The Characters of Leo Tolstoys Anna Karenina Essay -- Tolstoy Anna Ka

The Characters of Leo Tolstoys Anna Karenina By examining the character list, single immediately notices the value Tolstoy places on character. With 1 hundred and forty named characters and some(prenominal) other unnamed characters, Tolstoy places his central focus in Anna Karenina on the characters. He uses their actions and behavior to develop the plot and exemplify the major themes of the novel. Tolstoy wishes to examine conduct story as it re totallyy is. Tolstoy gives us a lifelike representation in Anna Karenina by creating characters, both major and minor, that contribute to the sense of realism. The most hit feature of Tolstoys minor characters is that although they may only appear briefly, they still be possessed of a sense of lifelikeness. When a character is introduced, Tolstoy bears the reader with details of the characters sort and actions that give a sense of realism. For example, the waiter that Stiva and Levin encounter at their dinner, alt hough a directly character is definitely presented in a manner which allows him to dedicate a sense of lifelikeness and fullness. From the speech patterns the waiter uses to the description of the fit of his uniform, one is presented with the details that allow the waiter to contribute to the novel in kernel beyond simply the presence of a minor character. His description and actions provide the novel with a sense of real life. Another federal agency in which Tolstoy gives the minor character a sense of life is by making them unpredictable. One sees this in the character of Ryabinin. When initially discussed, the reader is told that upon ratiocination of busines... ...esponse to the same situation. It is this contrast of the three characters that allows Tolstoy to take full command of the life novel. He achieves a sense of real life in all of his characters. Although the reader may wish to, and can, draw distinctions in Tolstoys characters such as a major or minor character that is either flat or round, the central focus of the character should be the contribution that they accept to the reality of the novel. Although one can classify each of the characters in Anna Karenina as a major, minor, flat or round character, Tolstoy presents each of his characters, whether they be major minor flat or round, so as to convey a sense of reality and lifelikeness in his novel. Work Cited Tolstoy, Leo, Anna Karenin, translated by Edmonds, Rosemary, Penguin, London, 1978.