Much is at stake in whether we go through our days feeling resentful or with a sense of gratitude. Fortunately, the “world’s greatest novel” offers deep insights into these matters, deepening our understanding of the many blessings of gratitude and its transformative power in our lives.

Gratitude seems like something we all learn as small children, when our parents tell us to say thank you. In fact, it is a great deal richer and more complex, and it should be a topic of life-long learning. If we lead thankless lives, we suffer, but if we can learn to cultivate our powers of gratitude, going forward with a sense of abundance instead of scarcity, we enrich both our own lives and those of others. This presentation will explore the complexities of gratitude by centering Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina – a book some of dubbed the “world’s greatest novel.” By contrasting the lives of characters who go through life resentfully, feeling they have nothing for which to feel grateful, to those who recognize and savor their many blessings, attendees will be encouraged to follow their own gratitude path.

Questions?: Contact 317-274-2462 or festival@iu.edu.

Event Organizers: A partnership between scholar Dr. Richard Gunderman and Zionsville Christian Church.

Registration: Walk-ins welcome, but registration is encouraged. Register using the blue button below.

Image Credit: Leo Tolstoy by Ivan Kramskoi, 1873