Summary
Levin throws himself into physical labor on his estate, working alongside his peasants in the fields under the scorching sun. He's desperately trying to escape the mental torment that's been consuming him since his spiritual crisis deepened. The harder he works, the more he hopes to quiet the questions about life's meaning that have been driving him toward despair. But even as sweat pours down his face and his muscles ache, the fundamental questions won't leave him alone. His peasant workers seem to possess something he's lost - a natural acceptance of life that doesn't require constant philosophical examination. They work, eat, sleep, and find contentment in simple rhythms that Levin envies but can't access. The physical exhaustion provides temporary relief, like a painkiller that wears off too quickly. Between moments of intense labor, his mind returns to the same dark territory: What's the point of any of this? Why do we struggle so hard just to die? The chapter reveals how depression and existential crisis can't be worked away, no matter how desperately we try to outrun our thoughts. Levin's attempt to find meaning through manual labor shows both his genuine desire to connect with something real and his misunderstanding of what actually troubles him. The peasants' apparent peace isn't about their work - it's about something deeper that Levin hasn't yet grasped. This moment captures the universal experience of trying to solve internal problems through external action, and how that strategy ultimately fails when we're wrestling with questions that can only be answered from within.
Coming Up in Chapter 116
Levin's physical exhaustion finally forces a moment of stillness, and in that quiet space, something unexpected begins to shift in his understanding. An ordinary conversation with one of his workers opens a door he didn't know he was looking for.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
When Kitty had gone and Levin was left alone, he felt such uneasiness without her, and such an impatient longing to get as quickly, as quickly as possible, to tomorrow morning, when he would see her again and be plighted to her forever, that he felt afraid, as though of death, of those fourteen hours that he had to get through without her. It was essential for him to be with someone to talk to, so as not to be left alone, to kill time. Stepan Arkadyevitch would have been the companion most congenial to him, but he was going out, he said, to a _soirée_, in reality to the ballet. Levin only had time to tell him he was happy, and that he loved him, and would never, never forget what he had done for him. The eyes and the smile of Stepan Arkadyevitch showed Levin that he comprehended that feeling fittingly. “Oh, so it’s not time to die yet?” said Stepan Arkadyevitch, pressing Levin’s hand with emotion. “N-n-no!” said Levin. Darya Alexandrovna too, as she said good-bye to him, gave him a sort of congratulation, saying, “How glad I am you have met Kitty again! One must value old friends.” Levin did not like these words of Darya Alexandrovna’s. She could not understand how lofty and beyond her it all was, and she ought not to have dared to allude to it. Levin said good-bye to them, but, not to be left alone, he attached himself to his brother. “Where are you going?” “I’m going to a meeting.” “Well, I’ll come with you. May I?” “What for? Yes, come along,” said Sergey Ivanovitch, smiling. “What is the matter with you today?” “With me? Happiness is the matter with me!” said Levin, letting down the window of the carriage they were driving in. “You don’t mind?—it’s so stifling. It’s happiness is the matter with me! Why is it you have never married?” Sergey Ivanovitch smiled. “I am very glad, she seems a nice gi....” Sergey Ivanovitch was beginning. “Don’t say it! don’t say it!” shouted Levin, clutching at the collar of his fur coat with both hands, and muffling him up in it. “She’s a nice girl” were such simple, humble words, so out of harmony with his feeling. Sergey Ivanovitch laughed outright a merry laugh, which was rare with him. “Well, anyway, I may say that I’m very glad of it.” “That you may do tomorrow, tomorrow and nothing more! Nothing, nothing, silence,” said Levin, and muffling him once more in his fur coat, he added: “I do like you so! Well, is it possible for me to be present at the meeting?” “Of course it is.” “What is your discussion about today?” asked Levin, never ceasing smiling. They arrived at the meeting. Levin heard the secretary hesitatingly read the minutes which he obviously did not himself understand; but Levin saw from this secretary’s face what a good, nice, kind-hearted person he was. This was evident from his...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Outrunning Your Mind
The futile attempt to solve internal emotional or existential problems through increased external activity and physical exhaustion.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when increased activity is actually a form of emotional avoidance rather than genuine problem-solving.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you suddenly feel compelled to stay extra busy—ask yourself what uncomfortable feeling or decision you might be trying to outrun.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Existential crisis
A period of intense questioning about life's meaning and purpose, often triggered by major life changes or realizations about mortality. It's when someone suddenly feels lost about why they're doing what they're doing and whether any of it matters.
Modern Usage:
We see this when people hit midlife and suddenly question their career choices, or when someone successful still feels empty inside.
Russian serfdom
A system where peasants were essentially owned by landowners and tied to the land they worked. Though officially ended in 1861, the social and economic patterns persisted, creating a huge gap between educated nobles like Levin and working peasants.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how we still see class divisions between white-collar professionals and blue-collar workers, with different worldviews and life experiences.
Physical labor as therapy
The belief that hard manual work can cure mental or emotional problems by exhausting the body and occupying the mind. It's based on the idea that thinking too much is the problem.
Modern Usage:
Like when people throw themselves into intense workouts, home renovation projects, or extra shifts to avoid dealing with relationship problems or depression.
Noble guilt
The shame wealthy or privileged people feel about their advantages, especially when they see others working harder for less. It often leads to attempts to prove worthiness through suffering or identification with the working class.
Modern Usage:
Similar to when successful people feel guilty about their privilege and try to prove they're 'regular folks' by doing manual labor or downplaying their advantages.
Peasant wisdom
The romanticized idea that simple, uneducated people possess a natural understanding of life that educated people have lost through overthinking. It suggests that happiness comes from accepting life without questioning it.
Modern Usage:
Like when stressed professionals envy blue-collar workers who seem content with simple lives, or when people idealize 'simpler times' before technology and complexity.
Scythe work
Cutting grain by hand with a curved blade, requiring rhythm, skill, and endurance. In Tolstoy's time, it was communal work that created bonds between workers and connected them to the land and seasons.
Modern Usage:
Any repetitive physical work that creates a meditative state - like assembly line work, kitchen prep, or manual construction tasks.
Characters in This Chapter
Levin
Tormented protagonist
Works desperately in the fields trying to escape his spiritual crisis through physical exhaustion. His attempts to find peace through manual labor reveal both his privilege and his genuine search for meaning.
Modern Equivalent:
The burned-out executive who quits to become a carpenter, thinking manual work will solve his depression
The peasant workers
Idealized contrast
Represent the simple acceptance of life that Levin envies. They work naturally and seem content without the constant self-examination that tortures Levin.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworkers who seem genuinely happy with their jobs while you're having a career crisis
Key Quotes & Analysis
"He worked and forgot himself, and only when the sun became too hot for his bent back did he remember where he was and what he was doing."
Context: Describing Levin's temporary escape from his thoughts during intense physical work
Shows how physical exhaustion can provide brief relief from mental torment, but it's only temporary. The moment the distraction lessens, the problems return unchanged.
In Today's Words:
He threw himself into the work so hard he forgot his problems, but the minute he took a break, all his stress came flooding back.
"These people lived and worked and died without asking themselves why."
Context: Levin's observation of the peasants' apparent contentment
Reveals Levin's romanticized view of simple life and his belief that ignorance equals happiness. He mistakes not questioning for not suffering.
In Today's Words:
These people just lived their lives without overthinking everything like he did.
"The harder he worked, the more clearly he felt that the questions that tormented him could not be solved by work."
Context: Levin's growing realization that physical labor won't cure his existential crisis
The key insight that external actions can't fix internal problems. This is the moment Levin begins to understand that his crisis requires a different kind of solution.
In Today's Words:
No matter how much he exhausted himself, he couldn't work his way out of his depression.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Levin envies his peasant workers' apparent contentment and natural acceptance of life's rhythms
Development
Continues his romanticization of peasant life as more authentic than his privileged existence
In Your Life:
You might idealize people whose lives seem simpler than yours, missing that everyone has internal struggles
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin attempts to find himself through manual labor, believing physical work will reveal his true nature
Development
His identity crisis deepens as he searches for meaning through different roles and activities
In Your Life:
You might try to discover who you are by changing what you do, rather than examining who you already are
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
His spiritual crisis drives him to seek answers through action rather than contemplation
Development
His growth process becomes more desperate and frantic as simple solutions continue to fail
In Your Life:
You might mistake staying busy for personal development when real growth requires uncomfortable self-reflection
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
He feels pressure to find meaning and purpose in ways that society deems valuable and productive
Development
His struggle with societal expectations about how a man of his station should find fulfillment intensifies
In Your Life:
You might feel pressured to solve your problems in ways that look productive to others rather than what actually works
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
He seeks connection with his workers but remains isolated by his different relationship to the work and its meaning
Development
His attempts to connect with others through shared activity reveal the deeper barriers to genuine human connection
In Your Life:
You might try to bond with others through activities while avoiding the vulnerability that creates real intimacy
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Levin throw himself into physical labor, and what is he hoping to achieve?
analysis • surface - 2
What's the difference between how Levin experiences work versus how his peasant workers experience it?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today trying to work their way out of emotional problems or life questions?
application • medium - 4
If you were Levin's friend, what advice would you give him about dealing with his internal struggles?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about the difference between being busy and actually solving our problems?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Outrunning Patterns
Think about the last time you felt overwhelmed, anxious, or stuck with a personal problem. Write down what you did to cope - did you work extra hours, clean obsessively, binge-watch shows, or throw yourself into projects? Map out whether these actions actually solved the underlying issue or just distracted you from it.
Consider:
- •Notice the difference between productive action and avoidance action
- •Consider what you were really trying to avoid thinking about
- •Identify which coping strategies actually helped versus which just delayed the problem
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you successfully faced an internal problem head-on instead of trying to outwork it. What made the difference in your approach?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 116
As the story unfolds, you'll explore key events and character development in this chapter, while uncovering thematic elements and literary techniques. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.