No, I
haven’t read it again, as I’ve done with most of my favorite novels just to see
if my ‘reading’ changes over time, nothing of that sort, however, watching Tom
Stoppard’s modern ‘version’ on Tolstoy’s novel gave me the opportunity to recall
the time I read it and the time I still used to think that no, nowadays society
is not that judgmental after all, and I almost grew up and went through my
teenage years believing it. What
happened afterwards? well, of course as years passed I’ve familiarized myself
with watching people priding themselves on being non-judgmental. Still, priding
and actually doing it are two separate things and of course one would not be
indifferent if a friend is being dumped by her husband, or if somebody would
actually give up her kids for the sake of a lover, or if one would embarrass ‘the
other’. No, of course that one can’t help it even if one claims to be cool with
all that. No, I don’t think society changed too much as far as human
relationships are concerned. That we’ve grown more mature and found other ways
to get out of a relationship, true, thinking that nobody would dare to judge
your behavior, however, everybody does it, starting with yourself obviously.
Tom
Stoppard’s contemporary adaptation couldn’t reflect better what is actually the
current state of affairs, though probably now we cope better with guilt or
shame than at the time. It’s puzzling only when you think that doing whatever
brings about self-fulfillment might actually pose threats to one’s zone of
comfort. No need to be discouraged, after all psychology took over and taught
us how to deal with guilt maybe. If issues
of what is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ are just irrelevant then why only a few would behave like Anna? And I mean, men
as well.
