Did Vronsky cheat on Anna Karenina?

Case Report: Did Vronsky cheat on Anna Karenina?

Summary: Anna Karenina was a married socialite who had a passionate affair with Count Vronsky, a young military officer. She left her husband, Karenin, for Vronsky, but faced social ostracism and moral condemnation. She became increasingly jealous and paranoid of Vronsky's fidelity, and eventually committed suicide by throwing herself under a train. The question is whether Vronsky ever cheated on Anna during their relationship, or whether her suspicions were unfounded.

Evidence for: There are several pieces of evidence that suggest that Vronsky may have been unfaithful to Anna at some point.

- Vronsky was a handsome, wealthy, and charming man who had many admirers and opportunities to flirt with other women¹². He was also ambitious and proud of his career, which may have tempted him to seek connections with influential people⁴.

- Vronsky had a history of womanizing before he met Anna. He had a brief affair with Kitty Shcherbatsky, who was in love with him, but he abandoned her when he saw Anna⁵. He also had a liaison with a married woman in Tver, which caused a scandal⁵.

- Vronsky was not always attentive and supportive of Anna's emotional needs. He sometimes grew bored or irritated by her mood swings and demands for attention². He also failed to understand her anguish over losing her son, whom Karenin refused to let her see⁵.

- Vronsky was influenced by his mother, who disapproved of his relationship with Anna and urged him to marry someone else. She even arranged a meeting between him and Princess Sorokina, a young and attractive widow, hoping that he would fall in love with her⁵. Vronsky denied having any feelings for Sorokina, but Anna was convinced that he was lying⁵.

Evidence against: There are also several pieces of evidence that indicate that Vronsky was loyal and devoted to Anna throughout their relationship.

- Vronsky gave up his social standing and professional status for Anna. He resigned from his regiment and followed her to Italy, where they lived as exiles⁵. He also invested his money and energy in building a hospital for wounded soldiers in the Russo-Turkish War, which showed his noble and generous character⁴.

- Vronsky was deeply in love with Anna and expressed his desire to marry her. He even asked Karenin for a divorce, but Karenin refused to grant it unless Anna begged for his forgiveness⁵. Vronsky also wanted to have children with Anna, and was overjoyed when she gave birth to their daughter, Annie⁵.

- Vronsky never betrayed Anna's trust or lied to her about his whereabouts. He always told her where he was going and whom he was meeting. He also tried to reassure her of his love and fidelity whenever she doubted him or accused him of cheating².

- Vronsky was grief-stricken and remorseful after Anna's death. He blamed himself for causing her misery and despair. He attempted to kill himself by shooting himself in the chest, but survived. He then joined the war as a volunteer, hoping to die in battle³⁵.

Conclusion: Based on the available evidence, I conclude that Vronsky did not cheat on Anna Karenina during their relationship. His actions and words demonstrate that he loved her sincerely and sacrificed much for her sake. Anna's suspicions were the result of her own insecurity, guilt, and isolation from society. She projected her own unhappiness onto Vronsky, and imagined that he was unfaithful to her. Her tragic death was not caused by his infidelity, but by her own inability to cope with the consequences of her choices.

(1) Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky Character Analysis - LitCharts. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/anna-karenina/characters/count-alexei-kirillovich-vronsky Accessed 3/13/2023.

(2) Count Alexis Kirillovich Vronsky in Anna Karenina | Shmoop. https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/anna-karenina/count-alexis-kirillovich-vronsky Accessed 3/13/2023.

(3) Alexei Vronsky Character Analysis in Anna Karenina - SparkNotes. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/anna/character/alexei-vronsky/ Accessed 3/13/2023.

(4) Anna Karenina - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina Accessed 3/13/2023.

(5) What happened to Vronsky after Anna's death in Anna Karenina - eNotes. https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-happened-vronsky-after-annas-death-256121 Accessed 3/13/2023.