There's all kinds of drama in Doctor Zhivago surrounding our hero's family, especially when he, well, kind of abandons it to live with his new lover, Lara. But when you think about it, one of the only reasons Zhivago married his wife Tonya in the first place is that his foster mom Anna made him promise on her deathbed. On top of that, Zhivago has been looking to fill a hole in his life ever since his mother died and his father deserted him. So yeah, family has a huge impact on how characters are shaped in this book and on how Boris Pasternak tends to see the world in general.
Questions About Family
- Do you think that Zhivago is a responsible member of his family? Why or why not?
- How does Zhivago's duty toward his family conflict or agree with his duty towards himself as an individual? According to this book, can the two exist side by side?
- Why does Lara remain so loyal and loving toward her husband Antipov even after he has abandoned her and their daughter Katenka? Why does the idea of being a family have such a strong hold on her?
- Do you think Pasternak has a lot of respect for the nuclear family, or does he treat it mostly as an obstacle for people achieving individual greatness? Why?
Chew on This
In Doctor Zhivago, we learn that family isn't what matters. The individual is.
In Doctor Zhivago, Boris Pasternak shows us that in the end, family is more important than groups and individuals because it's the perfect combination of both.