The Kreutzer Sonata

Analyze Tolstoy’s portrayal of Pozdnychev’s wife, through the lens of feminist theory.

The Kreutzer Sonata was written during a particularly turbulent transitionary period in Russian history. How do rapidly changing social norms create Conflict Between Social Expectation and Moral Duty in the novella?

In Tolstoy’s novel Crime and Punishment, the protagonist is convicted of murder and sent to Siberia as punishment, although the duration of his exile is greatly reduced due to mitigating circumstances. How does Tolstoy portray crime and punishment in The Kreutzer Sonata?

In “Lesson of The Kreutzer Sonata,” Tolstoy says that “[a] Christian […] cannot view the marriage relation otherwise than as a deviation from the doctrine of Christ,—as a sin.” How does Tolstoy use and interpret Christian scripture throughout the novella?

Discuss infant mortality and the fear of illness in The Kreutzer Sonata. How does this topic influence the novella’s portrayal of motherhood?

Discuss Tolstoy’s portrayal of masculinity in the novel.

The Kreutzer Sonata was initially censored by Russian authorities for its obscene subject matter and shocking discussions of taboo subjects. Compare The Kreutzer Sonata to one other banned book from history. What do they have in common, and in what ways do they differ?

Pozdnychev espouses many of the same beliefs that Tolstoy presents in his “Lesson of The Kreutzer Sonata.” He also shares several characteristics with the author. How does Tolstoy’s portrayal of Pozdnychev differ from his fictionalized memoirs in his early years?