Anna Karenina: Part IV, Chapter 22

Human Misery, Paul Gauguin

In Part IV, Chapter 22 of Anna Karenina, we find Aleksey Aleksandrovich Karenin pondering the complications of divorce. After his wife Anna's confession of adultery, he forgave her completely. Now however, she wants to be free -- 

To consent to divorce, to give her her freedom, meant in his thoughts to take  from himself the last tie that bound him to life -- the children whom he loved; and to take from her the last prop that supported her on the path of virtue and cast her down to her ruin. If she were divorced, he knew she would join her life to Vronsky's, and their tie would be an illegitimate and criminal one, since a wife, by the interpretation of ecclesiastical law, could not marry while her husband was living.

This passage refers to Matthew 5:31-32, which is part of the "Sermon on the Mount".

Matthew 5:31-32

King James Version

³¹ It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
³² But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

 (Bible Gateway)

Anna Karenina: Part II, Chapter 34

The Story of St. Nicholas: Giving Dowry to Three Poor Girls, by Fra Angelico

In Part II, Chapter 34 of Anna Karenina, Prince Aleksandr Shcherbatsky gives his daughter, Kitty, the following advice:

. . it's better when one does good in such a manner that no one knows of it.

This comes from Matthew, chapter 6, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6

King James Version 

6 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

² Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

³ But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

⁴ That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

(Bible Gateway)

Have a peaceful Sunday everyone!

Anna Karenina: Part IV, Chapter 17

The Sermon on the Mount, Carl Heinrich Bloch

This week our excerpt is from Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. 

Aleksey Aleksandrovich Karenin (Anna's husband) is speaking to Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky (Anna's lover) -- 

When I got the telegram, I came here with the same feelings; I will say more, I longed for [Anna's] death. But . . ." he paused . . . "But I saw her and forgave her. And the happiness of forgiveness has revealed to me my duty. I forgive completely. I would offer the other cheek, I would give my cloak if my coat be taken. I pray to God only not to take from me the bliss of forgiveness!" Part IV, Chapter 17

Matthew 5:38-40

King James Version 

³⁸ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

³⁹ But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

⁴⁰ And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

(Bible Gateway)

For deeper insight into the entire novel, read the following:
"The Sermon on the Mount" -- Matthew, Chapters 5, 6, and 7.