characters
Who is Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin?
He is Anna’s husband, a senior government official.
What is their first meaningful conversation at the train station?
The event that ignites Anna and Vronsky’s mutual attraction.
What is individual desire vs. societal rules?
A central theme
What is Moscow?
Much of the action in Book 2 takes place in this city’s high society.
Who is Count Alexei Vronsky?
Anna falls deeply in love with this officer.
What is the Moscow party?
The major social event where Anna and Vronsky’s flirtation becomes obvious.
What is search for meaning and purpose?
Levin’s reflections on life, work, and family show this recurring theme.
What is train travel?
Anna’s journey, symbolized by this, represents her emotional shift.
Who is Anna Karenina?
The young woman, Dolly, confides in about her marriage problems.
What is a horse race?
Anna abruptly leaves this to see Vronsky, causing scandal.
What is her reputation and social status? (who)
Anna struggles with this fear throughout Book 2 — of losing ____________.
who is levin?
The countryside setting reflects this character’s internal world.
Who is Konstantin Dmitrievich Levin?
This character represents the moral center and a contrast to Anna’s choices.
What is shock and refusal to confront the affair directly?
Karenin reacts with this when he learns Anna is involved with another man.
What is work, faith, and human purpose? (who)
Levin’s reflections often deal with the meaning of this.
What is danger/risk in passion? (what scene)
The horse race scene symbolizes both excitement and ____________.
Who is Princess Betsy (Elizaveta) Tverskaya?
She is Dolly’s sister and a close friend of Anna.
What is Levin’s struggle with faith and purpose?
This subplot in Book 2 contrasts Anna’s love with a more thoughtful view of relationships.
What is reputation and societal judgment? (who)
This theme is shown through Anna’s fear of scandal and social judgment.
What is society life vs. rural life? (what places)
The contrast between Moscow and the countryside highlights the divide between ____________.