THE ROLE OF THE PROVERB IN LEO TOLSTOY’S NOVEL ANNA KARENINA

Abstract

Like many of his literary predecessors, Leo Tolstoy displayed a considerable fascination for employing the folk wisdom of Russian
proverbs into his literary works. This is no more apparent than in his masterpiece novel, Anna Karenina, where he inserts more than 80 proverbs into the speech of key characters. This article breaks them down into five major categories of usage, ranging from stock peasant utterances (household and field servants) to the various levels of use in the speech of members of St. Petersburg and Moscow society. Finally, it examines how Tolstoy extends the role of Russian proverbs for purposes of character and thematic development throughout the novel.