Summary
Levin finds himself in a profound spiritual crisis as he contemplates suicide while walking through his estate. The weight of meaninglessness has become unbearable - despite having everything society says should make him happy (a loving wife, healthy child, successful farm), he feels utterly lost. He's been carrying a rope in his pocket and avoiding his gun cabinet because he doesn't trust himself. The irony cuts deep: outwardly, his life looks perfect, but inwardly, he's drowning in existential despair. This chapter captures that terrifying moment many people face when success feels hollow and life seems pointless. Levin's crisis isn't about external circumstances - it's about the fundamental question of why any of it matters. His thoughts spiral between philosophical questions about God, purpose, and meaning that feel both ancient and startlingly modern. What makes this chapter so powerful is how Tolstoy shows that having 'everything' doesn't automatically equal happiness or peace. Levin's struggle represents a universal human experience: the search for meaning beyond material success. His internal battle reflects the broader theme of the novel about what truly makes life worth living. The chapter doesn't offer easy answers but instead sits with the raw reality of spiritual emptiness. For readers who've ever felt successful on paper but empty inside, Levin's crisis will feel painfully familiar. Tolstoy captures how depression and meaninglessness can strike even when life looks good from the outside, making this one of literature's most honest portrayals of existential struggle.
Coming Up in Chapter 214
Just when Levin seems lost to despair, an unexpected conversation with a simple peasant begins to shift something fundamental in his understanding. A chance encounter might hold the key to the meaning he's been desperately seeking.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
W“ell, was it nice?” she asked, coming out to meet him with a penitent and meek expression. “Just as usual,” he answered, seeing at a glance that she was in one of her good moods. He was used by now to these transitions, and he was particularly glad to see it today, as he was in a specially good humor himself. “What do I see? Come, that’s good!” he said, pointing to the boxes in the passage. “Yes, we must go. I went out for a drive, and it was so fine I longed to be in the country. There’s nothing to keep you, is there?” “It’s the one thing I desire. I’ll be back directly, and we’ll talk it over; I only want to change my coat. Order some tea.” And he went into his room. There was something mortifying in the way he had said “Come, that’s good,” as one says to a child when it leaves off being naughty, and still more mortifying was the contrast between her penitent and his self-confident tone; and for one instant she felt the lust of strife rising up in her again, but making an effort she conquered it, and met Vronsky as good-humoredly as before. When he came in she told him, partly repeating phrases she had prepared beforehand, how she had spent the day, and her plans for going away. “You know it came to me almost like an inspiration,” she said. “Why wait here for the divorce? Won’t it be just the same in the country? I can’t wait any longer! I don’t want to go on hoping, I don’t want to hear anything about the divorce. I have made up my mind it shall not have any more influence on my life. Do you agree?” “Oh, yes!” he said, glancing uneasily at her excited face. “What did you do? Who was there?” she said, after a pause. Vronsky mentioned the names of the guests. “The dinner was first rate, and the boat race, and it was all pleasant enough, but in Moscow they can never do anything without something _ridicule_. A lady of a sort appeared on the scene, teacher of swimming to the Queen of Sweden, and gave us an exhibition of her skill.” “How? did she swim?” asked Anna, frowning. “In an absurd red _costume de natation;_ she was old and hideous too. So when shall we go?” “What an absurd fancy! Why, did she swim in some special way, then?” said Anna, not answering. “There was absolutely nothing in it. That’s just what I say, it was awfully stupid. Well, then, when do you think of going?” Anna shook her head as though trying to drive away some unpleasant idea. “When? Why, the sooner the better! By tomorrow we shan’t be ready. The day after tomorrow.” “Yes ... oh, no, wait a minute! The day after tomorrow’s Sunday, I have to be at maman’s,” said Vronsky, embarrassed, because as soon as he uttered his...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Success Trap - When Having Everything Feels Like Nothing
External achievements without internal purpose create a prison of emptiness disguised as success.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when achievements create emptiness rather than satisfaction, revealing the difference between what society rewards and what actually brings meaning.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel hollow after accomplishing something you thought you wanted—that's your signal to ask what would make you feel genuinely fulfilled instead.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Existential crisis
A moment of intense questioning about the meaning and purpose of life, often triggered when external success doesn't bring inner fulfillment. It's the terrifying realization that having everything you thought you wanted doesn't automatically make life feel worth living.
Modern Usage:
We see this in successful people who suddenly ask 'Is this all there is?' - CEOs who quit to find themselves, or anyone who achieves their goals but still feels empty inside.
Spiritual despair
A deep sense of meaninglessness that goes beyond regular sadness or depression. It's when your soul feels disconnected from any sense of purpose or divine meaning, leaving you questioning why anything matters at all.
Modern Usage:
This shows up today as the feeling that life is just going through the motions, even when therapy and medication aren't enough to fill the spiritual void.
Russian Orthodox spirituality
The dominant religious tradition in 19th-century Russia, emphasizing faith, community, and finding God through suffering and humility. For Tolstoy's characters, it represents a potential path back to meaning when intellectual answers fail.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how people today turn to various spiritual practices or communities when logic and success don't provide life's answers.
Landed gentry
Wealthy landowners in 19th-century Russia who inherited estates and lived off agricultural income. They had social status and financial security but often struggled with purpose since they didn't need to work for survival.
Modern Usage:
Like trust fund kids or people who inherit wealth today - having financial security but struggling to find meaningful work or purpose.
Philosophical materialism
The belief that only physical matter exists and that consciousness and meaning are just byproducts of brain chemistry. This worldview can lead to feeling that life has no ultimate purpose or significance.
Modern Usage:
Shows up today in the idea that we're just chemical reactions and nothing really matters in the cosmic sense - a view that can trigger existential crises.
Suicidal ideation
Persistent thoughts about ending one's life, often accompanied by specific plans or preparations. It's a serious symptom of deep despair that requires immediate attention and support.
Modern Usage:
We recognize this today as a mental health emergency, with crisis hotlines and intervention protocols that didn't exist in Tolstoy's time.
Characters in This Chapter
Levin
Protagonist in crisis
He's experiencing a complete breakdown of meaning despite having everything society says should make him happy. His wealth, loving family, and successful farm feel meaningless when he can't find spiritual purpose.
Modern Equivalent:
The successful executive who has it all on paper but feels dead inside
Kitty
Supportive wife
Though not directly present in his internal struggle, she represents the love and family life that should theoretically give Levin meaning but somehow isn't enough to fill his spiritual void.
Modern Equivalent:
The loving spouse who doesn't understand why their partner is depressed when life seems perfect
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Without knowing what I am and why I am here, life's impossible; and that I can't know, and so I can't live."
Context: During his darkest moment of existential questioning
This captures the core of existential crisis - when the fundamental questions about identity and purpose become so overwhelming that life itself feels impossible to continue. Levin has reduced his despair to its essential elements.
In Today's Words:
I don't know who I am or what the point of anything is, and without knowing that, I can't keep going.
"I shall go on in the same way, losing my temper with Ivan the coachman, falling into angry discussions, expressing my opinions tactlessly."
Context: When he realizes that even spiritual revelation won't change his daily struggles
This shows the gap between spiritual insight and practical living. Even when we find meaning, we still have to deal with ordinary human frustrations and personality flaws.
In Today's Words:
I'll still get road rage and argue with people online and say stupid things, even if I figure out what life means.
"The rope in his pocket and the gun he had been avoiding seemed to him now the only way out."
Context: Describing how close Levin has come to suicide
This reveals how seriously Tolstoy treats mental health crisis. Levin isn't being dramatic - he's genuinely at risk and has been planning his death, making his spiritual journey literally life-or-death.
In Today's Words:
He'd been carrying around the means to kill himself and seriously considering using them.
Thematic Threads
Meaninglessness
In This Chapter
Levin contemplates suicide despite having everything society says should make him happy
Development
Culmination of his spiritual searching throughout the novel
In Your Life:
You might feel this when promotions or achievements leave you feeling more empty than fulfilled
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Levin's despair is heightened by the gap between how his life appears and how it feels
Development
Evolved from earlier chapters about fitting into society's molds
In Your Life:
You might experience this when others envy your life while you feel trapped by it
Spiritual Crisis
In This Chapter
Levin questions fundamental purpose and meaning while avoiding methods of self-harm
Development
Deepened from his earlier philosophical questioning into active despair
In Your Life:
You might face this during major life transitions when old sources of meaning no longer satisfy
Internal vs External
In This Chapter
Perfect external circumstances contrast sharply with internal torment and emptiness
Development
Intensified from earlier themes about appearance versus reality
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when your social media life looks great but your private moments feel hollow
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin struggles with who he is beyond his roles as husband, father, and landowner
Development
Evolved from his earlier search for authentic self-expression
In Your Life:
You might feel this when your job title or family roles feel like costumes rather than expressions of your true self
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What external signs of success does Levin have in his life, and why don't these things protect him from his crisis?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does having everything he thought he wanted make Levin's despair feel worse rather than better?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today who seem successful on the outside but might be struggling with meaning on the inside?
application • medium - 4
If someone you cared about was in Levin's position - successful but empty - what practical steps would you suggest to help them find purpose?
application • deep - 5
What does Levin's crisis reveal about the difference between achieving goals and finding meaning in life?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Success Audit - Mapping Achievement vs. Fulfillment
Create two columns: 'Things I've Achieved' and 'Things That Give Me Energy.' List 5-7 items in each column. Look for patterns - which achievements also energize you? Which accomplishments feel hollow? This exercise helps you distinguish between external validation and internal fulfillment, so you can make choices that align with what actually matters to you.
Consider:
- •Notice which achievements you're proud of versus which ones just look good to others
- •Pay attention to activities that make you lose track of time - these often point toward genuine purpose
- •Consider whether your current goals are your own or borrowed from family, society, or social media
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you achieved something important but felt surprisingly empty afterward. What was missing from that success, and what would have made it more meaningful?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 214
Moving forward, we'll examine key events and character development in this chapter, and understand thematic elements and literary techniques. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.