Hunting in Anna Karenina as a Commentary on Masculinity

A man defines himself according to his perception of masculinity and develops confidence levels based on the apparent success or failure of his outlook. In Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina, this reality is explored through the character Levin and his biases as to what constitutes masculine behavior. He appears to identify with the conservative Russian ideal, and in appearance and in work practice certainly attains it. The conflict of his story comes from an insecurity in his inability to form a useful understanding of women or form a nuclear family, feats he feels he should have already attained according to the Russian social convention of success for a man his age. Even after he attains marital status with a woman he deeply loves and respects, Levin still struggles with fundamental virile insecurity. Levin’s internal struggle with self-perception is best illustrated during his hunting expeditions with his friends, situations in which he demonstrates a lack of proficiency when shooting despite being a hunter of greater skill compared to his companions. The isolation to which the setting keeps the party allows for Levin’s earlier expressions of disposition to be more purely expressed as there are few other worldly distractions to occupy his natural state of mind while performing the traditionally masculine activity. Levin develops a deep-set frustration which detriments his hunt, not because of the action itself but as he is subconsciously aware that compared to his less traditionally virile companions whose lifestyles he disagrees with, he is the least emotionally satisfied and the only one without complete control of his desired family affairs. It is the three main hunting scenes of Anna Karenina, Tolstoy presents through Levin a sort of commentary on the crippling nature of trying to conform to greatly to traditional masculine concepts of perfection, as Levin finally learns that conservative-style peace may be found without them.

Oblonsky is established within the story as Levin’s spiritual antithesis, the kind of self-absorbed materialistic dandy that Levin ideologically detests even though the two of them are great friends. This makes it only fitting that Levin’s first hunting-related masculinity crisis occurs at this Moscow adulterers hands. Their outing begins with Oblonsky smoking a cigar, a traditional symbol of virile pleasure as he himself points out, and moves into a discussion on Oblonsky’s tendencies toward extramarital sex with women. He perceives it as a healthy expression of love and pleasure that does no harm as long as it does not affect familial life while Levin, despite all efforts, “...could not in the least enter into the feelings of his friend and understand his sentiments and the charm of studying such women [of loose morals]” (357). The first bird of the expedition is shot by Oblonsky, and the next few go to him as well causing Levin much envy. Before they leave Levin asks about his love Kitty’s marital status and is thrilled to find she is still available but gloomy to hear the name of the man she rejected Levin for, Vronsky. In this situation Levin’s masculine philosophy has been damaged twice by both Oblonsky’s comparative happiness through his liberal relationship with women and by the memory of a man who lived much the same way as Oblonsky and bested Levin in Kitty’s affections.

In the interim between Levin’s expedition with Oblonsky and the one to come with a friendly local marshal named Sviazhsky, issues of mundanity drown out Levin’s every concern with gender roles. It was not until he began to prepare for the next outing that his looming concerns of the immasculinity of his loneliness begin to again emerge. Sviazhsky “greatly liked to marry [his daughter] to [Levin]”(714), but Levin’s stubborn romantic fixation on Kitty kept him from exploring this option and made him uncomfortable in the Sviazhsky girl’s distractingly attractive presence. His behavior around her was somewhat embarrassing, and his jealousy of Sviazhsky only made Levin more awkward around the family. Generally he perceived the man to be something of a hypocritical type of “fool or a knave” (716) despite acknowledging him to be great and kind-hearted due to his contrary opinions on such topics as Russian agriculture of which Levin holds a strong opinion on. That being said, Levin swallowed his pride somewhat more than when he was with Oblonsky and tried to keep an open mind to the benevolent martials seemingly successful life philosophy.

“Levin was particularly glad to stay with Sviazhsky. Apart from the fact that the sight of this happy and affectionate couple, so pleased with themselves and everyone else, and their well-ordered home had always a cheering effect on Levin, he felt a longing, now that he was so dissatisfied with his own life, to get at that secret in Sviazhsky that gave him such clearness, definiteness, and good courage in life.” (717)

As expected, when hunting time came around Levin’s shooting skills seemed to again fail him. Though he was outwardly happy in the Sviazhsky household, his insecurity in his virility was causing a physical and social awkwardness that was apparent every time he was forced to compete with other men of his social caste as when out hunting with them. His anxiety was provoked at the sight of Sviazhsky’s success