Slavery of a woman (allegory)
Due to the author, the slavery of a woman is considered in men’s looking at her as at an instrument of pleasure. Well, women are released and given rights equal to men, but still are looked at as at an instrument of pleasure; women continue to be raised so in childhood and in public opinion. But giving a woman right for education or any other rights does not change one thing - she is still the same humiliated, depraved slave, and the man is still the same depraved slave owner. Only a change in the way men look at women and women themselves can change it.
The Kreutzer Sonata (symbol)
The moment when Posdnicheff’s wife and Troukhatchevsky played the Kreutzer Sonata became crucial in the lives of them all. It symbolizes the moment when truth becomes evident – there is no happiness. During the sonata playing a mutual understanding came to both Posdnicheff’s wife and Troukhatchevsky, the sonata became like a linking point between them, it opened their eyes, and hearts for each other.
Biblical and mythological motifs
The works of Leo Tolstoy are famous for the allusions to the Bible and to ancient mythologies, and “The Kreutzer Sonata” is not an exception. In the very beginning, the old merchant says that a woman has been created from the rib of a man, and this will never change. The Biblical motif of Eve being created from the rib of Adam is here indicated.
Another prominent mythological motif is used to express all the difficulty of Posdnicheff’s situation with his wife. As he say there was nothing they could talk about: “what a toil of Sisyphus was our conversation”. The Myth of Sisyphus is used to express how really hard it was, but still it was his burden and he had to carry it on.
