Anna deeply loves her son, Seryozha, who is her child with Karenin. Anna does not want to give up custody of Seryozha, which she would have to do if she and Karenin officially got divorced, since this is Karenin’s primary stipulation. But as her relationship with Vronsky intensifies, Anna abandons Seryozha. Seryozha still loves Anna, despite everything. However, as Seryozha grows up, he focuses instead on his relationship with his father. Anna visits him briefly, which reminds Seryozha how much he loves her. However, he ultimately tries to repress his emotions, pushing away his feelings of loss and rejection and committing himself to his own life, that is, one without his mother. Although she abandons him, Anna still feels a much deeper emotional bond with her son than with Annie, her daughter.
Sergei Alexeich (Seryozha) Karenin Quotes in Anna Karenina
The Anna Karenina quotes below are all either spoken by Sergei Alexeich (Seryozha) Karenin or refer to Sergei Alexeich (Seryozha) Karenin. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Viking edition of Anna Karenina published in 2000.
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Part 1, Chapter 32
Quotes
And the son, just like the husband, produced in Anna a feeling akin to disappointment. She had imagined him better than he was in reality. She had to descend to reality to enjoy him as he was.
Related Characters:
Anna Arkadyevna Karenina, Count Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin, Sergei Alexeich (Seryozha) Karenin
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Sergei Alexeich (Seryozha) Karenin Character Timeline in Anna Karenina
The timeline below shows where the character Sergei Alexeich (Seryozha) Karenin appears in Anna Karenina. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 2, Chapter 22
...enters through the garden. He is excited to see her, but then he thinks about Seryozha, her son, and feels uneasy: the relationship between himself and Seryozha is awkward and strained....
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Part 2, Chapter 23
...him. Anna does not want to run away, however, because she does not want her son to have a mother who abandons his father. Anna hears Seryozha returning, kisses Vronsky goodbye,...
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Part 3, Chapter 15
Anna is distracted and distraught, but the maid says that her son is waiting for her for breakfast, which snaps her into a sense of purpose. Anna...
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Part 3, Chapter 22
...says that Anna must divorce Karenin. Anna says that this is impossible because of her son. Anna and Vronsky both feel wretched and at fault for the whole affair.
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Part 4, Chapter 4
...speak. He finally manages to tell Anna that he is leaving for Moscow and taking Seryozha with him. Anna begs Karenin to leave Seryozha, but Karenin blushes and leaves the room.
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Part 4, Chapter 23
...in central Russia and resigns his commission. Anna and Vronsky go abroad to Italy, leaving Seryozha in the house alone with Karenin.
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Part 5, Chapter 8
...her husband seems like a feverish dream. She has transferred her former love for her son onto her daughter, and she is infatuated with Vronsky. She fears losing him and thus...
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Part 5, Chapter 22
...is clearly in grief. She offers many trite pieces of mystical Christian advice. Lydia tells Seryozha that his father is a saint and that his mother is dead. Lydia offers to...
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Part 5, Chapter 23
...Karenin. Anna sends Lydia a letter asking Lydia to arrange a meeting between Anna and Seryozha. Lydia is irritated and tells the messenger that there is no reply. She arranges to...
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Part 5, Chapter 24
...important than ever. Lydia has dressed carefully to look her best for Karenin. They discuss Seryozha’s education. Lydia tells Karenin that Anna is in Petersburg and he blanches, horrified, which makes...
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Part 5, Chapter 26
Seryozha chats with the hall porter. He is merry: the next day is Seryozha’s birthday, and...
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Part 5, Chapter 27
Seryozha doesn’t believe that Anna has actually died, and whenever he goes for a walk, he...
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Part 5, Chapter 29
Anna’s main goal in Petersburg is to see Seryozha, but she realizes that her position as an outcast in society will make this extremely...
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Part 5, Chapter 30
When Seryozha’s tutor figures out who Anna is, he doesn’t know what to do, but hearing their...
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Part 5, Chapter 31
Anna hadn’t anticipated the strong effect that seeing Seryozha would have on her. Her love for her daughter is weak in comparison. She knows...
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When Vronsky and the guest arrive, Vronsky looks at the pictures of Seryozha, but Anna quickly takes the pictures away. Anna invites the prince to dinner. Anna asks...
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Part 6, Chapter 24
...her mad: even if she knows she should do it, she’ll lose custody of her son. She wants to have both Seryozha and Vronsky, but this is impossible. When Dolly goes...
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Part 7, Chapter 18
...he thought the matter was closed, since he refused to grant Anna custody of their son in a divorce. Oblonsky says that Anna feels suspended between life and death and that...
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Part 7, Chapter 19
Before Oblonsky leaves, Anna’s son, Seryozha (now called Sergei Alexeich), comes in; Karenin says that the boy was very ill...
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Part 7, Chapter 24
...will make Vronsky love her and resolve the shame of her relations with Karenin and Seroyzha. Vronsky returns and mollifies Anna, agreeing to everything; Anna’s jealousy melts into a desperate tenderness.
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Part 7, Chapter 27
...goes to the nursery and, in her confusion, is startled to see Annie instead of Seryozha. Anna waits for Vronsky to return, her frenzy mounting; she decides to fix her hair,...
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Part 7, Chapter 28
...the present, and she cannot keep track of time and space. She is reminded of Seryozha when she sees children playing on the street. She decides to leave Vronsky, even though...
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