Essay Questions

What is the importance of The Kreutzer being censored in Russia at the time it was published?

The Kreutzer Sonata was considered to be incredibly divisive at the time it was published. However, it is crucial to note that the Russian government made the design to censor all copies of the novella on the grounds that it put forward arguments about sexual restraint, which directly violated the strong beliefs that Russia held at the time and felt were necessary to brutally police. It therefore highlights the extent of the issues discussed in the novella, so clearly shows the raw emotion that runs throughout the story.

How does Tolstoy controversially argue about love in the novella?

Tolstoy depicts the killing of Pozdnyshev's wife as a result of her sexual control over him, that he is unable to control. He dives into the manipulative nature of women and raises the question of what true love looks like, and is happiness can ever truly he achieved. Much of his novel is focused on female pleasure, rather than that of a man, which at the time was considered to be unheard of and was very shocking.