Characterism And Symbolism In Tolstoys Anna Karenina

In Anna Karenina, Tolstoy marks Anna Karenina as a character of sensual beauty and ultimately suffocates her persona with superficiality that inhibits any attempt towards authentic emotion free from the constraint of constant attraction. Anna’s semblance overwhelms any social situation, preventing her from being anything more profound than the most beautiful woman in the room. While each element in Anna’s life changes as the story progresses, the rings on her fingers remain constant. The detail placed on Anna’s hands indicate that the adorning rings have a greater significance than a materialistic accessory, and instead are meant to provide a sense of stability. The rings are details that pertain only to her, and it is through the movement†¦show more content†¦The concept of wearing a ring is itself an expectation that comes with marriage, so Anna relentlessly challenges institutionalized matrimony by rejecting the standard of a wedding band. The brief e xistential commitment that Anna faces reveals a level of depth to her thought that is quite layered and introspective as it is full of nuanced identity. It is only within the closure of her rings that Anna canâ€Å"all at once [know] what was in her soul †¦ with the trace of a smile of commiseration for herself she sat down in the armchair, taking off and putting on the rings on her left hand.† As Anna touches her rings, she is able to softly approach the subject of her existence. Contemplating her â€Å"shame and disgrace† that will be â€Å"saved by death,† Anna confronts her desire to live from the depths of her â€Å"soul.† â€Å"As though absorbed in the arrangement of her rings,† and thus in deep thought, Karenin â€Å"went up to her, and [took] her by the hand.† Distracted by her husband, Anna loses focus from herself and nervously touches her rings as she stands up to her husband to give her a necessary moment of reassurance. He r hands contrast the popping knuckles of her husband, further revealing the disparity in their relationship and their incompatibility. â€Å"The blue veins in his white hands †¦ the cracking of his fingers, and remembering the feeling which had existed between them †¦ she shuddered with loathing,† overpowers Anna’s â€Å"dazzling and white hand with its rings† (788).