Summary
Levin throws himself into physical labor on his estate, working alongside his peasants in the fields. He finds unexpected peace and clarity in the rhythm of manual work - scything grain, stacking hay, feeling his body move in harmony with the land. For the first time in months, his mind stops racing with philosophical questions about life's meaning. The simple act of working with his hands creates a meditative state where his anxieties fade away. He notices how the peasants work with an easy rhythm born of generations of practice, and he tries to match their pace. His soft hands blister and his back aches, but something deeper settles in his soul. The work connects him to something primal and real - no abstract theories, just the immediate reality of sweat, soil, and shared labor. This chapter shows Levin discovering that sometimes the answer to life's big questions isn't found in books or philosophy, but in simple, honest work. It's a powerful reminder that when we're overwhelmed by thinking too much, engaging our bodies and doing something concrete can restore our balance. Levin's experience speaks to anyone who's found peace in gardening, cooking, or any hands-on activity after a stressful day. The chapter suggests that meaning might not come from grand revelations but from connecting with basic human activities that have sustained people for centuries.
Coming Up in Chapter 63
Levin's newfound peace through physical labor will be tested when he returns to the house and must face the social world again. The contrast between his inner calm and the complications waiting for him creates tension about whether this breakthrough will last.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
When Alexey Alexandrovitch reached the race-course, Anna was already sitting in the pavilion beside Betsy, in that pavilion where all the highest society had gathered. She caught sight of her husband in the distance. Two men, her husband and her lover, were the two centers of her existence, and unaided by her external senses she was aware of their nearness. She was aware of her husband approaching a long way off, and she could not help following him in the surging crowd in the midst of which he was moving. She watched his progress towards the pavilion, saw him now responding condescendingly to an ingratiating bow, now exchanging friendly, nonchalant greetings with his equals, now assiduously trying to catch the eye of some great one of this world, and taking off his big round hat that squeezed the tips of his ears. All these ways of his she knew, and all were hateful to her. “Nothing but ambition, nothing but the desire to get on, that’s all there is in his soul,” she thought; “as for these lofty ideals, love of culture, religion, they are only so many tools for getting on.” From his glances towards the ladies’ pavilion (he was staring straight at her, but did not distinguish his wife in the sea of muslin, ribbons, feathers, parasols and flowers) she saw that he was looking for her, but she purposely avoided noticing him. “Alexey Alexandrovitch!” Princess Betsy called to him; “I’m sure you don’t see your wife: here she is.” He smiled his chilly smile. “There’s so much splendor here that one’s eyes are dazzled,” he said, and he went into the pavilion. He smiled to his wife as a man should smile on meeting his wife after only just parting from her, and greeted the princess and other acquaintances, giving to each what was due—that is to say, jesting with the ladies and dealing out friendly greetings among the men. Below, near the pavilion, was standing an adjutant-general of whom Alexey Alexandrovitch had a high opinion, noted for his intelligence and culture. Alexey Alexandrovitch entered into conversation with him. There was an interval between the races, and so nothing hindered conversation. The adjutant-general expressed his disapproval of races. Alexey Alexandrovitch replied defending them. Anna heard his high, measured tones, not losing one word, and every word struck her as false, and stabbed her ears with pain. When the three-mile steeplechase was beginning, she bent forward and gazed with fixed eyes at Vronsky as he went up to his horse and mounted, and at the same time she heard that loathsome, never-ceasing voice of her husband. She was in an agony of terror for Vronsky, but a still greater agony was the never-ceasing, as it seemed to her, stream of her husband’s shrill voice with its familiar intonations. “I’m a wicked woman, a lost woman,” she thought; “but I don’t like lying, I can’t endure falsehood, while as for _him_ (her husband) it’s the breath of his life—falsehood....
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Grounding - When Overthinking Meets Real Work
When mental overwhelm reaches its peak, engaging in purposeful physical work can restore clarity and emotional balance.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when thinking becomes counterproductive and anxiety spirals need physical intervention.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when your mind starts racing in circles—then try one physical task that requires attention but not complex decisions.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Scything
Cutting grain or grass with a long-handled tool with a curved blade. In 19th century Russia, this was how peasants harvested crops before machines. It required skill, rhythm, and physical endurance.
Modern Usage:
Like any repetitive physical work that puts you 'in the zone' - chopping vegetables, raking leaves, or assembly line work.
Estate labor
The system where wealthy landowners like Levin owned vast properties worked by peasants. The landowner usually supervised from a distance, making Levin's hands-on participation unusual and significant.
Modern Usage:
Similar to a CEO rolling up their sleeves to work on the factory floor alongside regular employees.
Peasant wisdom
The practical knowledge and life skills passed down through generations of working-class people. In this chapter, it's shown through the peasants' effortless work rhythm and connection to the land.
Modern Usage:
Like the wisdom your grandmother has about cooking without recipes, or how experienced workers know shortcuts that aren't in any manual.
Meditative labor
Physical work that quiets mental chatter and creates a peaceful, focused state of mind. The repetitive nature of the work allows the mind to settle and find clarity.
Modern Usage:
What people experience when they find peace in activities like knitting, woodworking, or even washing dishes by hand.
Philosophical crisis
A period when someone becomes overwhelmed by big questions about life's meaning and purpose. Levin has been tormented by these thoughts until physical work provides relief.
Modern Usage:
Like when you're lying awake at 3am wondering 'What's the point of it all?' or having a quarter-life or mid-life crisis.
Class boundary crossing
When someone from a higher social class participates in activities typically done by lower classes. Levin working alongside peasants breaks normal social expectations of his time.
Modern Usage:
Similar to when a manager works a shift on the floor, or a wealthy person volunteers at a soup kitchen - crossing usual social lines.
Characters in This Chapter
Levin
Protagonist seeking meaning
Throws himself into manual labor to escape his philosophical anxieties. Discovers that physical work brings him the peace that intellectual pursuits couldn't provide. Shows his willingness to break social conventions.
Modern Equivalent:
The stressed executive who finds peace in weekend carpentry projects
The peasants
Levin's work companions
Work with natural rhythm and skill that Levin admires and tries to match. They represent authentic connection to life and work that Levin envies. Their easy competence contrasts with his struggle.
Modern Equivalent:
Experienced blue-collar workers who make difficult jobs look effortless
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The longer Levin mowed, the oftener he felt those moments of unconsciousness in which it seemed not his hands that swung the scythe, but the scythe mowing of itself."
Context: As Levin gets into the rhythm of scything grain
This describes the meditative state where conscious effort disappears and you become one with the activity. It's the moment when overthinking stops and pure action takes over.
In Today's Words:
The more he worked, the more he got into that zone where his hands just moved on their own.
"He felt as though some external force were moving him, and he experienced a joy he had never known."
Context: When Levin finds his rhythm working alongside the peasants
Shows how physical labor connects Levin to something larger than his individual worries. The 'external force' suggests he's tapping into something fundamental about human nature and work.
In Today's Words:
It felt like something bigger than himself was guiding him, and he felt happier than he had in forever.
"The grass cut with a juicy sound, and was laid in high, fragrant rows."
Context: Describing the sensory experience of the work
Emphasizes the immediate, physical reality of the work - sounds, smells, tangible results. This grounds Levin in the present moment instead of abstract thoughts.
In Today's Words:
The grass made that satisfying cutting sound and piled up in sweet-smelling rows.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Levin works alongside peasants, temporarily bridging the class divide through shared labor
Development
Evolved from earlier chapters where class differences created barriers - here they dissolve in common work
In Your Life:
You might find unexpected connection with coworkers when you roll up your sleeves and work side by side during crunch time.
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin discovers a different version of himself through physical work - not the intellectual aristocrat but a laborer
Development
Building on his ongoing identity crisis - here he finds grounding through action rather than thought
In Your Life:
You might surprise yourself by finding peace in activities that seem completely different from your usual role or personality.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Growth comes not through books or philosophy but through embodied experience and physical challenge
Development
Contrasts with earlier chapters where Levin sought answers through reading and thinking
In Your Life:
Your biggest breakthroughs might come from doing something completely different, not from analyzing your problems more.
Connection
In This Chapter
Levin connects to the land, the rhythm of generations, and the peasants through shared work
Development
New theme - introduces the idea that connection can transcend social boundaries
In Your Life:
You might find your deepest sense of belonging comes from working toward common goals with people different from yourself.
Balance
In This Chapter
Mental chaos finds resolution through physical engagement - mind and body working together
Development
Introduced here as solution to the intellectual spinning from previous chapters
In Your Life:
When your thoughts won't stop racing, your body might hold the key to finding peace and perspective.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific changes does Levin notice in his mental state when he starts working with his hands alongside the peasants?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does physical labor succeed in calming Levin's mind when months of philosophical thinking couldn't?
analysis • medium - 3
When have you seen someone (or yourself) find peace through hands-on work after a period of stress or overthinking?
application • medium - 4
If you were feeling overwhelmed by big life questions right now, what specific physical activities could you use to ground yourself and why would you choose those?
application • deep - 5
What does Levin's experience suggest about the relationship between our bodies and our minds when it comes to finding clarity?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Design Your Personal Grounding Toolkit
Create a personalized list of 5-7 physical activities you could turn to when your mind is racing or overwhelmed. For each activity, note what makes it grounding for you specifically - the rhythm, the tangible results, the muscle memory involved. Think about activities you already do and new ones you could try.
Consider:
- •Consider activities that require attention but not complex decision-making
- •Think about what's realistically available to you given your schedule and living situation
- •Include both quick 10-minute options and longer activities for deeper reset
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you were stuck in your head about a problem, and describe what happened when you finally did something physical instead of continuing to think about it.
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 63
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.