The Kreutzer Sonata Essay

The Kreutzer Sonata is a novel written by Tolstoy, Leo who developed an argument by Pozdnischeff about modernity and liberalism in women. This book spurred a debate on the question about sex as well as the problem of the woman within society. Passing across his main theme of sex, love, and marriage, Tolstoy Leo in his novel, The Kreutzer Sonata employs the use of a third-person narrative of Pozdnischeff within travelers on a train. Despite the fact that this book outlines various problems experienced during classical times, there is evidence that some of the views expressed still happen in the contemporary world (Tolstoy). Pozdnischeff’s arguments relate to women’s rights and their feminist nature and they are ironic nature when placed against the ultimate murder of his wife. Amongst Pozdnischeff’s views about women’s rights, sex, and marriage, there are those that are relevant while others are irrelevant in contemporary society (Tolstoy).

According to Pozdnischeff, the corrupting power of sex as well as the jealousy accompanying the same is still relevant today. Many people kill each other due to jealousy and the corrupting power of sex. Pozdnischeff confirms that he killed his wife out of jealousy when he thought and suspected that the wife was having an affair with a musician. Contemporarily, this is a true perspective of woman-man relationships that are full of jealousy, which had led to the demise of many on the same basis (Tolstoy). It is true when Pozdnischeff argues that the difference between carnal love and real love is that whereas the former is selfish the latter is unselfish. According to Pozdnischeff, any selfish love has something to do with physical consummation such as sex. Currently, this represents the true situation within various conjugal types of love. In any relationship where there are conjugal rights and privileges involved, there must be some form of unselfishness, which leads to the mentioned jealousy. It is also relevant when Pozdnischeff claims that sex is repulsive and destructive not only to the unmarried but also to the married. There is no doubt that his argument on sexual love degrading humanity thus resulting in hostility extensively apply in today’s world (Tolstoy).

Despite the fact that most of the views presented in the novel The Kreutzer Sonata are relevant to the contemporary environment, there are some irrelevant views. The proposition that there is no love and what the world calls love between sexes is non-existence is misplaced. Whereas there are scenarios where there is no love, some scenarios portray the true love existing between persons of the opposite sexes (Tolstoy). Pozdnischeff’s belief that traditional marriages have lost meaning is misplaced and irrelevant as well. The narrator claims that traditional marriage has lost meaning hence being turned into an arena for spreading vices whilst fostering lies, jealousy, and some criminal passions (Tolstoy). This is not true and irrelevant since most of the traditional marriages foster love, understanding, and tolerance amongst the couples.

From the ongoing discussion, it is crystal clear that Tolstoy is a misogynist of women’s rights. This is the reason why he claims through third-person narration in the novel that women are the source of jealousy and hatred amongst other men. In any case, Tolstoy strongly believes that through sex there has been an unending war between men and women and amongst existing relationships given the craziness of sex.

Work Cited:

Tolstoy, Leo. The Kreutzer Sonata. Translated by Benjamin R. Tucker, [email protected], 2010.