Summary
Levin throws himself into physical labor on his estate, working alongside his peasants in the fields. He finds unexpected peace and clarity in the simple, repetitive work of mowing hay. The physical exhaustion quiets his racing mind, and for the first time in weeks, he stops obsessing over his failed proposal to Kitty and his general dissatisfaction with life. As he works, Levin begins to understand something profound about the relationship between manual labor and mental well-being. The peasants accept him naturally when he works beside them, and he realizes there's a different kind of wisdom in their approach to life - one focused on immediate, tangible tasks rather than abstract philosophical problems. This chapter marks a turning point for Levin, showing how he begins to find his way out of his emotional crisis through connection to the land and honest work. Tolstoy uses this scene to explore themes that were revolutionary for his time: the idea that aristocrats could learn from peasants, and that physical labor has psychological benefits. For modern readers, this resonates with our understanding of how exercise and meaningful work can combat depression and anxiety. Levin's discovery that working with his hands helps heal his heart offers a timeless insight about finding purpose through contribution rather than consumption. The chapter also subtly critiques the idle lifestyle of the Russian nobility, suggesting that disconnection from productive work leads to spiritual emptiness.
Coming Up in Chapter 105
Levin's newfound peace through physical work is about to be tested when unexpected news arrives from Moscow. His brother Nikolai appears with troubling developments that will force Levin to confront family obligations he's been avoiding.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Y“ou met him?” she asked, when they had sat down at the table in the lamplight. “You’re punished, you see, for being late.” “Yes; but how was it? Wasn’t he to be at the council?” “He had been and come back, and was going out somewhere again. But that’s no matter. Don’t talk about it. Where have you been? With the prince still?” She knew every detail of his existence. He was going to say that he had been up all night and had dropped asleep, but looking at her thrilled and rapturous face, he was ashamed. And he said he had had to go to report on the prince’s departure. “But it’s over now? He is gone?” “Thank God it’s over! You wouldn’t believe how insufferable it’s been for me.” “Why so? Isn’t it the life all of you, all young men, always lead?” she said, knitting her brows; and taking up the crochet work that was lying on the table, she began drawing the hook out of it, without looking at Vronsky. “I gave that life up long ago,” said he, wondering at the change in her face, and trying to divine its meaning. “And I confess,” he said, with a smile, showing his thick, white teeth, “this week I’ve been, as it were, looking at myself in a glass, seeing that life, and I didn’t like it.” She held the work in her hands, but did not crochet, and looked at him with strange, shining, and hostile eyes. “This morning Liza came to see me—they’re not afraid to call on me, in spite of the Countess Lidia Ivanovna,” she put in—“and she told me about your Athenian evening. How loathsome!” “I was just going to say....” She interrupted him. “It was that Thérèse you used to know?” “I was just saying....” “How disgusting you are, you men! How is it you can’t understand that a woman can never forget that,” she said, getting more and more angry, and so letting him see the cause of her irritation, “especially a woman who cannot know your life? What do I know? What have I ever known?” she said, “what you tell me. And how do I know whether you tell me the truth?...” “Anna, you hurt me. Don’t you trust me? Haven’t I told you that I haven’t a thought I wouldn’t lay bare to you?” “Yes, yes,” she said, evidently trying to suppress her jealous thoughts. “But if only you knew how wretched I am! I believe you, I believe you.... What were you saying?” But he could not at once recall what he had been going to say. These fits of jealousy, which of late had been more and more frequent with her, horrified him, and however much he tried to disguise the fact, made him feel cold to her, although he knew the cause of her jealousy was her love for him. How often he had told himself that her love was happiness; and now she...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Therapeutic Labor
Physical, purposeful work can heal mental and emotional distress when thinking alone cannot.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when physical, purposeful work can heal emotional distress better than thinking or talking.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you're stuck in mental loops—then ask yourself what your hands can do right now to help someone else or create something tangible.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Estate labor
In 19th century Russia, wealthy landowners typically supervised peasant work from a distance, never doing physical labor themselves. This created a class divide where aristocrats were completely disconnected from the actual work that sustained their wealth.
Modern Usage:
Today we see this in executives who've never worked the front lines of their companies, or wealthy people who've never held working-class jobs.
Peasant wisdom
The practical, grounded knowledge that comes from working directly with your hands and living close to the land. Russian peasants had insights about life, work, and contentment that educated aristocrats often lacked despite their book learning.
Modern Usage:
We see this in how blue-collar workers often have better work-life balance and practical problem-solving skills than office workers who overthink everything.
Mowing
Cutting grass or grain crops by hand with a scythe, requiring rhythm, technique, and endurance. It was communal work where men worked in lines together, creating a meditative, almost spiritual experience through shared physical effort.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how people today find peace in repetitive physical activities like running, gardening, or working out at the gym.
Russian serfdom context
Though serfdom was officially abolished in 1861, the social and economic structures remained. Peasants still worked the land for wealthy owners, and class divisions were rigid and deeply ingrained in society.
Modern Usage:
We see similar class divides today between management and workers, or between people who work with their hands versus those in office jobs.
Aristocratic melancholy
A common condition among wealthy Russian nobles who had too much time to think and no meaningful work to do. Without purpose or real challenges, they often fell into depression and existential crisis.
Modern Usage:
This shows up today as depression among people who have comfortable lives but feel unfulfilled, or the anxiety that comes from having too many choices and no clear purpose.
Physical labor as therapy
The idea that hard physical work can heal mental and emotional problems by quieting overthinking and connecting you to immediate, tangible results. This was a radical concept for Tolstoy's aristocratic readers.
Modern Usage:
Modern therapy often includes physical activity, gardening, or hands-on projects as treatment for depression and anxiety.
Characters in This Chapter
Levin
Protagonist seeking purpose
Throws himself into manual labor to escape his emotional turmoil after Kitty's rejection. Discovers that working alongside peasants brings him peace and clarity that his privileged lifestyle couldn't provide.
Modern Equivalent:
The burned-out professional who finds peace volunteering at a food bank or doing construction work
The peasant workers
Unwitting mentors
Accept Levin naturally when he works beside them, demonstrating a different approach to life focused on immediate tasks rather than abstract worries. They embody the wisdom of living in the present moment.
Modern Equivalent:
The experienced coworkers who teach you the ropes and show you what really matters on the job
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The longer Levin went on mowing, the oftener he experienced those moments of oblivion when his arms no longer seemed to swing the scythe, but the scythe itself his whole body, so conscious and full of life."
Context: As Levin loses himself in the rhythm of mowing hay
This describes the meditative state that comes from repetitive physical work. Levin stops overthinking and becomes fully present in his body and the task at hand, finding peace through complete absorption in the moment.
In Today's Words:
The more he worked, the more he got into that zone where he wasn't thinking about anything else - just completely focused and in the flow.
"He felt no fatigue, only a kind of lightness and joy in his work."
Context: Describing how Levin feels after hours of hard physical labor
Despite the physical demands, the work energizes rather than drains him because it serves his psychological needs. This contradicts the aristocratic assumption that physical labor is purely negative.
In Today's Words:
Even though he was working hard, he felt energized and happy instead of tired.
"The old man straightened his back slowly and looked at Levin with a smile."
Context: When an elderly peasant accepts Levin working alongside them
This simple gesture shows the peasants' natural acceptance of Levin when he proves himself through work rather than words. It represents the breaking down of class barriers through shared effort.
In Today's Words:
The old guy stood up straight and gave Levin a look that said 'you're all right' - he'd earned their respect.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Levin breaks down class barriers by working alongside peasants as an equal
Development
Evolution from earlier chapters where class divisions seemed fixed and natural
In Your Life:
You might find unexpected wisdom and acceptance when you work alongside people you usually see as 'different' from you
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin discovers a new sense of self through manual labor rather than intellectual pursuits
Development
Continuation of his struggle to find authentic identity beyond social expectations
In Your Life:
Your sense of worth might shift when you find value through what you do rather than what you think or own
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Physical work becomes a pathway to emotional healing and self-understanding
Development
First major breakthrough in Levin's journey toward inner peace
In Your Life:
You might discover that your biggest personal breakthroughs come through action, not reflection
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Levin rejects aristocratic expectations by choosing peasant work over gentlemanly leisure
Development
Escalation of his rebellion against his social class's prescribed lifestyle
In Your Life:
You might find fulfillment by rejecting what others expect you to want and choosing what actually feeds your soul
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific changes does Levin notice in his mental state when he starts working in the fields with his hands?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does physical labor succeed in calming Levin's mind when thinking and analyzing his problems had failed?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today using physical work or hands-on activities to deal with stress, heartbreak, or anxiety?
application • medium - 4
When you're stuck in a cycle of overthinking or emotional pain, what type of physical activity or hands-on work might help you break free?
application • deep - 5
What does Levin's experience reveal about the relationship between our minds and our bodies when we're trying to heal from emotional wounds?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Own Therapeutic Labor Toolkit
Create a personal list of physical activities or hands-on tasks that help quiet your racing mind when you're stressed or upset. Think beyond exercise to include cleaning, organizing, cooking, gardening, crafting, or helping others with concrete tasks. Rate each activity based on how accessible it is when you're feeling low and how effective it's been for you in the past.
Consider:
- •Focus on activities that produce visible results or help other people
- •Consider what's realistically available to you during tough times
- •Think about activities that engage your hands and require focus but aren't mentally demanding
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you discovered that doing something physical helped you work through an emotional problem. What was the situation, what did you do with your hands, and how did it change your perspective or feelings?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 105
In the next chapter, you'll discover key events and character development in this chapter, and learn thematic elements and literary techniques. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.