Anna Karenina Symbols

Trains

Anna and Vronsky’s entire ill-fated relationship is framed by their interactions on trains. Anna meets Vronsky on a train platform; when they meet, she sees a man killed upon being run over by the… read analysis of Trains

Written Language, Foreign Language, and Communication

For all of the novel’s verbosity, Tolstoy ultimately distrusts language, believing that actions speak louder than words. When Levin proposes to Kitty, they have such a deep connection that they do not even… read analysis of Written Language, Foreign Language, and Communication

Natural World

The characters’ relationship with the natural world is symbolic throughout the novel: the more that characters are in touch with nature, the happier they are, but characters who are hypocritical are less connected to the… read analysis of Natural World

Dreams and Spiritualism

True faith and religious belief are a serious theme throughout Anna Karenina, and Tolstoy takes questions of religion seriously. However, Tolstoy is much more skeptical about dreams and spiritualism. Dreams in particular are bad… read analysis of Dreams and Spiritualism

Blushing

Throughout the novel, blushing is an important sign of emotion: even though characters might not be able to say what they’re feeling, their actions speak louder than words, and their appearance reveals deep physical sensations… read analysis of Blushing