Obviously, I know this thought probably only comes because I’m a girl, but I couldn’t help but notice that the way Ivan’s wife is described in the second chapter is almost ridiculous. It seems as if everything negative in their relationship is her fault, when in reality, relationship problems are rarely, if ever, the fault of just one individual. “His wife, without any reason... began to be jealous without any cause, expected him to devote his whole attention to her, and found fault with everything and made coarse and ill- mannered scenes.” Without any reason? She was pregnant! And what does he do to attempt to restore the problems? He invites his friends over to play cards! Of course she’s angry. Poor man, having to stay home with his wife instead of getting to go have fun. How dare that woman insist her husband to spend time with her!
P.S. The title comes from the fact that I skipped lunch to write this blog so I wouldn't have to do it later.
I Commented on Joy's "True no matter what God or gods one serves".
Just remember the story is told from a third person perspective. It's not like Ivan was writing this about his wife. These things are told as fact. He may have been merely responding to her contentiousness by playing cards, not the other way around.
ReplyDeleteWill has a good point in what he said, but I do agree with you in that in any relationship it takes work from both parties involved. Communication is needed, and where there is poor communication, then there is a poor relationship.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jamie. At first I was appalled by the way their marriage was described. The wife seemed so lonely, and both her and her husband were self absorbed. But I do believe this is exactly the effect that Tolstoy is going for. He is setting up a sort of morbid satire of the 19th century Russian culture - or possibly even society in general. And the aloof third-person narrator he uses to describe their marriage has the effect of enraging the reader even more against it.
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