An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1673 words)
“o, I think the princess is tired, and horses don’t interest her,”
Vronsky said to Anna, who wanted to go on to the stables, where
Sviazhsky wished to see the new stallion. “You go on, while I escort
the princess home, and we’ll have a little talk,” he said, “if you
would like that?” he added, turning to her.
“I know nothing about horses, and I shall be delighted,” answered Darya
Alexandrovna, rather astonished.
She saw by Vronsky’s face that he wanted something from her. She was
not mistaken. As soon as they had passed through the little gate back
into the garden, he looked in the direction Anna had taken, and having
made sure that she could neither hear nor see them, he began:
“You guess that I have something I want to say to you,” he said,
looking at her with laughing eyes. “I am not wrong in believing you to
be a friend of Anna’s.” He took off his hat, and taking out his
handkerchief, wiped his head, which was growing bald.
Darya Alexandrovna made no answer, and merely stared at him with
dismay. When she was left alone with him, she suddenly felt afraid; his
laughing eyes and stern expression scared her.
The most diverse suppositions as to what he was about to speak of to
her flashed into her brain. “He is going to beg me to come to stay with
them with the children, and I shall have to refuse; or to create a set
that will receive Anna in Moscow.... Or isn’t it Vassenka Veslovsky and
his relations with Anna? Or perhaps about Kitty, that he feels he was
to blame?” All her conjectures were unpleasant, but she did not guess
what he really wanted to talk about to her.
“You have so much influence with Anna, she is so fond of you,” he said;
“do help me.”
Darya Alexandrovna looked with timid inquiry into his energetic face,
which under the lime-trees was continually being lighted up in patches
by the sunshine, and then passing into complete shadow again. She
waited for him to say more, but he walked in silence beside her,
scratching with his cane in the gravel.
“You have come to see us, you, the only woman of Anna’s former
friends—I don’t count Princess Varvara—but I know that you have done
this not because you regard our position as normal, but because,
understanding all the difficulty of the position, you still love her
and want to be a help to her. Have I understood you rightly?” he asked,
looking round at her.
“Oh, yes,” answered Darya Alexandrovna, putting down her sunshade,
“but....”
“No,” he broke in, and unconsciously, oblivious of the awkward position
into which he was putting his companion, he stopped abruptly, so that
she had to stop short too. “No one feels more deeply and intensely than
I do all the difficulty of Anna’s position; and that you may well
understand, if you do me the honor of supposing I have any heart. I am
to blame for that position, and that is why I feel it.”
“I understand,” said Darya Alexandrovna, involuntarily admiring the
sincerity and firmness with which he said this. “But just because you
feel yourself responsible, you exaggerate it, I am afraid,” she said.
“Her position in the world is difficult, I can well understand.”
“In the world it is hell!” he brought out quickly, frowning darkly.
“You can’t imagine moral sufferings greater than what she went through
in Petersburg in that fortnight ... and I beg you to believe it.”
“Yes, but here, so long as neither Anna ... nor you miss society....”
“Society!” he said contemptuously, “how could I miss society?”
“So far—and it may be so always—you are happy and at peace. I see in
Anna that she is happy, perfectly happy, she has had time to tell me so
much already,” said Darya Alexandrovna, smiling; and involuntarily, as
she said this, at the same moment a doubt entered her mind whether Anna
really were happy.
But Vronsky, it appeared, had no doubts on that score.
“Yes, yes,” he said, “I know that she has revived after all her
sufferings; she is happy. She is happy in the present. But I?... I am
afraid of what is before us ... I beg your pardon, you would like to
walk on?”
“No, I don’t mind.”
“Well, then, let us sit here.”
Darya Alexandrovna sat down on a garden seat in a corner of the avenue.
He stood up facing her.
“I see that she is happy,” he repeated, and the doubt whether she were
happy sank more deeply into Darya Alexandrovna’s mind. “But can it
last? Whether we have acted rightly or wrongly is another question, but
the die is cast,” he said, passing from Russian to French, “and we are
bound together for life. We are united by all the ties of love that we
hold most sacred. We have a child, we may have other children. But the
law and all the conditions of our position are such that thousands of
complications arise which she does not see and does not want to see.
And that one can well understand. But I can’t help seeing them. My
daughter is by law not my daughter, but Karenin’s. I cannot bear this
falsity!” he said, with a vigorous gesture of refusal, and he looked
with gloomy inquiry towards Darya Alexandrovna.
She made no answer, but simply gazed at him. He went on:
“One day a son may be born, my son, and he will be legally a Karenin;
he will not be the heir of my name nor of my property, and however
happy we may be in our home life and however many children we may have,
there will be no real tie between us. They will be Karenins. You can
understand the bitterness and horror of this position! I have tried to
speak of this to Anna. It irritates her. She does not understand, and
to her I cannot speak plainly of all this. Now look at another side. I
am happy, happy in her love, but I must have occupation. I have found
occupation, and am proud of what I am doing and consider it nobler than
the pursuits of my former companions at court and in the army. And most
certainly I would not change the work I am doing for theirs. I am
working here, settled in my own place, and I am happy and contented,
and we need nothing more to make us happy. I love my work here. Ce
n’est pas un pis-aller, on the contrary....”
Darya Alexandrovna noticed that at this point in his explanation he
grew confused, and she did not quite understand this digression, but
she felt that having once begun to speak of matters near his heart, of
which he could not speak to Anna, he was now making a clean breast of
everything, and that the question of his pursuits in the country fell
into the same category of matters near his heart, as the question of
his relations with Anna.
“Well, I will go on,” he said, collecting himself. “The great thing is
that as I work I want to have a conviction that what I am doing will
not die with me, that I shall have heirs to come after me,—and this I
have not. Conceive the position of a man who knows that his children,
the children of the woman he loves, will not be his, but will belong to
someone who hates them and cares nothing about them! It is awful!”
He paused, evidently much moved.
“Yes, indeed, I see that. But what can Anna do?” queried Darya
Alexandrovna.
“Yes, that brings me to the object of my conversation,” he said,
calming himself with an effort. “Anna can, it depends on her.... Even
to petition the Tsar for legitimization, a divorce is essential. And
that depends on Anna. Her husband agreed to a divorce—at that time your
husband had arranged it completely. And now, I know, he would not
refuse it. It is only a matter of writing to him. He said plainly at
that time that if she expressed the desire, he would not refuse. Of
course,” he said gloomily, “it is one of those Pharisaical cruelties of
which only such heartless men are capable. He knows what agony any
recollection of him must give her, and knowing her, he must have a
letter from her. I can understand that it is agony to her. But the
matter is of such importance, that one must passer par-dessus toutes
ces finesses de sentiment. Il y va du bonheur et de l’existence d’Anne
et de ses enfants. I won’t speak of myself, though it’s hard for me,
very hard,” he said, with an expression as though he were threatening
someone for its being hard for him. “And so it is, princess, that I am
shamelessly clutching at you as an anchor of salvation. Help me to
persuade her to write to him and ask for a divorce.”
“Yes, of course,” Darya Alexandrovna said dreamily, as she vividly
recalled her last interview with Alexey Alexandrovitch. “Yes, of
course,” she repeated with decision, thinking of Anna.
“Use your influence with her, make her write. I don’t like—I’m almost
unable to speak about this to her.”
“Very well, I will talk to her. But how is it she does not think of it
herself?” said Darya Alexandrovna, and for some reason she suddenly at
that point recalled Anna’s strange new habit of half-closing her eyes.
And she remembered that Anna drooped her eyelids just when the deeper
questions of life were touched upon. “Just as though she half-shut her
eyes to her own life, so as not to see everything,” thought Dolly.
“Yes, indeed, for my own sake and for hers I will talk to her,” Dolly
said in reply to his look of gratitude.
They got up and walked to the house.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
The Work Escape - When Action Becomes Avoidance
Using busyness and physical activity to avoid confronting difficult emotions or existential questions.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when increased activity is actually a flight response from difficult feelings or decisions.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you suddenly become 'too busy' to think—ask yourself what you might be avoiding and set aside 20 minutes to sit with those feelings.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The longer Levin mowed, 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 physical work
This describes the meditative state that comes from repetitive physical labor. Levin finds temporary escape from his mental anguish by becoming one with the work itself.
In Today's Words:
The longer he worked, the more he got into that zone where he wasn't thinking anymore - just moving on autopilot, totally absorbed.
"He envied them their health and strength, their good humor, their simple acceptance of life."
Context: Levin watching the peasants work without his inner turmoil
This reveals Levin's core problem - he's lost the ability to simply accept life as it is. His education and wealth have made him question everything, while the workers just live.
In Today's Words:
He wished he could be like them - healthy, happy, and not overthinking everything to death.
"Work was the one thing that saved him from complete despair."
Context: Explaining why Levin throws himself into physical labor
This shows how work becomes Levin's temporary lifeline. It's not solving his problems, but it's keeping him from drowning in them completely.
In Today's Words:
Staying busy was the only thing keeping him from totally losing it.
Thematic Threads
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin questions who he really is beneath his philosophical doubts and social position
Development
Evolution from earlier identity struggles around marriage and social class to deeper existential questioning
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when major life changes force you to question your core beliefs and sense of self.
Class
In This Chapter
Levin envies the peasants' apparent peace and simple faith, seeing class differences in how people handle life's questions
Development
Continues theme of class consciousness but shifts from social anxiety to spiritual envy
In Your Life:
You might feel this when wondering if people with different backgrounds or education levels have figured out something you haven't.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Levin attempts to grow through action rather than reflection, seeking transformation through labor
Development
Shows growth as an active struggle rather than passive acceptance
In Your Life:
You might try this when therapy or thinking feels too slow and you want to force change through doing.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Levin observes the peasants' relationships and community, contrasting their ease with his isolation
Development
Builds on earlier themes of social connection by exploring spiritual community
In Your Life:
You might feel this distance when everyone around you seems to have faith or certainty that you lack.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific actions does Levin take to try to quiet his mental turmoil, and what temporary relief does he find?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Levin envy the peasants working alongside him, and what does this reveal about his current state of mind?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today using busyness or physical activity to avoid dealing with difficult emotions or life questions?
application • medium - 4
How can someone tell the difference between productive work that builds their life and work that's really emotional avoidance?
application • deep - 5
What does Levin's struggle teach us about the human tendency to seek external solutions for internal problems?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Work Escape Patterns
For the next three days, notice when you reach for busyness during moments of discomfort. Each time you feel restless, anxious, or avoid sitting still, write down what you chose to do instead of facing the feeling. Note the time, your emotional state, and your chosen activity. Look for patterns in your avoidance strategies.
Consider:
- •Are you more likely to escape into work, cleaning, scrolling, or physical activity?
- •What emotions or situations trigger your need to stay busy?
- •How long does the relief from busyness actually last before you need another distraction?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when staying busy helped you avoid a difficult decision or conversation. What was the real issue you were avoiding, and what happened when you finally faced it?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 179
Levin's physical exhaustion brings an unexpected moment of clarity, and a conversation with a simple peasant opens a door he never expected. Sometimes the most profound truths come from the most unlikely sources.
