Summary
Levin throws himself into physical labor on his estate, working alongside his peasants in the fields under the blazing sun. He's desperately trying to escape his emotional turmoil over Kitty's rejection and his general confusion about life's meaning. The hard work feels good - his muscles ache, sweat pours down his face, and for brief moments he forgets his pain. But even as he swings his scythe in rhythm with the other workers, his mind keeps circling back to his problems. He watches the peasants and envies their simple certainty about life, their unquestioned faith and clear sense of purpose. They know their place in the world in a way that he, despite his education and wealth, does not. This chapter shows Levin at his most vulnerable - a man who has everything society says should make him happy, yet feels completely lost. His attempt to find meaning through manual labor reflects his belief that authentic life comes from honest work and connection to the land. The physical exhaustion provides temporary relief, but can't solve his deeper spiritual crisis. Tolstoy uses this scene to explore the gap between intellectual understanding and lived experience, showing how sometimes our minds can be our worst enemies. For anyone who's ever felt disconnected from their own life despite outward success, Levin's struggle feels painfully familiar. His search for authentic meaning through work and connection to others represents a universal human need to feel grounded and purposeful.
Coming Up in Chapter 66
Levin's day of hard labor leads to an unexpected encounter that forces him to confront uncomfortable truths about class and privilege. Meanwhile, his emotional walls begin to crack in ways he didn't anticipate.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
T was a wet day; it had been raining all the morning, and the invalids, with their parasols, had flocked into the arcades. Kitty was walking there with her mother and the Moscow colonel, smart and jaunty in his European coat, bought ready-made at Frankfort. They were walking on one side of the arcade, trying to avoid Levin, who was walking on the other side. Varenka, in her dark dress, in a black hat with a turn-down brim, was walking up and down the whole length of the arcade with a blind Frenchwoman, and, every time she met Kitty, they exchanged friendly glances. “Mamma, couldn’t I speak to her?” said Kitty, watching her unknown friend, and noticing that she was going up to the spring, and that they might come there together. “Oh, if you want to so much, I’ll find out about her first and make her acquaintance myself,” answered her mother. “What do you see in her out of the way? A companion, she must be. If you like, I’ll make acquaintance with Madame Stahl; I used to know her _belle-sœur_,” added the princess, lifting her head haughtily. Kitty knew that the princess was offended that Madame Stahl had seemed to avoid making her acquaintance. Kitty did not insist. “How wonderfully sweet she is!” she said, gazing at Varenka just as she handed a glass to the Frenchwoman. “Look how natural and sweet it all is.” “It’s so funny to see your _engouements_,” said the princess. “No, we’d better go back,” she added, noticing Levin coming towards them with his companion and a German doctor, to whom he was talking very noisily and angrily. They turned to go back, when suddenly they heard, not noisy talk, but shouting. Levin, stopping short, was shouting at the doctor, and the doctor, too, was excited. A crowd gathered about them. The princess and Kitty beat a hasty retreat, while the colonel joined the crowd to find out what was the matter. A few minutes later the colonel overtook them. “What was it?” inquired the princess. “Scandalous and disgraceful!” answered the colonel. “The one thing to be dreaded is meeting Russians abroad. That tall gentleman was abusing the doctor, flinging all sorts of insults at him because he wasn’t treating him quite as he liked, and he began waving his stick at him. It’s simply a scandal!” “Oh, how unpleasant!” said the princess. “Well, and how did it end?” “Luckily at that point that ... the one in the mushroom hat ... intervened. A Russian lady, I think she is,” said the colonel. “Mademoiselle Varenka?” asked Kitty. “Yes, yes. She came to the rescue before anyone; she took the man by the arm and led him away.” “There, mamma,” said Kitty; “you wonder that I’m enthusiastic about her.” The next day, as she watched her unknown friend, Kitty noticed that Mademoiselle Varenka was already on the same terms with Levin and his companion as with her other _protégés_. She went up to...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Borrowed Purpose
Seeking meaning by imitating others who appear to have found it, rather than developing authentic purpose from within.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when activity is masking avoidance rather than creating genuine progress.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you're working harder instead of working through something—ask yourself if you're solving the problem or just staying too busy to face it.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Scythe
A curved blade tool used to cut grass or grain by hand. In Tolstoy's time, this was how crops were harvested before machines. The rhythmic swinging motion required skill and stamina.
Modern Usage:
Today we might say someone is 'grinding it out' at a tough physical job to clear their head
Estate labor
Wealthy landowners like Levin owned vast properties worked by peasants. The landowner usually supervised from a distance, making Levin's hands-on participation unusual for his social class.
Modern Usage:
Like a CEO who works the warehouse floor to understand the business better
Peasant class
The lowest social class in 19th century Russia - farmers who worked the land but didn't own it. They lived simple lives with strong religious faith and clear social roles.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how we talk about 'working class values' or 'salt of the earth' people today
Spiritual crisis
A period of deep questioning about life's meaning and purpose. Levin has money and status but feels empty inside, unsure what his life is really for.
Modern Usage:
What we now call a 'quarter-life crisis' or 'existential crisis' - when success doesn't bring happiness
Physical catharsis
Using hard physical work to release emotional pain or mental stress. The body's exhaustion temporarily quiets the troubled mind.
Modern Usage:
Like hitting the gym hard after a breakup or doing yard work when you're angry
Class consciousness
Awareness of the differences between social classes and how they affect people's lives and worldviews. Levin envies the peasants' certainty while recognizing his own privilege.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how people today talk about 'checking your privilege' or feeling guilty about advantages
Characters in This Chapter
Levin
Protagonist in crisis
Works desperately in the fields trying to escape his heartbreak over Kitty and his confusion about life's purpose. His physical labor shows both his authenticity and his privilege - he can choose this work while peasants must do it.
Modern Equivalent:
The successful guy who quits his corporate job to work construction
The peasant workers
Levin's laborers and unwitting teachers
They work alongside Levin with natural rhythm and unquestioned faith. Their simple certainty about life contrasts sharply with Levin's educated doubt and emotional turmoil.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworkers who seem content with their lives while you're having a breakdown
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, so conscious and full of life."
Context: Levin loses himself in the rhythm of the work
This describes the meditative state that comes from repetitive physical work. Levin finds temporary peace when his overthinking mind finally quiets and his body takes over.
In Today's Words:
The work got so automatic that he stopped thinking and just moved - like being in the zone
"He envied them their health and strength, he longed to take part in the expression of this joyful life."
Context: Levin watches the peasants work with apparent contentment
Despite his wealth and education, Levin feels spiritually impoverished compared to the workers. He craves their simple certainty and connection to life's basic rhythms.
In Today's Words:
He wished he could be as happy and sure about life as they seemed to be
"The old man straightened his back slowly and, looking at Levin, smiled."
Context: An elderly peasant acknowledges Levin working beside them
This simple gesture represents acceptance and recognition. The peasant's smile suggests respect for Levin's genuine effort, bridging the class divide through shared labor.
In Today's Words:
The old guy stood up, looked at him, and gave him a nod of approval
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Levin envies the peasants' certainty and tries to join their world through physical labor
Development
Evolved from earlier social awkwardness to active attempt at class boundary crossing
In Your Life:
You might find yourself romanticizing people in different economic situations, thinking their struggles or advantages would solve your problems
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin questions who he really is beneath his education and privilege
Development
Deepened from general confusion to active identity crisis and attempted reinvention
In Your Life:
You might feel like your job title or background doesn't match who you really are inside
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Levin believes authentic experience through hard work will transform him
Development
Introduced here as his strategy for finding meaning and purpose
In Your Life:
You might think dramatic lifestyle changes will automatically solve deeper emotional issues
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Levin rejects his expected role as educated landowner to work like a peasant
Development
Evolved from conforming to expectations to actively rebelling against them
In Your Life:
You might swing between following others' expectations and dramatically rejecting them, instead of finding your own middle path
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Levin throw himself into physical labor with the peasants, and what is he hoping to achieve?
analysis • surface - 2
What makes Levin envy the peasants' way of life, and why can't he simply adopt their mindset?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today trying to find purpose by copying others who seem to have life figured out?
application • medium - 4
How can someone tell the difference between authentic purpose and borrowed purpose in their own life choices?
application • deep - 5
What does Levin's struggle reveal about why external solutions often fail to solve internal problems?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Borrowed Purposes
Think about activities you've thrown yourself into during difficult times. List three things you've done intensely when feeling lost or purposeless. For each one, identify whether you were drawn to it because it genuinely mattered to you, or because other people seemed to find meaning in it. Notice the difference between authentic engagement and borrowed purpose.
Consider:
- •Consider whether the activity energized you or drained you over time
- •Think about whether you were trying to become someone else or express who you already are
- •Notice if you were running toward something or away from something
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you tried to solve an internal problem with external action. What were you really seeking, and what did you learn about finding authentic purpose?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 66
As the story unfolds, you'll explore key events and character development in this chapter, while uncovering thematic elements and literary techniques. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.