Amanda Graff

Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Wyman, Alina

Keywords

Tolstoy, Lev, Anna Karenina, Women, Objectification, Sexualization

Area of Concentration

Literature

Abstract

This thesis explores the role of sexualization and objectification in Lev Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. By examining the characterization of Anna, Dolly, and Kitty, particularly in their roles as mothers and wives, I argue that the male gaze has disastrous consequences for the female characters. The first chapter looks closely at the social implications of Anna’s affair and the motivation behind her suicide. In the second chapter, I assess the destructive nature of desexualization and the objectification of motherhood through Dolly. The final chapter examines Kitty’s education and the limitations in female choices within society. This thesis evaluates Tolstoy’s role within the narrative, as well as the social conventions he portrays and critiques.

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