The dismantling of hierarchy and the defense of social class in anna karenina

Abstract

Since the publication of Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina, critics have periodically objected to Tolstoy's defense of aristocratic privilege in the character of Konstantin Levin. These critiques, however, have rarely been performed with reference to the literary fabric of Tolstoy's text, that is, his "labyrinth of linkages." This essay closely examines images of hierarchy in the novel-with particular reference to heights and depths, the prefix of ascent (voz-/vos-) and a corollary mark of descent (unizhenie, or humiliation), the epithets "tall" and "short," and the frequent appearance of staircases which are associated with falls. The essay begins by charting in detail the ways in which Tolstoy understands the dangers of vertical thinking-epitomized by Vronsky and Anna; and how he views the dismantling of worldly hierarchies to be a prerequisite for the discovery of meaningful emotional and spiritual values-epitomized by Kitty and Levin's family life at the end of the novel. Disturbingly, however, Tolstoy leaves one obvious worldly hierarchy intact: distinction through social rank. The last part of the essay discusses the paradoxes inherent in Levin's doctrine of the superiority of the nobility with reference to images of hierarchy and to contemporary theory on class and race. Paul Schervish's notion of the "moral biographies" of the wealthy helps to frame Tolstoy's inconsistent thinking, as does an analogy between Levin's borrowings from peasant culture and so-called "White Negroes" in the United States, who have appropriated African American culture to their own benefit while leaving the basic structures of racial hierarchy untouched. The aim of this exercise is not to diminish the novel, but rather to complicate its seemingly straightforward messages-messages that, if not carefully examined, encourage privileged young American readers to identify with Levin's sense of moral elevation without taking into account the privilege of economic advantage. Copyright 2011 The Russian Review.