshadowing how the railways will become the time to come operator of transportation in the country. Tolstoy also makes an important addition by Annas brother Stepan mentioning to Alexei how he, would very much like to get the vacant touch as a member of the commission of the United Agency for shared Credit Balance of the Southern Railway Lines (Tolstoy 721). Tolstoy includes this detail due to the accompaniment that working in the railways was a very coveted and desir sufficient in Russia since railroads were so popular and in such high demand.For Tolstoy, trains are creations of some(prenominal) iron and technology which equal a brute force of sin, shadower and passions that break the human spirit and lead individuals to fall from moral decency. Anna and Vronskys romance begins and ends at the train station, the arrival of the train kills the watchman at the station and sets Annas first interaction with Vronsky is everywherelaid with dying and foreshadows Annas eventual demise. After the, watchman, who was either to a fault drunk or too bundled up had not heard the train and had been run over by the train Anna feels that this was a bad annunciate and is the first sign of the inevitable and tragic destiny of Anna Karenina (29). This scene is very important due to the imagery of the train itself as it pulls into the station. The train has a foreboding and dark front end when pulling into the station, as those could feel, something heavy make the platform to tremble slowing down and shaking the platform calm more and once it pulled in those could see, the coupling rod of the middle stand slowly and rhythmically turning and straightening the vivid description of the train in this scene gives i t an evil and unnatural aura it as it pulls into the station (60). Tolstoys internalization of describing the imagery of the train as an almost evil and foreboding presence sets the t star for the eventual death and demise of Anna, her path to her own death left the station as soon as she began her affair with Vronsky.Anna and Vronskys portentous affair began and ended at the train station. For instance when Vronsky sees Anna off to St. Petersburg on the train, he admits his love for Anna at the station, confessing to her how, Not one of your words, not one of your movements will I ever forget I cannot. The very illumination of their relationship is tied to this scene as Anna clutched at the cold entre post and entered the entrance of the train carriage at the moment she felt the, magical, strained actor that had tormented her had not only renewed itself, but grew stronger (103). This scene at the train station is one of the most crucial aspects of the novel as this almost magi cal explanation of Anna falling for Vronsky is symbolic of Anna succumbing to the dark passion of adultery and the beginning of her fall from decency and morality. In the end of the novel bonny seconds before Anna dies under the wheels of the train, something huge and implacable pushed at her head and dragged her over it is almost as if she was crushed by the force of her own sins (768). Their smutty relationship can be compared to that of a train leaving the station, it begins slowly, but once it gains momentum it quickly escalates to a speed that is out of twain Anna and Vronskys control.Tolstoy, is able to express his dissatisfaction with railroads and trains through the characters and words of Oblonsky and Levin, as a way to demonstrate how Russia is slowly moving away from tradition and old values and moving more towards an industrial and capitalistic society. Levin is seen many times throughout the novel showing a distaste for the railroads and blames criticizes them for t he disastrous condition of cultivation in Russia which was disrupting the traditional the use of factory farm throughout Russia (483). Levin also criticizes the railroads when he was, writing a new chapter on the reasons for the unprofitable state of agriculture in Russia due to the incorrect use incorrect use of landed estate through the railways and instead of contributing to agriculture the railways had outstripped agriculture and halted it (483-484). Tolstoy blamed europium in spoiling Russia with a strive for modern technology and disrupting the everyday way of life. Tolstoy also uses characters such as Lafitte as an example of how voraciousness and other dishonest merchants without whom there would have been no railways, he feels that trains and merchants are destroying the old Russian way of life in favor of a new industrial and capitalistic Russia (506). Tolstoy describes those who work in the railroads as those with little to no morals and are extremely greedy, fur thering his dislike of the railroads.The analysis of train and motifs in Anna Karenina requires mentioning the reverse symbols of wood and nature. Tolstoy uses the power of nature as an opposite to images of the new coming era of progress, the excitement of wood opposes the coldness of iron. The kindliness of poor peasants who share their bread and vodka with Veslosvky and how they absolutely refused to take money which contrasts the rapaciousness of the merchants (568), peasants use wooden carts instead of iron trains which shows their closeness to nature and simplicity. Tolstoy believed that sustainment in big cities corrupts the soul, and that is why Kitty and Levin are such an emblematic couple of this when they finally move into a country estate and are near the peasants, because they embody the ideal of a good family and thus mustiness be close to the ground. Tolstoy describes in the novel the peasants methods of agriculture and the burden of their mash unites them. To lstoy praises hard work and values the work of a peasant or a learned profession much more than the activities of capitalists (588). They are shrink to earth and oppose progress with railways and trains, that tear the ties with the land and cross it painlessly, the peasants represent closeness to nature and fidelity to traditions.The well-known novel of Leo Tolstoys Anna Karenina raises many moral questions and vividly represents authors opinions concerning, moral purity, decency and traditions. The images and themes of trains and railways are ones of the most significance in the entire novel, they start the story of Anna Karenina and finish it. However, the trains are what begins the ill-fated affair of both Anna and Vrosnky and cause Annas fall from moral decency and grace. Through the character of Levin, Tolstoy is able to convey his beliefs that the railway are to blame for the disruption and ruin of Russian agriculture. Throughout the novel trains are seen as foreboding and u nnatural and are seen as unstoppable in converting the country to a new means of transportation. Railways and trains are the symbols of progress, which according to Tolstoy is evil, he opposes the artificial coldness of iron to warmth of nature. Tolstoy believes that decency and goodness appear only in following traditions, hard labour, upholding moral decency proximity to ground and nature.Works CitedJahn, Gary R. The Image of the Railroad in Anna Karenina. The Slavic and East European Journal, vol. 25, no. 2, 1981, pp. 1-10., www.jstor.org/stable/307952.Tolstoy, Leo, and Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Anna Karenina. NY Penguin, 2004. Print.