Researched Critical Analysis Essay
In the 19th century, women and men were not equal in society. Women were regarded as the inferior sex, whereas men were the superior sex. There were laws and social standards in the way women had to behave. They were not given the same opportunities as men, who were often given more privilege and power than women. Women in the 19th century were expected to hold more feminine traits – like being submissive, domestic, and weak. Men during this century were expected to abide by masculine traits – like being dominant, courageous, and independent. However, as shown in Tolstoy’s​ The Kreutzer Sonata​ and Turgenev ​Torrents of Spring,​ societal standards implemented by society affect the perception of women and this ideology can ultimately lead to the failure of a relationship because of the oppression of women in society.
Women were subjected to the characteristics of motherhood and purity, or innocence, throughout their lives. Susan M. Cruea states, “because being a True Woman was such an important responsibility, the ideal of True Womanhood was early imprinted upon young girls…Each was also taught to value her virginity “as the ‘pearl of great price’ which was her greatest asset” (188). This shows the maternal duties a woman had to follow in order to be seen as a “good” and “caring” mother. Kreutzer Sonata showed what happens when a mother steps away from her position as mother to focus on herself; she is seen as selfish and less caring. If a woman fails to maintain her innocence she would be seen as unfit to marry anyone. She also had to remain a virgin in order for her family to win over a wealthy husband because purity holds value for a woman. In ​Torrents of Spring,​ Gemma followed 19th century female standards.

According to Turgenev, “And Gemma above all! Queen…goddess…pure, virginal marble” (41). With this, the reader can assume that Gemma is “pure”. Therefore, she is used as a way for her family to overcome their financial situation even though Gemma is not fond of the idea after falling in love with Sanin. Turgenev states, “We can’t go on living on the takings of our shop, Herr Dimitri! and Herr Klüber is very rich, and will be richer still. And what is he to be refused for?” (33). Frau explains to Sanin that the family needs Gemma to marry Klüber even if they show no affection towards one another. As a man Kluber has the means to be able to financially support Gemma’s family, but it would be at a cost because she doesn’t love him. Though she would be stuck in a loveless marriage with Klüber, Gemma’s feelings are completely ignored until Sanin agrees to pay a beneficial stance of money to support her and her family in order to convince them of marriage. Remaining pure and innocent was the job women had to ensure for themselves in order to marry. This was not the same standard as a man.
In ​Kreutzer Sonata,​ Pozdnyshev, at a young age, was tormented by the idea of women. Tolstoy’s states, “already woman, not some particular woman but woman as something to be desired, women, every woman, women’s nudity, tormented me. My solitude was not pure” (170). This shows that men did not have to remain pure in order to marry. This in contrast to what women were expected to do. After this, Pozdnyshev went to look for a wife who would be pure, unlike him, which means that men were allowed to not remain pure or innocent and allowed for such actions. According to Tolstoy, “With that purpose I observed the girls suitable for that end…I withered in a mire of debauchery and at the same time was on the lookout for a girl pure enough to be worthy of me. I rejected many just because they were not pure enough to suit me, but at last I found one whom I would consider worthy.” (174). This statement further supports the idea that men were allowed to carry impure actions and thoughts, but a woman was

never allowed to express those behaviors. This brings about the misogyny, madonna/whore dichotomy that was created to distinguish the purity and idealism of a woman. A woman was not allowed to show any sexual desire but a man is able too. Therefore, a woman’s value is ultimately decided if she’s pure or marriageable enough for marriage, despite men not following the same regulations as them.
If a woman did not follow certain customs they would be shunned or experience punishment. In the ​Torrents of spring,​ Gemma broke off her engagement to Klüber. According to Turgenev, “Of disgrace of it, of its being something unheard of in the world for a girl to kilt her betrothed…only consider, even without this, they’ll talk in the town about your duel…it’s impossible to keep it a secret. And all of a sudden, the marriage broken off! It will be a scandal, a scandal!” (33). Frau begs Sanin to interfere with her daughter’s decision to call off the engagement, partly to save her from the gossip of the town. She understands that the situation Gemma is in – being caught in a love triangle with Sanin, her love, and Küber, her fiancé – would affect Gemma socially since it is uncommon and looked down upon for women to have two love interests. A woman is supposed to pursue a man only one at a time and Gemma isn’t allowed to be in a relationship while she’s promised to another man, even if she was in love. Gemma was also expected to be submissive towards her fiancé but it caused her to become disinterested in him. According to Turgenev, “She was quiet and simple in her manner, but rather more reserved and serious than usual; he had the air of a condescending schoolmaster permitting himself and those under his authority…her soul seemed to have withdrawn into herself” (17). When Gemma Fiance was around she acted very distant and made sure she acted appropriately to the mannerisms of a loving partner. She wanted to respect his authority without drawing herself too much attention. The text also states, “while Herr Klüber, yielding condescendly to “the caprice

of his betrothed,” went off to interview the head waiter, Gemma stood immovable, biting her lips and looking at the ground;” (18) This shows Gemma was very upset that Klüber chose not to defend her after the incident with the officer. Although she found this very embarrassing, she decided to remain silent. She understands that in a relationship men are the ones who are controlling and she’s only allowed to agree with her fiancé’s actions. According to Marks, Bun, and McHale, “Studies based on nationally representative samples of U.S. couples found that husbands hold more traditional gender role attitudes than their wives. This is not surprising, given that concepts of male privilege and dominance are inherent in traditional views of gender roles” (3). Klüber, being the fiancé of Gemma, expects her to uphold the expectations of a 19th century wife. She stays silent because it is what is expected of her when comforting her husband about her views. This evidence presents that men tend to stick to gender roles because it was seen as something that is needed in order to uphold their dominance in society. Men fear the ability for a woman to have power over them.
In ​Kreutzer Sonata​, The old man also adds to the idea that in a marriage the wife had to fear her husband. Tolstoy states, “The first thing that should be required of a woman is fear.. Fear of what? Asked the lady. Why let her fear her husband! That fear” (163). When a woman gets married to her husband she is expected to please him and to follow his demands or face the wrath of her husband. This assumption of a woman affects the treatment and underlying violence women at the time faced. According to Rosslyn, Wendy, and Alessandra, “They could be punished by their husbands for the slightest disobedience, they could be regularly abused by their husbands, family members, and they could be raped by their fathers-in-law with the participation of their husbands. Yet it was extremely difficult for these women to find justice” (210). This means that violence and aggression towards women were normalized in order to convince

society that it’s effective to punish women for not being submissive to men. This part of the chapter adds to the relevancy of how the suppression of women is deemed important because women in the 19th century were more likely to face violence, aggression, and abuse from any male figure. According to the text, “In the wake of the ‘women question’, intellectuals, statesmen, scholars and lawyers. While examine the legal and social status of women in Russian society, portrayed a horrifying picture violence against women, employed by men to keep their wives and daughter in absolute subjection” (220). This shares the same emphasis that women experience extreme forms of punishment as a result of their disobedience. ​Kreutzer Sonata​ also presents the idea that women shouldn’t be free to do what they want because The Old Man states, “yes the female sex must be curbed at all time or else all is lost!” (163). This shows how he believes that women’s actions should be condemned at all times to ensure she “stays in line”. According to Rosslyn, Wendy, and Alessandra,“the very presence of unattended-unowned- women constituted a threat both to male power and a temptation to male frailty” (22). This means that men feared the power of women because, in society, men were often the superior sex, therefore they would be allowed more freedom. Men during this time feared a woman that was unmarried or left “unchecked” in the presence of a male authority because this sense of independence gave women too much power.
Women were also seen as leaky vessels. In ​Kreutzer Sonata​, Pozdnyshev fears that his wife would commit adultery because of her appearance. Tolstoy states, “she gave less attention to the children and less frienziedly than before, but gave more and more attention to herself, to her appearances (though she tried to conceal this), and to her pleasures, even accomplishments” (207). It shows his fear that his wife is starting to care about the way she looks. He’s starting to be skeptical about her change in behavior. After she decides to take up music lessons, she spends

time with her teacher. This causes Pozdnyshev’s breaking point even though he has never approached her about it. Tolstoy states, “Again I felt that need of destruction, violence, and a transport of rage, and yielded to it…Come to yourself! What are you doing? What is the matter? There has been nothing, nothing…I struck her with all my might with the dagger in the side below the ribs” (237-238). Pozdnyshev was so enraged that he murders his wife for committing adultery without proof or evidence. Tolstoy states, “Even if we should grant that a man might prefer a certain woman all his life, the woman in all probability would prefer someone else, and so it always has been and still is in the world” (166). This shows that they believed women would be “out of line” if they committed adultery and it was treated as a serious issue. This however, was not the same with men because later The Old Man denounced the lady for making the claims if it was a man committing adultery. In the ​Torrents of Spring​, Sanin blames Maria for his actions on committing adultery when he was promised to Gemma. According to Turgenev, “At times Sanin felt positively it rated; he had never walked so long with Gemma, his darling Gemma…but this lady had simply taken possession of him, and there was no escape!” (63). This shows the fears that men have about women. Sanin was used to being the one who is dominant and having the women be submissive and follow his lead however in this situation Maria is the one who is controlling him with the way she pursues him. Sanins plan was to entertain her for a better price of his estate. Turgenev states, “Sanin was inwardly delighted indeed at this freak on the part of Madame Polozov; if he thought, she is anxious to impress me, to dazzle me, perhaps who knows, she will be accompanied about the price of the estate” (57). This shows how he had knowledge of how she presented herself and wanted to toy with her emotions in order to use her as a means to get money. This also shows that Sanin is responsible for his actions despite the

reason to want to blame Maria because he doesn’t do much to stop it the relationship from furthering and has already prepared to approach her in this manner.
In conclusion, women deserve to have equality. Women have long suffered from the oppression of men and society. Gender roles are the cause of many problems in relationships – not just in the writings of fiction, but in society as well. Nowadays, for most relationships, it has become less about gender roles and more about how to support each other through the relationship. Take for instance a situation in which both the man and women work to financially support the family that they have together. The man is no longer the only person in this relationship to pull their weight. A woman can be independent without needing to marry a man of wealth. However, even with this, there are still challenges that we still face with reaching gender equality. Gender roles cause the oppression of an individual in relationships because they are dictated or told what they can or cannot do.

Works cited
Cruea, Susan M., Changing Ideals of Womanhood During the Nineteenth-Century Woman Movement, 2005. University Writing Program Faculty Publications. 1.
Marks, Jaime et al. “Family Patterns of Gender Role Attitudes.” Sex roles vol. 61,3-4 (2009): 221-234. doi:10.1007/s11199-009-9619-3
Tolstoy, Leo. The Kreutzer Sonata. Greenwich, Conn: Fawcett Publications, 1961. Print.
Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich, 1818-1883, and Constance Garnett. The Torrents of Spring. New York: Macmillan, 1897.
Rosslyn, Wendy, and Alessandra Tosi, editors. Women in Nineteenth-Century Russia: Lives and Culture. 1st ed., Open Book Publishers, 2012. JSTOR