Anna Sorokin (can be found online as Anna “Delvey”) may be an unknown name to many. However in New York she became a household name due to her affiliation with New York City socialites. This Russian born upper-class women made her mark by posing as a wealthy German heiress. The Netflix series “Inventing Anna,” unravels Sorokin’s life and exposes the façade she put on for years.
Before watching “Inventing Anna,” I had no familiarity with Anna or her status in New York. Upon first glace she seemed like a well established women who enjoys the finer things in life. Her life started in Russia and in the series her family is unknown to many, even her closest friends. Even after researching the real Sorokin who inspired the series, it became clear early on that she and her parents were cut from very different cloths. She fantasized about fame and wealth in America and devised a plan to get it. She showed the people of New York that when you have money, anything is possible.
I think “Inventing Anna” can allow viewers to learn a lot about the class system in America and idea of power through association. Throughout the series Sorokin is able to study New York’s elite and make herself desirable amongst them. She may be a criminal but I think everyone can admit she has a lot of guts. Whether or not she went about her life in an honest way, she teaches people to go after what they want. Granted, she did a lot of illegal things to get what she wanted but she exuded confidence the whole time. She wasn’t held back by self doubt or anxiety, she sought out to accomplish her goals. I don’t condone any of her actions but in a way she proved that upper and middle class people aren’t so different. She is a perfect example of if you look the part, you might actual become the part.
Personally I had a lot of takeaways from this show. One of them being, you don’t have to be liked to be respected. Sorokin was entitled, rude, passive aggressive, and oftentimes very snotty. Many people disliked her God complex however they still glorified her presence. She spoke with purpose and didn’t chase after people who weren’t invested in her. Even though she bought the majority of her friends through flaunting her money, she still chose her friends wisely. She surrounded herself with people she admired and aspired to be like. When examining her friends throughout the series and in real life it was evident that she lived up to the motto, “you are who you hangout with.” I would never take friendship advice from someone like Sorokin considering she used and manipulated her friends but I do think there are some positive takeaways from her friendships.
Many people admired her social status and envied her friend group. Sorokin was constantly flaunting her extravagant lifestyle on social media however the past eventually caught up to her. The biggest lesson I learned from this series was that no matter how hard you try to run from your past, it will eventually catch up to. Hiding who you are from the people you hold closest not only affects your ability to build relationships with people, but it can also make you feel incredibly alone.
“Inventing Anna” took me on a rollercoaster of emotions and constantly made me question what to believe. However, the truth prevailed in the end. Despite Sorokin’s erratic and frankly terrible behavior, I think a lot of viewers (including me) can relate to her more than they think. I highly recommend watching this series if you haven’t already and who knows, maybe you’ll be able to discover parts of Sorokin within yourself.