How does Leo Tolstoy explore psychology in Anna Karenina?

In Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy explores psychology by focusing on the conscious mental life of his characters rather than unconscious processes. He portrays human experience through "tiny, tiny alterations" in thought and behavior, suggesting that life is defined by ordinary, prosaic moments rather than grand crises.12

Tolstoy illustrates his psychological insights through the contrasting paths of his characters:

• Anna Karenina: Her psychological decline is marked by a habit of self-deception. By abandoning her family for a romantic ideal, she becomes increasingly alienated from reality, eventually descending into a state of near madness before her suicide.3
• Konstantin Levin: His journey reflects the author’s own search for meaning. Levin is tormented by philosophical questions regarding death, but he finds psychological resolution by rejecting abstract intellectual systems in favor of the tangible, daily work and intimate connections of family life.3
• Stiva Oblonsky: His character suggests that moral character is shaped by the small, moment-to-moment choices individuals make in everyday life.3

Ultimately, Tolstoy argues that ethics and human understanding depend on a lifetime of sensitivity to specific people and situations, rather than the application of rigid, abstract rules.32