The Literature Network - Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina.' (Leo Tolstoy)

Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina.' (Leo Tolstoy)

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From: The Explicator
Date: 19940922
Author:Whitcomb, Curt

Leo Tolstoy's use of positive epithets such as 'shining,' 'glowing' and 'radiant' to describe his characters in 'Anna Karenina' may direct sympathy from the readers but they also disappoint. The descriptions often do not match the characters' behavior. The adjectives suggest indolence associated with the elite and serve as a contrast to the description of characters like Levin who is depicted with genuine vigor.

The narrator of Anna Karenina consistently portrays characters like Stiva Oblonsky as "shining," "glowing," "beaming," "radiant," "contented," "happy" or "gay." Although these ...

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