An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 839 words)
olly came out of her room to the tea of the grown-up people. Stepan
Arkadyevitch did not come out. He must have left his wife’s room by the
other door.
“I am afraid you’ll be cold upstairs,” observed Dolly, addressing Anna;
“I want to move you downstairs, and we shall be nearer.”
“Oh, please, don’t trouble about me,” answered Anna, looking intently
into Dolly’s face, trying to make out whether there had been a
reconciliation or not.
“It will be lighter for you here,” answered her sister-in-law.
“I assure you that I sleep everywhere, and always like a marmot.”
“What’s the question?” inquired Stepan Arkadyevitch, coming out of his
room and addressing his wife.
From his tone both Kitty and Anna knew that a reconciliation had taken
place.
“I want to move Anna downstairs, but we must hang up blinds. No one
knows how to do it; I must see to it myself,” answered Dolly addressing
him.
“God knows whether they are fully reconciled,” thought Anna, hearing
her tone, cold and composed.
“Oh, nonsense, Dolly, always making difficulties,” answered her
husband. “Come, I’ll do it all, if you like....”
“Yes, they must be reconciled,” thought Anna.
“I know how you do everything,” answered Dolly. “You tell Matvey to do
what can’t be done, and go away yourself, leaving him to make a muddle
of everything,” and her habitual, mocking smile curved the corners of
Dolly’s lips as she spoke.
“Full, full reconciliation, full,” thought Anna; “thank God!” and
rejoicing that she was the cause of it, she went up to Dolly and kissed
her.
“Not at all. Why do you always look down on me and Matvey?” said Stepan
Arkadyevitch, smiling hardly perceptibly, and addressing his wife.
The whole evening Dolly was, as always, a little mocking in her tone to
her husband, while Stepan Arkadyevitch was happy and cheerful, but not
so as to seem as though, having been forgiven, he had forgotten his
offense.
At half-past nine o’clock a particularly joyful and pleasant family
conversation over the tea-table at the Oblonskys’ was broken up by an
apparently simple incident. But this simple incident for some reason
struck everyone as strange. Talking about common acquaintances in
Petersburg, Anna got up quickly.
“She is in my album,” she said; “and, by the way, I’ll show you my
Seryozha,” she added, with a mother’s smile of pride.
Towards ten o’clock, when she usually said good-night to her son, and
often before going to a ball put him to bed herself, she felt depressed
at being so far from him; and whatever she was talking about, she kept
coming back in thought to her curly-headed Seryozha. She longed to look
at his photograph and talk of him. Seizing the first pretext, she got
up, and with her light, resolute step went for her album. The stairs up
to her room came out on the landing of the great warm main staircase.
Just as she was leaving the drawing-room, a ring was heard in the hall.
“Who can that be?” said Dolly.
“It’s early for me to be fetched, and for anyone else it’s late,”
observed Kitty.
“Sure to be someone with papers for me,” put in Stepan Arkadyevitch.
When Anna was passing the top of the staircase, a servant was running
up to announce the visitor, while the visitor himself was standing
under a lamp. Anna glancing down at once recognized Vronsky, and a
strange feeling of pleasure and at the same time of dread of something
stirred in her heart. He was standing still, not taking off his coat,
pulling something out of his pocket. At the instant when she was just
facing the stairs, he raised his eyes, caught sight of her, and into
the expression of his face there passed a shade of embarrassment and
dismay. With a slight inclination of her head she passed, hearing
behind her Stepan Arkadyevitch’s loud voice calling him to come up, and
the quiet, soft, and composed voice of Vronsky refusing.
When Anna returned with the album, he was already gone, and Stepan
Arkadyevitch was telling them that he had called to inquire about the
dinner they were giving next day to a celebrity who had just arrived.
“And nothing would induce him to come up. What a queer fellow he is!”
added Stepan Arkadyevitch.
Kitty blushed. She thought that she was the only person who knew why he
had come, and why he would not come up. “He has been at home,” she
thought, “and didn’t find me, and thought I should be here, but he did
not come up because he thought it late, and Anna’s here.”
All of them looked at each other, saying nothing, and began to look at
Anna’s album.
There was nothing either exceptional or strange in a man’s calling at
half-past nine on a friend to inquire details of a proposed dinner
party and not coming in, but it seemed strange to all of them. Above
all, it seemed strange and not right to Anna.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
When mental overwhelm blocks progress, purposeful physical activity can restore clarity and emotional balance.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when mental spinning is blocking progress rather than solving problems.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you're thinking in circles about the same problem—that's your signal to switch from mental analysis to physical activity for reset.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The longer Levin went on mowing, 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."
Context: As Levin gets into the rhythm of the work
This describes the meditative state that comes from repetitive physical work. Levin loses his self-consciousness and becomes one with the activity, finding the peace that has eluded him in intellectual pursuits.
In Today's Words:
The longer he worked, the more he got into the zone where everything just flowed naturally.
"He felt the joy of life renewed in him."
Context: After hours of working in the fields
Through honest physical work, Levin rediscovers his connection to life itself. This simple statement shows how finding the right activity can restore our sense of purpose and vitality.
In Today's Words:
He felt alive again.
"Work conquers all."
Context: His realization while working alongside the peasants
Levin discovers that meaningful work - not just any work, but work that connects him to others and to life's basic needs - can overcome his existential doubts and social anxieties.
In Today's Words:
Sometimes the answer isn't thinking more - it's doing something real.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Levin finds genuine acceptance working beside peasants, discovering that shared labor breaks down social barriers more effectively than intellectual discussion
Development
Evolving from earlier scenes of awkward social navigation to authentic connection through work
In Your Life:
You might notice how doing practical tasks with others creates deeper bonds than small talk ever could
Identity
In This Chapter
Through physical work, Levin discovers parts of himself that salon conversations never revealed—his capacity for simple satisfaction and direct connection
Development
Building on his earlier struggles with social expectations to find authentic self-expression
In Your Life:
You might find your truest self emerges not in how you talk about yourself, but in what you choose to do
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Levin learns that growth sometimes means stepping away from complex analysis and embracing simple, direct action
Development
Shifting from his pattern of overthinking every social situation to finding wisdom in straightforward engagement
In Your Life:
You might discover that your biggest breakthroughs come not from figuring everything out, but from taking one clear step forward
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Working alongside the peasants, Levin experiences authentic human connection based on shared effort rather than social performance
Development
Contrasting with his earlier awkward attempts at meaningful conversation in artificial social settings
In Your Life:
You might find your most genuine friendships form when you're working toward something together, not just talking
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific changes does Levin experience when he starts working in the fields with his peasants?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does physical labor succeed in calming Levin's mind when thinking and analyzing his problems failed?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today using physical work or hands-on activities to deal with stress or find clarity?
application • medium - 4
When you're feeling overwhelmed or stuck in your head, what kind of physical activity helps you think more clearly?
application • deep - 5
What does Levin's experience reveal about the relationship between our minds and our bodies in processing life's challenges?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Reset Activities
Think about the last time you felt mentally overwhelmed or stuck in anxious thoughts. List three physical activities that help you feel more grounded and centered. For each activity, write down why you think it works for you and when you're most likely to use it. Consider both activities you already do and ones you might want to try.
Consider:
- •Notice whether you prefer repetitive activities (like cleaning) or creative ones (like cooking)
- •Think about whether you work better alone or with others when seeking mental clarity
- •Consider how the physical environment affects your ability to find peace through activity
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when physical work or activity helped you solve a problem that thinking alone couldn't fix. What did you learn about yourself from that experience?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 22
Levin's newfound peace through physical work sets him up for important realizations about his future, while Anna's situation in St. Petersburg grows more complicated as she navigates the social consequences of her choices.
