An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 855 words)
he 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 opposition,”
he said, words evidently intelligible to all except Levin.
“Why, Kostya, you here too! I suppose you’re converted, eh?” he added,
turning to Levin and drawing his arm through his. Levin would have been
glad indeed to be converted, but could not make out what the point was,
and retreating a few steps from the speakers, he explained to Stepan
Arkadyevitch his inability to understand why the marshal of the
province should be asked to stand.
“O sancta simplicitas!” said Stepan Arkadyevitch, and briefly and
clearly he explained it to Levin. If, as at previous elections, all the
districts asked the marshal of the province to stand, then he would be
elected without a ballot. That must not be. Now eight districts had
agreed to call upon him: if two refused to do so, Snetkov might decline
to stand at all; and then the old party might choose another of their
party, which would throw them completely out in their reckoning. But if
only one district, Sviazhsky’s, did not call upon him to stand, Snetkov
would let himself be balloted for. They were even, some of them, going
to vote for him, and purposely to let him get a good many votes, so
that the enemy might be thrown off the scent, and when a candidate of
the other side was put up, they too might give him some votes. Levin
understood to some extent, but not fully, and would have put a few more
questions, when suddenly everyone began talking and making a noise and
they moved towards the big room.
“What is it? eh? whom?” “No guarantee? whose? what?” “They won’t pass
him?” “No guarantee?” “They won’t let Flerov in?” “Eh, because of the
charge against him?” “Why, at this rate, they won’t admit anyone. It’s
a swindle!” “The law!” Levin heard exclamations on all sides, and he
moved into the big room together with the others, all hurrying
somewhere and afraid of missing something. Squeezed by the crowding
noblemen, he drew near the high table where the marshal of the
province, Sviazhsky, and the other leaders were hotly disputing about
something.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
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.
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
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.
