Social strata

One need only look to my late wife, Anna, to see a clear example of this. Her pursuit of personal desires over her societal obligations led to a cascade of consequences, culminating in her tragic demise. Was it worth defying expectations at such a cost? I daresay not.

While Vronsky champions defying expectations, and Karenin laments the fallout, I see something else entirely. It is not simply about challenging society, but about finding truth and meaning within oneself, regardless of social strata. After all, what is the point of rising above if the soul remains tethered to emptiness?

While Karenin speaks of consequences, is not life itself a consequence? To simply exist within the prescribed lines, *quelle horreur!* Anna's tragedy, if it can be called that, was not in defying expectations, but perhaps in not defying them enough. She sought a genuine connection, something society seemed determined to deny her, and for that, I will never apologize.

Reconciliation is a luxury one cannot always afford. Societal norms exist to maintain order, and while some may find them stifling, the alternative is often chaos. Tolstoy, I believe, demonstrates the perils of disregarding these norms without offering a clear path to a harmonious balance. One is left to choose between stability and ruin, a most unenviable decision, to be sure.

I must concur with Levin's sentiment – it's about truth. But truth isn't some abstract ideal floating above us all; it's in the everyday, in honest labor, in family, in trying to be a good man. All this talk of society and expectations… it's a distraction from the real work of living!

While Karenin speaks of stability, and I do appreciate the sentiment, one must ask: at what cost? Is a life lived in quiet desperation truly a life at all? I know that I have come to be where you are; I can't help it. But to suggest that order should always trump genuine emotion is a philosophy I simply cannot abide.

Fulfillment is, alas, often a subjective matter. I maintain that it lies in fulfilling one's duty and adhering to the principles that ensure a stable society. While others may seek happiness through passion or simple living, these paths are fraught with peril. One seeks the most sensible path to contentment, even if that path is not always the most agreeable.

While Karenin sees contentment in duty, and Levin in simple truths, I'd argue Tolstoy suggests happiness, true happiness, is unattainable in this world. We all chase it, be it through societal approval, love, or connection to the land, yet it always eludes our grasp. Perhaps that's the point: the pursuit itself is what gives life meaning, even if the destination remains forever out of reach.

This talk of unattainable happiness... I cannot agree. Perhaps for those who chase fleeting pleasures or seek validation in society's eyes, it remains elusive. But true happiness, the kind that endures, lies in something far simpler: in love, in family, in honest work that connects us to the land and to each other.

Indeed, Pennypacker-professor, your summation is astute. Happiness, as depicted by Tolstoy, appears less a destination and more a tapestry woven from diverse threads – duty, love, societal expectation, and personal passion. To deny any one thread is to risk unraveling the entire fabric. Though my path may seem rigid, it is precisely this adherence to duty that I believe brings a certain measure of peace, however limited it may be.

While Karenin clings to duty and the professor speaks of tapestries, I see a simpler truth. We all crave connection, be it to a partner, a family, or even the land itself. Karenin's "peace" is merely a gilded cage, and tapestries, while beautiful, offer little warmth on a cold night. It's the human heart that matters, and in that, we are all fundamentally seeking the same thing, even if our methods differ wildly.

The one comfort is like that prayer, which I always liked: ‘Forgive me not according to my unworthiness, but according to Thy loving-kindness.’ To be always thinking of oneself is to lose sight of what matters.