Summary
Levin throws himself into physical labor on his estate, working alongside his peasants in the fields from dawn to dusk. He's desperately trying to exhaust himself so completely that he won't have energy left to think about his overwhelming despair and suicidal thoughts. The harder he works, the more he hopes to quiet the voices in his head that whisper about the meaninglessness of life. But even as sweat pours down his face and his muscles ache, the questions won't leave him alone: What's the point of any of this? Why do we live only to die? His philosophical crisis has become so severe that he's afraid to be alone with a rope or a gun, knowing he might use them on himself. The irony is painful - here's a man who seemingly has everything: a loving wife, a healthy baby, a successful estate, financial security. Yet none of it feels real or worthwhile to him anymore. Tolstoy shows us how depression and existential dread can strike anyone, regardless of their circumstances. Levin's struggle represents something universal - that moment when life's big questions become too heavy to bear, when success feels hollow, and when the future seems pointless. His attempt to find meaning through backbreaking work reflects a very human instinct: when our minds betray us, we turn to our bodies, hoping physical exhaustion might provide the peace that rational thought cannot. This chapter captures the raw reality of a man fighting for his mental survival, using the only weapon he has left - his willingness to work himself to the bone.
Coming Up in Chapter 173
Despite his exhaustion, Levin's torment continues to follow him. A chance conversation with a peasant about living 'for the soul' begins to crack open something new in his understanding.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
After escorting his wife upstairs, Levin went to Dolly’s part of the house. Darya Alexandrovna, for her part, was in great distress too that day. She was walking about the room, talking angrily to a little girl, who stood in the corner roaring. “And you shall stand all day in the corner, and have your dinner all alone, and not see one of your dolls, and I won’t make you a new frock,” she said, not knowing how to punish her. “Oh, she is a disgusting child!” she turned to Levin. “Where does she get such wicked propensities?” “Why, what has she done?” Levin said without much interest, for he had wanted to ask her advice, and so was annoyed that he had come at an unlucky moment. “Grisha and she went into the raspberries, and there ... I can’t tell you really what she did. It’s a thousand pities Miss Elliot’s not with us. This one sees to nothing—she’s a machine.... _Figurez-vous que la petite_?...” And Darya Alexandrovna described Masha’s crime. “That proves nothing; it’s not a question of evil propensities at all, it’s simply mischief,” Levin assured her. “But you are upset about something? What have you come for?” asked Dolly. “What’s going on there?” And in the tone of her question Levin heard that it would be easy for him to say what he had meant to say. “I’ve not been in there, I’ve been alone in the garden with Kitty. We’ve had a quarrel for the second time since ... Stiva came.” Dolly looked at him with her shrewd, comprehending eyes. “Come, tell me, honor bright, has there been ... not in Kitty, but in that gentleman’s behavior, a tone which might be unpleasant—not unpleasant, but horrible, offensive to a husband?” “You mean, how shall I say.... Stay, stay in the corner!” she said to Masha, who, detecting a faint smile in her mother’s face, had been turning round. “The opinion of the world would be that he is behaving as young men do behave. _Il fait la cour à une jeune et jolie femme_, and a husband who’s a man of the world should only be flattered by it.” “Yes, yes,” said Levin gloomily; “but you noticed it?” “Not only I, but Stiva noticed it. Just after breakfast he said to me in so many words, _Je crois que Veslovsky fait un petit brin de cour à Kitty_.” “Well, that’s all right then; now I’m satisfied. I’ll send him away,” said Levin. “What do you mean! Are you crazy?” Dolly cried in horror; “nonsense, Kostya, only think!” she said, laughing. “You can go now to Fanny,” she said to Masha. “No, if you wish it, I’ll speak to Stiva. He’ll take him away. He can say you’re expecting visitors. Altogether he doesn’t fit into the house.” “No, no, I’ll do it myself.” “But you’ll quarrel with him?” “Not a bit. I shall so enjoy it,” Levin said, his eyes flashing with real enjoyment. “Come, forgive...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Exhaustion as Escape
Using physical exhaustion to temporarily silence unbearable thoughts or emotions, creating the illusion of control when inner life feels chaotic.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when intense activity is actually emotional avoidance rather than genuine productivity.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you suddenly feel compelled to deep-clean, work extra hours, or exercise intensely—ask yourself what uncomfortable feeling you might be trying to outrun.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Existential Crisis
A moment when someone questions the meaning and purpose of life itself, feeling overwhelmed by the apparent meaninglessness of existence. It's that crushing realization that nothing seems to matter, even when life looks good on paper.
Modern Usage:
We see this today when successful people suddenly feel empty despite having everything they thought they wanted - the CEO who questions why they're working 80-hour weeks, or the parent who wonders what the point of it all is.
Russian Estate System
Large agricultural properties owned by wealthy landowners who employed peasant workers. The landowner would oversee farming operations while peasants did the physical labor, creating a clear class divide.
Modern Usage:
Similar to today's large agricultural corporations where owners rarely do manual labor alongside their workers, maintaining economic and social distance.
Physical Labor as Therapy
The idea that hard physical work can quiet mental anguish and provide relief from psychological pain. When the mind is tormented, exhausting the body can sometimes bring temporary peace.
Modern Usage:
We see this when people throw themselves into intense workouts, home renovations, or demanding jobs to avoid dealing with depression, anxiety, or grief.
Suicidal Ideation
Thoughts about ending one's own life, ranging from passive wishes to active planning. It's a serious symptom of depression where death seems like the only escape from emotional pain.
Modern Usage:
Today we recognize this as a mental health crisis requiring professional intervention, with suicide hotlines and therapy specifically designed to help people through these dark thoughts.
Peasant Class
Agricultural workers in 19th-century Russia who lived in poverty and worked the land for wealthy landowners. They had few rights and little opportunity for social mobility.
Modern Usage:
Similar to today's migrant farm workers or minimum-wage agricultural employees who do backbreaking work while the farm owners profit from their labor.
Philosophical Despair
Deep emotional suffering that comes from wrestling with life's biggest questions without finding satisfying answers. It's when thinking too much about existence becomes mentally paralyzing.
Modern Usage:
We see this in people who get stuck in endless loops of 'what's the point' thinking, often triggered by major life changes or losses.
Characters in This Chapter
Levin
Protagonist in crisis
He's desperately trying to work himself into exhaustion to escape his suicidal thoughts and existential despair. Despite having everything that should make him happy, he's questioning the meaning of life itself.
Modern Equivalent:
The burned-out executive who takes up extreme sports or manual labor to quiet their racing mind
The Peasant Workers
Working companions
They work alongside Levin in the fields, representing a simpler way of life that he envies. Their presence shows the class divide but also Levin's attempt to find meaning through honest labor.
Modern Equivalent:
The blue-collar coworkers who seem more grounded and content than their stressed-out boss
Key Quotes & Analysis
"He was afraid of himself, afraid of being alone with himself and his terrible thoughts."
Context: Describing Levin's fear of his own suicidal impulses
This captures the terrifying reality of severe depression - when your own mind becomes the enemy. Levin recognizes he's dangerous to himself and actively avoids situations where he might act on his dark thoughts.
In Today's Words:
He was scared of what he might do if left alone with his thoughts.
"Work was the only thing that saved him, and he threw himself into it with desperate energy."
Context: Explaining why Levin works so intensively in the fields
This shows how physical exhaustion becomes a survival strategy. Work isn't about productivity for Levin - it's about literally saving his life by keeping his mind too tired to spiral into despair.
In Today's Words:
Staying busy was the only thing keeping him from falling apart completely.
"What am I living for? What is the meaning of my existence?"
Context: His internal questioning while working in the fields
These are the core questions driving Levin's crisis. Even surrounded by the life he's built, he can't find purpose or meaning, showing how depression distorts our perception of our own lives.
In Today's Words:
Why am I even here? What's the point of any of this?
Thematic Threads
Mental Health
In This Chapter
Levin's suicidal ideation and desperate attempt to exhaust himself into numbness
Development
Evolved from earlier spiritual questioning into acute psychological crisis
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you work extra shifts not for money but to avoid being alone with your thoughts.
Class
In This Chapter
Levin works alongside peasants, temporarily abandoning his privileged position
Development
Continues his complex relationship with social hierarchy and manual labor
In Your Life:
You might see this when someone with education takes a 'simpler' job to escape the pressure of their background.
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin's sense of self has completely collapsed despite external success
Development
His identity crisis has reached a breaking point where achievements feel meaningless
In Your Life:
You might experience this when promotions or life milestones leave you feeling empty rather than fulfilled.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Even love for his wife and child cannot penetrate his existential despair
Development
Shows how depression can isolate us from our deepest connections
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you feel disconnected from people you love during difficult periods.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Levin's crisis represents a dark night of the soul before potential breakthrough
Development
His journey toward meaning has reached its lowest point
In Your Life:
You might find that your worst moments of doubt often come right before major personal insights.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific strategy does Levin use to try to cope with his overwhelming despair, and why does he think this might work?
analysis • surface - 2
Why might someone with everything going for them—loving family, financial security, success—still feel life is meaningless?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today using busyness or physical exhaustion to avoid dealing with difficult emotions or thoughts?
application • medium - 4
How would you help someone who's using the 'exhaustion shield' pattern recognize what they're really avoiding and find healthier ways to process it?
application • deep - 5
What does Levin's struggle teach us about the difference between having a good life on paper versus feeling that life has meaning?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Own Exhaustion Shields
Think about the last month and identify three times you threw yourself into physical activity, work, or busyness when you were stressed or upset. For each instance, write down what you were doing and what you might have been trying not to think about. Look for patterns in your escape mechanisms.
Consider:
- •Consider both obvious escapes (extra work shifts) and subtle ones (reorganizing closets, scrolling social media for hours)
- •Notice if certain types of stress trigger specific escape behaviors
- •Think about whether these activities actually helped or just delayed dealing with the real issue
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when exhaustion actually prevented you from solving a problem that needed your clear thinking. How might you handle that situation differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 173
What lies ahead teaches us key events and character development in this chapter, and shows us thematic elements and literary techniques. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.