Themes of Life and Death in Anna KareninaThe novel, Anna Karenina, parallels the moral and social conflicts of its heroine, Anna Karenina, with the internal struggle of Constantin Levin to find the meaning of life. There are many other underlying themes that connect the novel as a whole, but many critics of the time considered only its critical view of Russian life. Henry James called Tolstoy's novels "loose, loose monsters of style, but Tolstoy declared of Anna Karenina"... I am very proud of its architecture: its vaults are joined in such a way that you can't even notice where the key is from time to time. ." This is absolutely correct, because in Anna Karenina there are many themes that are all linked together to create such a wonderful work. Critics tend to miss the role that the theme of life and death plays in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina Despite its apparent meanings, these two themes are intertwined in the novel and provide a backbone for some of the other existing themes. With a masterful touch, Tolstoy is able to use these two themes to show the characters in their true forms in both. the stages the characters are shown to be living in a state of delusion and, as they are in near-death situations or on their deathbeds, they are able to reveal themselves truthfully. Many of the characters in the novel are able to show the their “true self” and at the moment of death, there is a turning point in the characters. This is most evident in the scene of Anna's near-death experience during her illness. This event brings about a change in Karenin and even in Vronsky as they exchange positions. Karenin suddenly becomes human and is not hidden from life by its administrative rules. His carapace breaks and... middle of paper... I'm part of everyone's life and no matter who it is, everyone fears death. Coming to terms with death is something that requires a lot of courage and a full understanding of oneself. Tolstoy, in his novel, revealed to us the effect that death can have on a person and urges us not to succumb to the daily life of the world we live in, because it is all an illusion. However, if we live as naturally as possible, we can better understand the true essence of life, as Levin does in the novel. He finds joy in working and enjoying the fruits of his labor, instead of indulging in the materialism of self-righteous aristocrats. Modern culture has lost this aspect of life and we must control ourselves before we bring our life to ruin. Works Cited: Tolstoy, Leone. Anna Karenina, trans. Constance Garnett (New York: The Modern Library, 1993).