Summary
Levin throws himself into physical farm work with desperate intensity, trying to exhaust his body so his mind will stop torturing him with thoughts of Kitty and his failed proposal. He works alongside his peasants in the fields, finding temporary peace in the rhythm of mowing hay under the hot sun. The harder he works, the more his emotional pain seems to fade into the background. But even as sweat pours down his face and his muscles ache, he can't completely escape the humiliation and heartbreak. The physical labor becomes both punishment and medicine - a way to beat down his feelings while also searching for some kind of meaning in simple, honest work. Tolstoy shows us how people sometimes need to work their bodies to the breaking point when their hearts are shattered. Levin discovers something important about the healing power of connecting with the land and doing work that matters, even when everything else feels meaningless. This chapter reveals how different people cope with rejection - while Anna might retreat into society or passion, Levin turns to the earth itself. His connection to farming and physical labor isn't just about avoiding his problems; it's about finding a different kind of truth than what exists in drawing rooms and ballrooms. The peasants working beside him don't know about his romantic troubles, but their steady presence and shared work gives him something solid to hold onto when his inner world feels completely unstable.
Coming Up in Chapter 193
As Levin continues working in the fields, he begins to notice something unexpected about the peasants around him - a wisdom and contentment that challenges everything he thought he knew about happiness and purpose.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Levin had on this visit to town seen a great deal of his old friend at the university, Professor Katavasov, whom he had not seen since his marriage. He liked in Katavasov the clearness and simplicity of his conception of life. Levin thought that the clearness of Katavasov’s conception of life was due to the poverty of his nature; Katavasov thought that the disconnectedness of Levin’s ideas was due to his lack of intellectual discipline; but Levin enjoyed Katavasov’s clearness, and Katavasov enjoyed the abundance of Levin’s untrained ideas, and they liked to meet and to discuss. Levin had read Katavasov some parts of his book, and he had liked them. On the previous day Katavasov had met Levin at a public lecture and told him that the celebrated Metrov, whose article Levin had so much liked, was in Moscow, that he had been much interested by what Katavasov had told him about Levin’s work, and that he was coming to see him tomorrow at eleven, and would be very glad to make Levin’s acquaintance. “You’re positively a reformed character, I’m glad to see,” said Katavasov, meeting Levin in the little drawing-room. “I heard the bell and thought: Impossible that it can be he at the exact time!... Well, what do you say to the Montenegrins now? They’re a race of warriors.” “Why, what’s happened?” asked Levin. Katavasov in a few words told him the last piece of news from the war, and going into his study, introduced Levin to a short, thick-set man of pleasant appearance. This was Metrov. The conversation touched for a brief space on politics and on how recent events were looked at in the higher spheres in Petersburg. Metrov repeated a saying that had reached him through a most trustworthy source, reported as having been uttered on this subject by the Tsar and one of the ministers. Katavasov had heard also on excellent authority that the Tsar had said something quite different. Levin tried to imagine circumstances in which both sayings might have been uttered, and the conversation on that topic dropped. “Yes, here he’s written almost a book on the natural conditions of the laborer in relation to the land,” said Katavasov; “I’m not a specialist, but I, as a natural science man, was pleased at his not taking mankind as something outside biological laws; but, on the contrary, seeing his dependence on his surroundings, and in that dependence seeking the laws of his development.” “That’s very interesting,” said Metrov. “What I began precisely was to write a book on agriculture; but studying the chief instrument of agriculture, the laborer,” said Levin, reddening, “I could not help coming to quite unexpected results.” And Levin began carefully, as it were, feeling his ground, to expound his views. He knew Metrov had written an article against the generally accepted theory of political economy, but to what extent he could reckon on his sympathy with his own new views he did not know and could not guess...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Physical Reset - When Your Body Saves Your Mind
Using physical exhaustion as both emotional medicine and mental reset when psychological pain becomes overwhelming.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to distinguish between short-term coping strategies that help you heal and long-term patterns that help you avoid.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you or someone close to you uses physical activity, work, or exhaustion to handle emotional pain—ask whether it's building you up or wearing you down.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Physical labor as emotional therapy
The practice of using demanding physical work to process emotional pain and mental anguish. In 19th century Russia, manual labor was seen as honest and purifying, especially for the upper classes who rarely did it.
Modern Usage:
We see this when people hit the gym hard after a breakup, throw themselves into home renovation projects during divorce, or work extra shifts to avoid dealing with grief.
Peasant wisdom
The idea that working-class people who live close to the land possess a different, more grounded kind of knowledge than educated elites. Tolstoy believed peasants understood life's fundamentals better than aristocrats.
Modern Usage:
This shows up when we value the practical wisdom of blue-collar workers, or when city people romanticize rural life as more 'real' and authentic.
Mowing with a scythe
Cutting grass or grain by hand using a long curved blade. This was backbreaking work that required rhythm, skill, and endurance. It connected workers directly to the land and seasons.
Modern Usage:
Similar to any repetitive physical work that creates a meditative state - chopping wood, running long distances, or assembly line work that lets your mind process while your body moves.
Gentleman farmer
An aristocrat or wealthy person who worked their own land, often trying to connect with common people and find meaning through agricultural work. This was unusual for Levin's social class.
Modern Usage:
Like wealthy people today who start organic farms, open craft breweries, or do hands-on work to feel more authentic and grounded.
Romantic rejection recovery
The process of healing from having your marriage proposal turned down, which was devastating for men in this era since it often meant public humiliation and loss of social standing.
Modern Usage:
The same emotional devastation we feel after being rejected by someone we love, whether it's a failed proposal, breakup, or unrequited feelings.
Communal work rhythm
The way groups of workers fall into synchronized patterns during physical labor, creating bonds and shared purpose without much talking. Russian peasants were known for working together this way.
Modern Usage:
Like the camaraderie that develops among coworkers during busy shifts, construction crews, or any team doing hard physical work together.
Characters in This Chapter
Levin
Heartbroken protagonist seeking healing
Throws himself into farm work to escape the pain of Kitty's rejection. Discovers that physical labor helps quiet his tortured thoughts and connects him to something larger than his personal problems.
Modern Equivalent:
The guy who works double shifts after his girlfriend dumps him
The peasant workers
Silent healers and teachers
Work alongside Levin in the fields without knowing his personal drama. Their steady presence and shared labor give him stability and perspective during his emotional crisis.
Modern Equivalent:
Coworkers who help you get through tough times just by being there and keeping things normal
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The longer Levin mowed, the oftener he felt the moments of unconsciousness in which it seemed not his hands that swung the scythe, but the scythe mowing of itself."
Context: Levin loses himself in the rhythm of farm work
This describes the meditative state that comes from repetitive physical work. Levin finds peace when he stops overthinking and lets his body take over. The work becomes automatic and healing.
In Today's Words:
The more he worked, the more he got into that zone where his hands just moved on their own and his mind finally shut up.
"He felt as though some external force were moving him, and he experienced a joy he had never known before."
Context: Levin discovers unexpected happiness in manual labor
Physical work gives Levin a different kind of joy than aristocratic pleasures. This 'external force' is the satisfaction of useful work and connection to something bigger than his personal problems.
In Today's Words:
It was like something outside himself was carrying him along, and he felt happier than he had in forever.
"The old peasant who had been urging him on was no longer behind him, but somewhere in front, and Levin heard nothing but the swish of scythes and saw nothing but the receding figure ahead."
Context: Levin becomes absorbed in the work rhythm with other laborers
Shows how physical work creates a flow state where personal ego disappears. Levin stops being the tortured aristocrat and becomes just another worker following the natural rhythm of the task.
In Today's Words:
He wasn't thinking about himself anymore - just following the guy in front of him and keeping up with the rhythm of the work.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Levin finds healing by working alongside peasants, discovering wisdom in physical labor that his privileged education never taught him
Development
Evolved from earlier social anxiety - now class differences become source of healing rather than shame
In Your Life:
You might find that people from different backgrounds offer perspectives your usual circle can't provide
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin's sense of self shifts from 'rejected suitor' to 'capable worker' through physical accomplishment
Development
Building on his ongoing search for authentic self beyond social expectations
In Your Life:
Your identity can be rebuilt through mastering new skills, especially ones that use your hands
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Pain becomes teacher as Levin discovers that suffering can lead to deeper connection with meaningful work
Development
Major development - first time we see Levin transform crisis into genuine insight
In Your Life:
Your worst moments often force you to discover strengths you didn't know you had
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Silent companionship with peasant workers provides comfort that words and sympathy from his social circle couldn't
Development
Contrast with earlier failed romantic and social connections - finding healing in shared work rather than conversation
In Your Life:
Sometimes working alongside others heals you more than talking about your problems
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Levin choose to work in the fields instead of dealing with his rejection in other ways?
analysis • surface - 2
How does physical exhaustion help Levin process his emotional pain, and why might this be more effective than just thinking about his problems?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today using physical work or exercise to cope with heartbreak, job loss, or other major disappointments?
application • medium - 4
When might using physical exhaustion to deal with emotional pain become unhealthy, and how would you recognize that transition point?
application • deep - 5
What does Levin's connection to the land and honest work reveal about what humans need when everything else feels meaningless?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Design Your Own Physical Reset Strategy
Think about a current stress or disappointment in your life. Design a specific physical activity plan that could help you process these feelings while building something positive. Consider what type of work would match your situation and resources.
Consider:
- •What physical activities make you feel competent and accomplished?
- •How much time can you realistically dedicate without avoiding necessary responsibilities?
- •What would signal that this healthy coping strategy is becoming unhealthy avoidance?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when physical work or exercise helped you through a difficult period. What did you learn about yourself through that experience?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 193
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.