Previous
Part 4, Chapter 19
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Anna Karenina, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Marriage and Family Life
Adultery and Jealousy
Physical Activity and Movement
Society and Class
Farming and Rural Life
Compassion and Forgiveness
Summary
Analysis
When Karenin returns from talking to Betsy, Anna has been crying. He tells her that he is grateful that she has decided not to receive Vronsky. Anna learns about the business with the wet nurse, and she is indignant that she is not allowed to nurse the baby. She begins lashing out, and Karenin feels powerless in the face of her erratic emotions.
Anna lashes out against Karenin, but her frustrations are actually directed against herself: she is upset that she hasn’t bonded with her child, and she needs someone to blame, so she takes out her anger on Karenin.
Themes
