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 sweats and aches, the more he hopes he can quiet the voice in his head that whispers he should end his life. But even as his body reaches its limits, his mind won't stop racing. He finds himself studying the peasants who work beside him, wondering how they find meaning and peace in their simple lives. They seem to possess something he's lost - a natural acceptance of life's rhythms and purposes. Levin envies their apparent contentment, their ability to work without questioning everything, their faith that seems as natural as breathing. This chapter shows us a man at his absolute breaking point, using physical exhaustion as his only defense against mental anguish. It's a raw portrait of depression - how it can make even the most privileged life feel unbearable, and how sometimes the only way to survive another day is to literally work yourself into the ground. Tolstoy captures something profound here about the relationship between physical and mental pain, and how sometimes our bodies can carry us through what our minds cannot handle. Levin's desperate labor becomes both punishment and salvation.
Coming Up in Chapter 185
An old peasant's simple words about living 'for one's soul' will stop Levin in his tracks and begin to crack open the darkness that has consumed him. Sometimes the most profound truths come from the most unexpected sources.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
The sixth day was fixed for the election of the marshal of the province. The rooms, large and small, were full of noblemen in all sorts of uniforms. Many had come only for that day. Men who had not seen each other for years, some from the Crimea, some from Petersburg, some from abroad, met in the rooms of the Hall of Nobility. There was much discussion around the governor’s table under the portrait of the Tsar. The nobles, both in the larger and the smaller rooms, grouped themselves in camps, and from their hostile and suspicious glances, from the silence that fell upon them when outsiders approached a group, and from the way that some, whispering together, retreated to the farther corridor, it was evident that each side had secrets from the other. In appearance the noblemen were sharply divided into two classes: the old and the new. The old were for the most part either in old uniforms of the nobility, buttoned up closely, with spurs and hats, or in their own special naval, cavalry, infantry, or official uniforms. The uniforms of the older men were embroidered in the old-fashioned way with epaulets on their shoulders; they were unmistakably tight and short in the waist, as though their wearers had grown out of them. The younger men wore the uniform of the nobility with long waists and broad shoulders, unbuttoned over white waistcoats, or uniforms with black collars and with the embroidered badges of justices of the peace. To the younger men belonged the court uniforms that here and there brightened up the crowd. But the division into young and old did not correspond with the division of parties. Some of the young men, as Levin observed, belonged to the old party; and some of the very oldest noblemen, on the contrary, were whispering with Sviazhsky, and were evidently ardent partisans of the new party. Levin stood in the smaller room, where they were smoking and taking light refreshments, close to his own friends, and listening to what they were saying, he conscientiously exerted all his intelligence trying to understand what was said. Sergey Ivanovitch was the center round which the others grouped themselves. He was listening at that moment to Sviazhsky and Hliustov, the marshal of another district, who belonged to their party. Hliustov would not agree to go with his district to ask Snetkov to stand, while Sviazhsky was persuading him to do so, and Sergey Ivanovitch was approving of the plan. Levin could not make out why the opposition was to ask the marshal to stand whom they wanted to supersede. Stepan Arkadyevitch, who had just been drinking and taking some lunch, came up to them in his uniform of a gentleman of the bedchamber, wiping his lips with a perfumed handkerchief of bordered batiste. “We are placing our forces,” he said, pulling out his whiskers, “Sergey Ivanovitch!” And listening to the conversation, he supported Sviazhsky’s contention. “One district’s enough, and Sviazhsky’s obviously of the...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Physical Escape
Using physical exhaustion to overwhelm mental anguish when thoughts become unbearable.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when extreme behaviors are actually coping mechanisms protecting us from mental breakdown.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you or others suddenly change work habits, sleep patterns, or physical routines during emotional crises—these shifts often signal internal distress seeking external relief.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Estate labor
In 19th century Russia, wealthy landowners often worked alongside their peasants during harvest time, though this was unusual and seen as eccentric. Physical labor was typically beneath the aristocratic class.
Modern Usage:
Like when a CEO works on the factory floor or a restaurant owner buses tables during rush hour
Peasant wisdom
The idea that common working people possess an intuitive understanding of life's meaning that educated elites have lost. Tolstoy believed simple folk had access to truths that philosophy couldn't reach.
Modern Usage:
When we say someone has 'street smarts' or that working-class people are more grounded than academics
Existential crisis
A period of intense questioning about the meaning and purpose of life, often accompanied by feelings of emptiness or despair. Tolstoy himself experienced this and wrote about it extensively.
Modern Usage:
What we call a 'quarter-life crisis' or 'mid-life crisis' - when people question everything about their choices
Work as therapy
Using physical exhaustion to quiet mental anguish. The idea that hard labor can provide relief from psychological pain by forcing the mind to focus on immediate, concrete tasks.
Modern Usage:
Like hitting the gym after a breakup or doing home improvement projects when stressed
Suicidal ideation
Persistent thoughts about ending one's life, which Levin experiences throughout this period. Tolstoy portrays this as a philosophical crisis as much as an emotional one.
Modern Usage:
What mental health professionals now recognize as a serious symptom of depression requiring intervention
Class consciousness
Awareness of the differences between social classes and how they live differently. Levin observes how peasants seem more content despite having less material comfort.
Modern Usage:
When people notice how different income levels experience life differently - like comparing hourly workers to salaried professionals
Characters in This Chapter
Levin
Protagonist in crisis
Works desperately in the fields trying to exhaust himself into peace. His physical labor becomes his only defense against suicidal thoughts and existential despair.
Modern Equivalent:
The burned-out professional who throws himself into extreme fitness or manual projects to avoid dealing with depression
The peasants
Unwitting teachers
Work alongside Levin in the fields, displaying a natural contentment and acceptance of life that he envies. They represent what he's lost - simple faith and purpose.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworkers who seem genuinely happy with simple pleasures while you're having an existential meltdown
Key Quotes & Analysis
"He worked like a man in desperation, and the more desperately he worked, the more clearly he felt that what he was doing was not what he ought to be doing."
Context: As Levin pushes himself to physical exhaustion in the fields
This captures the futility of trying to work your way out of depression. Physical exhaustion can't solve spiritual emptiness, but sometimes it's the only coping mechanism available.
In Today's Words:
He was working himself to death, but the harder he worked, the more he knew this wasn't fixing anything
"These people have a firm faith in what they ought to do and what they ought not to do, and they never doubt it."
Context: Observing the peasants' natural certainty about life
Levin recognizes that the peasants possess something he's lost - unquestioned purpose and meaning. Their faith isn't intellectual but instinctive.
In Today's Words:
These people just know what's right and wrong without overthinking everything like I do
"Work, and forget yourself - that was what he had to do."
Context: His strategy for surviving another day
This reveals how work becomes both escape and survival mechanism. When life feels unbearable, sometimes the only solution is to lose yourself in physical tasks.
In Today's Words:
Just keep busy and don't think - that's how I'll get through this
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Levin envies the peasants' apparent contentment and natural acceptance of life's rhythms
Development
Evolved from earlier romantic notions of peasant life to desperate longing for their mental peace
In Your Life:
You might romanticize others' 'simpler' lives when your own feels overwhelming
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin's privileged position becomes a curse—too much time to think means too much time to despair
Development
His intellectual nature, once a source of pride, now feels like a trap
In Your Life:
Your strengths can become weaknesses when life circumstances change
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Physical labor becomes both punishment and potential salvation for Levin's mental state
Development
Shows growth from purely intellectual solutions to embodied coping strategies
In Your Life:
Sometimes healing requires doing, not just thinking or feeling
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Levin studies the peasants, seeking to understand their apparent peace and faith
Development
His isolation drives him to observe others for survival strategies
In Your Life:
When struggling, you might study how others navigate what you're facing
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific strategy does Levin use to cope with his mental anguish, and how does his body respond to this approach?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Levin envy the peasants working alongside him, and what does he believe they possess that he lacks?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today using physical exhaustion or intense activity to escape emotional pain or overwhelming thoughts?
application • medium - 4
When someone you care about starts working themselves to exhaustion, how would you approach them with both understanding and concern?
application • deep - 5
What does Levin's desperate labor reveal about the relationship between physical and mental pain, and how our bodies can sometimes carry us through what our minds cannot handle?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Emergency Coping Strategies
Create a personal inventory of how you respond when your thoughts become overwhelming. List three physical activities you've used (or could use) to interrupt mental spirals. For each activity, note when it helps versus when it becomes a warning sign that you need additional support.
Consider:
- •Consider both healthy outlets (exercise, cleaning, organizing) and potentially harmful ones (overworking, avoiding sleep)
- •Think about the difference between temporary relief and long-term solutions
- •Notice patterns in when physical escape works best for you and when it doesn't provide enough relief
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when physical activity helped you through a difficult mental state. What did you learn about your own coping patterns, and how might you refine this strategy for future challenges?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 185
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.