Originally posted by Karen 29th September 2006


Spoiler alert in place, feel free to discuss fully.


Mutz knew that Samarin had the picture of Anna in his possession and yet Anna claims not to know him, that it was a present to her husband when he went off to war. They have been intimate many times and Anna was ending that part of their relationship, yet Mutz still "yearned" for her. Anna uses this opportunity to share with him, the letter from her husband. On page 115 she says to Mutz "When you read this, you'll see why I came here, but perhaps not why I stayed."

What prompted her to share the letter with Mutz at this point?

Why do you think she moved to Yazyk?

Why do you think she stayed?

Karen


Do you think Anna wanted to chase off Mutz? Was she afraid he was nosing around the sect too much and might figure it out himself?

I wonder myself why she moved there, other than to maybe see with her own eyes what he had become. Did she think she could still make a life with him?

Did she want Balashov to watch his son grow up? Why stay is the question that puzzles me.

Herestoyou


Glad you asked this question, I responded to one of the questions yesterday, I think about Anna, with that same question. Did she want to punish Balashov by flaunting her affairs with other men? Did she think maybe she could "reach" him and have him return to her? Did she want to allow him to see his son grow up? Yes, all good questions and I'm still not sure why she came there. Did she want to just see what this mysterious sect was all about? Didn't the book say in one part she had a scar on her breast, as if she had thought about becoming part of the sect?

Karen


I know you did and I almost said...just hang on til tomorrow..LOL I can't help but think she had to see with her own eyes....

After she read Balashov's letter to her, the cook gave her a knife, the book says that she didn't do any serious harn to herself, but there was speculation that she may have tried to cut one of her breasts off.

Wonder if it could have all of the above, all of these reasons...

Nurseanne8


Maybe Anna went to Yazyk because she saw it as the only option. Anna had the identity as a wife of a MIA soldier-wife of a "hero" which was lonely but honorable. After reading the letter her husband admitted he was a deserter and no longer able to participate in the intimate aspects of marriage Anna's whole persona was a lie. I think ran to Yazyk-as a solution for her emotional pain. I also question why she stayed.

Nurseanne8


I feel Anna showed the letter so Mutz can possibly understand why their relationship was over- I feel Anna has reservations about a entering into a "permanent" relationship with one man since her betrayal by Balashov.

Karen

Good thought Anne, she has to even feel worse after Samarin.

Nurseanne8


I agree she feels worse after her bad experience with Samarin which nearly resulted in the death of her son-hence the decision to stay in Russia to begin a career as a photographer-and not go to Prague with Mutz.

Deppraved


I think she was hoping to scare Mutz off by sharing the letter, or she trusted him with the secret and was needing to tell someone!

She moved to Yazyk to see for herself, to keep watch, to (as soeone mentioned in another question) to show Balashov exactly what he gave up.

As to why she stayed, maybe it's that she didn't have a good enough reason or opportunity to leave. She had a fairly comfy house and it can be tough for a child to keep moving around.

Also she enjoyed a little anonymity in Yazyk, I think. No one but Balashov knew her history.