Love is depicted in different mannerisms in the love stories of Anna Karenina and Love in a Time of Cholera (Michael 1). Both films possess common themes as their characters carefully represent different roles to much acclaim the story of Love in the time of cholera is however based on few characters and the Love story is spurn among two major characters. On the other hand, the story in Anna Karenina spurns different people entangled in a love story.
In the love story of Anna Karenina, there is a real depiction of married life while there is also true sorrow at parts of the film. For the story, something is always on the balance between the forms of love: romantic and domestic. Anna Karenina is tolerant though with an element of sadness. Differences that exist between the two novels are numerous. Firstly in Anna Karenina, there is the depiction of Anna as an adulterous character that betrays her husband as a central motif in the story. Anna has an affair with Vronsky and a child before he eventually takes off. Anna was adulterous while still married to her husband Kekerin (Babis 1). Stiva, Anna’s brother, is involved in an “insignificant love affair” (Babis 1) through his adulterous ways. The depiction of adultery is different compared to the story of Love in a time of cholera as Fermina is not adulterous as soon as she elopes with her husband to a faraway place she maintains in her married life and is reunited with her lover after a few years after Urbino’s death.
Forgiveness is a common theme in Anna and Love in a time of cholera. In love in a time of cholera both Fermina and Florentino are reunited together in the end. Though Florentino tried to maintain contact with Fermina through his letters, Fermina got married to a doctor led to Florentino being over indulgent that resulted in despair for Florentino. However after failing to find the right person for love Florentino was happily reunited with Fermina in the end (Digitalcampus.swank.com). Similarities are the same in Anna as there is a central theme of Christian forgiveness as Dolly forgives Stiva in the end though Stiva does not change (Babis,2).
Ekaterina and Konstantin are one happy family as Family life based on love is a central theme in the novel. The love between Ekaterina and Konstantin helps strengthen the union between them (Digitalcampus.swank.com). Love transformative power is revealed in its ability to even out the pitfalls of our personalities. Levin pursuit of love and happiness is illustrated through his character as he is sincere as well as productive in all that he does In comparison to characters such as Florentino, who ends up in a life of despair and over indulgence as he looks for love amongst a myriad of women after Fermina leaves for marriage. Ekaterina faces similarities to Fermina as she is courted by two men, Urbino, and Fermina.
The nature of love is different for most of the characters in the two films as Anna and Love in a Time of Cholera as love in a time of cholera is deemed to be obsessive and passionate (Michael, 1). Florentino is left dejected as he was obsessively in love with Fermina and this is seen through his letters and his ready acceptance of her despite years passing by and meeting so many women (Digitalcampus.swank.com). Fermina though is confident that love will preserver the test of time before she is married though this does not come to fruition upon marriage (Digitalcampus.swank.com). The two characters are conflicting when it comes to the issue of love being a universal constant or a cause of change in time and place. Ferminas love is a consequence of changes in time and place while Florentino love is universal as this is seen as he maintains his love for Fermina as she maintains her love for her for a considerable period as he is passionately consumed by passion ( Michael 1). Fermina muses over his relationship with Florentino in the beginning but when her father hastily introduces her to Dr. Urbino to ensure she gets married. Fermina is entangled in the marriage with no illusions on what the future holds for her. Rushed marriage institutions do not necessarily lead to happiness, Levin’s marriage at the age of 32 is considered late though his marriage is full of joy.
In the film Anna, Kitty and Levine are happy together, and their love depicts a situation where it is of a universal nature as they get married and live happily. The main character Anna embodies a love as a feeling that changes with time and place as she has an affair. Though she believes in love, her love for her family is universal, but she is also romantic. Alexei loves Anna though disappointed with as he has to give up his dream illustrates that love can be universal. Karenin on the other hand also indicates a scenario where love changes based on time, place and situation as his love for his wife wanes over time. Characters in the two films display different emotions and depict love in different mannerisms. Each character illustrates love in a different manner (Michael,2) though characters from Anna are more diverse in the way they express their feelings.
Works Cited
Palencia-Roth, Michael. "Gabriel García Márquez: Labyrinths of Love and History." World Literature Today 65.1 (1991): 54-58.
Dermitzakis, Babis. "Some Observations on the Suicide of the Adulteress in the Modern Novel." CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 1.2 (1999): 2.
Digitalcampus.swank.com, "Digital Campus". Nap. 2016. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Digitalcampus.swank.com, "Digital Campus". Nap. 2016. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
