Pau-San Haruta

LITERATURE AND GENDER

Essay 2

Write a coherent essay based on one of these questions.

1. What was the “woman question” in Tolstoy’s time? Discuss how the author dealt with
this issue in his novel Anna Karenina.

2. Describe how Tolstoy uses shifting points of view to reveal the inner states of the major
characters in Anna Karenina. Explain how some of these concealed states caused
misunderstanding among the characters.

3. Describe the structure of the novel Anna Karenina as a series of parallel and reflected
scenes. Evaluate the unity and cohesiveness of the novel’s structure. Consider also the
presence of irony as a result.

4. Leo Tolstoy is known as a masterful storyteller. Describe how he accomplishes this by his
use of telling details in particular scenes of Anna Karenina.

Your personal analysis and interpretation is essential, not summaries or other people’s reviews.
Beware of plagiarism and copyright violations. Your paper should be at least 4 pages long.

Grading
Plagiarized work will receive an “F.”
Grading criteria are as given for Essay 1.